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Direction of aftermarket fuses (only for believers!)

It is with reluctance that I start another thread on this topic with the ONLY GOAL for believers to share their experience about aftermarket fuses.
To others: you can call us snobs, emperors w/o clothes,... etc but I hope you refrain posting just your opinion here. If you did not hear any difference, great, maybe there isn’t.

The main driver for this new post is that I am starting a project to mod my NAD M25 7 ch amp for my home theater. It has 19 fuses (2 per channel, 4 on the power supply board, 1 main AC) and I will try a mix of AMR Gold, SR Black and Audio Magic Platinum (anyway that is the plan, I may try out some other brands/models). As it is reasonably difficult to change them, esp the ones on each channel module that requires complete disassembly, I would like to know what the direction is for these models mentioned and of course, others who HAVE HEARD there is a difference please share your experience on any fuse model you have tried.

Fuses are IME directional:
Isoclean is one of the first to indicate the direction (2008/2009) on their fuses. Users of HiFi Tuning (when the awareness rose quite a bit amongst audiophiles) have mostly heard the difference.

As an IEEE engineer, I was highly skeptical of cabling decades ago (I like the speaker design of John Dunlavy but he said on many occasions that cables nor footers matter at all, WRONG!). Luckily, my curiosity proved me wrong as well. I see the same skepticism that I and many others had about the need for aftermarket cables many, many years ago now on fuses and esp on the direction on fuses.

Another example is the direction of capacitors (I do not mean electrolytic types). Even some manufacturers now and certainly many in the past did not believe it can make a difference sonically. Maybe some do but it takes time in the assembly to sort and put them in the right direction/order (esp as some of the cap manufacturers still do not indicate "polarity") so that maybe is one argument why this is not universally implemented.








128x128jazzonthehudson
jea48
4,446 posts
 

Jea48 wrote,

"geoffkait said:
"The debate here is whether the fuse must be UL listed or not."

NO, what is at issue here is if an audio grade fuse, that is being sold to the unknowing consumer, has been tested and listed by any third party testing laboratory. Period!"

Huh? There is no obligation or requirement for third party testing. Nor is there any requirement for UL listing. There are not even any such requirements for audiophile amplifiers. Hel-loo, End of story.

geoff kait
machina dynamica

Obligation? Requirement? Where in any of my posts do I say it is required?

I have said in other posts on this forum and probably on AA you have a problem understanding what you read. I don’t know it if medical problem or what. I could care less what your problem is.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

jea48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05-02-2016 2:54pm



Update: Reading up on comments on after market fuses, I have decided to try the following setup:
Furutech for L, R, C channel
N/C for other channels
AMR for the power supply board
AH Platinum for the main AC


jea48 responded:

Just make sure what ever you buy is UL listed or at least safety tested and Listed by a recognized third party testing laboratory.

FYI, drilling a hole in an already UL Listed fuse and then filling it with any type of foreign substance voids the UL Listing of the fuse. The fuse is no longer a Listed fuse.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Jea48, if you’re trying to convince me you don’t understand plain English you’re doing an excellent job. There is no advantage to a UL listed fuse. Haven’t you been following the discussion? And nobody ever suggested that drilling a hole in a fuse would not negate the UL listing. But what I’m saying is, so what?

A recognized third party testing lab?  That's very funny!

jea48
4,446 posts
 

A recognized third party testing lab? That’s very funny!
You think so, huh? Your ignorance is showing.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Jea48 wrote,

""A recognized third party testing lab? That’s very funny!"

You think so, huh? Your ignorance is showing."

Give me me one example, Mr. Smartypants.  Bet ya can't. 

jazzonthehudson's avatar
jazzonthehudson OP
277 posts
 
UL in the US (VDE in Germany is a very well respected organization) have drawn up standards for low-voltage fuses (e.g. UL Standard 248-x). Besides adhering to low variance in expected values like breaking range, arc time & temperature, cut-off current, every part (body, fuse dial gauge, end caps, filling material,...) must lie within well-defined specs and even the process of fabrication is scrutinized. Those standards can be purchased from UL.
We're of course talking about UL certification which is a must for consumer goods, mostly done by independent labs who got their accreditation from UL.

For those who really know what they are into (and willing to take the risk), drilling into fuses is like riding a bike w/o hands, it can be fun but not recommended if you are prudent. Sometimes I like skydiving!

Bypassing fuses is not an unknown alternative and practiced by quite a few, even (small shop) manufacturers and I know at least two of them very well. Still, I like the presence of a great fuse, IME the SQ is better.
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