Why don't amplifier Companies use high end fuses?

Wasting $25 on a $9000 amp...much to worry about...don’t trust your ears !!!

Sometimes it's better to go out with a whimper than a bang, to do go gently into that good night. 

I just got off the phone with a wonderful gent from The Cable Co. and he spoke of how there are 3 different levels of fuses out there. They mostly come from Germany and the most basic, throw away fuses are used in mass market products, including audio gear. They vary widely in value despite the ratings which is why they don't blow when they should.

The mid level fuses are the ones being used and marketed by the audio companies (PADIS, SR, AH, HiFi, etc.) which have much tighter tolerances, which is why they blow when they should. Imagine all the gear out there drawing more current than they should due to the poor tolerances of the standard fuses they come with. It gives me the shudders. Now imagine if all the gear out there were designed with at least a mid level fuse instead of one that doesn't perform as intended.  Big pause there as well.

All discussions of sonics aside, I want to have a fuse that blows when it should and not allow higher levels of current than the design calls for. Those who have argued that standard fuses are good enough need to reevaluate their positions if their gear is important to them. Going up a value or two with a mid level fuse can be considered pushing it but having a fuse allow it on a continual basis while deluding one into thinking it's not is not kosher.

The highest grade fuses are for vital computer, defense and medical applications.  I'd love to get my hands on those but they are unavailable to folk like us. Like the gent from The Cable Co. told me, just try them for yourselves and if you don't like them, return them.

All the best,
Nonoise

I didn’t realize the military had so many audiophiles. 😬 Are the highest level fuses directional? Do they have military grade fuse holders, too? I will say I have tried and like very much the MIL SPEC Silver on copper Teflon wire from US Navy surplus. I also used to have power cord from US aircraft communications section. Someone needs to reverse engineer the military fuses obviously. On a sour note, this fuse thing sounds suspiciously like the old Hospital grade wall outlet fiasco. And Hospital grade power cord plug. They’re good, but not as good as audiophile grade wall outlets and plugs. The plugs are designed primarily not to pull out of the socket easily. The audiophile grade outlets *sound* better, and they also have great mechanical contact. Having written specifications for military communications equipment I’d opine the chances are good the MIL SPEC for fuses specifies reliability and shock resistance, things of that nature, but not sound quality. But Mil Spec tubes sound great! Final answer.

@geoffkait , I agree with your assumptions regarding fuses and their intended uses, which originally didn't include audio. I think it was just a matter of time before some forward thinking audiophiles took a good, hard look at what's out there and capitalized on it. 

Good for them. I wish I'd done it. 😖

It will forever be argued that the markup is too high but some these fuses and are seeming to be purpose built for audio applications while some are just rebranding. They're not all alike and some perform better than others so it's threads like this that help to sort things out.

All the best,
Nonoise

From a quick scan of military fuses it appears anyone can buy them from at least two sources, our old friends Littelfuse and Bussmann. I think the problem for audiophiles - aside from the obvious one, what they sound like - is that they are apparently all super fast blow fuses. If I’m not mistaken almost all aftermarket audiophile fuses are slow blow.