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Question about suitable fuse metals

I've been wanting to experiment with audiophile fuses for a while but the cost and the concern of blowing one of these costly fuses has kept me from purchasing.  However, I read that solid slugs actually sound better than fuses and cost WAY less, so I purchased a 6" rod of 99.99 copper and, because I wasn't really thinking, also purchased another 6" rod of titanium.  I guess I was thinking of rhodium, palladium, or platinum, not titanium.   I had these cut down to 20mm and, so far have tried them in my amp, a Red Dragon S500, and my DAC, the Bel Canto 2.8, which I run direct without a preamp.   The titanium slug sounds pretty darn good in the DAC, noticeably better than the copper. I tried one in the amp as well and that combo did not work well at all.  The amp is doing better with the copper slug.  I looked up the electrical conductivity of titanium and found it is a rather poor conductor.  Is there any risk to the DAC using the titanium slug, given the poor electrial conductivity?  Thanks for any relevant input.

lcherepkai
tksteingraber's avatar
tksteingraber
535 posts
 

 

@lcherepkai Congrats on joining the sluggos. I use copper sluggs except in my tube pre where my QSA yellow sounds better for some reason. Kind of tames things down in a good way. I have nerver had a power plug fuse blow in my many years of stereo enjoyment. I have all the components on a power conditioner and don’t get lightning storms in my community. Also, everything is only powered up in my presence. I see it as very low risk and am willing to accept it. Copper sluggs really do sound much improved over expensive fuses. 🤞

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,301 posts
 

@imhififan .... N.F.s' quote is my irrational as well...at least, tonight...this morning....Whenever....*sigh*   Hard to tell under artificial lights.....

'Old fuses, burnt.....magnifying glass + old eyes unable to read the tiny imprints on the ends....'

Well, mabbe this'll d...

*POOF*

damit....

;)  😏

lcherepkai OP
277 posts
 

tksteingraber:  Happy to be a fellow sluggo, thank you very much!   Any chance you've heard slugs of any other material than copper?  I was also considering chemically pure tungsten from McMaster Carr.  I recall Bogdan Audio's Toto interconnect was made from tungsten and was favorably reviewed.  Thanks for the response.

fatdaddy2
368 posts
 

Burn baby burn! Disco inferno! (it only takes once...)

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,866 posts
 

Hifi tuning are a very good buy ,if your system is on the warm side get the supreme silver,gold ,  if neutral the solid Copper is very good for $89

ceramic body finesilica inside , gold over copper end amps and Cryo treatedseveral days . Synergistic purple use “less conductive Brass with a git of Graphene coating 

in their $200 purple fuses, the even have a White $600 fuse .

they recommend 1-2 , No thanks ,

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