2. amps-preamps
  3. 159722-115562

What's going on with Synergistic Research fuses?

I live in California and a couple of weeks ago we had strange lightning storms that started the many fires burning in the State.  It also fried the fuse in my Pass XA30.5.  I got the amp second hand and it came with a SR Blue fuse.  I called Pass and they recommended a very cheap fuse which I ordered and installed.  Because I was curious, I took the SR sticker off the old burnt out fuse and found that it was a very cheap SIBA brand fuse underneath.  It is clear that SR is either not making the ceramic casing for this fuse or using the SIBA fuse and then doing stuff to it.  At the very worst, it's just slapping a sticker on it and charging a ton more

The thing is, I'm pretty sure I could hear a difference for the worse when I installed the cheap glass fuse post lightning storm.  Could it be that SR is modifying an existing fuse to make it sound better?  Maybe some more technically minded folks here on the forum could help me understand

thanks!
adam8179
cakyol's avatar
cakyol
940 posts
 
@cal91

I build amplifiers at home as a hobby.  Over the years, I have built about 6 and given them to my friends.  The ranged from 25 W/ch class A to 400W/channel class AB.  I am an electrical & electronics engineer who graduated from UMIST (in the UK).  I am currently a senior software (low level firmware) engineer working at Broadcom working on 5G and 11AX wireless.  So, I know a little bit of how electronics works and how I can measure things.  I also DO trust my ears.  I have an older Cambridge Azur series amplifier on which I performed the fuse tests.

I connected a scope to the speaker outputs and used a 1khz sine wave input and I replaced the fuse with the following:

- straight silver wire 12 awg (no change in sound, no change on the scope)
- straight 99.9% pure OFC copper wire 10awg (no change in sound, no change on the scope)
- standard Romex wire used in the house installation (12 gauge 20 amp circuit) (no change in sound, no change on the scope).

Even with a complete short circuit of the fuse there was absolutely no change in the sound and/or signal.

Are you guys saying to me that "your pixie dust fuse" actually introduces some magic into the AC line that even a straight thru silver wire short circuit cannot ?

That is why I KNOW all this is bs.

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
5,144 posts
 
Actually, pixie dust is a golden glitter like substance that gives the recipient the ability to fly. Doesn’t work at all on fuses, but give some to a bumblebee or Eskimo....
Boy howdy!!!

cakyol's avatar
cakyol
940 posts
 
Oh and... cold fusion exists.
thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
5,144 posts
 
Isn't that when two Eskimos get intimate?
cal91
233 posts
 
cakyol...Thank you for answering my questions. I have no doubt about your credentials. But, if I accept your assertion that fuses cannot possibly make a difference, what do I do with the improvement my brain perceived I got when I replaced the fuses? I'd like to keep it.

thecarpathian...The term "Eskimo" is considered by many who have traditionally been called this to be a derogatory term. In some dialects of the common language it means "one who eats raw meat". Just sayin.
More to discover