Synergistic Red Fuse ...

davidpritchard: Since the communication I quoted was private, I redacted the name of the manufacturer, and will stick to doing so. My preamp is out of warranty, so no worries there. The UL/CSA thing kinda freaked me out a bit. However, I am not saying I won’t upgrade the fuse. I was actually ready to go ahead with an upgrade fuse when I got that email. So now I am a bit confused and uncertain. The fear/greed ratio just tipped abit toward the fear side. I guess I am looking for reassurance from Agon members who have done this tweek, as well as assurances from folks who know their way around a circuitboard, unlike me.

... the fuse design can only have 3 possible outcomes:

1. Allow the unit to operate as designed;

2. Starve it of current or voltage lowering its performance;

3. Raise the amount of current that can pass through the fuse, which would damage the unit if an internal short were to occur (but have NO effect otherwise, as an electrical circuit operating normally will only draw the amount of current the circuit uses, no matter how much might be available).

All of the quantitative specifications I have seen in my examinations of technical datasheets for garden variety fast blow and slow blow fuses support the conclusion that for the kinds of fuse ratings that are used in audio components the voltage losses and current limiting that may be introduced by the resistance of garden variety fuses are so low as to be negligible, and to leave little or no room for improvement. And even if that were not so, at least in the case of mains fuses any such losses would be completely swamped by differences in AC voltage among various locations, and probably even among different outlets at the same location. And it seems safe to assume that the limiting effects of whatever infinitesimal amount of inductance a fuse may have on abrupt changes in demand for current would also be negligible.

As someone who knows his way around a circuit board, to use your words, I have no idea how these fuses may work their magic, although I remain open-minded given the overwhelmingly positive results that have been reported by members I consider to be particularly credible.

Best regards,
-- Al

Bondmanp,
As David pointed out,  there certainly are manufacturers who recommend and  encourage using premium fuses. I've had no equipment issues with upgraded fuses ever and suspect that is true for the overwhelming majority of happy users. Do only what your comfort level allows. I can only say that the SR Black fuses are an  extraordinary value. I really don't care about how they do it,  just that they do 😊
Charles,  

Almarg,

Would it be correct to say that your technical assessment of the potential impact or not of fuses in various applications cited apply only to properly functioning poosibly brand new fuses that are also installed cleanly properly?

For example, fuse might be an electronic bottleneck if not seated in-line properly (poor connection or connections) or if partially or mostly even but not fully blown perhaps, although I have no idea the likeihood of a fuse actually being found in such an intermediate state.

Al also I am interested in you technical assessment of use of Graphene in a fuse, as claimed. In a powercord? That latter in particular would seem to have a lot of potential upside despite some of the seemingly exaggerated marketing claims I have seen.

My assessment based purely on my days as a sales tech who replaced blown fuses in customers gear when needed is that if sound was not good, re-seating the fuse usually resolved the problem. Replacing the fuse when no sound at all of course always resolved that issue.

I never even thought about how one properly installed and working fuse sounded versus another. Not to say there were not differences just nothing that jumped out at me to even consider such a thing, though I always felt it better soundwise to use slow blow fuses when possible which tended to have more robust and likely more conductive filaments but I could not even say conclusively that I actually heard a difference.

Those are interesting thoughts, Mapman. While fuse seating/contact integrity and changes in fuse parameters occurring over time would seem unlikely to result in significant sonic differences, any other conceivable explanation would also seem to be unlikely.

But in particular, regarding possible increases in resistance and consequently in voltage drop that might occur over time, keep in mind that while increased resistance would result in increased voltage drop, it would also result in increased power dissipation in the fuse, and therefore in increased internal heat, and therefore probably also in premature failure of the fuse. Also, degradation of performance over time would seem to fly in the face of the general consensus that hundreds or (some would say) thousands of hours of use is likely to improve the performance of a component, not degrade it.

A couple of experiments that would be of interest, though, if anyone is so inclined, would be to (a)replace an older stock fuse with a new inexpensive Littelfuse or Cooper Bussmann fuse of the same rating; and (b)temporarily, for experimental purposes, replace a stock fuse with an inexpensive Littelfuse or Cooper Bussmann fuse of MUCH higher current rating, which in terms of resistance would be essentially equivalent to eliminating the fuse altogether.

Regarding graphene, I have no particular knowledge.

Best regards,
-- Al