Synergistic Red Fuse ...


I installed a SR RED Quantum fuse in my ARC REF-3 preamp a few days ago, replacing an older high end fuse. Uhh ... for a hundred bucks, this little baby is well worth the cost. There was an immediate improvement upon installation, but now that its broken in (yes, no kidding), its quite remarkable. A tightening of the focus, a more solid image, and most important of all for my tastes, a deeper appreciation for the organic sound of the instruments. Damn! ... cellos sound great! Much improved attack on pianos. More humanistic on vocals. Bowed bass goes down forever. Next move? .... I'm doing the entire system with these fuses. One at a time though just to gauge the improvement in each piece of equipment. The REF-75se comes next. I'll report the results as the progression takes place. Stay tuned ...

Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
128x128oregonpapa
Almarg,  if you are around? , this question is directed to you,  I studied the offering's of values of the sr-black's fuses for my krell 700cx amplifier that takes 1- amp fast blow fuses × four of them,     I really do not want to use the 1-amp value for reasons of possible blowing  $520.00 up in my face,  the next value is 1.6 , of course my fuse requirement is the big fuses, not the smaller one's,  what is your assessment of useing the 1.6 value in place of the 1-amp value? 
I had written last week that despite the many positive posts on this thread regarding the Black fuses, the number would continue to grow. This has happily been the case unsurprisingly. To the point of being redundant these fuses represent one of the great  tweak opportunities available.  There are very few upgrades that will yield this level of sound quality improvement for so little cost. I'm just very glad that more people are discovering these fantastic products. Keep in mind that the better the quality of an audio system, the more impactful their effect in my opinioon. It is wonderful to realize that  you can noticeably improve your system's performance without having to spend thousands of dollars. 
Charles, 
Here's my data point, which is not at all meant to be a downer or to question the premise of upgraded fuses.   It's a silly and delightful hobby that we cherish here, and this thread is a great example of the power of the web to bring us audio nerds together. That said, this is the deepest down a rabbit hole I've ever felt!  Definitely feel like I had the best sound in my system's life before the Blacks, and now the magic's gone.  (And I didn't note the direction of the stock fuses before I pulled them out, should I want to go back!)  

At ~100 hours on the Blacks I got home and sat down for a listen last night.  What I heard was definitely short of the musical engagement and detail retrieval I enjoyed with stock fuses on my PWDII.  I did hear a slightly lower noise floor, but the highs in particular were rolled off.  Cymbals, for example, just weren't as there as before.  Imaging was flatter.  My mind wandered.

Great to learn that Audiolover notes big difference with direction.  Popping open PWD is trouble enough that I'll probably wait several more days of burn in before I flip them.  


@audiolabyrinth, Keith, although of course I have no specific knowledge of the internal design of your Krell amp, and although you mentioned earlier that Krell's service manager strongly recommended against changing the value of the 1 amp fast blow fuses, IMO changing them to 1.6 amp fast blow SR Blacks is a sensible thing to do. For the following reasons:

1)The failures that were reported earlier, as well as the conversation you mentioned you had with Ted Denney some time ago, suggest that the 1.6 amp SR Black is likely to have a melting point (current squared x time) that is significantly less than the melting point of a 1.6 amp fast blow fuse from one of the major manufacturers of non-audiophile fuses.

2)I agree with your statement of 2-18-16 that:
 ... most anomalies that could happen will be far greater than these slightly higher fuse values, so, in general,  your equipment investment's will be fully protected in my opinion.
(although you were referring just to ratings of up to 0.25 amps over stock).

3)I would never expect a component manufacturer to approve changing a fuse value, no matter how reasonable doing so might in fact be.

IMO. Regards,
-- Al
 
Cymbop, what you are describing very much sounds like the fuse is in the wrong direction. I wouldn't wait. I would change direction now, and decide tje right polarity, then reinstall and let it continue to break in and settle back down.  The differences in direction are very apparent.  I agree with the system being less bright, and it may initially feel less resolving, but ultimately I feel that was artificial brightness from the stock fuses. I am more interested now in listening than before. My imaging has not gone flat. IT WILL NOT SOUND RIGHT IF ITS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR A GIVEN COMPONENT.

Even  my factory fresh ARC  amplifier, which came with a factory ceramic fuse was pencil marked from the factory indicating proper orientation of the fuse. Obviously done during its factory sound check. So, it is obviously a real,variable.

let us know when you change direction if your feelings change. I think they will.