Encouraged by the improvement offered by the PURON plug-in filters, I spent some additional time reading
I wondered if a second product, unrelated to PURON, can also raise the bar for recorded music? FUSE BOX is a system that replaces a fuse in a piece of electronics. A metal SLUGGO (insert either the brass or copper option) goes in the fuse holder. The power cord you have been using goes into one end of the slim, lightweight BOX. From the other end of the BOX, another power cord (quality counts!) leads to your power conditioner or to the wall. Simply plug and play.
Each FUSE BOX is calibrated according to the traditional fuse it will be replacing. By providing the amp value, fuse size, and slow/fast blow, a unit can be tailored to your specs.
I took the plunge by requesting a FUSE BOX to fit into two different systems. I use a Black Ice FOZ SS-X Sound Expander in both a headphone (Synergistic blue) and main system (Synergistic orange). This wonderful piece is in the middle of both systems, between the cd player and the amplifier.
Starting first in the smaller system, there was a break-in period of about 30 hours before the sound really took off. A huge positive step (for me) was then replacing the copper sluggo with the brass version. Now I heard the depth and warmth, in addition to the detail of the copper version. The traditional Grado sound through the over the ear headphones (Prestige 125 model) was rich, detailed, and balanced.
I spend much more time listening through full range Martin Logan Expression ESL 13a speakers. I recently added two PURONS to this system, plugged into a Synergistic Research Powercell 12 conditioner. Even when (intellectually) I believed this combination had already taken me to the "top of the mountain," I was happy to be proven wrong. With the brass sluggo in the SS-X, the "you are at the recording event" is very powerful, and in a way I had never heard before. It's like I have the best seat in the house, for every recording.
For me, FUSE BOX offers the protection of traditional fuses, without fearing they may need to be replaced (since FUSE BOX can be easily reset). With the two sluggos provided, the sound can be adjusted to one's preference. And I still have the flexibility to change this arrangement in the future, as the sluggo is never permanently fixed to the fuse holder.
A big thanks to Mark Schifter at Vera-Fi Audio, for patiently helping me. With a 30 day return policy, my guess is that many music lovers will be asking Mark to program a unit, so they can evaluate it in their systems.
My answer, to "how can the sound possibly get any better?" is FUSE BOX. Highly recommended.
