Synergistic Research Master Fuse with 1.5 metre Furutech DPS-4.1 Limited Edition Power Cable and FI-1363 NCF Rhodium and FI-52 NCF Rhodium plugs. (96hrs burn-in)
SETUP:
I first connected my Isotek Syncro power cable from the wall to my Isotek V5 Titan conditioner and then added the new Furutech cable with SR Master fuse (above) from my Titan to the Isotech Evo3 Sigmas in order to affect my Innuos Gen2 Statement Streamer, Chord M Scaler, Chord Dave Dac.
INITIAL NOTES:
Immediately, I experienced a greater speed and slam in my system. (Even with only 96 hours burn-in so far). In fact, it was an opening slam, that actually startled me to the extent that I instinctively ducked! Haha "Wow! That is lightening speed." (This was the opening to ‘The Ocean’ from Houses of The Holy btw).
Dynamics, both macro and micro, were now more authentic.
There was a Lower noise floor too. I would venture this could be as much as 3-5db quieter. It is unmistakable.
Timing was truly exceptional to my mind. Again, you couldn’t miss it.
Improved Delicacy (due to the new speed).
I noticed that the Snare drum and 12 String guitar (in particular) had authentic ‘delicacy and speed’. Beautiful detail and shimmering harmonics from the 12 guitar. No leftover remnants of bass lag in the hit of a snare drum. Pure. To get a vicious smack of a snare drum together with ‘clear as day’ delicacy of the snares, is something I have not experienced reproduced properly from ‘any’ hi-fi system until now tbh. Despite owning a DAVE Dac and Piega ribbon coaxial ‘tweeter and mid’, I had still not heard that before. This new experience just shows how important good electrics are to transient speed. Despite my continual improvements over the years, the Piega coax and Dave Dac were still not achieving the sort of speed necessary to truly show what they can do at the cutting edge of transient speed and delicacy. This says to me that you need lightning transient speed in your system to hear something like drum snares properly, otherwise they simply sound shadowed by low frequency overhang and smudged (not dissimilar from white noise). Why does it matter, well, because a snare drum has dynamic spikes which cause havoc with a mix and essentially many mixes ‘brick-wall (compress)’ the snare hit in the mix to give headroom for other instruments. This loses almost all the feel (dynamic variance) from the hit of the snare drum skin in the recording. It is the ‘snares’ sound, (which are quieter and not compressed in the same way), that still provide rhythm feel, via dynamic variance. To understand what I am talking about, have a listen to Cozy Powell drumming or perhaps the drummer of many Elvis Costello tracks. Both drummers do not use the snares for most of their recordings. So their snares are silent and all you hear is the hit on the skin. The result, (after the mix), is a track almost devoid of feeling from the snare drum. It normally sounds like a poor, early 1980’s, drum machine.
Further Notes and experiences:
There is a Lower-bass depth now, also, and smooth, deep, sub-bass harmonic oscillation, when the material dictates.
Bass guitar articulation is improved too. I sensed this was more down to improved speed, than merely the benefit of lower noise floor.
Smoother sound in general, across the whole mix
Very fresh, clean sound. Really clean. It took me a little while to acclimatise to this but I wouldn’t go back.
Again the speed and slam are just so so impressive.
I really like this sound. It’s more engaging and musical.
Timbre has improved nicely. Very authentic tones of instruments.
The Soundstage lifted and spread in all directions. The imaging depth was impressive, so focussed and clear. It is now so easy to hear low level information off in the distance. No haze. There is a layering here that I hadn’t experienced before either, so instruments right at the front came forward, yet I could hear more low level information way off in the distance that had previously been closer (before this SR master fuse and Furutech cable were inserted). This is obviously very good for listening to acoustic music, for instance, orchestration.
CONCLUSION:
I have been trying to come up with an analogy that is easy to describe my experience. So here goes: My system, with the new fuse and cable, is like changing from copper cable broadband to fibre-optic. So much so, that I have since purchased a second cable and second SR Master Fuse.
The cost of this fuse and cable is certainly not cheap but as an expense to improving a high quality HIFI setup, it’s nowhere near esoteric prices or even high middle level. Imo, it is a no brainier ‘cost to SQ’ improvement ratio.
I would still agree with anybody who says, ‘this shouldn’t be necessary’, but there it is. This is a very expensive fuse but add it to a very good but not even a top line, power cable (price wise) and it can change your system meaningfully imo.
Anyway, well done Synergistic Research and Furutech. These are exceptional products. I would say they even represent an audiophile bargain.
Price: £1752.45 (purchased via Future Shop), including SR Master fuse and
Contact Enhancer: DeoxIT Gold G-Series +
Sleeving: Black Braid and 96 hour burn-in
