Audiophile Fuses

[SolidCore]

Hello together
First sorry for my bad english, i am from Germany.
Many comments are only about the SR Black. I dont know this type, but can say, the Fuse must be match to the Hardware.
Last days i have testet a few Fuses in different Pieces, in a DAC, in a CD-Player and so on.
In my old Meridian 508 the Fuse by AMR Audio (Gold) is to soft in the Bass, cause the Player is a little Bit soft. The same Fuse in my DAC is Great.
A cheap Silver/Gold Fuse by Y-audio sounds Great in Meridian, but to much high Frequencies in my DAC.
I have also tried other Powercords with Different Fuses. This is a Adventure. A Fuse, that will Play Great with Furutech PC, sounds not Great with Shunyata PC, and so on.
A big Adventure to find the right way.
For me, the AMR Audio Fuse has the Best Price for Performance. I have never heard better Fuses for 17 Dollar.
The Padis dont match with any of my Hardware. Its ( only for me) to much analytic.
And the New Version of Refine Audio (German Manufacture) is the best Allrounder for all Hardware, if they sound neutral.
In my E.A.R Pre-Amp sounds the AMR Bad, it like Fuses with Silver, otherwise it sounds dull.
Greetings
Stephan

 

[CKKeung]

Hello together
First sorry for my bad english, i am from Germany.
Many comments are only about the SR Black. I dont know this type, but can say, the Fuse must be match to the Hardware.
Last days i have testet a few Fuses in different Pieces, in a DAC, in a CD-Player and so on.
In my old Meridian 508 the Fuse by AMR Audio (Gold) is to soft in the Bass, cause the Player is a little Bit soft. The same Fuse in my DAC is Great.
A cheap Silver/Gold Fuse by Y-audio sounds Great in Meridian, but to much high Frequencies in my DAC.
I have also tried other Powercords with Different Fuses. This is a Adventure. A Fuse, that will Play Great with Furutech PC, sounds not Great with Shunyata PC, and so on.
A big Adventure to find the right way.
For me, the AMR Audio Fuse has the Best Price for Performance. I have never heard better Fuses for 17 Dollar.
The Padis dont match with any of my Hardware. Its ( only for me) to much analytic.
And the New Version of Refine Audio (German Manufacture) is the best Allrounder for all Hardware, if they sound neutral.
In my E.A.R Pre-Amp sounds the AMR Bad, it like Fuses with Silver, otherwise it sounds dull.
Greetings
Stephan

Welcome Stephen!

Agree with you 100% : mix & match is so important!

 

[sbo6]

I read this entire thread dating back years and I didn't come across anyone who took out their stock fuse and appropriately cleaned it with alcohol and a small gentle wire brush to remove any oxidation and then compare to X new audiophile fuse. I'm not saying fuses don't matter, IME they do, but to get a more apples to apples comparison one should ensure their old crusty fuses' contact are as close to new as possible..

 

[marty]

I read this entire thread dating back years and I didn't come across anyone who took out their stock fuse and appropriately cleaned it with alcohol and a small gentle wire brush to remove any oxidation and then compare to X new audiophile fuse. I'm not saying fuses don't matter, IME they do, but to get a more apples to apples comparison one should ensure their old crusty fuses' contact are as close to new as possible..

Beautiful. In fact, what you have done is mention the sort of experiments that are essentially always missing from any meaningful listening experiment. It's called the "control" condition. The absence of controls is ubiquitous in almost everything I read regarding listening comparisons. Even worse, the listening conditions often change more than one variable at a time in which case controls are impossible. For example, I have read well-intended reports of a user comparing 3 different cartridges on several types of arms using different phono stages. Ridiculous in the extreme. Are the cartridges optimally loaded for each set-up or is the loading the same for each cartridge? Is the tonearm wire the same in all cases? When moving a cartridge from 1 tonearm to another, was the VTA recalibrated so as to be identical? The list of variables goes on. Please don't misinterpret my criticism. It's perfectly reasonable to say I like "A" over "B". But when someone then goes on to ascribe his listening preference when more than one variable is being changed, without any controls, I mostly shrug my shoulders.

 

[Speedskater]

Beautiful. In fact, what you have done is mention the sort of experiments that are essentially always missing from any meaningful listening experiment. It's called the "control" condition. The absence of controls is ubiquitous in almost everything I read regarding listening comparisons. Even worse, the listening conditions often change more than one variable at a time in which case controls are impossible....................................................

This is so, so true.

 

[rblnr]

Beautiful. In fact, what you have done is mention the sort of experiments that are essentially always missing from any meaningful listening experiment. It's called the "control" condition. The absence of controls is ubiquitous in almost everything I read regarding listening comparisons. Even worse, the listening conditions often change more than one variable at a time in which case controls are impossible. For example, i have read well-intended reports of a usr comparing 3 different cartridges on several types of arms using different phono stages. Ridiculous in the extreme. Are the cartridges optimally loaded for each set-up or is the loading the same for each cartridge? Is the tonearm wire the same in all cases? The list of variables goes on. Please don't misinterpret my criticism. It's perfectly reasonable to say I like "A" over "B". But when someone then goes on to ascribe his listening preference when more than one variable is being changed, without any controls, I mostly shrug my shoulders.

