QSA : My take on their expensive products

Willgolf

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Jul 21, 2019
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A silver fuse costs more than a Costco TV...lol
 

highstream

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Nov 16, 2013
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A much more accurate picture than in the store is why I suggested taking a look at AVS forums. There are people posting who have calibrated or worked hard at coming up with the best general settings and ones for those who like switching profiles depending on what’s being watched.

What you see in the store is demonstration mode. There are other modes (or profiles) in settings to work from as a base.
 
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auricgoldfinger

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Dec 8, 2019
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@highstream I switched to these optical HDMI cables from Audioquest. I like them much better. Unfortunately, there is no way to try before you buy.

 

highstream

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Sure there is: Crutchfield and Music Direct have 30-60 day returns, as does Amazon.
 

highstream

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highstream

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You seem to a fixation on the QSA fuse and TV’s, although you weren’t even aware the picture you see in the store in the store is not what you’re limited to at home. Stop for a second and go back to my earlier post about ways to enhance the TV picture without dealing with the fuse, which is practically an iffy proposition at best.
 

wil

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Jul 22, 2015
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You seem to a fixation on the QSA fuse and TV’s, although you weren’t even aware the picture you see in the store in the store is not what you’re limited to at home. Stop for a second and go back to my earlier post about ways to enhance the TV picture without dealing with the fuse, which is practically an iffy proposition at best.
I thought you had said you were using a fuse to enhance your TV picture -- my mistake.
I'm completely aware of adjustments made to alter the TV picture and that you're not stuck with the over-baked picture set up at the store. My questions were specifically about the effect of fuses on picture quality as per @auricgoldfinger 's post.
 

highstream

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Oh, earlier you wrote: "I don't have experience with TV monitors, but I'm guessing the best ones can give you the ability to achieve a more natural rendition than what you'll see on display at Best Buy."

I took that literally. Have you looked at what it would take to change the fuse on a TV? I looked at changing the power cord on the LG and it would have required more than just pulling off a plastic cover and might have voided the warranty. I suspect you could get a very long way toward where you seem to want to go with the other changes I mentioned, and for a fraction of the cost.
 

highstream

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Willgolf

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This thread is a little off the topic....however, I did try an upgraded PC in my Sony 75" tv with good results. I have not been able to determine if there is a fuse in my tv nor where it might be. I might try upgraded HDMI cables. BTW it was not easy to use the upgraded PC on the tv due to fit.
 

auricgoldfinger

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Dec 8, 2019
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If you refer back to my original post about the TV, you'll notice that I am using the silver fuse in a power supply, not the TV itself. I described the system architecture in detail.
This thread is a little off the topic....however, I did try an upgraded PC in my Sony 75" tv with good results. I have not been able to determine if there is a fuse in my tv nor where it might be. I might try upgraded HDMI cables. BTW it was not easy to use the upgraded PC on the tv due to fit.

QSA offers HDMI cables that are treated in the same way as their fuses. I know someone who has the silver version and loves it. I do not know any specifics in regard to options and pricing. Otherwise, I highly recommend the optical HDMI cables mentioned above. They are a good value for what they bring to the table.
 

Ian B

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Oct 19, 2020
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Ian --oops one of the problems of being functionally blind is that I don't see all the words presented so I missed the SR purple part....my bad. I do appreciate your comments on tube components. I will probably add a QSA red to the Lampi Horizon when it arrives. Then I will debate in my mind whether to add the SR Purple to my Mono tube amps and LDMS Music server. Prior to having all QSA yellow, I had SR orange. All of these decisions would be easier if I was still making money in. the Stock market. A $1,400 fuse times three is tough to swallow right now.
I feel you about the stock market...eek. Probably no new interconnects this year for me.

I do feel the SR Purple is more cost effective and also really good, if differently voiced. I would personally feel fine using the Red for a source (maximum transparency) and the Purples in amps/preamps/servers.
 

