Synergistic Red Fuse ...

Geoffkait 8-3-2016 6:58 am edt
To be fair - and correct - the technically experienced here have been saying either that fuses ARE directional or that fuses MIGHT BE directional.

Not sure whom that might be. In any event, in the opinion of this technically experienced person (i.e., me) the best insight into the question of fuse directionality, at least in the case of AC applications, was provided in this thread by Ralph of Atma-Sphere. Some excerpts:

Atmasphere 5-23-2016 4:52pm edt
It has to do with the fact that the connections on fuse holders are not perfect. The act of reversing the fuse sometimes gets you a better connection. However, directionality really isn’t the issue. Similar to a power switch, the contact area of the fuse holder that is actually doing the work is a fraction of the total contact area. As a result, if you simply rotate the fuse in its holder, you will find that there is a best position where more of the fuse holder contact area is touching the fuse contacts. When the fuse was reversed, on occasion you got better contact or worse contact, which appears initially to be a directional issue, but that is really an illusion.

Interestingly, this effect is measurable as a voltage drop across the fuse holder. As you might expect, the less voltage drop the better. So it is possible to adjust (rotate) the fuse in the holder for minimum voltage drop and thus the best performance. A side benefit is the fuse will last a little longer as the operating temperature is reduced.

Atmasphere 5-26-2016 12:31pm edt
I joined this thread recently with some results on testing. Those results are that the directionality appears out of coincidence and that actually greater improvement can be had by rotating the fuse in the holder for best contact. The improvement is measurable and audible; descriptions others have made on this thread of what happens when you get the direction right accurately describe what happens when the contact area is maximized.

Occam’s Razor has something to say here! Given that a fuse has to be used in AC circuits and given that people report differences by reversing the fuse, and also understanding how fuses are inherently incapable of having directionality in any way whatsoever, the explanation that they somehow have an effect by reversing them in the holder is a fairly complex explanation: some sort of unknowable, unmeasurable quality of the fuse itself.

A simpler explanation is that the reversal is improving the contact area because fuse and holder are not dimensionally perfect and the fuse might sit better in the holder in one direction. By rotating the fuse in the holder without reversing it gets the same effect only more profoundly.

Regards,
-- Al

Al, I believe we already established that the fuse holder can be eliminated from the list of culprits, as much as you and Atmasphere seem to enjoy that theory. As for wire and fuse directionality in AC circuits, Haven’t you and Atmasphere been paying attention? HiFi Tuning has already established (some time ago) that fuses are directional in AC circuits as well as DC circuits. Hel-looo!

now, let me ask you a question. Do you really think that if fuses were not directional there would be SO MANY reports from experienced, advanced audiophiles, not only on this thread here but on many audio forums over the past 15 years or more? Do you and Atmasphere, who one assumes have no experience with aftermarket fuses (correct me of I'm wrong), believe that fuse directionality is:

1. A hoax
2. Group hypnosis
3. Placebo Effect
4. Expectation bias
5. A conspiracy by aftermarket fuse makers and their shills
6. All of the above

Geoff Kait

There are always at least a few people in the world who believe or can be convinced of most anything, real or not.

GEoff you are blowing purely hot air at this point.   You'd be much better off stopping already, but I doubt you will.  Spend more time on reading comprehension.