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
Grannyring                                      12-24-2016

" Want to hear an improvement on the order of what these high end fuses deliver? Ok, get rid of the binding posts! "

Agreed. But your sentence is not yet complete.

How about " Want to hear an improvement on the order of what these high end fuses deliver? OK get rid of the binding posts AND the RCA input connectors. Replace with higher quality connectors."

No connectors are best. High quality connectors are better than average or poor connectors. Few will direct solder like myself, or use the clamping speaker connection suggested, but these are best sonically speaking. 
Grannyring.

 I apologize. I posted without reading your post in full.

All the best for the new year. And keep posting. We need to hear from people like you
  

This fuse thread has singlehandedly raised the level of expectations as to what can be achieved on these audiogon forums.  Who would have thought that the humble fuse could attract and hold the attention of so many for so many moons.  I certainly didn’t. However, in spite of the large variety and volume of posts, there is an area which in my opinion has not been adequately addressed.  

It is the concept of seeing the various components in the chain as a system. The practice of replacing a fuse in the source component only currently appear to be very popular. Some argue that best results are obtained by upgrading the power amp. Even members who have many years of experience in our hobby are guilty of this insular view.

I remember when I purchased my first car. As the tyres started  to wear  (due to high mileage) I would change the worst one and wait until one of the othersfailed before replacing it. After about 5 years I realized it was much better to replace tyres in pairs. I would put the 2 new ones on the front and leave the remaining 2 partially worn tires on the rear axle. It took me another 5 years to finally realize that the way to go was to change all 4 tyres with 30,000 miles on them. This way provided better performance, was safer and was more economical. It is what I regard as the system approach.

When I decided on a fuse upgrade (before this fuse thread began), I upgraded my CD player, Preamp and power amp all at the same time. 2 in the CD player, 1 one in the preamp and 4 in the power amp. I turned on the system (no warm up) and was surprised at the level of improvement. There was a massive increase in fidelity, similar to a major component upgrade. This is what happens when one treats the entire system.

Upgrading a fuse is effective because it improves the power supply of the component. It is important to realized that the electrons in the power supply are the very same electrons flowing through your speaker cable to your loudspeakers. We do not know why fuses have this effect on a power supply,  but we know it does. We also know that power flows through the entire system and optimum results will be achieved only when every fuse in the chain has been replaced and the power is cleaned up. To replace the fuse in one component is like having 4 defective tyres and replacing only the one that is punctured.

I have read reports by individuals who tried a red or black fuse in a single component and report that they did not hear any improvement, or even any change. If you hear no difference your system lacks resolution. It is as simple as that. I am fairly certain they would hear a significant difference had they changed all the fuses in their system. On hearing this change they will be forced to accept the fact that the fuses are an upgrade. Once they get to this first hurdle (the realization that fuses can improve fidelity), they can proceed to find the reasons for the lack of resolution.  


^^^ When Michael Fremer did his factory tour of the Audio Research plant, part of the tour was a visit into ARC's listening room and an interview with ARC's chief listener Warren Gehl.  

Part one:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a58bDqQQ-xY

Part two:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvL9FNuPwkE

During Fremer's interview with Warren, Fremer pointed out the cable lifters under the speaker cables. Fremer kind of scoffed and asked Warren if they really worked.  Warren's answer was ... "everything works." That's my take ... "everything" is a component including the room itself. 

So, unless everything is address from the room itself, to the equipment rack, to footers, to fuses, to tube dampeners, to the furniture in the room, to our listening position, to the tow-in of the speakers .... it all makes a difference. So if there are those who haven't had success with ONE tweak, and also haven't taken the time to address all of the issues listed above, its no wonder they can't hear the improvement that one fuse can make. 

This reminds me of last year's Newport show and the demonstration in the Synergistic Research room. Ted Denny played the system with most of the SR tweaks installed. It was as if we were listening to a wall-to-wall Imax theater of sound. It was truly great.  Then Ted removed the SR tweaks and played the same music over again. Everything just collapsed. Still good, but not near the room filling sound. Then he brought the tweaks back into the room and everything blossomed again.

The guy sitting next to me turned to me and asked if I could hear any difference. When I said yes, it was night and day, he just kind of gave me a little sneering laugh and said ... "well I didn't hear any change at all."  He left me wondering what he was doing at a hifi show. So, it seems that no matter the improvement, there are those who just cannot hear it, or won't admit it. Its one of the great mysteries of the audio hobby, I guess.

Frank