[HedgeHog]

I tried one HiFi Tuning Supreme fuse in my Classe Audio SSP-800 to see what all the fuss is about and I have to say I can hear a difference.  More opened and detailed.  Then I tried swapping direction of said fuse and, again, there was an audible difference.  Weird.  Both ways are good but one centers the image more and the other way gives a perceived wider soundstage.  I did this several times and it was pretty consistent.
 
I was so impressed I ordered more fuses for 3 of my amps (1 x CA-5200 and 2 x CA-M400).  I heard no difference.  The pre/pro still was audibly improved but the power amps didn't do much.
 
I also swapped out all my fuses (all with the HiFi Tuning Supremes) on the Pathos Classic One Mk III integrated (5 or 7 fuses...can't recall).  Again, not much difference.  Should have just stuck with the pre/pro and saved.
 
YMMV.
 
-H

 

[vert]

  I also swapped out all my fuses (all with the HiFi Tuning Supremes) on the Pathos Classic One Mk III integrated (5 or 7 fuses...can't recall).  Again, not much difference.  Should have just stuck with the pre/pro and saved.

 
I've only swapped fuses on DACs and CD players and the difference was always immediate and there was no going back to the stock fuse.
 
Easily the highest bang for the buck upgrade.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

  Audio Magic Beeswax fuse.
 
Jerry at Audio Magic employs techniques to stop the fuse from vibrating.
 
Whatever he's doing it's working.

I find the Jupiter Beeswax capacitors very musical, and there are companies out there offering Beeswax inductors, so it doesn't surprise me that the beeswax fuse offers a sonic benefit.
 

 
My only concern is you get one of these fancy fuses and it ends up not blowing. I build plenty of gear and I still stick to the 50 cent fuses because they're tried and true, perhaps if the fuse manufacturers offered some safety insurance/guarantee that they'd break when overdrawn. What do you guys think?
 
I'm thinking I may build a few beeswax / paraffin cables to experiment, that should be interesting.

 

[dmbr]

Erm....newbie alert, but...fuses?

 

[vert]

Originally Posted by HiGHFLYiN9 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I build plenty of gear and I still stick to the 50 cent fuses because they're tried and true, perhaps if the fuse manufacturers offered some safety insurance/guarantee that they'd break when overdrawn. What do you guys think?

 
Only problem is you are giving up a lot of performance using those 50 cent fuses.

 

[TheAttorney]

 
My only concern is you get one of these fancy fuses and it ends up not blowing. I build plenty of gear and I still stick to the 50 cent fuses because they're tried and true, perhaps if the fuse manufacturers offered some safety insurance/guarantee that they'd break when overdrawn.

AMR and Furutech provide formal safety approvals, e.g. AMR has at least 4 approvals including UL and CE (which from memory is for US and EU respectively). As AMR is also quite low cost, that's a good start to cover all bases. If you notice the improvement in that one then be aware that other makes have still better SQ, but sadly most don't have the formal approvals - this has already been discussed in greater length in this thread.     

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

 
Only problem is you are giving up a lot of performance using those 50 cent fuses.

Well my thought was if you aren't getting adequate protection from a fuse, then you might as well just have a wire with no protection, as a straight wire is better than a $200 fuse that doesn't break when it needs to.... although one or multiple $200 fuses breaking would be enough to piss in anyone's Cheerios.
 
Quote:

 
AMR and Furutech provide formal safety approvals, e.g. AMR has at least 4 approvals including UL and CE (which from memory is for US and EU respectively). As AMR is also quite low cost, that's a good start to cover all bases.

 
Great to know, I'll likely try the AMR as a test run, see how it goes. $20 might as well be 10 cents in this hobby

 

[BIG POPPA]

Well my thought was if you aren't getting adequate protection from a fuse, then you might as well just have a wire with no protection, as a straight wire is better than a $200 fuse that doesn't break when it needs to.... although one or multiple $200 fuses breaking would be enough to piss in anyone's Cheerios

What are the 200.00 dollar fuses you speak of?

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

What are the 200.00 dollar fuses you speak of?

The beeswax fuses are $175, I rounded

I assume they work perfectly well, there's just the paranoid side of me that wonders if they'd cover your equipment if there was any problem.

 

[TheAttorney]

Ok, so who's going to be the first to post impressions of the new SR Black?
Allegedly (by SR), a bigger improvement over the Red than that was over the Quantum.
And moving towards the same price bracket as the beeswax fuse - which means I'm not rushing in yet.
 
When you do post, it's important to include a joke about "blacker blacks".

 

[BiggerHead]

I assume the folks doing this stuff have some expensive AC power conditioners/UPS or whatever that their gear is plugged into?  Otherwise it would really seem kind of absurd to worry about the fuse.  It just seems to me that even if one does believe that AC fuses are audible, that surely it's a better return on money to improve the power regulation( after improving it in AC until the fuse really is the biggest remaining AC issue, then if not sooner, improving the DC regulation).  I suppose a limit to this statement might exist if sufficient DC regulation to remove this effect  required such high energy storage as to necessitate another fuse. 
 
The the statement that "everything has a sound signature" really isn't true.   Your ipod charger has no sound signature for the power it delivered to your ipod battery before you un-plugged it, even though it was in the power path.  That's an extreme, but none of these things are in the audio path.  On the other hand, maybe someone feels the charger impacts the quality of the electrons that make it into the battery.
 
 
 

 

[TheAttorney]

@BiggerHead, you're making the big mistake of trying to bring common sense thought into audiophile fuses )
You need to stop this at once - or go mad.
 
FWIW, I do have an expensive power conditioner, and I've found that a fuse can make it's effect whether or not the Conditioner is in use, and whether or not an expensive power cord is in use. Each improvement is cumulative. 

 

[BiggerHead]

You have a point.  It's definitely true that there are many things that aren't in the sound path that make my music sound better (more enjoyable).  Then there is the famous coat hanger wire AB test.  I suspect I couldn't tell the coat hanger from a high dollar speaker wire in a blind AB test, and I think I have far better than average ears.  On the other hand, in my living room in plain sight, I'm certain a coat hanger speaker wire would sound like cr@#.  When I was younger and more poor, it probably would have sounded great though.  And maybe the fuse thing is even real.. ie maybe there is a rational explanation.  It sure doesn't seem like it to me, but I haven't tried it either (and probably won't).

 

[bassboysam]

I've found that systems wired to electricity generated by coal power plants sound warmer than gas or nuclear plants. gas has the most air and soundstage while nuclear power gives off a very fun V signature.

over the next few months I'm going to A/B some renewable power sources.

 

[BiggerHead]

I've found that systems wired to electricity generated by coal power plants sound warmer than gas or nuclear plants. gas has the most air and soundstage while nuclear power gives off a very fun V signature.

over the next few months I'm going to A/B some renewable power sources.

 
Now this gets interesting.  People say you can't generate enough power with solar panels for your home, but you could generate enough for your stereo(for my stereo at least).  And you could make everything out of rhodium plated platinum wires/switches, because it's all in your control (except for the sun, darn, might be too warm and bright for some).   Sounds like a business opportunity.