Upgrading Fuses

Metro04/Jeff,

My point was related to "generalization" that you make regarding the fuses or other upgrades. You guys make a point that all fuses are same and there is no point in upgrading them. A $0.25 fuse is same as $45 fuse.

On the same lines, I had a particular speak wire that I replaced with a slightly more expensive speaker wire and I could easily make out the difference. But when I tried an expensive speaker wire than the one I currently have, I did not like what I heard. Mind you, I could easily afford the expensive cables, but I did not, since they were not to my taste.

But per you guys, audiophiles spend like crazy and go for expensive stuff. Does this at least make any sense to you that not all audiophiles have that mentality? On the same lines we DO hear the differences - which you claim do not exist. At least I tried a cable, which I did not like and simply returned. I would never make a statement about anything that I have not tried myself. That would be prejudice -isn't it?

I hope you get my point.

I just came upon this thread and offer the following story.

I own a pre-amplifier made by a well known and well regarded U.S. company that has been around, in one form or another, for over two decades. It designs and sells its own stock electronic equipment and also sells upgrades to that stock equipment. My pre-amplifier, which I bought on Audiogon, was an early prototype of its highest level upgrade.

About 10 months ago, I was talking to someone at the company about whether my pre-amplifier lacked any of the current upgrades available. He suggested I take a picture of the insides and send it to him by e-mail. Then, as an after-thought, he asked if I had considered upgrading the fuse. I hadn’t. He said that the people at the company had recently experimented with upgraded fuses and found they improved the sound. He said I could do it myself and suggested that I give it a try. I replied that my knowledge about the inside of electronic equipment was practically zero. No problem, he replied - the fuse was tucked in a little drawer under the IEC power cord receptacle and accessible from the outside. He would provide me with the fuse specification and the names of some supply houses.

The person who spoke to me had no reason to hype the improvement made by the upgraded fuse. He was not trying to sell me the fuse, and he was not trying to sell me his services to replace my fuse. Furthermore, unlike the posters to this thread, to a certain degree he was putting his company’s commercial reputation on the line, because handing out bogus advice could damage its reputation. Finally, who is in a better position to judge whether a fuse makes a particular device sound better than the people who designed, make and service that device on an ongoing basis?

Dougmc - What you say does make sense, however there is always another point of view.
One way for this company to make it's upgrades seem more valuable would be to make other somewhat similar upgrades seem more valuable. IOW - They sell better resistors and capacitors, connectors, whatever. "Do they really make a difference?" the potential customer might ask himself. Well heck, even the fuse makes a difference, so the upgrades must make a difference also. "I'm gettin' them upgrades, Level 3 for me."
I don't know the company of course, so it's purely hypothetical. But I believe it's a valid point.

Milpai - "My point was related to "generalization" that you make regarding the fuses or other upgrades. "

In my opinion, you can't generalize fuses with ic' or power cables or tubes or room acoustics upgrades or magic rocks or etc.. I think you have to look at each on it's own merit. If you feel I've lumped these things together then that is likely the result of poor writing on my end and is not the result of intent.

"But per you guys, audiophiles spend like crazy and go for expensive stuff. Does this at least make any sense to you that not all audiophiles have that mentality? "

Yes.

"On the same lines we DO hear the differences - which you claim do not exist. At least I tried a cable, which I did not like and simply returned. I would never make a statement about anything that I have not tried myself. That would be prejudice -isn't it?"

This concept was discussed on the first page of this thread and on this page as well, I don't have anything new to add.

Once more I would prefer to 'conveniently ' be done with this particular thread.

Happy listening.

Very interesting different takes on the fuse uograde advice given by a real manufacturer.

That it has been regarded as a ploy to yet again rob the poor unsuspecting audiophile of his money is a sad statement about how so many folks who claim to be active in this hobby seem to percieve it.

You know the types, the ones who claim everything is suspect and snake oil.

But why do they care how or on what I and others spend our money?
I spend on things that make me enjoy the music more.

I wish I had more money to spend,I'd buy better amps and speakers and wires, more room tuning and power conditioners.
But I don't, and a lot of folks don't.

But the cost of an upgraded fuse isn't going to mean your kid can't get a college education or you have to take out a second mortgage.
It's something most folks can afford,and they work in my system, and for me that's just as well as getting a new amp etc.

I've been on the buy and sell merry go round for years.
It's been fun.
I learned a lot, assembled some real class A systems and now in my twilight years,I am enjoyng my latest system more than any of my previous ones, and my present system isn't anywhere near as exotic or expensive or as high end as the old ones were.

So what's the secret?

Doing things to upgrade the gear that I have, and that has mostly been investing in power products not new amps and speakers as I used to.

When you start on this road, which many are recluctant to do because of all the fear involved(danger Will Robinson,that looks like snake oil!)you realize how much we compromise the quality of our gear and never really hear how good it is.So we tire of the sound and move on to the next promise of a better tomorrow.

I wish I had some of the stuff i've sold over the years that I never really heard,because I never did anything about the power going to it.

So who cares if the fellow who invests in the new fuse takes that learning experience and applies it to other upgrades that will improve his enjoyment of his system and the music it serves?

Isn't that what this hobby is all about?

At least it was when I started out on this journey.