Iso Clean Fuses

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!

How many of you nay-sayers have actually tried the Hi-Fi Tuning, IsoClean or Furutech fuses again? Surely you're not simply offering unsubstantiated, empty opinions? I've upgraded every power supply and signal path in my audio chain with OS-CONs, FREDs, bulk foil resistors, polystyrene/polypropylene caps. Selected cables, interconnects and NOS tubes, with care, towards the most transparency possible, and done the same for many aurally pleased clients over the years. When I tried the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses in my Cary monoblock power amps, there was an obvious and quite audible improvement. The technology to actually observe electrons, and their behavior within the crystaline structures of various metals, must have escaped the professors at Case Institute. I don't remember that being presented during any of our courses.