Synergistic Red Fuse ...

Is the amp rating and size all you have to worry about in choosing a fuse? I was going to try the Reds in a VAC Avatar but the chassis says 5A 125V, and the VHAUDIO site shows the Red as 5A 250V.  Thanks.

I’ve had two Reds in a VAC Avatar integrated for three days. The effect is trans-formative, and seems to cry out for measurement and explanation from EE-types. This is not to say that I’m fully sold on the Red’s. I’ve always been a skeptic of tweaks backed by mumbo-jumbo claims, and always felt it was far easier for the tweak vendors to introduce distortion than to clarify the sound, and then claim “better.” That said, the Red’s effect on voices and midrange-up is stunning. Blended voices are suddenly separate individuals harmonizing. On a Magnet Fields cut, the male singer is kind of talking to himself in alternative verses, but with the Red’s, it’s obvious he recorded the alternating verses as separate tracks. The female singer changes from an interesting voice to a knowable person. On “Cry You a Song” (Jethro Tull, Benefit), Ian’s voice has reverb, but with Red’s, the reverb is an endless echo, like a mirror image inside a mirror image, inside a mirror image….The reverb has reverb, clearly heard.

I’ve done a series of tweaks – cleaned all connections, Furutech outlet, Audio Arts Power Cord, silver IC’s—and each has delivered improvements in percussive attach and clarity of voice. I wondered if this was a placebo effect from touching/caring/new, but how do you explain newly heard lyrics as placebo? The same was true with the Red’s—things never heard are now heard.

But. I put the Red’s in, dialed in Radio Paradise for some burn, and left the room for an hour. On return, Solsbury Hill was playing, and my initial reaction was, “Where’s the bass.” This was similar to my initial impression of the Stager Silver IC’s (which I now love.) But other CD’s, like Punch Brothers, seemed to have complete bass. Hmm. I was still being amazed at the dramatic increase in clarity and separation of sounds, but on Abbey Road I again had the sense that the low, foundational bass was gone, and that I had started increasing the volume, looking for it. Perhaps the Red’s are just cleaning up the bass? But emotionally, not as satisfying. I wasn’t “Coming Together.”

Finally, I tried good ol’ Enya. A carefully crafted soundscape of powerful but unobtrusive percussion over a fog-like blend and dreamy vocals. The Red’s dissects and reassemble these layered sounds so that the percussion is much more real and pronounced, and all those layered sounds are suddenly separated and in your face as a cacophony of competing sounds. Enya sounds trapped behind a band gone mad.

So that’s where I am. Both amazed and puzzled. We’ll see what time reveals.

I know the interest has shifted to the Black being the new Red, but I’ll conclude my listening impressions of the Red.

This has been one of the most curious experiences of my listening life. On one side, there’s a sense of reporting on Unicorns, but on the other is the sense that this is one of the most dramatic and puzzling improvements I’ve heard in swapping “components.” If I had heard this change with a $10K preamp, I would understand why others were paying those prices. In my own limited experience, it is somewhat like comparing the “fatter” sound of the Conrad Johnson preamp I auditioned to a less lush, but truer sound, of the Audio Research LS3, except there are more dimensions of change with the Red, including more percussive impact.

I have literally not recognized some tracks until the lyrics kicked in. That should imply some type of distortion, but in fact, the change is always towards the clearer, less congested, and “sounds real.” I still think the Reds render more mid-to-high content, which could sound bright or screechy on some systems, and I’m still not sure about deep electric bass, but my own conclusion is that the Reds open a clearer window to the original recording.

After listening to a broad range of recordings, I see the trend that tracks recorded to preserve the actual live sound are rendered with remarkable clarity where voices, instruments, and percussion sound more real. But on tracks where the presented sound is a product formulated in a recording studio, the Reds can dissect this manipulation to reveal the adjustments made at the soundboard. It’s just a fact that a lot of popular recordings were engineered for a sweet spot of basic speakers and a sound demographic, and it seems that manipulation is sometimes not as pleasant when revealed by the Reds. For a single example, on Leo Kottke’s Peculiaroso album, the strings shimmer and Leo’s voice sounds “in the room,” but on some of the more heavily engineered Beatles albums, you hear the adjustments done at the soundboard. There is less of a “wall of sound” homogeneous presentation, and this can occasionally be less pleasant than what we are used to. If the record collection is heavily on the created soundscape side, then a decision is needed on whether you want to hear down to that level.

Still amazed and puzzled. Unicorns appear to exist. Looking forward to reliable ears reporting the differences with the Black.

Marqmike, I've only had them since Jan 11. I would agree that they are changing, but I've listened to so many different albums that I'm mainly just repeatedly surprised by what is revealed.  I've thought of getting some more for my Benchmark DAC, but I'll echo what someone else said, "Do I want more of what these are doing?"  I'll exchange for the Black if there's  consensus it's better.  Thanks for compliment.  It still feels odd to wax poetic over a fuse.

