I have long stayed out away from this discussion, having myself done no comparing of fuses. But the Johnny Walker Black (the favorite blended Scotch of both myself and Chrisopher Hitchens) has kicked in, and I’m thinking what the Hell.
I suppose it’s possible that the electrical characteristics of any given fuse could be great enough to effect the electricity reaching the power transformer of, say, a power amp. Roger Modjeski measured a variety of fuses, and posted his findings in his Music Reference section in the AudioCircle Forum. He DID measure differences, but at levels far below, he claimed, the threshold of audibility. And he had real good ears, and listened through ESL loudspeakers, both QUAD and those of his own design and manufacture. His own great electronics as well, obviously. He was also a musician, and "advanced" music lover.
But a fuse impacting the sound characteristics of the amp? Transparency, frequency extension, tonal balance, instrumental and vocal timbre, depth/soundstage/imaging, etc. etc. etc.? I’m very skeptical that is even possible. A fuse doesn’t "see" those kinds of information, only electricity. That the electricity passing through a fuse could be effected in ways that create effects in the ways mentioned above seems most unlikely to me.
But then I believe in science, not mysticism (George Harrison discovering the sitar and The Beatles taking LSD ruined the Beatles). Western vs. Eastern? Somewhat related, I like what Dylan (Bob, not Thomas) said: "It’s not left or right, it’s up or down".
I suppose it’s possible that the electrical characteristics of any given fuse could be great enough to effect the electricity reaching the power transformer of, say, a power amp. Roger Modjeski measured a variety of fuses, and posted his findings in his Music Reference section in the AudioCircle Forum. He DID measure differences, but at levels far below, he claimed, the threshold of audibility. And he had real good ears, and listened through ESL loudspeakers, both QUAD and those of his own design and manufacture. His own great electronics as well, obviously. He was also a musician, and "advanced" music lover.
But a fuse impacting the sound characteristics of the amp? Transparency, frequency extension, tonal balance, instrumental and vocal timbre, depth/soundstage/imaging, etc. etc. etc.? I’m very skeptical that is even possible. A fuse doesn’t "see" those kinds of information, only electricity. That the electricity passing through a fuse could be effected in ways that create effects in the ways mentioned above seems most unlikely to me.
But then I believe in science, not mysticism (George Harrison discovering the sitar and The Beatles taking LSD ruined the Beatles). Western vs. Eastern? Somewhat related, I like what Dylan (Bob, not Thomas) said: "It’s not left or right, it’s up or down".