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The Synergistic Research Orange Fuse ... Further thoughts.

Here are my observations after several weeks of burning in the new SR Orange fuses:

1. The sound has a more relaxed presentation. 

2.  Clarity - There is less grain. I thought I had this beat, but evidently not. 

3.  The soundstage has expanded further and instruments and performers are more well-placed inside the stage. The presentation is a lot more three-dimensional. 

4.  More articulation on voices. Vocals are more organically human in nature. While listening to Kevin Mahogany sing "Skylark," I hung on every note and word in the lyrics. Massed voices, like those heard on the Norman Luboff Choir's "But Beautiful" album, are more delineated. The solo instruments are more present than ever before also.

5.  There is a definite improvement in dynamics. Drum solos place the drummer right there in the room with you. Rim shots, bongos, congas and big bass drums are amazing. So are vibes. Cal Tjader and Victor Feldman ... Welcome to the party. 

6.  There has been a further improvement in tonal accuracy. String instruments have taken on a new dimension.  

7.   Among other improvements, there has been a slight amount of welcome warmth added to the mid-bass. The music, as a result, has become more emotionally involving. A little more tube-like in a very nice way.

8.  More meat on the bones overall. Massed strings are beautiful.  Bach's "Air on a G String" ... simply beautiful.  

9.  Lastley, I can set the volume control lower and get the same volume in sound as before.

Overall ... the new Orange fuse is a real winner in my system. 

Highly recommended. 

Frank

128x128oregonpapa
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@oregonpapa Frank, thank you so much for your response, it’s thoroughness, and for answering my questions directly, honestly, and fully. I respect and appreciate that. Thank You!

I’ll comment more in a subsequent post because I would have conducted the same or a similar ’evaluation’ differently than you did.

I do not have the HFTs nor do I have any direct exposure to them. Everyone who has implemented them in their systems (that I know personally) has also strongly suggested my using them. : )

My investment in and experience with SR has been in power conditioning, grounding, cables, and isolation.
three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
@oregonpapa 

Do we hear the same irritations when other manufacturers upgrade their equipment?

Absolutely! That's certainly one of the things that bugs me about ARC is their creation of a perpetual 2-year upgrade cycle.  I much prefer the approach of Pass or VAC or Herron or Kuzma for instance who only introduce new product versions when there is a something of substance to present (in my view).  
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
^^^ I've been more than satisfied with ARC. Been a customer since the early 1980s. As stated before, I  no longer chase the upgrade path. Only tweaks for me from now on. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My friend Robert gifted me with the 180g reissue of Dave Brubeck's "Dave Digs Disney." I played it for the first time tonight. Dead silent vinyl and sounded great. I could have reached out and touched Paul Desmond. 

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dave-Brubeck-Quartet-Dave-Digs-Disney-1957-CL1059-6-Eye-MONO-vinyl-is-NM/283617615442?hash=item4208ed5e52:g:mSIAAOSwgfpddqFv

Frank
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
There is a wide divide between believing and knowing, at least there is for me. 

As @analogluvr  points out:

There is always a need for a/b comparisons.

In my experience, I have learned that my audio memory is suspect (if I am only going by it) and it becomes progressively problematic the longer the time between event A and event B.

I've learned this by evaluating my gear with direct and repeated comparisons across (nearly all) of my system changes. It's really hard work, but the rewards are significant and the growth and learning well worth it and in some cases priceless. 

I say this despite being intimately familiar with my system and having spent thousands of hours with it. 

My advice to members is to test and question yourself and your approach to audio more vigorously than your gear.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,055 posts
 
Well said! @david_ten. 
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