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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
wolf_garcia
6,685 posts
 
I was thinking about this silly thread when I bought some tubes recently…great tubes, matched by thetubestore, about 60 bucks each. Each tube contains cathodes, anodes, grids, in a vacuum of glass essentially handmade buy people with skill. 60 bucks. Fuses, notwithstanding acceptance of Magical Quantum Exposed Mojo Festooned items popular among the faithful who themselves ("I spent over a hundred bucks, and these guys SWEAR it's worth it!") are willing to try anything out there regardless of facts or logic (or have a propensity to believe hard sell hype from agenda based "highly resolved" audio system owners), are astonishingly simple and effective little circuit protection devices containing ONLY a tiny wire designed to melt before your gear explodes. Get a "special" one for 100 bucks or a little more for an "extra special" version. I get that people seem to need others to gather around and nod approvingly at their Finely Tuned sensibility (!), but when I see a shill backed with claimed absolutes like fuse directionality being an actual thing, I see fraud.  SR is laughing itself to the bank on the backs of both well meaning gear heads looking for more light in their self imposed audio tunnel, and relentless Ron Popeil Award worthy "send it back if not satisfied" hucksterism. Reality indeed.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,087 posts
 

Charles that is a reasonable approach that helps clarify the pecking order of things and helps put things in perspective.

Minor tweaks are minor tweaks and only really of value once the big ones are addressed first.

I'd just hate for people to get the impression that audiophile fuses are the easy solution to fix whatever ails their setup.   Maybe they are but only after many other things are in order first and also probably if the investment in dollars is such that a few hundred more for expensive fuses is not a problem.

After all as fuses go they ARE expensive.   Way more so than most. I think that is hard to argue.  But perhaps they are worth it once a big investment is made and now one wants to dot the i s and cross the t s.

Just because I have not seen the value so far or that others have does not assure the next guy of anything.

tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
If I reverse the fuse, do I have run in again?
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,249 posts
 
Mapman, 
You view 100 dollar fuses as very expensive as you compare them to generic fuses,believe me, I get your point. My perspective is focused on actual sonic improvement added to an audio system. So two very different approaches. As I and other participants here have said, they have more genuine impact than certain cable,accessories and tube swaps have yielded. I can only relate to my listening experiences and yet I accept the fact that yours was a different outcome. That's how it goes. We both have to  stand by what we respectively heard. 
Charles, 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
"If I reverse the fuse, do I have run in again?"

The gods are smiling. No, you don't.

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