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The new Synergistic Research BLUE fuses ....

New SR BLUE fuse thread ...

I’ve replaced all 5 of the SR BLACK fuses in my system with the new SR BLUE fuses. Cold, out of the box, the BLUE fuses stomped the fully broken-in SR BLACKS in a big way. As good as the SR BLACK fuses were/are, especially in comparison with the SR RED fuses, SR has found another break-through in fuses.

1. Musicality ... The system is totally seamless at this point. Its as if there is no system in the room, only a wall to wall, front to back and floor to ceiling music presentation with true to life tonality from the various instruments.

2. Extension ... I’ve seemed to gain about an octave in low bass response. This has the effect of putting more meat on the bones of the instruments. Highs are very extended, breathing new life into my magic percussion recordings. Vibes, chimes, bells, and triangles positioned in the rear of the orchestra all have improved. I’ve experienced no roll-off of the highs what so ever with the new BLUE fuses. Just a more relaxed natural presentation.

3. Dynamics ... This is a huge improvement over the BLACK fuses. Piano and vibes fans ... this is fantastic.

I have a Japanese audiophile CD of Flamenco music ... the foot stomps on the stage, the hand clapping and the castanets are present like never before. Want to hear natural sounding castanets? Get the BLUE fuses.

4. Mid range ... Ha! Put on your favorite Ben Webster album ... and a pair of adult diapers. Play Chris Connor singing "All About Ronnie," its to die for.

Quick .... someone here HAS to buy this double album. Its a bargain at this price. Audiophile sound, excellent performance by the one and only Chris Connor. Yes, its mono ... but so what? Its so good you won’t miss the stereo effects. If you’re the lucky person who scores this album, please post your results here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRASONIC-CLEAN-The-Finest-Of-CHRIS-CONNOR-Bethlehem-Jazz-1975-NM-UNPLAYED-...

Overall impressions:

Where the RED fuses took about 20 hours to sound their best, and the BLACK fuses took upwards of 200 hours of total break-in, the BLUE fuses sounded really good right out of the box ... and that’s without doing anything about proper directional positioning. Not that the BLUE fuses don’t need breaking in, they do. The improvement continues through week three. Its a gradual break-in thing where each listening session is better than the last.

Everything I described above continues to break new ground in my system as the fuses continue breaking in. Quite honestly, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the system in order to get things done. Its truly been transformed into a magical music machine. With the expenditure of $150.00 and a 30 day return policy there’s really nothing to lose. In my system, its like upgrading to a better pre amp, amp, CD player or phono stage. Highly recommended.

Kudos to Ted Denney and the entire staff at SR. Amazing stuff, guys. :-)

Frank

PS: If you try the SR BLUE fuses, please post your results here. Seems the naysayers, the Debbie Downers and Negative Nellie’s have hijacked the original RED fuse thread. A pox on their houses and their Pioneer receivers.

Frank



128x128oregonpapa
prof
3,471 posts
 

tommylion,

I don't have an inclination to try the fuses.  Which, again, is not to say they don't work or wouldn't produce an audible change in my system.

My motivation for posting in the thread is, well, just having an interest in high end audio and having opinions of my own :-)  And those opinions, like many other audiophiles,  are relevant to a wide range of subjects in high end audio. 

My interest was piqued just by the heading of this thread.  I then read what seemed to be an epitome of the type of ravings that make many critics (rightly so I believe) roll their eyes at audiophiles.  Huge, over the top claims for the sonic difference in...fuses...which are to say the least highly dubious.

For instance "I’ve seemed to gain about an octave in low bass response."

Is there a technical reason why anyone should expect another octive of bass response from an audiophile fuse?  Not that I'm aware of.  But if there IS, it should obviously come from some measurable parameter that would identify such behavior.  (And of course an octave of bass extension would be easily measurable in in-room response0.  But I don't see any such evidence being presented.   So what we have, very typical in the area of tweaks, claims for Big Obvious sonic alterations in the sound, with little to no evidence in support of the claim beyond someone's subjective feeling that's what he heard.  And when this is pointed out, we tend to get versions of "you can't measure what I'm hearing." 

And this is precisely the type of "evidence" used for every crackpot claim out there, from energy healing therapies, to astrology, psychics and every new age nostrum.

Does it mean fuses don't or can't alter the sound?  Again: no.  But the NATURE of the claims and the type of "evidence" audiophiles like Frank rely on are, I think, rightly objects of skepticism.

So in my case, I count myself as an audiophile.  I love high end audio equipment, have owned a lot of it over the years, and obsess about little changes like every other audiophile.  But I'm also concerned with the nature of knowledge, rationality, empiricism etc (my philosophy-luvin' side) and the claims made in high end audio intersect with these concerns all the time. 




nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,826 posts
 
This is like someone coming upon the scene of an accident, moments after it happened. They look around, size up the scene and come to a conclusion that discounts what the persons in the accident reported. The victims even have a dash cam video of what happened but the late comer refuses to look at it, citing his unfailing ability to backward engineer the event because, a higher level of abstraction.

All the best,
Nonoise
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
I totally understand and respect those here who have tried an aftermarket fuse and garnered no discernible sq change. Kudos to those few.
However that was still in their room with their equipment and to their ears, which is still highly subjective.

So said testers simply CANNOT take the stance that because they did not hear an improvement then absolutely nobody else can or should!
That is utter nonsense and arrogance beyond belief.

The vast majority who have reported sq change have stated it is just what they are hearing and their opinion only not that it is a fact that an aftermarket fuse WILL result in an improvement.

So we need to quit with the blustering posts that proclaim it is a fact that it is impossible to hear an improvement!
prof
3,471 posts
 
So said testers simply CANNOT take the stance that because they did not hear an improvement then absolutely nobody else can or should!


uberwaltz,

Honest question:  Can you point to anyone who has in fact made that claim?

I participated for quite a while in the thread earlier, and didn't see someone making that claim. Has it been made since, and if so by whom?

Thanks!
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,826 posts
 
To my knowledge, only wolf didn't hear an improvement after trying a SR fuse, and he seriously/humorously questions the sanity/honesty/integrity of those who do.

All the best,
Nonoise
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