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
Woogie59,
Yes, the subjective perceptions we experience and comment on with other interested listeners/thread posters is "half the fun " as you put it. Since my initial exposure to the world of High End Audio nearly 30 years ago its been nothing but fun and definitely a learning experience.

I’ve been able to sidestep the angst and frustration that some have gone through in this endeavor for one simple reason. It was never a goal to achieve so called "perfect sound" or to obtain the " best" component/product that exists. Fortunately for me I recognized early on that there’s no such thing.

I accept the reality that there are indeed plenty of very good to excellent audio products available and finding wonderful synergy among them to complete an enduring satisfying home audio system is very doable. It does require some trial and error, time and sometimes a little bit of luck. With the right approach and frame of mind it can be enjoyable and no doubt informative along the way. Attending audio shows and listening to the systems of numerous people over the years has been fruitful and again fun.

As you have noted the main focus is what can I do to improve the sound and as a result enhance the experience of listening to music. This is a different mindset than developing what may evolve into an obsession with the "perfect sound " /"best" product objective. Anyway that is what’s worked out better for me and I assume others as well.


The higher quality fuses have contributed a positive musical effect in my quest for improving the level of listening to music in the comfort of my home. They will not be the answer for everyone quite obviously. As for myself, , you and a significant number of people on this thread they have been a cost effective asset. Woogie58 I hope life is treating you well in the land down under and welcome to this thread. By the way I read the description of your components/system on another thread. You’ve assembled a really nice system that must reproduce your music beautifully. I’m unfamiliar with your Australian Whatmough speakers but I suspect that they are  quite impressive 😊
Charles
Charles,
Thanks for the kind words.

It's been very warm here this summer, some western Sydney areas having their hottest February daytime temp, 46.7C (116F) on record.

Yes almost there with my system(famous last words).

Colin Whatmough was held in high regard as a speaker designer and manufacturer before his sudden death.  His speakers have been available at certain times in the UK and the USA over the past 20 years but I don't think so anymore.

I think his current P33 model, both normal and the Signature iterations, are another classic design of Colin's.  To me they easily out perform imported speakers twice their price.  Regards Bruce
I haven't followed this thread too closely so I'm unaware of any consensus regarding position of fuses other than my own experiences regarding such. I found reverse, meaning lettering and wording, numbering to be backwords when I put in my SR Black into my Quicksilver full function preamp. A recent experience regarding the SR 20's in my Wright Mono 8's has me wanting to relay it to any who may find it helpful. 

I recently recapped my phono stage with Mundorf's SIO, to most excellent results btw, and after letting them settling in for at least a couple hundred hours I was getting, along with more detail,  a grunge, or grainyness at times when things get cooking with a lot of instruments at once. I was questioning this thinking more break-in perhaps, alignment/set up, or this that and the other, even my soldering perhaps and after addressing all the above and really dialing it all in to the nitty picky utmost, I thought fuses. So I pulled out the SR 20's in my Wright Mono 8's and I discovered they were in like normal left to right lettering and it was then I remembered reversing them for shite and giggles. I totally forgot I did that getting caught up in the excitement of the Mundorf cap tweak. After reversing, congestion grainy type thing all but gone. This is my story and I'm sticking to it. 
That’s weird. I thought SR didn’t believe in fuse directionality. Ergo, the lettering direction would be irrelevant. The lettering direction would help figure out which way to flip the fuse when listening for proper direction, preventing the fuse from looking symmetrical. But the direction of the lettering would not be consistent from fuse to fuse if one were hoping the direction of letters was the tipoff.
Got ya. I'm not sure what to make of it. All I can say is it went away after.