100% agreement.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Beautiful. In fact, what you have done is mention the sort of experiments that are essentially always missing from any meaningful listening experiment. It's called the "control" condition. The absence of controls is ubiquitous in almost everything I read regarding listening comparisons. Even worse, the listening conditions often change more than one variable at a time in which case controls are impossible. For example, i have read well-intended reports of a usr comparing 3 different cartridges on several types of arms using different phono stages. Ridiculous in the extreme. Are the cartridges optimally loaded for each set-up or is the loading the same for each cartridge? Is the tonearm wire the same in all cases? The list of variables goes on. Please don't misinterpret my criticism. It's perfectly reasonable to say I like "A" over "B". But when someone then goes on to ascribe his listening preference when more than one variable is being changed, without any controls, I mostly shrug my shoulders.

+1!

 

[microstrip]

I read this entire thread dating back years and I didn't come across anyone who took out their stock fuse and appropriately cleaned it with alcohol and a small gentle wire brush to remove any oxidation and then compare to X new audiophile fuse. I'm not saying fuses don't matter, IME they do, but to get a more apples to apples comparison one should ensure their old crusty fuses' contact are as close to new as possible..

We must remember that most decent fuse sockets have a whipping action - they self clean themselves when we change or reintroduce the fuse. And I have read from people who reported improvements when cleaning the fuse box and fuses with the usual audiophile cleaners.

BTW, can you describe us what kind of controls did you in your experiences to be sure that fuses matter? IMHO, as changing fuses implies switching off equipment and going through a warm-up period, it is one of the most problematic points to evaluate by controlled listening.

 

[microstrip]

Beautiful. In fact, what you have done is mention the sort of experiments that are essentially always missing from any meaningful listening experiment. It's called the "control" condition. The absence of controls is ubiquitous in almost everything I read regarding listening comparisons. Even worse, the listening conditions often change more than one variable at a time in which case controls are impossible. For example, i have read well-intended reports of a usr comparing 3 different cartridges on several types of arms using different phono stages. Ridiculous in the extreme. Are the cartridges optimally loaded for each set-up or is the loading the same for each cartridge? Is the tonearm wire the same in all cases? When moving a cartridge from 1 tonearm to another, was the VTA recalibrated so as to be identical? The list of variables goes on. Please don't misinterpret my criticism. It's perfectly reasonable to say I like "A" over "B". But when someone then goes on to ascribe his listening preference when more than one variable is being changed, without any controls, I mostly shrug my shoulders.

Marty,

Even worse than having no controls is having inadequate or improper controls and believing that they are valid. We have an hobby where I have read all kind of outrages concerning controls. How can people rank cartridges that have all different output voltage and frequency response in a short time?

 

[sbo6]

Beautiful. In fact, what you have done is mention the sort of experiments that are essentially always missing from any meaningful listening experiment. It's called the "control" condition. The absence of controls is ubiquitous in almost everything I read regarding listening comparisons. Even worse, the listening conditions often change more than one variable at a time in which case controls are impossible. For example, i have read well-intended reports of a usr comparing 3 different cartridges on several types of arms using different phono stages. Ridiculous in the extreme. Are the cartridges optimally loaded for each set-up or is the loading the same for each cartridge? Is the tonearm wire the same in all cases? When moving a cartridge from 1 tonearm to another, was the VTA recalibrated so as to be identical? The list of variables goes on. Please don't misinterpret my criticism. It's perfectly reasonable to say I like "A" over "B". But when someone then goes on to ascribe his listening preference when more than one variable is being changed, without any controls, I mostly shrug my shoulders.

Exactly, Marty. Also, it is true that fuse holder contacts being metal scrape the fuse and provide a small level of cleaning, but it's not the same as if you purchased a brand new fuse.

Steve.

 

[Wizzer]

I’ve never had any desire to try any fuse over .50 cents though someday I may just do that.

Part of my yearly maintenance contact cleaning scheduling I’ve always removed any fuses if not too difficult and cleaned the contact surfaces including power cords ,interconnects , chassis contacts etc with noticeable differences everytime.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I’ve never had any desire to try any fuse over .50 cents though someday I may just do that.

Part of my yearly maintenance contact cleaning scheduling I’ve always removed any fuses if not too difficult and cleaned the contact surfaces including power cords ,interconnects , chassis contacts etc with noticeable differences everytime.

I do this too. But how can you be certain this is not a case of “my car seems to run better after I clean (“detail”) it”?

 

[Wizzer]

I do this too. But how can you be certain this is not a case of “my car seems to run better after I clean (“detail”) it”?

I know however it’s subtle on the good side of things , I guess it could be the equivalent of a minor tune up of your vehicle , a little more power response and I guess what I hear after a good contact cleaning is a little less distortion.

