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
Too bad about Elrog, but this was an inevitable conclusion to what I've been told was essentially a 100% premature failure rate on their 300b tubes.  I hope the new owner can get the flaws worked out, because they are superb sounding tubes.  The new owner will have a lot of ill will and skepticism to overcome as well as the technical issues, which is not really where you want to be.  It appears that they will accept limited liability for product failures on tubes already in the field.  They will have a tough job getting previous customers to take another chance.   I won't be buying anymore tubes from Elrog. 
andynotadam
47 posts
08-08-2016 12:19am
I also admit to really liking some of the Daniel Lanois-produced albums from Willie (Teatro) and Emmylou (Wrecking Ball) as well as Robbie Robertson's eponymous solo album....

not to mention Dylan's Oh, Mercy

Installed a black in my Audio Note DAC Kit 1.1. After getting the direction right, I left it on for 4 days to burn in. Didn’t hear any difference.

Just kidding! Instruments sound even more real. Background is blacker. Individual lines are easier to follow. Subtle lyrics are easier to understand. Musical enjoyment went up another notch.

I’m hearing this with my own ears, and it’s still a little hard to believe the difference a tiny fuse can make. I’m loving it, though. It’s like I can go to a concert every day.

Listening to the Oscar Peterson Trio's Night Train right now.

Let the flames begin..

tommylion:
I am glad to hear the Black fuse is making an excellent DAC even better.
You may get whiplash shaking your head at how fast yet clean Oscar is playing!

When does something as trival as changing a fuse become meaningful. I was reminded of that today when listening to Vivaldi's trio sonata op.1 number 12 (RV63) - La folia. Las folia is a simple melody that has been around since the 1400's. It's simplicity lend itself to variations in the melody, loudness, and tempo

OK. so what. It really is not a trio of two viloins and cello as the title suggests, but there is also the continuo of a lute and harpsicord. Before my fuse upgrades, the high pitched plucked lute and harpsichord were burried in the back of the soundstage and added more of an annoying bee buzzing than anything musical.

This piece reminds me of the rock songs that start with a simple melody and eventually end in a furrious climax of interplaying  instruments, speed and volume. The Yardbirds
with Jeff Beck on lead guitar and Jimmy Page on bass guitar springs to my mind. Especially the song "Over, Under, Sideways, Down".

With the Black fuses in place, the bee buzzing becomes instead a furry of individual notes and even the left and right hand parts of the harpsicord can be distinguished.

The improvement in sound was significant and more importantly the emotional communication even more improved.

So give a Synergistic Research Black fuse a try if you want
your music listening to have greater impact and more enjoyable.

David Pritchard