@carlsbad2 - Have you experimented with whether different fuse replacement slugs make a sonic difference? I ask because I have a solution coming that will allow me to replace the 10A fuses in my monoblocks, so I was looking at options to replace the fuses. I have a hard time believing the $200-300 Graphene Sluggo offered by Underwood should make any difference at all compared to copper. In fact, I have 6.5 mm (~1/4 inch) OD copper tubing with 0.5 wall thickness here and I suspect that would work just fine. The resulting area would be equivalent to greater than 5 awg, which is far larger than the connecting AC wires inside of the amp. Any experience?
What is the science behind audiophile fuses?
There were many threads on the topic of "audiophile fuses" on this forum, and I sure don't want to open old wounds and trench warfare. The fuse on my preamp blew suddenly two days ago, which prompted me to search for a replacement. That's when I came across the term "audiophile fuse" and the fact that they demand far-out prices. Deeper curiosity brought me to several other fora, where users posted glowing praises about their Zero fuses and other exotica. Now I am a scientist, but not a physicist or electrical engineer: so please enlighten me! How can a fuse have an audible influence on the signal, when the signal does not even pass through it? How can a fuse be "directional" when it deals with alternate current? I mean, if I recall my university physics, a fuse is basically a safety valve and nothing more. Am I completely missing an important point here? My scientific field is drug discovery, and because of this background I am thoroughly familiar with the power and reality of the placebo effect. I that's what I am seeing here, or is it real physics? I need objective facts and not opinions, please. I really appreciate your help!
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In the entire power chain, from nuclear reactor through to your component, the piece with the greatest resistance to flow is the fuse, at least among the pieces you have any control over. It would logically follow that assuming input power had any effect (a whole other topic!) it would be the fuse that has the greatest effect. |
@mitch2 I've trusted copper. I make my own slugs from high conductivity copper I buy from Mcmaster. It isn't very expensive. I haven't bothered with silver or graphene slugs. I know people trying slugs made of worse conductors like brass or even steel alloys. these are much worse conductors than copper but much better than a fuse (becasue of the cross sectional area). So I know there are lots of opinions here but I stick with copper. Jerry |
@pproctor You are correct. the fuse is indeed the biggest resistor in the entire line. (there is some voltage drop over the long lines). so that is why we want to repace or eliminate it. The best option is to find something that provides protection but isn't a resistor--thus the SDFB. I like on many components that I don't expect to fail, to just raw dog it with no protection and replace the fuse with a slug (some think this is crazy, they are entitled to their opinion). and finally, there are expensive boutiques fuses that try to protect your gear with less negative effects, with limited results. Jerry |
When my amps were finished in 2020, SMc Audio had begun doing away with power switches (mine have none) but it wasn’t until a year or two later that they found magnetic breakers that they were comfortable with using to replace fuses. Apparently they ruled out more than a few manufacturers/models that didn’t sound so good, until they found one they liked. The magnetic switches they use, like in my SMc DAC-2, serve three roles:
Their source is proprietary but I am going to receive two of them (10A) that I plan to use for a solution external to the amp chassis, but that will not require an extra power cord like the SDFB. |
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