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To Fuse or Not to Fuse... That is the question!

Ok.. I think I understand that no fuse is better than a cheap fuse. And a good fuse is better than a cheap fuse. But is no fuse better than the best fuse?

One person on Audiogon said that he achieved better sound by using a Blue fuse over no fuse. I guess my question is... Do these new, high dollar fuses just allow the current to flow better with solid protection or do they actually due to quantum physics or something, actually improve upon the signal by eliminating errant bad electrons and thereby actually improving the music over no fuse at all?

I gots to know!


captaindidactic
captaindidactic OP
78 posts
 
Ok, what I meant by No Fuse, was bypassing the fuse with copper or silver wire. Is the Blue or now the Orange fuse doing something other than just making a great connection? Is it actually enhancing the sound somehow making the sound even better than a direct connection? 
captaindidactic OP
78 posts
 
I also need 7 fuses in each of my amps, two in my preamp and at least one in my CD player. This totals 17 fuses. $2700.00 This is more than my original system cost back in the day. 

I am frantically searching a previous post in hopes to find what I think I read, that someone bypassed the fuses and then tried a Blue fuse. He found that he liked the sound of the Blue fuse over bypassing. So, hence the question.... What did the fuse do other than be a great fuse?
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I am frantically searching a previous post in hopes to find what I think I read, that someone bypassed the fuses and then tried a Blue fuse. He found that he liked the sound of the Blue fuse over bypassing. So, hence the question.... What did the fuse do other than be a great fuse?
I would speculate that the fuse simply resulted in sonic changes that happened to be subjectively preferable in the particular system to the particular listener.  While more likely than not being less true to the source material than the bypass he tried.

Regards,
-- Al


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
If only one person said it you can dismiss him as an outlier. A copper plug will have a lot less electrical resistance than a teeny tiny fuse wire. Of course, it’s possibly that a copper plug in the wrong direction could sound worse than a fancy fuse in the right direction. 🤡
wolf_garcia
6,691 posts
 
Nobody, including snarky old Kaitty, has ever addressed the simple fact that the wires and circuit board traces in any component are NOT installed with any regard to their directionality, thus obviating any sonic advantages provided by a half inch tiny diameter fuse wire's alleged directional benefits. Some claim to hear these inexplicable direction differences as readily as witnessing deities displayed in their breakfast toast, but a $2 Littelfuse does the same job as any boutique Magic fuse albeit without expectation bias encouraged by shameless hyperbole.
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