 

[sbo6]

We must remember that most decent fuse sockets have a whipping action - they self clean themselves when we change or reintroduce the fuse. And I have read from people who reported improvements when cleaning the fuse box and fuses with the usual audiophile cleaners.

BTW, can you describe us what kind of controls did you in your experiences to be sure that fuses matter? IMHO, as changing fuses implies switching off equipment and going through a warm-up period, it is one of the most problematic points to evaluate by controlled listening.

While it's true that the fuse holder does provide some cleaning via removing and inserting a fuse, it's not equivalent to truly cleaning the fuse. In my case I replaced the stock fuse on my previous preamp with a HiFi tuning Silver Star fuse. But before doing so, I removed the stock fuse, used a small piece of high grit emery paper, then alcohol, then Deoxit Gold. I also cleaned the fuse cap as best as possible. Then I went ahead and did a compare of stock versus new fuse and I did hear a difference. I let the unit warm up and play 1 song in each case. To my ears it was primarily in the highs (more sparkle if you will) and a tad bit added clarity.

Also, I just bought 2: SR black fuses for my current preamp (Purity Audio Silver Statement). We shall see.

 

[sbo6]

I do this too. But how can you be certain this is not a case of “my car seems to run better after I clean (“detail”) it”?

I think you can lump anything you think might results in better sound in this category, it's an inherent bias in us all. How objective you can remain varies per individual.

Also, I do like the diligence and practice of cleaning contacts annually, as a previous Biomedical PM tech I can attest to the benefits of clean solid contacts.

 

[bonzo75]

We tried the Verictum fuse in the Allnic. It was positive in the phono and not in the preamp

 

[DaveyF]

Rolled in the HiFi tuning Supreme silver fuses into my Jadis in the input and power supplies. Slightly more top end air than the stock fuses.

 

[sbo6]

So I just bought 2: SR black fuses for my dual mono dual chassis preamp (Purity Audio Silver Statement). To prepare for the comparison, I removed my current fuses (1 / channel in the PSU), cleaned them thoroughly and put Deoxit Gold on them. After reinstalling I heard no discernible difference from previous listening sessions. To test the new fuses (AB compare), I fired up the system and put a glass of Balvenie on hold - no alcohol for critical listening!

I warmed the system up for 5 minutes without listening. To facilitate a quick comparison, I had Deoxit swabbed on the new fuses and the fuses ready to be swapped and right next to the preamp. With the current fuses, I played 1 song I know very well. I then quickly shut down the amps and preamp, removed the power plug, inserted the new fuses (total down time was a minute at best). I then fired all up and waited 3 minutes (I figured the system was already a bit warmed up already).

And the results - more than I expected but different than what others have posted. I noticed a slightly blacker background, more effortlessness and most of all less overall grunge with vocals (in this case). I was expecting more of what others heard - bass, highs, etc. and I myself heard slightly more highs in a previous fuse swap, but not in this case. The highs are identical expect for being a bit less gritty / grungy. Well worth the $.

Now it's time for the Balvenie! ;-)

Cheers all!

 

[Blue58]

So I just bought 2: SR black fuses for my dual mono dual chassis preamp (Purity Audio Silver Statement). To prepare for the comparison, I removed my current fuses (1 / channel in the PSU) , cleaned them thoroughly and put Deoxit Gold on them. after reinstalling I heard no discernable difference from previous listening sessions. To test the new fuses (AB compare), I fired up the system and put a glass of Balvenie on hold - no alcohol for critical listening!

I warmed the system up for 5 minutes without listening. to facilitate a quick comparison, I had Deoxit swabbed on the new fuses and the fuses ready to be swapped and right next to the preamp. With the current fuses, I played 1 song I know very well completely through. I then quickly shut down the amps and preamp, removed the power plug, inserted the new fuses (total down time was a minute at best). I then fired all up and waited 3 minutes (I figured the system was already a bit warmed up already).

And the results - more than I expected but different than what others have posted. I noticed a slightly blacker background, more effortlessness and most of all less overall grunge with vocals (in this case). I was expecting more of what others heard - bass, highs, etc. and I myself heard slightly more highs in a previous fuse swap, but not in this case. The highs are identical expect for being a bit less gritty / grungy. Well worth the $.

Now it's time for the Balvenie! ;-)

Cheers all!

Hi sbo6,
I understand you’ve read the entire thread but may I please reiterate the need for correct direction when installing the fuses and a mandatory requirement for approx 400 hours before full assessment.

In my opinion the Black were too focussed on upper mids and treble to which I likened them to how I perceive Rhodium plated contacts. I preferred the Beeswax fuses to the Black.

If I may make a suggestion, return the Black if you have the 30 day return option and change them for Blues. I now have 8 Blues throughout my system and find them to be a wide open window and perfectly balanced.

I’m pretty sure they would be a great match with your silver reference pre.

I have a Blue burning in nicely in the Formula XHD as we speak.

Cheers
Blue58

 

[Sablon Audio]

@SB06, is good advice from Barry to trade up to the Blue model as it is significantly better than the Black.