Jafreeman

Interesting thoughts.

I suspect the new phase of A/B-ing Red-Black-Red-Black we’re entering will be more problematic than the revelatory first hearing of the Red. I think the vagaries of A/B occur because we tend to overlay what we’re hearing with what we previously heard, so instead of being an insightful measuring device, the brain is singing along, blending memory of sound with what’s being currently experienced. It’s also true that our minds make us conscious of something newly perceived, but can ignore something that fades because memory can fill in what fades. If we’ve been hearing “The girl with colitis goes by”, but the Red reveals the lyric is actually “The girl with kaleidoscope eyes”, then we’re going to hear “kaleidoscope” regardless of whether we go back to old fuse, or forward to the Black. So what we hear is often cumulative, and what is lost is often ameliorated with memory. I think this is why A/B tends towards “can’t tell the difference” when switching back and forth.

In my case, my initial perception was that the Reds were presenting more information through a clearer window, which turned singers into imperfect humans—sometimes struggling, instruments with more of the discordant overtones, and percussion with more “hitting something hard with intent.” I can understand why some systems would portray the effect as “lean” or “cold,” but I think most systems are warmer and more resonant than reality. I really couldn’t go back to the less revealing sound, but I was aware that in choosing the Red, I was choosing a more naked portrayal where I perceived things as sounding authentic, but sometimes less “easy listening.” I found that there was a different pleasure from the realness of the Red portrayal versus the pleasure of pleasant sound such as tube glow or accentuated punch. Naked can be off-putting, but also euphoric :-)

I’ve heard tubes change, but in general, I’m not confident I have the ear to discern burn in, or can attribute changing perception to a physical object, so the initial perception of the Black being “hard” is a cautionary tale for me.

Galt
Does your VAC have fuse holders that push in on the back?  If so, what does "backwards left to right" mean since it seems like it would depend how you held it?   I'm kind of dense.

Thanks

Thx, Gwalt.  I had them in right.

My previous concern over the Red's deep bass has disappeared.  They sound great.  In fact, I begin channeling Gollum, wanting to hold onto my precious Reds.  Do I really want to send them back for the Blacks?  I have ten days to decide.  If there's not consensus that the Blacks are obviously better, I'm leaning towards holding at Red and getting two more for the DAC, but even that seems greedy based on how good things sound now.

To me, the Red's do not impart a flavor, although there could be a tilt or a bump somewhere in there. Their illusive quality of value is a sense that a choke point has been opened and a fog dispersed. There's a sense of moving into the room that the music is originating from.

I swapped the two Reds for Blacks in the Vac Avatar Integrated, and added two Blacks in a Benchmark DAC. Since I had already sent back the Reds, and added two more fuses, any A/B claims I make are not really Apple/Apple.   Frank, Charles, and others have done an excellent job of conveying their experience, and I’m not sure I can add much.

Day 1: After four hour burn.
The very first impression was that the sound was fatter and more centered than the Reds. That is, on the Reds, I heard more content in the mid to lower treble range compared to stock, but occasionally some of the clarity had a hint that some lower frequencies had been pared back so that there was less congestion and competition for the mid to lower treble. With the Blacks, there’s a sense that everything is there in fuller proportions. I had commented that the Reds made sources seem more naked, and the Blacks seem to restore some clothing. I wondered if I’d miss that quality of the Reds.

I agree with p59teitel that the bass is very tuneful on the Blacks, and seems more open and relaxed, as if you get a fuller palette of distinct notes in that range, and one extra note at the bottom. There is also a “black’ness” when bass notes are not present in the recording.

But there were some oddities. I had commented that the Reds seemed to move the percussive range of the Enya sound forward, which moved the voice back. To burn in the Blacks, I was using a shuffled playlist of six CD’s, and I swear that when an Enya track came on, it seemed much louder than the other tracks. Really odd, and I have no explanation, except her voice had moved forward and then some. Yeah, I know, “Enya?”

When I first played Graceland, I though it sounded a little odd, as if Ladysmith Black Mambazo had lost of little of their grunt and resonance.

And true to OregonPapa’s prediction, I listened for about ninety minutes, then watched the news.

Day 2:
After a night of burn, Graceland sounded much better, and the first clue of the Black’s strength appeared: On “Boy in a Bubble,” I didn’t just hear the beat and tap my foot; I inhabited the drummer’s body and played those drums with sway and delight. There’s also a subtle sense that the others playing instruments are individuals standing as discrete contributors, concentrating on getting it right.

Ripple (American Beauty, Dead) never sounded so intimate or as nuanced.

The Kiko album (Los Lobos) is a thing to behold with new separation, power, and great rhythmic structure. The band is heard as both cohesive unit and individual virtuosity.

I like the album “Diamond Mountain Sessions” by Sharon Shannon, which is Irish acoustic, spanning guest artists. The track “Galway Girl” has Steve Earle in the room in full twang. Sometimes, Sharon’s instruments melodically squeak, and it’s obvious that the Blacks are revealing more of the higher registers and rapidly sliding notes, riding on top a solid, fuller foundation by the band.

