Just wanted to add some more comments now I have a good week on my Blue fuses. Further to my first impressions I wanted to expand on what I think the Blues do that is quite distinct and unexpected. This is in the context of using 3 Blues in my pre-amp and power amps, all other fuses are SR Blacks
As I previously noted the Blues at first listen seem more reserved, more polite, more laid back then the Blacks. Bass seems less dynamic and treble less crisp. But spend some time and listen in and what you realize is that the frequency range is still there and what is really happening is that the individual notes and sounds are not leaping out and drawing attention to one another as they were before but are much more part of the whole. The Blues seem to excel in an area of reproduction that is getting very important to me — that of “continousness” by which I mean the natural ease in which a vocal line, or violin passage, flows from one note, from one breath, from one bow movement, to the next without interruption or glitch. I’m hearing the same profound change in introducing a step up into my LP system and once you start listening to it it’s something that’s very addictive. As the Blues are the only change on my digital side I have to think they are playing to this aspect of reproduction.
Now I’m not able to know why a fuse might do this — maybe it’s removing some minute chokes in the ebb and flow of power — whatever, I just wouldn’t go back. To some extent it’s the antithesis of “hi-fi” (i.e. flashy, attention getting etc) but if this sort of flow (which seems very Csikszentmihalyi) is appealing to you then give the Blues a try — you might learn to love them
As I previously noted the Blues at first listen seem more reserved, more polite, more laid back then the Blacks. Bass seems less dynamic and treble less crisp. But spend some time and listen in and what you realize is that the frequency range is still there and what is really happening is that the individual notes and sounds are not leaping out and drawing attention to one another as they were before but are much more part of the whole. The Blues seem to excel in an area of reproduction that is getting very important to me — that of “continousness” by which I mean the natural ease in which a vocal line, or violin passage, flows from one note, from one breath, from one bow movement, to the next without interruption or glitch. I’m hearing the same profound change in introducing a step up into my LP system and once you start listening to it it’s something that’s very addictive. As the Blues are the only change on my digital side I have to think they are playing to this aspect of reproduction.
Now I’m not able to know why a fuse might do this — maybe it’s removing some minute chokes in the ebb and flow of power — whatever, I just wouldn’t go back. To some extent it’s the antithesis of “hi-fi” (i.e. flashy, attention getting etc) but if this sort of flow (which seems very Csikszentmihalyi) is appealing to you then give the Blues a try — you might learn to love them