How to fuse bypass in Magnepan 1.7i

saw your post, can't help you, but i am just curious, what is the rationale for wanting to bypass a fuse that the highly respected maker of the speakers put there to protect them?

not being negative, just curious to know

@jjss49 Totally fair question. The wiring of the Maggie's are their weakest part. The fuse and attenuator in particular use low quality parts and there are many steps a signal has to step through in order to make it out of the speaker. Many have found that bypassing the fuse results in a much clearer, brighter sound. As long as you don't listen at ear-splitting levels or have an amp that can't keep up with the Maggies, there's little chance to blow the fuse.

Lots of people also use a copper tube in place of the fuse, which is my back up plan, but I'd rather bypass this low quality wiring altogether.

I just put a slow blow in the fuse block. 

LOL SMH

Mine are bypassed. I stream so don't worry about a drop on the turntable and have had no problems for several years.  Yes....to better sound. 

The Magnepan fuse block contains ferrous (steel!) parts, a terrible idea. Maggies can absorb a lot of power with little chance of damage, except for their fantastic ribbon tweeter (found in the current MG3.7a, 20.7a, and 30.7).

I just by-passed the block in the bass panels of my Tympani T-IVa, leaving it in the midrange/tweeter panel. The ribbon tweeter is not that expensive to replace, so some owners bypass the fuse block protecting it as well.

The holes for the stock binding posts in my T-IVa's were just (and I mean just) a hair smaller than the size of the Cardas posts. The gentle use of a circular file (merely running it around the circumference of the hole a few times) enlarged the hole enough to allow the Cardas posts to be inserted. 

What’s the problem? Just put in a jumper. If clips sound better solder in a small piece of OCC at the other end.

If not don’t do it.

Fuses only safeguard from catastrophies. The would have saved my woofers from stupidity but the replacements are better anyway.

The problem with jumpers---no matter how good---is that the signal still passes through steel parts and junk wire.

My suggestion is use a pair of 1/8"x4"x4" aluminum plates drill some holes for new binding posts.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/322424383436?hash=item4b11fda7cc:g:8REAAOSwwE5WY0bs

https://www.ebay.com/itm/322967057132?hash=item4b325632ec:g:8REAAOSwwE5WY0bs

If you don't need bi-amp/bi-wire, connect all wires to one pair of binding post and no jumper required.

What I'm hearing is that maybe something changed in the past, what used to be a "10 minute unscrewing of the back plate and moving wires" now requires cutting the yellow wire to the fuse box and resoldering onto the post.

Given that, I might be out for this mod. I'm good with a reversible change of wires, but not so keen on cutting and resoldering.

@zenworm 

LOL... you ain't no real-deal audiophile till you've irreversibly modded all items in your rig 

jk

merry christmas

The beauty of bypassing the fuse block is that it requires no permanent, irreversible mods (at least it didn't on my Tympani T-IVa). Just move the internal wires. Even if you very slightly enlarge the binding post holes to fit Cardas posts, the stock posts may be reinstalled, no harm done.

@bdp24 On the Magnepan 1.7i, it does require an irreversible mod. You have to cut the yellow wire going to the fuse block, and then resolder it to the post.

On the Magnepan 1.7i, it does require an irreversible mod. You have to cut the yellow wire going to the fuse block, and then resolder it to the post.

The yellow wire is connected to the fuse block via quick disconnect terminal, what you need is use a pliers to pull it out from the fuse block.

Then install a male connector ( you might need to enlarge the hole to fit into the binding post ) on the binding post that was soldered with black wire and push in the yellow wire.

That's it !!! The fuse is bypassed now, It's that simple.

Thanks @imhififan ! I tried getting the spade connector off but will give it a hold with pliers. Need to source some male connectors as well. Will report back!

@zenworm

If the black wire and the yellow wire are using same size female connector, and if you want to bypass the fuse and jumper/attenuator altogether, you can use a 3 way adapter to connect both black and yellow wire to the upper negative binding post.

3 WAY ADAPTER, DUAL MALE TO SINGLE FEMALE, QUICK DISCONNECT

Interesting. Does anyone have photos of what this all looks like before and after? Difficult to visualize what’s going on here.