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
The skeptics are out in full force today. Is it a full moon?

HiFi had a third party actually measure fuses' performance - their fuses, competitor’s fuses, cryo’d fuses, standard fuses, backwards and forwards. And the data is there for all to see. Hel-looo! I hate to judge before all the facts are in but it certainly appears fuse technology evolves just like everything else in this hobby.  The skepticism is charming, no problem there.

ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

WITCH. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
HiFi had a third party actually measure fuses' performance - their fuses, competitor’s fuses, cryo’d fuses, standard fuses, backwards and forwards. And the data is there for all to see. Hel-looo!
Yup.  And as you may recall I commented on those measurements extensively in various posts in the long-running "Fuses That Matter" thread.  Most notably in my post dated 5-14-2012  11:24 a.m., wherein I summarized my technical comments by saying:
I applaud HiFi-Tuning for providing these measurements. However, IMO they provide the basis for a good case as to why fuse upgrades shouldn't make a difference, or at least a difference that is necessarily for the better....

I don't exclude the possibility that a fuse change can make a difference, but once again the explanations that are offered in support of the existence of those differences do not withstand quantitative scrutiny.
Regards,
-- Al
 
The determined skeptic can find all sorts of arguments why something cannot possibly work even in light of the fact that everyone who has actually tried the thing reports positive results. Geez, talk about not accepting evidence! Do you actually believe that some law(s) of physics are being disobeyed? Without trying too hard I can think of at least four or five perfectly logical reasons why aftermarket fuses SHOULD definitely sound better than stock fuses. Many of those reasons are the EXACT SAME REASONS why some cables sound better than others. I don’t think this is rocket science. Could ten thousand audiophiles be wrong? Not bloody likely. The statistical probability that there is some mysterious error that everyone is making or that there is mass hysteria or mass hypnosis or the placebo effect or expectation bias is about the same as your winning the big lottery. The only logical conclusion one can really make in the Case of the Aftermarket Fuse is that there must be SOMETHING GOING ON, not that there is NOTHING GOING ON. Next topic, "How small can something be and still make a significant improvement to the sound?"
You seem to have not acknowledged that we are having this discussion because a lot of people we respect on Agon have noted they had positive results with the fuse. 

Some of us were just trying to figure out why and how.  It seemed to be somewhat of a polite back and forth, until, as usual..........

Mapman sez:  

" Al also I am interested in you technical assessment of use of Graphene in a fuse, as claimed. In a powercord? That latter in particular would seem to have a lot of potential upside despite some of the seemingly exaggerated marketing claims I have seen"

How in the world would you know if a claim is "exaggerated" when you've never heard the product in your own system, or anyone else's system for that matter??

I have replaced all of my power cords (four of them) with SR's Level 3 Atmosphere PCs using the Graphene technology. I can say with no doubt, now that these cords are broken in, that these cords are simply amazing. And, the PCs I was using before were no slouches either. And to boot ... SR has just come out with very cost effective RED and BLACK PCs using the Graphene technology that start at $299.

Mapman, if you think the fuses are amazing, these cords are totally the bomb! But then, how would you even know that the fuses are amazing when you wouldn't even take the offer of a free RED fuse to try at no cost in your own system. Even the shipping wouldn't have cost you anything. I say BAH! Damn, I deplore stinkin' thinkin.'