Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

[ScottFree]

If your ears tell you that some tweak makes a difference in your system then it does - for you. Just beware of anyone who makes some universal pronouncements about the impact of any tweak as they are not likely to be correct. Trust your own ears.

Personally I find whisk(e)y to be a tweak that provides the greatest improvement across all levels of audio gear. The improvement increases with the age of the whisk(e)y.

 

[Paladin79]

The red meter box is on its way to @Pondoro.

I am cleaning other things out of my shop and would be happy to share things like capacitors and 3.5 mm connectors if anyone has a need PM me. I do not have quantities like Jason might use but I know there are some folks on here like @tincanear and @sam6550a who are highly technical and may have a use. As with most things I do, these are gratis, I will not use them in my lifetime. I probably still have enough parts to build four or five coaster amps if anyone has the desire. One gentleman approached me for relays not long ago.

No expensive fuses are in the mix but I do hope to have a report on them by April 1.

 

[Mr Rick]

Personally I find whisk(e)y to be a tweak that provides the greatest improvement across all levels of audio gear. The improvement increases with the age of the whisk(e)y.

I'll drink to that!!

 

[Pondoro]

I’m a fuse skeptic but I enthusiastically look forward to the results of this test. If it produces definite results it must be taken as data. Remember it cannot prove fuses don’t matter, it can only prove that these fuses were undetectable by these people in these amps, on that day. Conversely it cannot prove they do make a difference. It can only show that it is unlikely that the differences found were just chance outcomes. Still people draw conclusions and this is far better than arguing. The more good studies get done the better.

 

[valiant66]

When it comes to fancy fuses I tend to go with the late Roger Modjeski.

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=105425.0

That is a beautiful deep link. Thanks!
.

 

[OldRoadToad]

It may well be that my testing will reveal such results, I am trying to keep my views out of this. I just happen to have a setup in place that should lend itself well to such testing.

So far I have 12 folks who would agree to help with some testing but we will only use four. I talked to many from my local group last night and the consensus is that using 20-25 criteria like we used in other tests does not make a lot of sense so we will narrow that down to ten. Such things as tubes can show a great deal of difference on a four or five point scale but I seriously doubt fuses will do the same so we will use ten criteria on a ten point scale. That should be enough to replicate the areas where @golfbravobravo heard differences.

We hope to squeeze the testing into a five or six hour window and I believe that can be done. One person will be behind the scenes changing fuses and only he will know the pattern of fuse placement and that will be revealed after all testing is done. We hope to limit the tests to four rounds with the results going into four spread sheets with four sections each. March 19th is the tentative date and I hope to know for sure later today. That is two days after St. Patrick's day so those involved should be well rested and over some of the effects of that day.

I have had a one phase of 480 VAC blow a 90 amp fuse in my face leaving me a shade not toadish green. It was..."different" and I decided there and then that a fuse is a fuse...is a fuse. Kinda like toads. When asked why it blew repeatedly I replied, "Bad box of fuses?" Later I found the pinched to ground wire and announced that I required a new box of "good" fuses.

Test away, brother!
ORT

 

[Ripper2860]

No expensive fuses are in the mix but I do hope to have a report on them by April 1.

Don't forget to flip them and run through the process again with your team of listeners. Synergistic Research says one must try a fuse in one direction and then again in the other direction to determine the best sounding orientation. That best orientation may change depending on where one is relative to the equator, so those reading results should keep that in mind.

 

[bcowen]

Fuses, smuses. The future is in battery powered stuff.

https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/new-mercedes/3021121

ROFL! I hadn't seen that before.

When it comes to audio, I'm holding out for quantum-tunneled batteries. Why settle for mass market stuff?

 

[A Jedi]

Don't forget to flip them and run through the process again with your team of listeners. Synergistic Research says one must try a fuse in one direction and then again in the other direction to determine the best sounding orientation. That best orientation may change depending on where one is relative to the equator, so those reading results should keep that in mind.

The astute audiophile will know that crosswise is best.

 

[bcowen]

Any further questions or observations should be sent to @bcowen esq., much of this is his fault.

Awww, man. Here I was just quietly minding my own business, and now I gotta study up on how to plead the 5th. This hobby is *so* much work sometimes.

 

[Ripper2860]

I hate to add a fly to the anointment, but for the test to be truly valid, one must use a copper penny in place of a fuse, as well. What good is a test like this without a control?

 

[Paladin79]

Awww, man. Here I was just quietly minding my own business, and now I gotta study up on how to plead the 5th. This hobby is *so* much work sometimes.

Yeah right, like you have never pleaded the 5th before. The last time you wore a suit was when the judge asked the defendant to please rise.

 

[bevanc]

I hate to add a fly to the anointment, but for the test to be truly valid, one must use a copper penny in place of a fuse, as well. What good is a test like this without a control?

But make sure it's an old proper copper penny rather than one of those ones with a nickel core to save money!

 

[Paladin79]

I’m a fuse skeptic but I enthusiastically look forward to the results of this test. If it produces definite results it must be taken as data. Remember it cannot prove fuses don’t matter, it can only prove that these fuses were undetectable by these people in these amps, on that day. Conversely it cannot prove they do make a difference. It can only show that it is unlikely that the differences found were just chance outcomes. Still people draw conclusions and this is far better than arguing. The more good studies get done the better.

Ok I am reading this in a respectful manner but in this line...."Remember it cannot prove fuses don’t matter,"
Should I read that as fuses do matter once I eliminate the double negative?

Oh and it has yet to be shown if the exercise will prove anything. "Conversely it cannot prove they do make a difference"

I will present the information at the end and let you decide if the tests showed anything whatsoever. As I said early on, anyone is welcome do do the testing, I just happen to have four of my humble amplifiers set up and not being used right now as well as people who will participate.

One day if we are testing something serious I will have to invite you over and sneak you in.

Do not take the fuse thing too seriously, my group once spent $1500 on a USB cable just to see how it compared to others. It will be a fun one day event with drinks after, we may learn something, or nothing at all.

Be well my friend, tomorrow the IU red meter box leaves Indiana, once it crosses the state line you can consider it Ohio State red.

 

[bcowen]

Yeah right, like you have never pleaded the 5th before. The last time you wore a suit was when the judge asked the defendant to please rise.

I was dating the judge. And her name wasn't Judy.