Synergistic Red Fuse ...

^^^
"At first it seems like a drop in perceived volume ..."

I've noticed that as well, folkfreak. You've put the experience into words very well.  It seems that right off the bat, with the first fuse change, the presentation is more relaxed, more musical and as you said, "a more sense of the whole." .

Nice system, by the way. :-)

Take care ...

I'd like try the SR RED fuse, but have a question. I've never used after-market audiophile fuses before; how do you know if they are made with the same tolerances as a stock or a Buss fuse for a given amp value?
 For example, previous posts of the SR fuses blowing in some amps; a 5 amp slo-blo would not work, but the Buss fuse was fine.

But an amp's a high-current draw component. Have you proponents of these fuses found them to be reliable in CD players and preamps? I'd like to start with a SR RED in my ARC CDP. I'm hestitant to use one in my preamp since it is under warranty, wouldn't using these fuses leading to a circuit failure void the warranty?

I’ve never used after-market audiophile fuses before; how do you know if they are made with the same tolerances as a stock or a Buss fuse for a given amp value?

The major manufacturers of non-audiophile fuses, such as Littlefuse and Eaton/Cooper Bussmann, provide detailed datasheets at their websites. Which among many other things specify a "nominal melting" parameter, which defines the combination of current and time that would "typically" cause the fuse to blow. That parameter is usually specified in terms of (amperes squared) x (seconds). The reason current is "squared" is that power, and hence heat, are proportional to current squared.

I for one have never seen any such detailed specifications for aftermarket audiophile-oriented fuses. So I guess it comes down to relying on a combination of reported experiences and faith.

Re your question about warranties, per the terms of most component warranties that I’ve seen a company would certainly be within its rights to deny coverage for damage that might not have occurred if the original fuse had been in place. And some warranties, as you may have seen, simply state something like "all coverage is void if the unit in tampered with or modified in any way."

So I guess it comes down to balancing risks that aren’t precisely quantifiable vs. reward, as is the case with many things in life.

Best regards,
-- Al

Thanks Al,
Yeah, I personally wouldn't modify a component under warranty.

I for one have never seen any such detailed specifications for aftermarket audiophile-oriented fuses. So I guess it comes down to relying on a combination of reported experiences and faith.

That's why I appreciate threads like this one. I think it's worth trying in my CDP, long out of warranty, and with such agreement on improved sonics.
But, it makes me wonder if I really want to replace all the rail fuses in my amp without knowing the tolerance of an expensive fuse.
 

There have been failures of electronics due to aftermarket fuses? When, where, who, how? Gee, you’d think it would be all over the boards. Are audiophile houses burning down even as we speak? Rome burned while Nero fiddled with his fuses. All I see on audio boards are heaps of praise on aftermarket fuses. Could there be a deep hidden dirty little secret here? Perchance an exploding transformer or two.
 ;-)