Aftermarket Fuses

When it comes to fuses, I really believe in Winlyn brand. The fuses work as advertised, I had a blown fuse for over a year for a charging port that I really didn't care about it now it works.

One of my references is Marian McPartland's Reprise- Hickory House Trio from 1999. Well performed and recorded jazz music in an intimate, live setting.

To the OP and Oregonpapa....I'm going to be ordering the SR blue fuse to go into my Auralic Vega G2 streamer...and was wondering what specific piano pieces you listen to for your comparisons.  I'm going to look for these in Tidal to do a comparison versus my stock fuse.  In regards to the fuses, I was deciding between the Audio Magic Beeswax Ultimate and the SR blue, but there doesn't seem to be much written on the Audio Magic...and the SR blue is less expensive.....

If these greedy manufacturers weren’t so stupid and priced their products reasonably, they would sell a lot more and some of this resistance against such tweaks would fade away as more people would witness the audible difference.

While I kind of agree that the prices do appear to be steep I really do not think it would make much difference how they priced them tbh.
Even if the SR Blue was priced at $50 say instead of $150 there would still be plenty of naysayers claiming a $2 Littelfuse is all you need!
Might they actually sell more?
Possible.
Would the revenue they recover exceed that if priced higher?
Doubtfull imho.

xtinct11 posts01-18-2019 6:23amHello guys,

from my experience, simply cleaning the fuses contact points and the plus with acetone can reap very noticeable improvements. Treble becomes more airy and bass more defined and visceral. Therefore I am in no doubt that fuses can make an appreciable audible difference. However, the pricing is ridiculous. If these greedy manufacturers weren’t so stupid and priced their products reasonably, they would sell a lot more and some of this resistance against such tweaks would fade away as more people would witness the audible difference.

>>>>Don’t worry so much. The aftermarket fuse makers are doing pretty well. More than 80,000 sold and counting. 

Hello guys,

from my experience, simply cleaning the fuses contact points and the plus with acetone can reap very noticeable improvements. Treble becomes more airy and bass more defined and visceral. Therefore I am in no doubt that fuses can make an appreciable audible difference. However, the pricing is ridiculous. If these greedy manufacturers weren’t so stupid and priced their products reasonably, they would sell a lot more and some of this resistance against such tweaks would fade away as more people would witness the audible difference. 

K

We get a lot of 'show me the measurements' requests to what we hear. We are not engineers or whatever it is you need to be to have measurements. But we do trust our ears. Then some say you cannot trust your ears. So I thought this had a nice reasonable comment on how this gentleman feels. I think he has some credentials to say what he does.
At about 9:30 in the video this man states how he feels if you cannot measure something yet still hear it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grzoqEb2KMk&feature=youtu.be

Well I jumped into the deep end here this afternoon & purchased one $20 fuse for my preamp. The kids will still eat wolf (LOL). I'll let you know what I think after a hundred hours or so.

It's a fuse, and if it is functioning as designed, to protect the component, it will have zero impact on the tonality or performance of any audio component, regardless of what people think they hear in "premium" fuses. Standard Littelfuse products are all you need, the rest are simply a scam to sell you things. You're welcome.

Anybody here have an opinion on "Create Audio Deluxe" fuses? They are much less expensive than SR fuses. Just wondering how they compare or if anyone has actually tried them. Note that I'm just using standard (littlefuse) fuses now. 

And for cradle type fuse holders, you can take a small orthodontic rubber band and wrap around the top of the holder at each end to apply a little pressure to the contacts.  You can also wrap a piece of Teflon tape around the glass body to dampen ringing.

Apply contact enhancer to each end of the fuse and insert back into the fuse holder. 

@audiolabyrinth 

What state of the art cable's have you tried? do you own any  state of the art cable's?

Not sure, I have owned multiple cables retailing for over $1K each and some over $2K. There are always more expensive cables - who is the judge that defines "state of the art" or do you simply mean "most expensive?" 

do you own any of the boutique fuses mentioned on this thread?

I have HiFi Tuning regular, supreme and silverstar, SR Red, and Furutech fuses here.

Have you owned boutique receptacle's such as furutech NCF rhodium duplexes?

Currently using Acme silver-plated, Porter  Ports, and Furutech GTX.

Have you ever owned State of the art power cord's?

Multiple cords by Furutech and Neotech and I also currently own an Isoclean Auto Focus cord. 

