I’ve been around here off and on for a number of years and never thought about the fuses in gear. Just got my Blue fuse last night in the mail. It replaced the stock fuse of my Krell S-300i integrated mains. This is the first fuse I ever purchased. When I bought the Krell, it came with an SR 20 fuse installed. I listened for a few weeks with the SR 20 installed in the integrated, and then tried the stock fuse just to hear the difference between it and the SR20. The SR20 was slightly better than the stock fuse, although I thought the stock fuse had slightly better clarity.
Here is the change that installing the SR Blue in the Krell has brought as it settles in:
1. I understand what others have posted who used the descriptor for the sound of the speakers now as "continuousness" (which is actually a word); there is a coherency to the sound that is very noticeable over and above the way my Klipsch speakers have sounded on the same recording before
2. There is an added density to the music (more fullness/ weight) to the sound of the speakers
3. There are definitely more details than before that stand out on recordings I have listened to many many times
4. There is more depth to the sound of the speakers
5. I hear bass notes I did not notice before on very familiar recordings
6. The soundstage is widening
7. The level of sound quality of the speakers has gone up (many audiophiles are chasing improved sound quality)
caveats:
1. I have not reinstalled the fuse in a different direction yet
2. More time for the fuse to settle in (break in/ burn in - whatever you may call it)-- time is needed that will take days to complete
The problem is that many of the people in this voluminous thread who criticize the idea of the SR Blue fuse being worth that kind of money (149), are thinking in terms of a traditional fuse (a small inexpensive thing to manufacture that traditionally is worth pennies on the dollar), which they are. These critics don’t think of the possibility that a fuse could have the effect in the audio chain that other gear could have; it’s just a fuse. But some of them would pay the price of the SR Blue (and more) for a power cord, or interconnects or a set of tubes, or a phono cartridge.
When you hear the effect of installing the SR Blue, that’s when the value comes in to play.
In my opinion, this little tiny fuse has the value it does because it can achieve the same or better affect as changing out a power cord, interconnects, a different set of tubes, or a phono cartridge.
The value of this relatively expensive Blue fuse is in the "cause and effect." From my brief experience, with the SR 20, stock fuse, and now the SR Blue, it really does have the effect of a power cord or other more expensive changes you can make to your system.
Could it be sold for less? I don’t know, but it works.
Until you put the fuse in your gear and listen you have no chance to know.
The only thing that beats a fail is a try.
Here is the change that installing the SR Blue in the Krell has brought as it settles in:
1. I understand what others have posted who used the descriptor for the sound of the speakers now as "continuousness" (which is actually a word); there is a coherency to the sound that is very noticeable over and above the way my Klipsch speakers have sounded on the same recording before
2. There is an added density to the music (more fullness/ weight) to the sound of the speakers
3. There are definitely more details than before that stand out on recordings I have listened to many many times
4. There is more depth to the sound of the speakers
5. I hear bass notes I did not notice before on very familiar recordings
6. The soundstage is widening
7. The level of sound quality of the speakers has gone up (many audiophiles are chasing improved sound quality)
caveats:
1. I have not reinstalled the fuse in a different direction yet
2. More time for the fuse to settle in (break in/ burn in - whatever you may call it)-- time is needed that will take days to complete
The problem is that many of the people in this voluminous thread who criticize the idea of the SR Blue fuse being worth that kind of money (149), are thinking in terms of a traditional fuse (a small inexpensive thing to manufacture that traditionally is worth pennies on the dollar), which they are. These critics don’t think of the possibility that a fuse could have the effect in the audio chain that other gear could have; it’s just a fuse. But some of them would pay the price of the SR Blue (and more) for a power cord, or interconnects or a set of tubes, or a phono cartridge.
When you hear the effect of installing the SR Blue, that’s when the value comes in to play.
In my opinion, this little tiny fuse has the value it does because it can achieve the same or better affect as changing out a power cord, interconnects, a different set of tubes, or a phono cartridge.
The value of this relatively expensive Blue fuse is in the "cause and effect." From my brief experience, with the SR 20, stock fuse, and now the SR Blue, it really does have the effect of a power cord or other more expensive changes you can make to your system.
Could it be sold for less? I don’t know, but it works.
Until you put the fuse in your gear and listen you have no chance to know.
The only thing that beats a fail is a try.