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
nayme,
You raise some very good points. I can recall the ridicule and skepticism when capacitors were  first said to vary in sound quality despite identical specifications.  Same ridicule regarding power cords and interconnects. People aren't laughing anymore.  The problem is that often  people can hear sonic differences long before a reasonable scientific /technical explanation is formulated.  

I accept this lag between observation and explanation but recognize that others find this difficult to do. If given the opportunity to hear an audio product I'll report what I hear ,good, bad or indifferent. If  I can’t provide a technical argument to support what I've heard, that's okay with me. Eventually one will be found,  in the mean while if the product sounds good I'm going to enjoy it. 
Charles, 
nyame ...

Your last post was excellent and right to the point. 

For tonight's listening session, I pulled out one of my favorite CD's. Its a private recording of a live event featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying a young pianist playing the winning performance in a Rachmaninoff piano concerto contest.  

With the new Black fuse in the amp and the system completely warmed up, I was awestruck by the realism of the hall. In the beginning of the CD, the orchestra is warming up and there is a lot of noise coming from the audience ... coughing, chatter and such. I was transported into the room. Just prior to the start of the music, I could hear the conductor's feet getting settled into position on the podium. 

The presentation was fantastic ... The massed strings enveloped me very much like they do in a live performance. During peaks, the dynamics were off the charts. I can't tell you who the conductor was, or who the young man was that played the piano ... but I can tell you that this is about as close as a home system can get to being true to an actual live event ... at least in my experience. And that experience includes listening to a lot of live orchestral music close up ... hearing tons of systems over the years at the various audio shows ... and visiting other audiophiles' homes with ultra high-end systems. 

I'm totally stoked!

I'm going to leave things as they are for a month or so, then decide on what new tweak to try. I'm thinking about trying either the new SR Black wall socket or the ECT's. The  XOT Carbon - Crossover Transducers have my attention too. 

Has anyone here tried the XOT Carbon -Crossover Transducers?? 

OP


slaw
1,137 posts
05-22-2016 3:23pm
"almarg:,

Your post makes more sense (to me), rather than trying to explain, in some fashion, things that cannot be explained or measured, but can be heard by listening."

Sometimes it’s probably best not to try to figure out what’s going on with these controversial tweaks and devices. It would, however, not be true that these cannot be measured or explained. It’s a question of the thick membrane of skepticism that cannot be broken. Aftermarket fuses and wire directionality has been around for almost 20 years. So, while fancy fuses might appear mysterious or bizarre they’re not exactly breaking news.


“If a black cat crosses your path, it signifies that the animal is going somewhere.”  - Groucho Marx

Technology that is sufficiently advanced is intistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke
Hi OregonPapa & Charles1Dad,

thank you for your experienced answers. Things start to wake up. 

In my system the change from RED to BLACK, was not immediately
better. It was harsh, i had the feeling the softness of the middle
was gone and the tonality of that part as well. Like if there was a Gap between the octaves with a slightly cut out of the middle. Made me nervous.....:-)!
I changed the CD, AMP and Powerconditioner Fuse at the same time. I could hear from the beginning on, that the heights - which i missed with the REDS- where there and the BLACKS where much more dynamic. 
Day after Day it gets better. The Soundstage becomes huge, and Instruments seams to stand in the room. Spectacular is the bass and drums, the heights are shining and they are real. 
The starting experience is like if you are used to look at  a picture and you could see every color, now you can see the picture as a whole and the frame, as well as the room where it hangs. 
I hope that is not to bloomy:-) But still, i have only 75 Hours on the Powerconditoner and maybe 15 Hours on the AMP and CD.
I will change also the Fuses in the AMPS for the Active-Bass.

Enjoy the Music.