Etc.....  here is a statement,  what if I told you I never heard a component that was a more substantial sound improvement than my cable's?,  you see, I own State of the art etc.. such as mentioned on this post, it is really silly at best or bluntly put, ignorant to nay say anything unless you own it, or have owned it over substantial period of time.

That is why I try to speak to only items I have owned and what I heard from them in my system.

What is your point???

@mitch2 , Hi,  This is not a so called attack on you,  however,  I  really ignore posting a lot anymore,  you see, a few year's ago, audiogon was a educational place to learn without expressing differences of opinion,  back then we simply would say nothing if we read something we did not understand or believe.                               I  would like to ask you and the other's here that are the nay sayers a few questions.                           What state of the art cable's have you tried?, do you own any  state of the art cable's?, do you own any of the boutique fuses mentioned on this thread?  Have you owned boutique receptacle's such as furutech NCF rhodium duplexes?, Have you ever owned State of the art power cord's? Etc.....  here is a statement,  what if I told you I never heard a component that was a more substantial sound improvement than my cable's?,  you see, I own State of the art etc.. such as mentioned on this post, it is really silly at best or bluntly put, ignorant to nay say anything unless you own it, or have owned it over substantial period of time.

geoff sez ...

• Who’s Peggy Lee?
  

That's okay Geoff ... at my age I know what its like losing memory cells. A lot of them. Don't worry, its not painful at all. Huh? What's not painful? What were we talking about? Peggy who???

Frank

Clearly you are speaking for yourself there analogluvr.......

Inside every man exists a 6 year old boy that thinks toilet humour is hilarious. 

What’s up with all the ass and fart jokes recently? The trolls must be on their A game.

It's directional because if it's in the wrong way instead of the fairies farting out the magic pixie dust,it gets sucked back in their butt and you don't hear the benefits. 

Now put the AC Black fuse in the other way around, and listen to her backwards, there's secrete voodoo wordings in there that will become apparent, and make you a dedicated fuser.

Who’s Peggy Lee?

Right now I'm "marching to my own drummer."

I'm listening to Peggy Lee singing "Fever" burned to a CD directly from the master tape.  For those familiar with the tune, there's a bass drum at the beginning that goes ... "You give me fever .. BOOM, BOOM ... fever all through the night ... BOOM, BOOM ...

That bass drum, as well as Peggy Lee's voice, is right there in the room. 

Frank

@mitch2 
Very well said and completely true.
Yes it can be entertaining at best but that is about its limit.
I really should stop even reading these types of threads never mind posting as it can only spiral in one direction.

@oregonpapa
@uberwaltz
The knife cuts both ways, which is why this issue will never be sorted out. You are both correct, folks who believe the science will not support any change in sonics, or any perceivable change in sonics, related to fuses, wire directionality, or certain other tweaks, do indeed tend to write-off perceptions to the contrary as expectation bias or confirmation bias; while folks who believe the sonic changes (or improvements) are readily evident, tend to write-off those who don’t hear the improvements as having poor hearing, poor systems, or both.

It seems best that everyone simply march to their own drum on this stuff. I have no problem reading about what others hear in their systems, or even which side of the fence they fall on related to the value of aftermarket fuses, etc., but I do not see any value in people telling others what they should be hearing or not hearing. Not everyone here seems to be tolerant of opposing opinions so the result is a perpetual argument and a colossal waste of time, although occasionally amusing.

Listening to a very apt album right now for a fuse thread.

Turn BLUE by The BLACK Keys.

The only thing I am truly shocked about is that these forums have not collapsed under the sheer weight of the egos contained within.

Again, promoting tweaks as a commercial endeavor on a chat forum is my main beef...and questioning hyperbole is just a hobby...I'm guilty of posting about stuff I like, but it's clear I REALLY don't care who agrees with me, although those who do are generally smart and good looking.

There is a word for people telling you what they think, its called:

hear·sayˈhirˌsā/noun

1. information received from other people that one cannot adequately substantiate; rumor.

A step above pure :

mag·icˈmajik/noun

1. 1.the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces
   
   

I suppose, but its still just hear·say and anyone can do it. 

But let me try to be serious for a moment, which is very difficult in light of some of the comments here ( yes I am guilty as well) but nevertheless.

Nobody here is exhorting anybody to rush out and buy boutique fuses, unless I missed a post.
Nobody forced me to try one, nobody forced me to keep them.
I read, I dismissed some of the over the top claims but thought I would give them a try.
I am a grown adult( sometimes) and more than capable of making my own,mind up on whether to spend $150 or not!
I perceived an improvement, I was happy, this I reported, nothing more.
I would NEVER tell anybody here that they HAVE to try them.
I assume others are adult enough to likewise make their own minds up on how they spend their money.

