The new Synergistic Research BLUE fuses ....

New SR BLUE fuse thread ...

I’ve replaced all 5 of the SR BLACK fuses in my system with the new SR BLUE fuses. Cold, out of the box, the BLUE fuses stomped the fully broken-in SR BLACKS in a big way. As good as the SR BLACK fuses were/are, especially in comparison with the SR RED fuses, SR has found another break-through in fuses.

1. Musicality ... The system is totally seamless at this point. Its as if there is no system in the room, only a wall to wall, front to back and floor to ceiling music presentation with true to life tonality from the various instruments.

2. Extension ... I’ve seemed to gain about an octave in low bass response. This has the effect of putting more meat on the bones of the instruments. Highs are very extended, breathing new life into my magic percussion recordings. Vibes, chimes, bells, and triangles positioned in the rear of the orchestra all have improved. I’ve experienced no roll-off of the highs what so ever with the new BLUE fuses. Just a more relaxed natural presentation.

3. Dynamics ... This is a huge improvement over the BLACK fuses. Piano and vibes fans ... this is fantastic.

I have a Japanese audiophile CD of Flamenco music ... the foot stomps on the stage, the hand clapping and the castanets are present like never before. Want to hear natural sounding castanets? Get the BLUE fuses.

4. Mid range ... Ha! Put on your favorite Ben Webster album ... and a pair of adult diapers. Play Chris Connor singing "All About Ronnie," its to die for.

Quick .... someone here HAS to buy this double album. Its a bargain at this price. Audiophile sound, excellent performance by the one and only Chris Connor. Yes, its mono ... but so what? Its so good you won’t miss the stereo effects. If you’re the lucky person who scores this album, please post your results here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRASONIC-CLEAN-The-Finest-Of-CHRIS-CONNOR-Bethlehem-Jazz-1975-NM-UNPLAYED-...

Overall impressions:

Where the RED fuses took about 20 hours to sound their best, and the BLACK fuses took upwards of 200 hours of total break-in, the BLUE fuses sounded really good right out of the box ... and that’s without doing anything about proper directional positioning. Not that the BLUE fuses don’t need breaking in, they do. The improvement continues through week three. Its a gradual break-in thing where each listening session is better than the last.

Everything I described above continues to break new ground in my system as the fuses continue breaking in. Quite honestly, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the system in order to get things done. Its truly been transformed into a magical music machine. With the expenditure of $150.00 and a 30 day return policy there’s really nothing to lose. In my system, its like upgrading to a better pre amp, amp, CD player or phono stage. Highly recommended.

Kudos to Ted Denney and the entire staff at SR. Amazing stuff, guys. :-)

Frank

PS: If you try the SR BLUE fuses, please post your results here. Seems the naysayers, the Debbie Downers and Negative Nellie’s have hijacked the original RED fuse thread. A pox on their houses and their Pioneer receivers.

Frank

oregonpapa10-02-2017 2:06am

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gdhal Details Discussions Posts This discussion 1,641 posts 04-18-2018 at 08:11pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete mapman - .....Also slo blo fuses can melt partially and have an effect on performance and sound..... This is interesting for me to understand, and something I wouldn’t have considered. Thanks. And thank you, OP. This ends my inquiry/question into the solder vs typical holder scenario. EDIT: Even if "partially blown" in the case of slow blow, it would still seem more advantageous to have the fuse "readily accessible" and able to be replaced instead of having to bust out the soldering iron, or in my case, have a tech do it.
nonoise Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 10,826 posts 04-18-2018 at 08:12pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @uberwaltz, Axial-leaded Fuses The benefit of using axial leaded fuses is that they are typically cost-effective and easy to install whereas the primary negative factor is that they are not so easy to replace in the field. It's just cost cutting and not "anti-fuser". I've read on other forums where people just went and did what mapman suggested and broke out the soldering iron, trashed the standard fuse, inserted a fuse holder, and went and got their desired aftermarket fuse. And, if you ever get the upgrade bug, Clones Audio and OppoMod both sell better power supply boards with a fuse holder. All the best, Nonoise
mapman Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 22,178 posts 04-18-2018 at 08:12pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete gdhal, Design is all about tradeoffs. A soldered fuse just means customers and lay persons, please keep your hands off and leave it to the pros (for a small fee of course).
almarg Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 9,670 posts 04-18-2018 at 08:28pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Gdhal 4-18-2018 Serious question though for the entire group (i.e. any side of the fence) - and I respectfully ask the OP to entertain this question for a moment - why would any manufacturer solder a fuse to the board? Hi Hal, In addition to the possibilities Mapman cited, the rear panel of the UDP-205 is quite crowded, as you can see here. And perhaps the parts just inside the panel are crowded as well, or even more crowded. So it might not have been practical to put a fuseholder on the rear panel. Also, perhaps putting a fuseholder somewhere on the rear panel would have necessitated routing the noisy AC wiring undesirably close to sensitive internal circuitry. Design decisions usually involve tradeoffs encompassing a multitude of factors, as Mapman indicated. Best regards, -- Al
georgehifi Details Discussions Posts This discussion 10,312 posts 04-18-2018 at 08:35pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete mapman .....Also slo blo fuses can melt partially and have an effect on performance and sound..... gdhal This is interesting for me to understand, and something I wouldn’t have considered. Thanks. Mapman inadvertently is agreeing with what really happens to a partially melted fuse, it's called ageing. Good for you. Funny this should be mentioned as it's just like what happens to a fuse that's seen too many turn on cycles, as there's far more current goes through it at the moment of switch on than any other time, as it has to charge up empty power supply caps ect. that's why fuses and light globes blow (if nothings wrong) at time of turn on, here are some pics of fuse ageing. A slow-blo fuse "ageing" right to left https://peakpinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/fuse-8312-640x426.jpg A fast-blo fuse "ageing" left to right https://i.stack.imgur.com/0uqWX.jpg%20 Cheers George