2. amps-preamps
  3. 1448317474

Synergistic Red Fuse ...

I installed a SR RED Quantum fuse in my ARC REF-3 preamp a few days ago, replacing an older high end fuse. Uhh ... for a hundred bucks, this little baby is well worth the cost. There was an immediate improvement upon installation, but now that its broken in (yes, no kidding), its quite remarkable. A tightening of the focus, a more solid image, and most important of all for my tastes, a deeper appreciation for the organic sound of the instruments. Damn! ... cellos sound great! Much improved attack on pianos. More humanistic on vocals. Bowed bass goes down forever. Next move? .... I'm doing the entire system with these fuses. One at a time though just to gauge the improvement in each piece of equipment. The REF-75se comes next. I'll report the results as the progression takes place. Stay tuned ...

Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
128x128oregonpapa
knghifi
1,668 posts
 
Good point Al, another good reason not bypassing the fuse.
Thanks!
limniscate
241 posts
 
I tried the Red fuse in my Magnepan 1.7i's and even burned them in for 200 hours.  I couldn't really tell a difference.  Do the fuses make a difference in preamps/amps/sources?  
solman989
44 posts
 
These fuses, and aftermarket fuses in general, intrigue me. What is it about them that improves the sound? I am guessing the fact that there there is so much room for improvement means that stock fuses and fuseholders are an impediment in some way to the incoming AC.

In that case, has anyone ever tried to bypass the fuse and wire their gear directly to the AC? I would imagine that configuration (while maybe not being the safest) would be the "holy grail" in the sense that no passive component + connectors can really improve upon a straight unbroken wire.

Or maybe these fuses have some other method of operation (similar to Bybee filters) that enable them to impart their "magic". In the end, I guess one must remain open minded. I use HFT fuses but I cannot really say with authority whether they made any difference. I look forward to trying these out sometime in the near future.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
"Or maybe these fuses have some other method of operation (similar to Bybee filters) that enable them to impart their "magic". In the end, I guess one must remain open minded. I use HFT fuses but I cannot really say with authority whether they made any difference. I look forward to trying these out sometime in the near future."

Have you tried reversing the direction of an HFT fuse?  You should be able to hear that.
Post removed 
More to discover