Wolf
At last we agree
But you REALLY do need to try those new valve stem covers with graphene!

If you "claim" to hear things (nobody actually knows what anybody else hears) that others don't, you should be able to handle the criticism especially if you use extreme hyperbole in those claims. The difference between an SR fuse and, for example, a Littelfuse IS dramatic...one works perfectly as designed, from a company with a stellar reputation for safety and consistency and costs 2 bucks or so, and the other costs 100 to 150 bucks for reasons nobody can explain...except sales profit. Now that "sounds" different for sure! Also, I was talking about imagined valve stem covers that would be a joke if 10 times as expensive as standard, not racing stripes which have obvious performance benefits...everybody knows that...

Mitch sez:

• Right out of the playbook. You might want to consider not questioning what others do or don't hear. 
  

Are you kidding, Mitch? You've been posting in these threads long enough. I'm assuming that you've read all of the responses, right? How many naysayers have told us what we can't hear, or that what we are hearing is nothing more than expectation bias? Hell man, they even tell us that when they haven't used the item at issue for themselves. 

Frank

@mitch2 
Why on earth not?
That's EXACTLY what the detracters are doing!
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
If you cant stand the heat keep out of the kitchen.
And other wearisome likewise quotes...…. 

@oregonpapa 

If anyone can't hear the difference, then I'd be questioning one of two things ... either the system, or the ears. Maybe both.

Right out of the playbook.  You might want to consider not questioning what others do or don't hear.

The difference between a stock fuse, and an SR Blue fuse is dramatic. If anyone can't hear the difference, then I'd be questioning one of two things ... either the system, or the ears. Maybe both. 

Where would one go to buy "BMW tires?" 

Frank

Wolf
I have proven beyond a shadow of any doubt that the yellow racing stripes I added to my Mustang gave it at least another half second in the quarter and 10 mph on the top end...….

Oh what? sorry this is reality?
That sucks.....

I don't miss out on anything by being skeptical of overhyped nonsense. I don't question every tweak, only ones I feel are hyperbole festooned nonsense. I understand many feel they experience benefits from inexplicable (or at least never explicted) tweaks like special fuses, as who wouldn't want to think they got their money's worth? My experience (and thorough testing of some SR stuff) tells me that fuses are simply fuses, and I've heard zero logical or even illogical explanations of why a fuse that is simply a fuse will actually do anything musical in a circuit, even with claims from Kaitty that it's been explained. Claims of "special" materials making the fuse work better somehow, or direction reversal making a difference, could possibly only provide the tiniest of differences that become swamped and rendered irrelevant by the piles of circuitry that components contain. That's simply a fact. If my writing about the hyperbole seems offensive to anybody I obviously don't care, as clearly I chafe at the silly hype and ridiculous claims of fuse "magic." Tell me that putting premium valve stem caps on my BMW tires will make it corner faster, provide testimonials from users to back up those claims, and I'll still point out how ridiculous that is.

I’m not entirely sure I would take anyone’s word for which fuse is better since there are a number of variables that could tilt the results on way or the other. I don’t have to tell you what those variables are. 

Any comparison between the Synergistic Blue vs Audio Magic fuses. Please advise members??

Tipped up highs and tighter or less bass is "better" to many people with (too) big speakers in damped rooms. And those qualities are not difficult to get with an aftermarket fuse. 

ebm ...

I have 4 "gourmet" fuses here. They are all 5A Long Slow Blow to fit an Audio Research Ref. 6.

Two are Synergistic Research, Blue and Black.  I think the Black most improved the highs, which is what I was going for. But the Blue probably was best overall.

I also have an Audio Magic SHD Beezwax, and a Supreme fuse from Hi-Fi Tuning. These two are new in the box and never used.

^^^ Yellowstone? Wow! What a beautiful place. Lucky you ... :-)

John ... If you send me a PM with your full name and addy, I’ll send you something that will "complete" your audio system. No joke ...

I'll tell you what it is in a return PM.

Frank

oregonpapa ...

Yes. I have found that if a system gets well-recorded piano and a woman's voice right, pretty much anything else is on point. Then get string bass right, and.. Nirvana!

