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Pass Labs and Fuses

I continue to enjoy my Pass Labs Int-60 amplifier with my horn based system. My listening area has been intensively treated for acoustic - speaker interaction and it is always a joy for me to listen to a Dialed In system.

For my latest listening experiment I decided to evaluate the sonic differences using three fuses in the Pass amplifier. A brand new Bussman fuse, a Synergistic Research Blue fuse and a Synergistic Research Orange fuse. I keep this amp on 24/7 as suggested by the manufacturer. The Blue fuse has over a 1000 hours on it and the Orange had a 160 hours (continuous playing time) on it before any listening evaluations. The Bussman was listened to for the first time immediately out of the box.

The Bussman fuse did a fine job. But going from the Blue fuse which I had been using to the Bussman, there was a definite change. With the Bussman the sound was now more two dimensional. Instruments were not as full bodied. The depth of the soundstage was compressed front to back. I was more aware that I was listening to a recording versus being in the room with the musicians. The music was less emotionally involving. I did for completeness sake reverse the direction of the new Bussman fuse several times. It did consistently sound better installed in one direction, not huge but it is there.

Comparing the Synergistic Blue Fuse to Orange Fuse was similar to my past tube rolling experiences with my 300B tubed amplifier (but cheaper to carry out). Different tubes change the sound and these different fuses change the sound. Both of these fuses brought out more of the music that the Pass Labs amp was playing when compared to the Bussman fuse. Before any serious listening was undertaken, the fuses were evaluated for best sounding direction - and they both were directional.

The Orange fuse really is exceptional in it’s ability to let me enjoy the music and who is playing what. The detail of Willie Nelson’s nylon strings on his guitar had much better dynamics and richer texture than I have previously heard using the Blue fuse. His Stardust album continues to impress me.

When listening to music that has more musicians playing, such as on Sierra Una Noche, I can more easily distinguish each instrument and it’s contribution to the musical whole. Also in this live recording that uses only two mics, I get a better feel of each musician’s distance from the microphones and that they move toward and away from the microphones while playing. These factors allow me to forget I am listening to a recording of an event. With the Orange fuse, I feel I am at the event as it is playing.

This fuse experiment was fun to do and educational.
Feel free to call.

David Pritchard
575-644-1462

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nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,939 posts
 
Who are you to demand that we bring in a manufacturer to defend it's products? Let me answer that for you: You're no one of any merit to answer to. This is a conversation of like minded folk sharing experiences and not a debate.

Lot's of legit manufacturers don't comment here due to the very presence of people like yourself. There are online reviewers that stay away from places like this and yet, are still deluged with tripe and bile from naysayers who have nothing better to do than harass, apparently for the sheer joy of it.

One even got fed up with the ridiculous onslaught of objectivists who collectively dog piled on him so he closed down his website for peace of mind, and he had some great reviews and intelligent commentary to go with it.

How can you honestly post about something you have no experience in? The totality of your experience is in derailing threads like this that you don't like or approve of. Like the moderator said, stay on the topic the OP initiated, and get some help.

All the best,
Nonoise
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Like I said any audio equipment manufacture, with "legit products" would be busting down the door with backup for their product that's being debated, but not the fuse ones, they are like ships passing in the night, not to be seen.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,939 posts
 
Name some.
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
"It has been shown that witnesses to staged crime scenes are notoriously unreliable. And the validity of subjective reviews of aural phenomena are equally suspect!"
Nice analogy except the witnesses to the staged crime were at least "there". In the case of most premium fuse deniers, they are not (other than wolf) even trying them.

IME premium fuses make a very audible difference. If you don't hear an improvement, so be it, at least you actually tried it. You did try it, right?

In regard to safety, with my components there is more chance of getting a static poke when changing a fuse than getting actually shocked during the process.      
davidpritchard's avatar
davidpritchard OP
866 posts
 
I do hope  Audiogon will remove posts that resort to disrespect to other members. But I seriously hope that all posts remain on this thread that are written in a respectful manner , regardless of their agreeing or disagreeing with my observations . I see no reason to allow mob rule to shout down serious discussion about any audio topic.  I also welcome suggestions in improving my test approach.

 Tomorrow - Friday, the Pass Lab SIT-3 amplifier is scheduled to be delivered. Pass only made 250 of these units because the SIT transistor used is long out of production. Nelson is the sole designer of this unit and the F-7. I look forward to comparing this unique type of topology amp to the First Watt-7, and then to investigate any differences fuses and fuse direction makes.

David Pritchard
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