Swiss Digital Fuse Box Anyone?
- Thread starter MacF
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I havent got round to testing them yet, I'm currently playing with upgrading my cable connectors to Furutech Rhodiums and testing a new USB cable. Its still on my list of things to do. Also apparently they can be a bit directional so going to experiment with swapping directions too
Have just received my final SDFB for my dac and straight away from cold I can hear there is greater presence and calm.
@Cellcbern Thanks for this re Pathos. Had been considering the SDFB for my Heritage MK2 which also has internal fuses. On to the next…
Pretty much any OEM will be told by their lawyers not to endorse any product they haven't tested. However. if ever there was an issue, warranty law would require Pathos or any other OEM to show that it was indeed the SDFB that caused any problem. If you are technically savvy, and understand the SDFB, you can make your own decision. If you aren't, I guess your stuck listening to lawyers who always say "nope".
True dat. Nonetheless, I get the sense from this thread that there is little experience with multiple fuse amps. And I gather that Mark is not prepared to pronounce on the issue yet. I’ll let others take the initiative.
Just ordered two more before tomorrow, they have a 25% off code "Merry Christmas" running until then
Yes, I have. Currently using one of my two SDFB with a Graphene Sluggo in my Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 amplifier. It has 5 fuses, 1 main and 4 at the preamp stage. Verafi has advised me to only replace the main fuse. (I had a QSA Yellow fuse as the main, and QSA Black for the 4 preamp stage fuses. SDFB with Graphene fuse surely improved the sound. Second SDFB is (later) connected to the Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE dac, but now with a Copper with Gold Immersion (Super Sluggo). A further improvement. Will try another Graphene Sluggo next....
I have only tried the SDFB on streamers. My Lymin U2 is still in use. I upgraded my video streamer and it uses a circuit breaker. So now to figure out what/where to use my other SDFB.
That's not the issue with Pathos. As I've described in detail at this forum, I had extensive modifications done to my PathosTT and the factory never warned or discouraged me. Quite the opposite - they shared things they had experimented with, made suggestions for upgrades, and provided feedback to my tech, the late Bill Thalman, regarding the likley impact of different parts changes. The issue is that since we are talking about integrated amps there are different fuses of different values for the current going to the pre-amp section (2A) and the power amp section (6.3A). The SDFB can only accommodate one fuse value so there is no way to make it work. Mark Schifter of Vera-Fi Audio also spoke with Pathos about this.
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So a SDFB replaces one fuse. If your amp has 3 fuses, you need 3 SDFBs. the problem with that is that the SDFB goes into the power cord instead of the fuse holder. I've discussed this with Mark and I've even played around with a few ideas for making an adapter to put the SDFB directly into the fuse holder instead of the power cord.
Still, the SDFB can replace the main fuse on an amp with multiple fuses, it just won't replace the others.
I like to know what each fuse is there to protect. I've seen amps with fuses in the signal path and practically cried. I've seen fuses under the rectifiers to apparetly protect the heater power circuit--whcih can easily be repaired. So often when I see an internal fuse I think it likely doesn't need to be there. If the component it is protecting is less than $1000, I'm going to replace it with a slug.
Jerry
Still, the SDFB can replace the main fuse on an amp with multiple fuses, it just won't replace the others.
I like to know what each fuse is there to protect. I've seen amps with fuses in the signal path and practically cried. I've seen fuses under the rectifiers to apparetly protect the heater power circuit--whcih can easily be repaired. So often when I see an internal fuse I think it likely doesn't need to be there. If the component it is protecting is less than $1000, I'm going to replace it with a slug.
Jerry
That you'd have to ask the developer. I don't know now, but the PS Audio Directstream Mk I dac had 2 fuses inside, one for power and the other I think reserved for their optional Bridge card. If one wasn't using the latter, only one fuse needed upgrading.
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What are you guys doing who have nice AC cables? I'm looking at going from a $7k Shunyata Omega QR-s to the SDFB and then a $200 piece of wire between there and the actual PSU. Hard to believe that extra bit of wire isn't going to knock my sound considerably.
No $7K cables here but I was (was is key) using a Tubulus AC cable which has supplanted AC cables in the $2,500 range. I started out with the SDFB and a graphene sluggo with the cheapest "pig tail" and in total it sounded much better than my $2,800 QSA fuses with no SDFB or pig tail.. Adding the $200 version of the pig tail so impressd me that I replaced the Tubulus going into the SDFB with an additional $200 pig tail. Another very clear step up. I think the pig tail is a great bargain. I have found overall that small brand direct to consumer cables give tremendous value usually besting cables of 2-3 times the cost. There is a lot of profit in wires and some choose to go for more modest margins as a business model.And do we really need dealers to sell us cables? I cannot speak for Vera-Fi but I suspect they are willing to supply the pig tails at reasonable cost in order to be able to sell the whole package at a sane price. Hearing is believing. Listen!
I tried an AC adapter with the SDFB first, but couldn’t find one that maintained the sound quality I was looking for. I’ve used Vera-Fi’s p Extreme Piggy since then and found it sonically compatible with the WyWires Diamond. Mark chose a good Chinese manufacturer and laid out a high quality design. Whether the Xtreme reaches the level of the Omega SR, I don’t know.
I have a strange set up. I have a dual Mono stereo amp. I run two Shunyata Typhon 2s. Each has an umbilical cord that I plug into the SDFB. Then I plug an AQ Dragon from the SDFB into the back of my amp. I have an Antilieon EVO stereo amp so I run one each of the Typhon-Umbilical-SDFB-Dragon-EVO amp. set ups to each side of the amp. This set up significantly reduced remaining sibilance and opened the EVO up as I imagine a pair of EVO mono's might move toward in sound. My 360 and Grimm MU1 do use pig tails. I have not done any pig tail comparison, but replacing Purples in each of these components individually was an easy decision.