I love the VTL preamp So much, that I got curious about how that might sound with a VTL amplifier. So, I now have a VTL S-400 II in house. I am presently trying to get the right combo of tubes in it. I'm close. The Lamms come within 96% of the VTL, with great bass. The VTL has adequate bass, but not enough drive for legendary Krell bass. Or Lamm bass, for that matter. But that other 4%, from the mids on up, OMG. Spectacular reproduction. I'm going to have to keep both amps.

Once I get the right tubes settled, Ill be ready to try some tweaks. Fuses, etc. Much thanks for the line on the vibration mat.

I live in Wyoming. If you ever visit Yellowstone, feel free to drop me a line.

John

On wolf_garcia, shadrone, slaw and a few other naysayers ...

They remind me of my brother. He's one of the biggest skeptics on the planet. Its a personality type where their biggest fear is being taken advantage of.

To them, everything is either a conspiracy, a scam, or something else nefariously designed to cheat them out of their hard earned money. They suspect everyone, including their doctors, their real estate agents, and anyone who pats them on the back. They have the persona of a "Mr. Full Charge." If they're not in control of a given situation, they feel out of control. 

Where most people have to like you before they trust you, these folks have to trust you before they like you. The biggest mistake a salesperson can make with these people is to try to glad-hand them. If you do, their first thought is ... "What is this guy trying to get out of me?"  you can see it almost immediately. Their eyes narrow, they cross their arms and legs and frown like frowns are going to leave the planet.

The best approach is to just let them be in charge ... let them lead. Let them think that everything is their idea. Let them tell you what's needed. If you tell them, they think you're lying. If they tell you, they know that THEY don't lie ... so all is okay. 

They make great cops ... and I'm not dissing cops here either. I have a LEO for a son in law, and my brother is a retired California Highway Patrolman. Both great guys. Both have a jaundiced eye and both can scope out the suspicious among us in a nano-second. Hell to deal with if you're a salesman or a proprietor of a business of any type though. To them, everyone is lying. Everything is a scam. Nothing is worth the asking price ... and you are not going to tell them jack ... they will tell YOU. 

They miss out on a lot of joy in life because of their suspicious nature. Sometimes, you just have to trust the other guy and believe that most people are honest and upright ... until they prove themselves otherwise.

Frank

imgoodwithtools ...

So, one of your main benchmarks is how well the system reproduces the piano, correct? Me too. I've always said, get the piano right, and everything else seems to fall into place. 

I highly, and sincerely recommend that you get involved with the Omega E Mats. Ask Fleischer what he heard at my place when it came to the piano with the E Mats installed. Its really something ... and with your present system, it would be fantastic. 

If you lived close enough, I'd love to have you over for a listen. 

Take care ...

Frank

So, I guess the $64K question is did you try the fuses in both directions? 😳

oregonpapa ...

The AR Ref 6 IS an amazing piece, and quite a bargain at around $15K, and a steal if found used. I probably would have had no complaints about the Ref 6 had I not been able to drive my amp directly with my Berkeley processor. Especially on close-miked piano, the highs rang crystal clear like bells when driven directly. With the Ref 6, the same highs took on an ever so slightly tinny quality. So, I took on the project of trying to improve the highs of the Ref 6. A Sain Line Systems power cord did a lot. Genuine Reflektor tubes helped a bit. And the highs with the Synergistic Black fuse took on a more crystal clear character. The Black fuse was better than the Blue, in this regard. But the Blue may have been better, overall.

Then I got offered the VTL TL 7.5 III at a Could Not Refuse price. I could have easily sold it and made some money had I not loved it. I Love It. The VTL has a clarity and purity in the highs I could never quite achieve with the AR.

Otherwise, their presentation is different. Not better. Not worse. The Ref 6 has a more dynamic, forward image, like Row E.  The VTL has a more laid-back organic presentation, more like Row J.

So much depends on system matching. The Ref 6 was a fantastic mate to the D'Agostino. The VTL, at best, sounded mediocre. However, I greatly prefer the VTL with a pair of Lamm M 1.2 Reference monos. They just meld better. Ultimately, I chose the VTL/Lamm combo over the Audio Research/D'Agostino. But both combos were Highly Musical.

The VTL offers one more thing the Audio Research really can't, and that's tube rolling. I can pretty much make the VTL sound however I want based upon the 12AU7 tubes I have installed. And, yes, I tried Telefunken, Siemens, Amperex, Mullard, JJ, Cifte, you name it. And get this- my choice in preamp tubes? Mid 60s long plate Toshiba Japan 12AU7s.

Now, somebody out there tell me that all tubes sound the same. ;)