Ian B

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Oct 19, 2020
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That is interesting Ian.
I have the mauve and yellow and plan to try the red at a future stage.
It rather seems that fuses take us back to the perennial choice and debate over warmth and transparency where at the end of the day it becomes a matter of personal choice.
I had a very similar experience recently with my new Sikora Standard Line turntable. The stock clamp istheir own make, a very substantial stainless steel and black model. I used it to begin with rather than the Stillpoints V2 which I had been using previously. Initially I was very pleased with it, but reverted to the Stillpoints. The Sikora clamp imparted a noticeably warmer sound but lacked the transparency of the Stillpoints clamp which I have now reverted to.
I guess it is all a question of balance and personal taste and even small changes to one's system can make a significant difference.
I think you are right. I would also compare it to silver vs copper cables.
 
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May 29, 2022
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I think the full burn-in phase is longer than advertised. So far I think most of my original notes are accurate (more or less), however after a couple days it got quite bright and has been a long ride back down. I'm going to give it a few more days.

What I can say is that it is probably a couple steps up from the Purple in terms of resolution, stage, and width, and easily makes your components sound thousands of dollars more expensive. On the other hand, much less bass than SR, less midrange emphasis than SR Purple, less saturated/vibrant color, less black background (but more subtle detail), and a little more treble.

The Red is still a very good value proposition compared to power cables, but less so than the SR Purple, even if it is more resolving and accurate.
Thanks for both of your detailed posts. I did read the QSA Red (or the higher level fuses) take longer to fully break in than the lower level QSA fuses. I also believe QSA fuses are brighter than SR fuses and QSA fuses match well with a tubed system. I’m using an Atoll IN300 integrated solid state amplifier (with dual mono blocks) which has a very warm sound. Almost tube-like, so the QSA fuses match well with it. I’m also using Cardas, Cygnus and Clear Beyond cables which are very neutral and natural cables. I did think the Yellow was a little bright but I upgraded it to the Violet and believe it is very detailed but not harsh. I think instead of upgrading to the QSA Red fuse, I’m going to buy the Red receptacle so I can plug in my Audioquest Niagara 1200. Hopefully, it will improve the sound systemwide.
 

cd45123

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Jan 25, 2021
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Earlier on, I had favored SR Purple over QSA Yellow and even Violet, but having changed up my cabling and listening to warmer gear recently, I have to concur - if your system is already warm and ‘musical’, you’ll likely get more synergy with QSA.

if there’s lots of clarity and neutrality, the SR Purple can definitely add some meat to the bone. I have not heard QSA Red, but my hope is that will drop the noise floor even lower and provide more to the warmer gear I have now.
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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Colour me curious about the QSA fuses.

I have long felt that fuses can contribute towards better sound quality however recent experiences with a couple of recalcitrant pieces of equipment and serial blowing brands put this investigation on the backburner for me.

Watching as the reviews and private recommendations emerge, it struck me that there was somewhat of a no man’s land for feedback on their middle tier models so I chatted with Steve at QSA and he kindly sent me a examples of most models to evaluate and report on here for others. There isn’t any commercial agenda on my part, I’m not going to be reselling this brand and all of my purchases from QSA are on regular industry terms.

As you can see in the photo below, there are 6 fuses. The top two are Silver models for my @Taiko Audio Extreme and Lampizator Baltic dac, which I bought purely on the strength of endorsements from trusted users. What might however be more interesting for others is how the less expensive models compare and where the performance / value sweet-spot might lie. Since I feel there are already quite a few comparative reports on the yellow model, Steve has sent me crystal Blue / Purple / Red / Red-Black models.

Unfortunately time is limited before I leave for a family break, so I will give the fuses each an initial first impression report over the weekend and repeat again later after each has had two days of burn in. I’ll use the Baltic dac for this test as it is very responsive to power and can be rebooted immediately, unlike the Extreme.

Later in July, I will revisit after each fuse has had some proper burn in time and attempt to comment on the notable differences whilst going in both direction, up and down, the model hierarchy.

FE9DCFBA-FEA3-4708-80CF-8DD3E45CB7F0.jpeg
 

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