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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
mac48025's avatar
mac48025
672 posts
 
First off I must admit to being cynical about audiophile fuses but since both my amp and digital source manufacturers ( Decware and PS Audio) advocate the use of them I've taken the leap of faith and ordered Synergistic Research Black fuses for my amp, DAC and transport. I went one value higher for the amp ( 6.3 instead of 5) but stayed with 1 amp for the digital sources. The Cable Company said they would replace any blown fuses within 30 days so I should be safe. Hopefully I'll be as happy as so many here have been. 

Synergistic Research or Audio Magic power cords and conditioners are next, does this craziness ever end? ;)
ptss
1,964 posts
 
Dear mac. How nice the company says it replace your blown fuse. And why shouldn't they? The profit margin is so "out of this world" that if they provide 1/2 dozen they're still basking in profit
Far more important  -  who's going to bear the expense of repairing your precious equipment if the fuse fails to late?? If production is sloppy enough to blow to early; my friend Reason says it's sloppy enough to blow to late. Where I'm from, when we see a grown man doing something foolish, we don't wish them good luck; instead simply,wise up.
mac48025's avatar
mac48025
672 posts
 
ptss......I appreciate your concern but I would think if there was any danger of the fuses damaging the equipment neither Steve Deckert of Decware nor Paul McGowan of PS Audio would recommend them in their products. Maybe it's an elaborate scheme on their part to get me to  destroy my equipment so they can sell me more? ;)
mlsstl
1,428 posts
 
Just curious, did Decware and PS Audio simply recommend the Synergistic brand in general, or did they specifically suggest you use a larger value fuse than originally chosen for the gear? 

That's how I read ptss's post. The ONLY reason to have a fuse in a piece of electrical equipment in the first place is for safety -- to protect the equipment from more damage than necessary if a component fails, and also for the safety of users. Fire and shock hazards are always a risk if the wrong component in an electrical device fails.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Maybe it's an elaborate scheme on their part to get me to  destroy my equipment so they can sell me more? ;)
More like pandering to the voodooist to keep them on side so they buy more stuff off them. (keep it in the family so to speak)

Cheers George
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