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We Need A Separate Forum for Fuses

LOL, I'll bet I gotcha on that Title! ;)  BTW, I put this thread under "Tech Talk" category as it involves the system physically, not tangentially. 

More seriously, two question survey:

1. Do you think designer fuses are A) a Gift to audiophiles, or B) Snake Oil 

2. Have you ever tried them?  Yes or No

In the tradition of such questions on Agon, I'll weigh in as we go along... 
Feel free to discuss and rant all you wish, but I would like to see clear answers to the questions. :) 
douglas_schroeder
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
nonoise3,110 posts03-21-2018 8:48amAs I've already said, I've swapped out three different fuses and they all sound better one way than another and when replacing one set of fuses, I put them in the wrong way and it was immediately apparent.

Really!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw32fiasUSs

Cheers George
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,894 posts
 
@georgehifi

So the best you can come up with is a blocked video link to a song that’s suppose to mock me. The horrors, the horrors!

Pony up the $4 and try it out for yourself or just continue, it’s of no real concern for me as it seems to give you purpose in life.

All the best,
Nonoise
douglas_schroeder OP
3,281 posts
 

Can we find some balance here? No one will be swayed by mockery and condescension. 

I would like more input from those who have used HiFi Tuning Fuses in comparison with others. What particular fuses were considered superior or inferior and why?

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
So the best you can come up with is a blocked video link to a song that’s suppose to mock me. The horrors, the horrors!

Try a different fuse, others can see it with $2 Digikey fuses.

Cheers George
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,894 posts
 
Okay. As I’ve said elsewhere and here, The HiFi Tuning fuses that I used were the Silver Stars. They were okay but I could never get the highs on my speakers to have as much presence as the rest of the spread until I reversed them, some two years later out of boredom. I was never a believer in directionality until then. Then I had all the highs I used to have with my previous speakers, along with better presence and definition.

After awhile, I tried PADIS and though they showed promised, they had that rollercoaster break in period where they got better, and then dulled, and finally after a long break in, settled in on a very mid range emphasis with somewhat recessed highs compared to the HiFi fuses, with a bass that was fulsome but not that well defined.

With Brimar fuses, I get everything that seems to mirror what others have said about SR Black and Blue fuses at a fraction of the cost. Detail, extension, clarity, definition, sound staging, presence, musicality, coherence, separation and anything else that can be attributed to great music playback. Add in strength and dynamics as well.

Looking back, I’d say that the HiFi fuses (Silver Star at least) favor the leading edge of the note at the expense of everything else. Attack is great and they grab you at first listen but leave you wanting more after hearing something like Brimar fuses.

It would be nice if someone could compare SR Black or Blue fuses with Brimar to see how they fare. Brimar are sold only from Asia and seem to be made for asian and European markets as an alternative to what we can get stateside. They are made by Telos (Germany). They go through very similar treatments (cryo and a form of Quantum treatment) and use premium metals (gold plated silver end caps and silver fuse wire). Hope that helps.

All the best,
Nonoise
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