fuses - the $39 ones or the 85 cent ones

Well, I'm going to get the Acme and compare them with my Isocleans. At $12 bucks a pop, with silver, sand-filled ceramic, and cryogenically treated they seem like a real "bargain".

Pubul, we really have nothing but "classic testimonials." And of course, for me all they give me assuming they are credible, is the interest in hearing it myself or at least checking with my friends as to whether they have heard it and, if so, how it sounded.

I have too often tried tweaks that seemed to make no sense but proved quite important to rely on that judgment. At some point on many testimonials, I have tried tweaks, etc. and to my personal satisfaction have rejected the testimonials. An example is most ac filters and all surge protectors.

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Here is my email exchange w/ Acme:

Are your your silver/ceramic fuses 'typical' in their physical design: i.e. a fine wire passing through a ceramic tube? I ask because one of the 'devils' in filament fuses is vibration of the filament. Some designs now have the filament completely embedded in the ceramic or other material to damp vibration, and I wondered if yours are like that?

Hello Neil,
The filament is not embedded but is in a very close tolerance tunnel.
Michael

So I still like Roger's sand-filled fuse the best. Unfortunately he only has them in values he uses for his equipment. But these silver cryoed Acmes are starting to sound like a cost effective solution -- especially if one feels (as I do) that the important properties are vibration damping and heat dissipation --- not the use of exotic metals.
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These folks at

http://www.rapidonline.com/Electrical-Power/Fuses-Circuit-Breakers/32mm-Fuses/Antisurge-32-x-6.3mm-ceramic-fuses/64647

have ceramic, sand-filled fuses in "small" and "large" sizes with a wide array of amp values. I think they are 50 cents or so US$$$. They don't use silver though - if that makes any difference. On the Hi-Fi tuning site it seems that the sand issue was raised and proved difficult to manufacturer for some reason.

236 comments about fuses! Good grief!