Iso Clean Fuses


I just installed the Isoclean fuses in my Marantz SA-11S1 SaCd player. This player has 5 fuses inside. Turned it on and boy did it sound bad. The worst tweek I have ever tried. The highs were gone. In fact the over all volume was reduced! My heart sank. Faintly remembering the info sheet says these fuses have a direction to them, I had hope. Out comes the player from the stand. Fuses pointed in the other direction, now towards tha front of the player. Back in the stand, all connections remade. When i turned off the amp I left the volume at the same level. Power on. Hurray! SET magic sound restored. The crystal clear mids are there and the delicate highs have returned.
These fuses are supposed to be placed following the direction of current. I do not know if I have each circuit fused correctly as I do not have a diagram of the current flow. But in the Marantz the fuse arrow sounds better pointing to the front versus all pointing towards the rear.
So if you try an Isoclean fuse, try it in both directions before deciding if it helps or not.
David Pritchard
128x128davidpritchard
I must point out that the "thin cheap" wire in a fuse is that way for a reason. A fuse is SUPPOSED to blow when its current rating is exceeded. You could put a big hefty gold-plated wire in a glass tube, but it wouldn't be a fuse. As for directional characteristics...remember that audiophilia is a religion, and all things are possible.
I put my 39 bucks towards things like cartridges, tubes, and coupling caps that I upgrade.

I prefer to put my money into my system where it makes sense from an engineering and electronics standpoint to do so. I do not listen to marketing rhetoric. I prefer to do the research myself and make an educated decision about the changes I make to my system.

Some of you have a derogatory tone in your response to my postings on this topic. Understandable -- you have plunked down a lot of money relative to the part you bought. It sounds to me, however, like the same arguments I heard from bozos who tweaked their systems with specially "treated" black plastic zip ties and used specially "treated" black plastic tweezers peddled for a lot of money by some audio "guru", or who bought the, again, specially "treated" Tice clock and refused to return it because their egos did not let them. Obviously their ears were better than mine; that is why I could not hear the difference. And, I did not love music as much as they did. Of course, don't forget that they did not actually listen to music; they only listened to the sound their system was making.
One thing I like about this hobby shows in this thread, everyone appoints themselves an expert, and objects to anything they don't have first hand knowledge of. Pretty amazing....
Bicycleman, I could shoot holes through your second paragraph and beginning of third, well,most of it. But you're resigned to your beliefs, so no need. I'm not remotely derogatory, unless you'd be a certain party who posts on here.
Like I said, if you were here, I could show you in the time it took to swap fuses the difference. I have no idea what system you have at home or what you are used to listening to/for, but, anyone can hear this difference, for the better I might add, not all changes are for the better in the long run. No rhetoric, no overpriced gizmo or snake oil. (I do serve great appetizers at my listening parties, though.) and lots of listening, and laughs...
Loosen up a bit, you're starting to sound like Julian Hirsh.
Chashas1,
Well said.

I do not pretend for a moment to be an expert. I base my opinions on an education at, in my day, a top ten engineering school, experience in the audio retail industry, and my personal experience as an audiophile. I am knowledgeable, but not perfect.

I know that I have not tried the audio fuse. Of course, this is the big hole in my argument. If I had the means to do so for free, I might. However, my argument is that it is absurdly priced, and that it has no technological basis behind it.

In my system I can clearly hear the difference in tubes, capacitors, cables, and power line conditioners, among other things. I would make a gentleman's bet that the fuse I put in it would not make a difference. I would do that in any system because it has no basis in engineering principles. (I would also bet real money on it, if my opponent required it.) Of course I understand that the argument is that high end audio and engineering are at odds with each other. I hold that that need not be. I believe that sound engineering principles, if the designer were to pay attention to the minutiae, would coincide with great sound as far as an audiophile is concerned. That is the basis upon which I have built my system, and upon which I modify my amps.

Having worked in the industry, I witnessed a lot of snake oil being marketed. This was especially true of accessories where there is the highest profit margin. I am very skeptical of accessories and tweaks. Forty dollars is an exorbitant price too pay for something that most likely costs pennies to make. It seems that what you are paying for is perceived value and mystique. That is the only conclusion that I can draw when no one, including the sellers, can offer some technical principles for the supposed improvements on which this product is based.

I understand your Julian Hirsch comment. I am open to trying new ideas. However, I still maintain that there is a rational and scientific explanation to improvements in the music coming from the speakers. So far, there have been none concerning these fuses.
Bicycle_man ... "Audiophile" fuses are not over the top. We still have cryo-treated audiophile fuses, installed in a preferred direction, and probably more after that!