Synergistic Red Fuse ...

Audio equipment which can measure the same (such as amps), can sound vastly different (unless one is Julian Hirsch).  Tubes and wire can measure the same and again sound totally different.  LPs which are pressed consecutively using the same stampers can sound very different.  Why, that is mostly unknown except for equipment which may mean the measurement of difference was not measured. 

As a former commercial real estate appraiser, I made adjustments to sales and rentals based on factual data.  Unfortunately, data was often missing which could have influenced the adjustments.  I had to make an educated opinion as to which facts were given more or less weight in the adjustment.  (Complex properties involved much more complex adjustments than illustrated).  

However, my point is that the SR Black fuse in my audio systems has a profound positive musical affect.  I do not know why it does so but I (and over a dozen friends and remastering engineers) hear the result.  That is why buying LPs on-line is often a crapshoot with sellers often unknowlingly ascribing incorrect condition to them either by ignorance of factors in determining condition or hidden condition (mint looking but poorly manufactured or abused i.e. mistracking, ground in debris, etc).

I know this could lead to another round of controversy, but multiple pressings of CDs can have variable audio quality from the same pressing plant, in other words, they don't sound necessarily alike.  There is no electrical or physical reason that I've found or my friend Robert has found, but the proof in the pudding, listening to one after another.  One CD can sound brighter/duller/tonally richer/thinner, etc. than another or they may sound alike.  I have two complete sets of the classical Mercury Living Presence CDs (as well as the boxed versions) in which many of them have tonally different sound, one set is generally brighter and more forward sounding and the other more rounded and less forward sounding.  It's a mystery as to why it is that way. 

... multiple pressings of CDs can have variable audio quality from the same pressing plant, in other words, they don’t sound necessarily alike. There is no electrical or physical reason that I’ve found or my friend Robert has found, but the proof in the pudding, listening to one after another. One CD can sound brighter/duller/tonally richer/thinner, etc. than another or they may sound alike.

I don’t find that surprising. Assuming (as appears to be the case) that the data on the CDs being compared is identical, a possible explanation relates to minor physical differences that may exist between the pits or other physical characteristics of the two discs. Differences that might have resulted from aging and use of the pressing equipment that may have occurred between creation of the pressings being compared, or perhaps from the use of different equipment, or perhaps just from normal +/- tolerances in the pressing process. Those physical differences could conceivably result in one disc being "easier" than the other for the tracking servos in the player to track, resulting in less electrical noise being generated by the transport mechanism, resulting in less noise finding its way into the D/A circuitry (even if that circuitry is in a different component), resulting in less timing jitter at the point of D/A conversion.

Undoubtedly there are other conceivable explanations involving comparably subtle technical effects.

As an experienced EE I for one don’t doubt any of the claims or statements in your post just above. I do, however, doubt that fuses are inherently directional :-)

Regards,
-- Al

Fleschler
"I know this could lead to another round of controversy, but multiple pressings of CDs can have variable audio quality from the same pressing plant, in other words, they don’t sound necessarily alike. There is no electrical or physical reason that I’ve found or my friend Robert has found, but the proof in the pudding, listening to one after another. One CD can sound brighter/duller/tonally richer/thinner, etc. than another or they may sound alike. I have two complete sets of the classical Mercury Living Presence CDs (as well as the boxed versions) in which many of them have tonally different sound, one set is generally brighter and more forward sounding and the other more rounded and less forward sounding. It’s a mystery as to why it is that way."

In the case of Mercury Living Presence CDs, I can think of several things that affect their sound, the single CDs or the box sets. One is that the Mercury Living Presence CDs are apparently in reverse absolute polarity. At least according to George Louis, the Polarity Pundit. I tend to agree with that assessment generally, given the lack of low bass performance compared to LP versions, for example, and a tendency to sound rather unfocused and whimpy and tonality incorrect. Also, the area around the spindle hole is usually solid metal, which degrades the sound, rather than clear plastic. A CD with clear center will sound better than the same CD with a metal center, all things being equal. A Drexel tool can be used to remove the offending thin metal disc around the spindle hole. Third, the iconic Black and White label is bad for the sound. Coloring the outer edge red and the inner edge black improves the sound of any Mercury Living Presence CD quite noticeably.

Low bass performance on the Mercury CDs are not lacking at all in any of the 3 pressings. They sound veryI focused, dynamic and tonally correct. I also have about 50 RFR and FR Lps and most of the Golden Presence(?) reissues. The early LPs vary in sound quality much more than the CDs. I highly recommend the CDs and reissues. My primary CD playback equipment consists of an EAR Acute player with early large O getter Amperex output tubes, Stillpoint ultra SS and custom wiring. Even on my Kyocera 310 CD player, the CDs sound great and analog like.

I have 1st 50 cd MLP box set and all ripped at original resolution to music server.   It's a wonderful sounding set with top notch sound quality overall.  The sound quality  MLP is renowned for is there in spades.  Gk once again is spouting nonsense.