1. Home
  2. misc-audio
  3. 151208-481

Something For The Fuse Guys ...

There are fuses, and then, there are fuses. 

I'm evaluating some prototype fuses that I received in the mail three days ago. 

Over the past few years, I've used fuses from five different manufacturers. The last three were the Red, Black and Blue fuses from Synergistic Research. Each one incrementally improved the sound of my system. My favorite so far was the SR Blue. 

The prototype fuses being evaluated presently raises the SQ beyond all of the others mentioned above. The major improvement to my ears is better tonal accuracy. Instruments and voices are more life-like. The noise is reduced allowing for a more solid 3-D presentation with the musicians more solidly presented on the sound stage. Overall, more information is fleshed out of CDs and LPs. 

The manufacturer, the price and the name of the prototype fuses will come later. I don't have the information thus far. My understanding is, if all works out, the release date is to be mid-October. 

Stay tuned ... 

Frank
oregonpapa
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
Many thanks, Al, for your contribution to this thread. 

As you've stated (and if I properly understand), the purpose of the fuse is not so much as to protect from AC surges incoming and prior to the fuse, as some here have said. It's main purpose is to keep amp processes after the fuse from drawing too much current, making the fuse an integral part of the operation of the amp and therefore having more of a direct bearing on the sound, though it's exact reason as to why cannot be readily explained.

It just does.

All the best,
Nonoise
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Even though what Al pointed out may be true, and probably is true, it actually has no real bearing on the case. You might as well say the sky is blue.

I could also point out that oregonpapa’s statement that all aftermarket fuses are directional is only a partial truth. Since all fuses -including stock off the shelf fuses - are directional. And all wire is directional - e.g., wire in all cables, interconnects, power cords, HDMI cables, Ethernet cables, transformers, capacitors, etc.

Cheers everybody!
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
I would like for one of our professional metallurgist members to chime in here and share with us any information they may have about the way metal is extruded during the manufacture of wire, and how that extrusion would affect the direction of molecules, and subsequently the directionality of said wire. 

Frank
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
Even though what Al pointed out may be true, and probably is true, it actually has no real bearing on the case. You might as well say the sky is blue
. 
If what was said is true, then it would have significant bearing on the case. Up until now, all naysayers have used the "it's only a sacrificial device" argument, which is not the case.

If I remember correctly, even @auxinput pointed out something similar which was quickly and conveniently glossed over in past threads.

All the best,
Nonoise

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I have no idea what the “it’s only a sacrificial device” argument even means. The fuse obviously prevents high current from going any further, regardless of why the high current is there. It’s irrelevant to the fuse debate how the high current got there. There are really only a few bones of contention for fuses. Allow me to quickly summarize them.

Fuses do not all sound the same
Aftermarket fuses as a general rule sound better than stock fuses
There are easily identifiable physical and electrical reasons why some fuses are audibly superior to stock off-the-shelf fuses
All Fuses are directional in the sense they sound better in one direction than the other

In fact, it’s unnecessary to know why fuses are directional.  So the whole argument about molecules and atoms is actually irrelevant. We already know all wire is directional. And have known for 25 years. I use the word we editorially. 😬


More to discover