So, the SR RED fuse for the amp arrived two days ago. I installed it into the ARC REF-75 SE. So now there's a RED fuse in the amp and one in the ARC REF-3.
There was an immediate improvement in overall sound right out of the box. I let it burn in for a few hours knowing full well that there was a break-in period to expect. It was a nice improvement, but still a LOT more to come. Mr. Golden Ears, Robert The Cynic, came over later in the evening and he noticed the improvement right away. His comment was that it wasn't as much of an improvement as the one in the preamp had made. Well sure, he heard the preamp when the fuse was broken in. The new one in the amp had maybe under 10 hours on it.
24 hours later:
I let the system warm up last night while I fixed dinner and ate. Then, I poured two fingers of a fine single barrel bourbon and settled into the listening chair for a nice relaxing listening session.
Wow! ... Wow! ... and Wow!
I have never heard such realism from my system. The attack and speed on piano is simply amazing. Saxophone is right there in the room. Female and male voice has such presence and lack of grain. The tonality of instruments is unreal ... or should I say "real?" Is this even possible from a home system? I didn't think so, but there it was, in spades.
The REF-75 SE with the KT150s is, what I thought, a grainless amp. Ha ... Ha! ... There is a LOT more in that amp than meets the ear.
My suggestion? Run, don't walk, to the Synergetic Research site here on Audiogon and gobble up some of these fuses for your system. You can trust this old audiophile ... you'll be glad you did. And by the way, this vendor ships via rocket ship. Super fast.
Next to come ... two fuses for the ARC CD-7se. Yikes ... and after that, one for the PH-8.
Would someone please come over and drag me out of the house? I need to get things done.
