Swiss Digital Fuse Box Anyone?

[highstream]

A touch of warmth makes all the difference for me, no matter how much a component or accessory, such as the SDFB, improves the sound otherwise (and the SDFB certainly does). With a brass sluggo in my GG/Posedon dac, replacing a QSA red-black, I hit that tonality just right. Hours of involvement, just listening to the music. Since the next day, however, with a second SDFB with brass added for the VAC Master preamp, again replacing a red-black, that little bit of warmth has been gone. Back to listening to the gear rather than the music. Not fun. Even boring at times (perhaps vagaries of burn in). Just waiting it out for now (‘til 300 hrs), before copper sluggos come back in stock or I have the amp value changed and try the SDFB elsewhere.

P.S. I’m using AC adapters, ostensibly copper wired, off Amazon, not piggies. Other ends are WyWires Diamonds. My experience is that adapters tend to muddle, or not, but have less or little effect on tone.

 

[Jeff4598]

I am a bit confused. Why are you opening the Swiss Fusebox? The sluggo goes in the amp., or whatever other audio piece you are using, and replaces the fuse in that piece. The sluggo doesn't go in the fusebox which acts as the fuse for the piece the sluggo went in.

Don't see where I implied that. Of course.

 

[Jeff4598]

A touch of warmth makes all the difference for me, no matter how much a component or accessory, such as the SDFB, improves the sound otherwise (and the SDFB certainly does). With a brass sluggo in my GG/Posedon dac, replacing a QSA red-black, I hit that tonality just right. Hours of involvement, just listening to the music. Since the next day, however, with a second SDFB with brass added for the VAC Master preamp, again replacing a red-black, that little bit of warmth has been gone. Back to listening to the gear rather than the music. Not fun. Even boring at times (perhaps vagaries of burn in). Just waiting it out for now (‘til 300 hrs), before copper sluggos come back in stock or I have the amp value changed and try the SDFB elsewhere.

I have found that break in of the pig tail AC is crucial. It sounds nuetral at first but left on full-time I find that days 2 and 5 are pretty bad- a bit bright and grainy. By day 6 or 7 it seems on course and just gets better. In my experience one should not judge tonality until day 7. It may also depend on what fuse you removed from the VAC. When I replaced the 2 QSA's (red/black) in my amp it was better right away but did falter on and off during break in. With the second SDFB replacing the SR Master Fuse in my DAC (all tube no caps)it sounded like a step back at first but after about 12 hours the tone is very sweet. It may also be track dependant. Playing Lucinda Williams latest which had sloppy bass that got a bit in the way of the tune but niow with the 2 SDFB's the bass is very strong but firmer, less sloppy and is playing it's own musical line better without blurring the rest.
I think we should also consider this: we think we are replacing the entire AC input chain when we change the fuse out for something else. In fact we are only changing one of three legs- nuetral and ground are hard wired and unchanged. Consequently we are going to hear the result of the changed hot leg in relation to the hard wired legs- this will vary from component to component and will make break in of the added devices subject to greater lability- all three of the legs in the pig tail are in the circuit but only the hot leg goes through the SDFB contact point (I assume) and the sluggo as stated only is in the hot leg path. So break in will be complex IMO. Give it time!

 

[highstream]

I neglected to mention that I’m using AC adapters, ostensibly copper wired, not one of the piggies. I did that for cost purposes and because one never knows what adding another cable will reap tonally. Adapters can muddle (or not), but don’t tend to change the tone so much. Mark says they are working on an elegant adapter solution.

Red-blacks had been in both. Yes, some recordings are warm and some less so, but it shows even on the former. Tolerable at best is not my favored approach. As indicated, I am giving it at least 300 hours with the current configuration — I don’t often make final judgments before then — and do have a couple of Russ Andrews grounding cords on the way that may have something to say.

 

[Geerock]

I just hooked up my 1st SDFB with the graphene slug yesterday to my AtmaSphere amp and it was an immediate and obvious positive change. Fuller, more accurate bass. Smoother top end with no unwanted sizzle to cymbals and horns. Soundstage width and depth more expansive. Not jaw dropping but just a better all around listening experience. I, too, used an adapter on the front end of the FB but today swapped it out for a PC that matched the cord leading to the amp. Definitely a better set up. And nothing crazy expensive. Simply Anticables level 3's. The adapter didn't do it for me. Anyway, a thumbs up for Mark's service and product. I'll be ordering another.

 

[Jeff4598]

I just hooked up my 1st SDFB with the graphene slug yesterday to my AtmaSphere amp and it was an immediate and obvious positive change. Fuller, more accurate bass. Smoother top end with no unwanted sizzle to cymbals and horns. Soundstage width and depth more expansive. Not jaw dropping but just a better all around listening experience. I, too, used an adapter on the front end of the FB but today swapped it out for a PC that matched the cord leading to the amp. Definitely a better set up. And nothing crazy expensive. Simply Anticables level 3's. The adapter didn't do it for me. Anyway, a thumbs up for Mark's service and product. I'll be ordering another.

It's not scientific but I am suspecting that the Core Cable pig tails are adding something to the upgrade in my system ( the last AC cable at the equipment inlet tends to have undue influence- the old thin cheap AC wires in the wall then some killer cable the last meter). I am speculating this may be the case based on having started out with the basic pig tail and upgrading ($50) to the better one and hearing a very substantive overall improvement in SQ. When my bank account rebalances I am considering a discussion with Mark regarding getting a much better Core cable at the inlet- they have 4 or 5 higher grades of AC cable.