Best fuses for under $50?

I would be VERY careful with the Furutech fuses.
Let me first say that all of my wall outlets are Furutechs: I had the GTX -D Rhodiums, and, until the NCF came out, I completely missed how bland they were and how much color that was a part of the music they bleached out. It took the NCFs for me to realize why my system sounded less than "sweet" (not euphonic sweetness: I mean the way it sounds in Boston Symphony Hall. Real people. Real orchestra. Real music).
The Furutech fuses are similar in that respect. Lean-sounding (unless they have a new line out),
Unfortunately, I found a fuse I had put away years ago and could never find it again: The Audio Horizon. I put it in the PS Audio P-300, after removing a Synergistic Red fuse, and zowie! I don’t recall it sounding that way 5 years ago. Maybe it mellowed, like fine wine.
That said, fuses have a sonic signature. I know that one other poster and I both had PS Audio P300s, and I discovered, in here, no less, that he had reached the same conclusion as I did: the best fuse for the P300 was the Synergistic Red fuse. I have the Black fuses, too, but I wouldn’t put it in the P300.
I’m not sure who makes a top quality fuse under $50, but wanted to warn you away from the Furutechs. They are lying around this room somewhere...I just don’t CARE where they are.

If you want the best fuse,s you can buy & need a 20A you can get the Synergistic Research black for $28 plus shipping on e-bay , I use these in my Mark Levinson 23 with a Synergistic research element tungsten power cable & have been very happy with the results 

Auxinput, great post! Yes those breakers would also work nicely. No reason to ever use a fuse in the power supply.  

You don't necessarily need the CB to be inside the chassis. You could wire it into the power cord externally and either bypass the existing fuse holder or put a very high amperage fuse in the existing fuse holder. Maybe all these uber expensive power cord manufactures should put a CB in them. Or even the fancy power receptacle manufactures could include a current limiting device similar to what they do with the GFI circuits. A current limiting device will protect everything past it. So that would actually add protection to the power cable too. Not really necessary, but still an advantage.

Welcome to Audiogon, robzz.

gbmcleod, your post above is an excellent example of the kind of post that has been long awaited on the topic of fuses vs the usual banal debates.

Recognition that fuses can and often do made audible differences, that there are individual sonic differences between and within brands, that it is key is to find the one that best suits a given piece of gear and listener preferences and, most importantly, going further to provide specific observations/recommendations to another on different fuses in a specific component based on your actual first-hand experience is, well, Wunderbar.

Hat off to you.

Dave