Synergistic Red Fuse ...

Well stated Oregonpapa. When it was stated that fuses COULD NOT improve the sound of a component because all it does is pass AC through it, I asked "Why not?". Doesn't a power cord just pass AC through it? While I'm not sure how the SR fuses work I can think of a few possible reasons they do. Better EFI/RFI shielding? Better conductivity? Better connection with the fuse holder? Some contend that the fuse couldn't possibly matter because it's such a short, thin wire that only passes current and disintegrates when too much current passes through it. I contend, as does Paul McGowen of PS Audio, that's exactly why it's so important as there so much room for improvement. What's so hard in believing that improvement can be made at the point in the AC pathway where its at its weakest? Stock fuses couldn't be made any cheaper than they are. They weren't designed with audio in mind but only to allow so much current through them.  Wouldn't improving the AC pathways weakest point provide the greatest possibility in improvement to the pathway? Just asking as I certainly don't proclaim to have the answers. And yes, I can certainly believe not everyone experiences the same results many of us have, but I don't see how it's NOT POSSIBLE that the SR black fuses could improve our sound. 

nonoise

Fuses should not degrade, they should blow when required. 
Saying that, then a fuse that degrades is crap as well.

Yes they will degrade as they operate at or near their threshold,  just like incandescent light globs do, did you not see what happens to the same fuse over time of constant "switch on surges" It carbonises to a point where it is no longer pliable, sags, stiffens and blows  
https://i.stack.imgur.com/0uqWX.jpg

These boutique fuses seem to address the failings of cheap fuses by a more robust 

In many cases they are blowing for no reason at all, how is that more reliable?

Cheers George 

Are the SR fuses blowing for no reason? I have 6 SR black fuses with the same values as the stock fuses they replaced without incident. Might the issue be one that only applied to the early fuses? 

Meant to type.....Are the SR fuses STILL blowing for no reason? Sorry

Mac48025, the answer to your question as to why the SR Red and Black Quantum fuses
can't improve the sound of a component :--- as previously stated in this thread-
"Obviously anyone 'touting' theses Synergistic Red Quantum (or black) fuses has never taken a look at all the wiring 'after the fuse' - within the device. If they did they'd see all sorts of Pieces of wire, longer than the fuse, connecting various items."  As wolf_garcia stated; if your fuse is old simply replacing it with a new one will give the same benefit as an SR fuse.
Same for highly touted "benefit" of the directionality of said fuses.
No reputable manufacturer (I'm aware of)  of components these fuses are suggested for, promote their products for the "directionality of the wiring".. That moots the point about the "value" of the fuse directionality, again because of the various wires following the fuse.
So I remain aligned with the Healthy Skeptic-wolf_garcia - when he says 

" the promotion of a nonsensical, inexplicable, expensive and utterly useless fuse "upgrade" will garner my ire as long as this thread continues".

Particularly with the "unending 'incremental' upgrades" type of changes (Chris Connaker referred to such types of changes " I've been disappointed in the past to learn of manufacturers who release "Mark II" of a product only because a single internal component of the original version is no longer available. It's just as disappointing to see the unaware spend hard-earned money on such an upgrade." ; rather nicely put I feel. See it here' in the first paragraph. - http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/727-berkeley-audio-design-alpha-dac-reference-series-2-rev...