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Best fuses for under $50?

I need six of them for a power amp therefore I need something more economical...  say $50 or less. Any suggestions?


robertsong
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
@nonoise - I experimented with the RED fuse several years ago when initial comparing fuses.  The RED is probably the most forgiving fuse in the entire bunch that I have tried.  It will generally sound good in any piece of equipment that you put it in.  However, it is definitely not high-resolution.  My feelings was that it made my preamp sound very mid-fi in sound quality. The Isoclean fuse was actually a little faster, better resolution, and a bit warmer at the same time.  I think the RED would be like an Isoclean with a bit of resolution trimmed off the top.  I never tried the BLACK fuse because it just seemed too expensive for me and I did not wade through the 4000 post RED thread.  Same with Audio Magic fuses, as they are just too expensive for the number of fuses I have to incorporate into my entire system.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
@auxinput-thanks for the helpful feedback. Higher resolution and focus are paramount to me as I feel the rest of my system is up to par. I can always use a little more high end extension and air, decay, and ambience without the stridency or hash and have more resolution depth-wise, in the soundstage. Most is recording dependent but the additional benefits tell me that what can be extracted remains to be seen (heard). 😀

The HiFi Silver Stars (once reversed) showed me what's possible as the afore mentioned qualities appreciably improved in that direction. Like you, I don't want to spend so much for the Blacks and maybe the SR20 fuses would be what I'm looking for. I'll reread your linked thread as well.

All the best,
Nonoise
auxinput
2,921 posts
 

@nonoise - if you believe the rest of your system is up to par, you could try a Furutech fuse in one component (such as your preamp), and then go from there. You may decide to convert to Furutech one component at a time. However, like I said, the Furutech is very much a DOUBLE EDGE SWORD. It can reveal every little problem in your system. It will reveal poor quality electrolytic capacitors that contain a lot of electrical resonance and all of a sudden your system sounds too bright and harsh. It can reveal speaker drivers that are ringing/break-up/blare because now your system is so strong that it has a rock hard muscle moving these speaker voicecoils. If you are ultimately after more resolution, air, extension, decay, deep bass resolution and punch, etc., the Furutech may be your end-game and I believe the work is worth the effort. However, it can be a lot of EFFORT!.

The SR20 is very clean and I have seen it excel in tube electronics. Listening to it, I think there is somewhat of a roll-off in the very high frequencies, so you will probably not get as much "air" and "ambience" as the Furutech. The SR20 are 60% off at Parts Connexion right now (clearance sale), so it might be worth it for $23 a fuse to try them out.

auxinput
2,921 posts
 
oh, expect a 200+ hour burn-in process for Furutech and anything that's rhodium.  Rhodium will go through several painful areas during the burn-in process.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
@auxinput-Thanks again for the feedback. I just came back from rereading your link and the one I linked to back to an audiophile in Singapore who tested all the fuses around before the SR Blacks came out and what he had to say as well. I then checked out his system page and he has more invested in his gear than some people have in their homes. And surprise, surprise, what he has in his system are the SR20 fuses for his Calyx Femto DAC and Telos QBT-18 fuses for his Conrad Johnson GAT and ART mono blocks. 

Costs are not a concern of his and he chose the SR20s. That, and what you just told me will have me checking them out as well as the Furutech brand, which I think are made by the same folk who make PADIS fuses, which I can get from Germany via eBay.  

By the way, I don't mind the wait that it takes for rhodium to burn in as I've replaced the spades for bananas on my Zu Event SCs and they are rhodium over copper and the jump in sound quality is most appreciated.

Time to do some sleuthing. 

All the best,
Nonoise
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