McIntosh fuse changeout to make better sound

@audio2design

You're right, a good connection is important. A hospital grade outlet receptacle is designed and built under strict  quality standards and made to provide a secure and lasting contact. A hospital grade receptacle costs around $20.00, not $500.00. There is a point where claims of grander goes from function to plain BS.....Jim

Interesting scenario, not a fuse, but the same point.

Was just out watering and the hose connection, at the outdoor water faucet, was leaking - in spite of making sure the hose was screwed on tight. My wife brought me a new rubber washer, worth maybe 25 cents. I said this will never do, go to the HW store and see if you can find a really good one, costing maybe $50. or $100. She rolled her eyes, shook her head and said "just put it in". I pulled the old one out, put in the new 25 cent washer and voila, no leaks, not even a drip. I guess I’ll never know if a $100.00 washer would have made it not leak even more....Jim

Reading some of this blather takes me back. Hard to believe now but I make no secret of it, there was a time when I too was dumb and ignorant as a rock. Everything I believed it turned out later was just plain wrong. But being arrogant and inexperienced I believed it.

And so I made an ass of myself lecturing people on what can and cannot matter. But being so determined to prove all these people wrong I also tried as hard as possible to prove myself right. So instead of just changing a fuse, or cable, or RCA, whatever, I cleaned the crap out of it and listened to that first.

Which sure enough, more often than not if it hand’t been cleaned in a while it did sound slightly better for having been cleaned. I coulda been duped just like all the other schlubs but not me, smarter than your average bear!

Not for long. Because then when the new fuse, cable, interconnect, power cord really did sound better, or even just different, well can’t use the stupid corrosion dirt story any more. That one is just gone.

So this was like 30 years ago. In case any of you guys are wondering just how out of date you sound. Like freaking Rip Van Winkle. Its a whole new millennium. You’re not in Kansas any more. Wake up. Smell the coffee. And every other metaphor for abject cluelessness. In other words, get a clue.

And so I made an ass of myself lecturing people on what can and cannot matter.

So this has been a lifetime endeavor apparently.

Wake up. Smell the coffee. And every other metaphor for abject cluelessness. In other words, get a clue.

And the pleasant comradery is destined to continue into perpetuity. Has scolding one's way into greatness ever worked?

Sorry guys, but who here honestly thinks that people are swapping out fuses as often as ICs or SCs. And, based on what you say, do you regularly go about opening up your gear and cleaning your fuse holders as often as you do your cable connections?

I tried that years ago when first told it was just the contacts and guess what? Cleaning them revealed nothing. No dirt. No residue. Nothing like what one would find on RCA and speaker connections.

I take a good look at those fuse holders when swapping fuses and they look brand new and nothing like RCA jacks and speaker connectors after 6 months, let alone 6+ years. I have to give you guys credit for imagination.

This is all nothing but going in circles with the same old tired arguments. What you great minds of audio should do is stop wasting time haunting audio forum boards and figure out just how and why a fuse can contribute to the sound, because it does.

All the best,
Nonoise