Best fuses for under $50?

I don’t wish to be argumentative but I’m pretty sure that it’s actually rather difficult to separate out the "ups and downs" of fuse break in or any other kind of break in, especially over a period of hundreds of hours or more. That’s a hundred hours of music being played. The reason I say that is because of all the intentional and unintentional factors or variables audiophiles are subject to every day. It’s a question of cause and effect. Nothing is in stasis. What do I mean by unintentional factors and variables? Well, things like weather, time of day, day of week, sunspot activity, changes to the system, and others, without getting too crazy. Sounds good on a nice sunny day and terrible on a rainy day. What card carrying audiophile is going to sit on his hands while he waits for the latest fuse, cable, preamp, what have you, to break in? There’s not enough time in the universe for that. There is also the sticky problem of the next fuse. and the one after that. Do you wait around for a couple hundred hours for them too? 😛

@geoffkait - Naw. I'm not going to fret much since I know what to expect. We audiophiles know the drill. It's just the wait until that moment when it all clicks into place. Like I said, I'm going to put a CD on repeat every night now and couple in the regular listening that I do and I'll hit that 200 hr mark shortly.

As for all the other variables, that too is part and parcel to the game. We've all had our systems dialed in only to go "huh?" when it doesn't sound right, and it turns out to be just one of those variables doing it's thing.

It's just that what I've heard these fuses are capable of, and for the cost, makes me wish I've gotten them first since they're half the price I paid for the HiFi Silver Stars and that was two years ago. Prices have gone up with each newer version of the other brands and these PADIS fuses didn't. No newer and better, USDA ( Mom and three out of four dentists)) approved, along with the price increase. Just the same fuse and the same price.

All the best,
Nonoise

You got me there, nonoise. I must've forgot. Audiophiles are *intimately familiar* with their systems. Which is why their systems sound so *good." Not why their systems sound so *bad."  My mistake. 😀

Finally got around to putting a PADS fuse in the 'ol Marantz integrated and it was like it coughed up a hairball. 🐱

Well, not as drastic as that but I can't see things getting any better for the foreseeable future. What I had before was some really good sonic representations of the music and now it has a more corporeal feel to it. Not 3-D but more of "hey, there's someone actually singing over there, or, that guitar sounds a bit too real."

Add in more thump to the bass, a more liquid presentation and when called for some outstanding separation and you get the picture. Also, as with the fuse changes in the SACD player, everything is now louder than what I'm used to hearing. I've had to turn it down 2-3db to get the same level that I"m used to. My old setting is just too loud.

I normally listen with SPLs at around the mid 70s, with peaks into the low 80s. When I used to turn it down to the 60s, it was listenable, but weak, and lacking in dynamics. After the fuse changes, I turned it down for a moment and realized I could hear everything with the same level of enjoyment and appreciation as when louder. All that was lacking was the oomph from normal levels.  I always thought that because my speakers are only 85db that I had to turn that volume knob up to wake the speakers up but that is now not the case.

Head scratching time.

All the best,
Nonoise