David,
For an educational trip on the topic of fuses for the benefit of forumers, like what David said, if you are coming from a stock fuse, you probably have still a long way before getting too concerned on whether the black or red fuse is better.
All stock fuses are a big bottle neck, any of the exotic fuses will make a worthwhile improvement. I would recommend ALL fuses be changed out to any of the aftermarket flavours.
The question is which fuse should i get? I personally feel that the price point of the Black fuses is way too high a premium for those changing out stock fuses. Untill you can appreciate what a better exotic fuse does. Testing a Black fuse would and will in some circumstances, lead to this thread evolving into a pissing of opinions about the "black fuse", what it did or did not do.
All whom have tried aftermarket fuses, like Oreogonpapa said is almost risk free applies to those based in the US only. It costs just a few bucks shipping, you really have nothing to lose if you are comfortable with the pricing and investment.
This thread evolved form those who have started with exotic fuses or like SR20, Reds and now the blacks. Overtime , as ones system improves and evolves, the neutrality of the black fuse would likely be more appreciated and suitable than the more coloured offerings of the red fuse and the other exotic fuses and may well work better than the black in their systems.
The black fuse is obviously priced and targetted and the more evolved and heavily invested systems where one will pay even 10 times to gain that sonic direction in line with the owners preference, hence the money back guaranrtee or free trial.
It is hard to state that one systems sounds real, so much like live and the instruments jumping into the room etc etc etc....
Here is my perspective of how some other fuses may be worth considering in relation to what may best suit your system.
I have in total invested in close to 20 furutech fuses, having tried gold plated, silver, platinum ones. This was before even the SR20 being released.
For my preference, i still do think the SR20 or the furutech (especially if one need tge added rhodium plate flavour). Sr20 are more neutral, hifi-tuning more warm and lush, furutech having a rhodium powerfulflavour (just like all the rhodium plugs out there loved by many).
THE SR20 are more uncoloured more dynamic with a tight bottom, it is not a romantic or give pastel shades to the sound. Neutral mean no warmth or sexiness comfort given to the vocals. The very reason why i do like SR teslaplex, which i use together with just 1 gtx rhodium. Retired all oyaide variants to get a more neutral sonic platform and steer to unplated copper plugs now.
This is what i like or dont like abput the Black fuse, It is deviod of any colouration. Does it sound more beautiful, No. It strength is an uncoloured base like with no MSG added.Nothing really that pops in any frequency range or beautifying things. Its like drinking plain distilled water, one may well prefer a fresh jiuce or a coke on a hot day. I would possibly like other ore coloured fuse in my system in the earlier days.
Geoffkiat, contact treaments like the E-SST or furutech makes a bigger difference in my experience, but sound goes in one direction too much that i wont try it on the fuses but only in specific locations and certainly not on every contact point, whether on fuses, signal or powerplugs. They all do color and shift the sound in a particular direction. The black fuse reminds me what and how crystals impact the sound, making for a leaner more neutral prsentation,, cooler in tonality and devoid of any warmth.
