What is the science behind audiophile fuses?

An accountant can calculate the net present value (cost) of replacing your fuse with a slug.

Lets do an example:

Your amp costs $10,000.

the catastrophic failure rate on your amp is 1/100 years (I think it is really much lower than that, although in lightning areas it may be higher).

Lets say the likelihood that the fuse will save your amp is 50/50. I think it is less.

So the cost per year to put in a slug is $10,000 x 1/100 x .5 = $50.

Now that is statistically what the cost is per year. However, if you happen to have a bad roll of the die, then you’ll have to pay the full $10,000. For many of us that would not be a problem. For many of us that would be a hardship. And even for many of those would could spend $10,000 without any hardship, the worry would not let them sleep.

So some people can replace their fuses with a slug, and some can’t even consider it.

Jerry

PS  Notice I assumed the fuse will save your amp 50% of the time.  The other 50% of the time you amp will fry, even though you have a fuse in it.  so it cost $50/yr to operate your amp with  a fuse and $100/yr with a slug.

Jerry’s accounting is sound thinking from an audiophile standpoint, but if you put a slug in your amp and the amp fails massively and somehow starts a fire, you might be out more than the cost of the amp. It is unlikely of course, but it is the reason those fuses are there. 

"What is the science behind audiophile fuses?"

Going back over this entire year and a half old thread, I cannot find where the OP’s original question has been answered.

Since, I do not plan on going sluggo commando, or paying hundreds of dollars for colored fuses, it seems I either live with the normal ceramic fuses I currently have in my equipment, add some Swiss Digital Fuse Boxes, or figure out how to install magnetic breakers.

Assuming the SDFB performs as well as described by @carlsbad2, it doesn’t seem too bad a deal, at least in the audiophile world. One for each monoblock would be $800 for two, which is about par for the course for audiophile tweaks. However, I can’t help but think they may be nothing more than self-resetting magnetic breakers, which is not surprising since many audiophile tweaks seem to be relatively normal stuff dressed up. This magnetic breaker appears similar to what SMc Audio put in my DAC-2. Maybe I will try making my own electrical box with a magnetic breaker and a captive short power cord pigtail.

@mitch2 I have disassebled and inspected the SDFB.  It is the equivalent of a magnetic breaker.   It sounds like you understand the difference between a magnetic and a thermal breaker.  a thermal breaker has a resistive heater that may be worse than a fuse for sound quality.  

So before the SWFB, I tried very hard to find a suitable magnetic breaker that I could adapt to replace the fuse and I couldn't find one.  So SDFB, designed and built one and did a very nice job. 

Jerry

Hey, hey, but they can prevent NOISE from LEAKING into your GEAR! ;-)

Dude, there are $1500 Ethernet cables that are apparently "reduce jitter"... Right in the new Music Direct catalog.