Something For The Fuse Guys ...

Good question. No, actually they’re just like you. They’ve never heard of audiophile fuses, either.

Audio manufacturers certainly have heard about "Boutique" fuses...just ask one of them (and stand back...some of these designers get pretty testy about this subject)...pragmasi is exactly right in his sober and reality based comments, and it's easy to see that the overwhelming majority of manufacturers clearly don't care about Magic Fuses, and clearly know full well that the fancy fuse market is rife with illogical hyperbole designed to appeal to those who desperately need to be regarded as Golden Eared. Marketing something that costs peanuts to make that sells for 150 bucks is a potential goldmine...if you can fool enough of the insecure faithful to buy in.

pragmasi ...

Thanks for your interesting response 

To answer your question ... I know of no manufacturer that uses boutique fuses in their finished products. There's a price point to this.

It is no secret that a dealer pays 50% to 60% of the end retail price of the high-end electronics sitting on his/her shelf. If a unit cost the factory $2500 to build, the dealer gets it for $5000. Then the consumer pays $10,000 ... less anything that is negotiated off of the full retail price.

Let's say, just for discussion, that the manufacturer pays for a fuse at "dealer cost." The end product, once it hits the dealer's shelf, would be four times the cost of what the factory paid for the fuse. So, a fuse that retails for $160, would cost the factory approximately $80.00.  That would be a $320.00 increase in the price of the final product to the end consumer.

Extrapolate it out for every device used in the manufacturing of any product. In this case high-end audio. There are companies that use the very best and expensive parts attainable ... and the consumer pays through the nose for those products.   There's a reason we have speakers that cost $250,000 per pair, and amplifiers that cost $150,000. I don't even want to get into turntables. 

If every manufacturer were to use the most expensive parts available, then people with modest incomes would never be able to afford to enter the hobby. For me ... I'll stick with my ARC gear and upgrade fuses as they come available.

Frank

This has been asked on other threads and some manufacturers were mentioned on their using aftermarket fuses. One that comes to mind is Wyred4Sound. 

It wasn't a standard thing for them to do but when I inquired about them doing it, they said they were fine doing it as they believed it stretched the improvement about 5% or so.

However, these threads all boil down to tawdry entertainment seeing as how they've been hashed to death here. If anyone has any doubts as to the efficacy of fuses, they need not spend a lot of money. It's been pointed out that simply replacing a cheap, bog standard fuse with an aftermarket fuse will change the sound. For a small investment, just swap one out and hear it for yourself. Until then, tawdry it is.

If you haven't tried it, you don't have a leg to stand on.

All the best,
Nonoise

Also, as I’ve oft opined, even if you’re a real cheapskate or hard-core non-believer, you can get that 5% boost by simply flipping the stock fuse you’re currently using around. 🔜 There is a risk, obviously, that you may experience a 5% drop in SQ instead.  🤡 As Bob Dylan says at the end of all his albums, good luck everybody!