At this point, I’d say there was more “Wow” coming from stock fuses to Reds, and the Blacks add a sense of completeness and increased energy flow.

Day 3 – Just buy the Blacks.
On my modest system, everything is better. I would have described my speakers as slightly mellow, but now I hear chimes and bells shimmering in authenticity. The highs are extended. The bass is extended. The sound stage went from five feet tall to six, and there seems about a foot of added depth on good recordings.  Instrument separation changes your experience of well-known tracks. On jazz piano, you hear the piano, and not just piano notes.

I’ll end by sharing that I played side 2 of Abbey Road louder than I ever had to let the Black changes wash over me. “Here Comes the Sun” had been a tidy, polite piece, but now it has power, depth and separation that transforms it. Throughout the entire side, McCartney’s bass and Ringo’s drums are separate instruments, clearly rendered, that you can’t help but follow and appreciate the musicianship.

I half expect the members of this thread to be contacted by scientists, psychiatrists, or perhaps the old UFO Hunters team. What shouldn’t make any/much difference is praised by all observers as real and amazing. Tip o’ hat to OregonPapa – the prophet.

If it had not been for personal accounts, the marketing of Synergistic Research would have pushed me away from trying their fuses.

In my case: all tubes except a SS DAC, and no power conditioning.  I'd describe the presentation as "new" rather than some quality being enhanced.  The only concern I'd have is with a system that was artificially bright or boomy, because these fuses are definitely not rounded off at the extremes.

Perception is a tricky thing, but it's almost as if "flow" has been restricted in the most unlikely of places,  and we've been trying to compensate with very expensive components, but these fuses just un-clog the fundamental pipe.

Jon, it seems you could pin the problem down for both SR and Ayre by getting all four versions of the ,25A Littlefield fuses for next to nothing and see what blows and what doesn't. If none blow, then SR probably has anot issue.. If some do and some don't then SR and/or Ayre would know how to be more specific about their products.

Since you're without fault, someone owes you restitution, and the tests would help make your case and assign probable cause.

As for the SR Black, my results were so obvious that I've ordered one for an old Classe CA-300 that I'm giving to my new-son-in-law just to give him a better product even though he's no audiophile.  Curious that we've seen so few theories on what is happening electrically.

I'd look at the fuses that work and see if they have a T inscribed on the end, or have a spiral wire instead of a straight element. If either are true, they are likely slow blow.  I found this, but can't vouch for its correctness: "If the fuse is in the loudspeaker circuit, ie, in series with the loudspeaker as a load, then it needs to tolerate occasional overloads, but open on continued overload - so, medium slow blow. If the fuse is in series with a transistorised power supply's pass transistor, then it needs to be a very fast blow. If the fuse is in the mains input lead before any power supply unit, then it needs to sustain the start-up current required to charge the main filter capacitors - so, slow blow."

Just to confuse matters a bit, I saw some conflicting specifications for fuse size on a Pass Aleph P preamp, so I asked Pass, who provided the correct value, but added, "If you are using after market or fast blow fuses, you will have to go up in value."  Seems the answer is the onerous blurry "depends" since the SR Blacks at manufacturers rated fuse values worked fine in a DAC and tube amp. SR should be generous in trade if you played by the rules and they blew.

Not to be tedious, but a lot of equipment has cartridge fuse holders that push in on the back of the unit, then turn to lock.  Has anyone flipped an SR Black in such a cartridge, and if so, did you think it sounded better with the writing on the fuse reading towards the back of the unit, or towards the front of the unit?  That is, if I'm pushing the fuse in with my thumb, is SR reading towards my thumb, or the other way? Thanks for your patience.

I am of two minds on such topics, and wouldn't have it any other way. My education is in math/statistics and I have loved the career it gave me in logic.  So I can wear that hat, and that mind can remain cautious of magic, yet respecful of the sensitivities of my other mind as it stands at the amp, swaps directions of a SR Black, and immediately senses that something is off as I turn up the volume.

I have so enjoyed logic, but equally enjoy the endless mystery and beauty of perception, artistic expression, and emotions.  To require one to be right seems to limit the human experience.

As for the sub-thread on albums, I'm no jazz expert, but I find my new Hugh Masekela album "Hope" to be extraordinary, both sonically and musically.

Max Planck warned against the mental state of "knowing" that gets us stuck.  He noted that constantly striving to understand is the remedy, and observation is important, even if it contradicts theory, and even if total understanding is unreachable.  My tendency is to know the fuse can't make a difference, but Max was no slouch, so whether it's subjective perception or engineering, I'll strive to stay in the striving state.

I can't recall exactly what my question was (slow/fast, I think), but the reply from the very respected amp company said they recommended a higher value in after-market fuses.  I didn't ask why, but they could be saying that a little more tolerance was still within the safe range, considering replacement cost.