Is there a solid fuse-like item that I can use in place of a fuse, to bypass it?

Yes thats why their fuses sound inferior..They don't know or care to know why their products sound bad because they couldnt conceive that there wire trapped in a tube would matter to the sound or performance of its host.

TomD

Ok, sand filled fuses may be to prevent glass shatter.  Those are more industrial type fuses.  However, audiophile fuses can use an oil type or powder type filler to reduce/damping electro-mechanical resonance. 

@theaudiotweak, @auxinput 

Fuses do not affect the sound.  If they did, do you think manufacturers of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment would not already put some 'audiophile' fuses in them to make their equipment sound better ?

They do not because fuses are there for protection.  Unless they are corroded, they do not under any circumstances affect the sound.

Fuses do not affect the sound.  If they did, do you think manufacturers of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment would not already put some 'audiophile' fuses in them to make their equipment sound better ?

Sorry, but I disagree from extensive listening and testing experience.  That's all I will say because this is a subject that is very susceptible to a flame war.

As far as why manufacturers do not use audiophile fuses, there are many reasons discussed, but I would probably think it comes down to part availability and manufacturing expectations.  There are some boutique equipment manufacturers that do indeed have had a fuse upgrade as part of the standard options.

Someone who's been taught (conditioned) to know that fuses are for protection only and cannot have an effect on the sound should not go around saying that corrosion of a fuse will have an effect on the sound, when they've just said it's there for protection only. A fuse either works or it doesn't. 

One can't have it both ways.

All the best,
Nonoise