Poonbean,
I have no advice on which fuse you should change. I just replaced all three fuses in my modest integrated amplifier as a hedge against replacing the "wrong" one. Whichever fuses were the "right" ones, it made a noticeable improvement.
I was reconnecting my speaker cables in the back of my AMC 3050a integrated amp "by feel" and managed to short out one of the channels in the process. When I turned the amp back on to listen, the fuses in both the left and right channel paths blew. I had read about HiFi Tuning fuses and thought what the heck? There are three fuses in the amp that I could see: a single 4A T slow blow fuse located near the power switch (didn't blow) and one 6.3A T slow fuse for each left and right channel that were smoked. I replaced all three and prepared to be disappointed - almost $100 bucks of fuses on a sub $500 amp seemed like a questionable investment. Well, I am not disappointed.
At first power up my system sounded like a blanket had been placed over the speakers. A very expensive blanket that made my bright little integrated sound like an old tube job - any sibilance was completely gone, bass sounded warmed over and wooly, but not altogether unpleasant. After a couple of days the sound completely changed and became thiner, sibilance was still abated but the bass was attenuated, I wasn't really happy with this turn of events.
Now, after the fuses have been in my system for over 300 hours the sound has really balanced out and is noticeably better than before from top to bottom, with the bass back strong and more defined. Certain recordings that used to reveal annoying sibilance on my system now are tamed and just sound like music. Nora Jones voice that always seemed a bit harsh and made me wonder what all the fuss was about now sounds smooth and full. Leading edge attack is still fast but now rounds into the decay of piano notes or cymbal strikes in a more realistic and convincing manner. The stereo image is more coherent and "connected" within the room, and each instrument has more defined space around it.
I am surprised that I notice these differences in such a modest amplifier and overall system (Cambridge Azur 640C V2 CDP, AQ Diamondback ICs, AQ Type 4 SC, Vifa and Morell custom bookshelf speakers). My rig still runs out of steam and gets confused at high volumes, but at normal listening levels the overall sound is much improved. I would think that many pieces of better equipment would be "liberated" by the addition of these fuses and get closer to the potential inherent in their quality components.
PS - to protect my new fuse investment, I put banana plugs on the amplifier end of my speaker cables to make assembly by feel in the back of my cabinet a safer affair. Duh.
I have no advice on which fuse you should change. I just replaced all three fuses in my modest integrated amplifier as a hedge against replacing the "wrong" one. Whichever fuses were the "right" ones, it made a noticeable improvement.
I was reconnecting my speaker cables in the back of my AMC 3050a integrated amp "by feel" and managed to short out one of the channels in the process. When I turned the amp back on to listen, the fuses in both the left and right channel paths blew. I had read about HiFi Tuning fuses and thought what the heck? There are three fuses in the amp that I could see: a single 4A T slow blow fuse located near the power switch (didn't blow) and one 6.3A T slow fuse for each left and right channel that were smoked. I replaced all three and prepared to be disappointed - almost $100 bucks of fuses on a sub $500 amp seemed like a questionable investment. Well, I am not disappointed.
At first power up my system sounded like a blanket had been placed over the speakers. A very expensive blanket that made my bright little integrated sound like an old tube job - any sibilance was completely gone, bass sounded warmed over and wooly, but not altogether unpleasant. After a couple of days the sound completely changed and became thiner, sibilance was still abated but the bass was attenuated, I wasn't really happy with this turn of events.
Now, after the fuses have been in my system for over 300 hours the sound has really balanced out and is noticeably better than before from top to bottom, with the bass back strong and more defined. Certain recordings that used to reveal annoying sibilance on my system now are tamed and just sound like music. Nora Jones voice that always seemed a bit harsh and made me wonder what all the fuss was about now sounds smooth and full. Leading edge attack is still fast but now rounds into the decay of piano notes or cymbal strikes in a more realistic and convincing manner. The stereo image is more coherent and "connected" within the room, and each instrument has more defined space around it.
I am surprised that I notice these differences in such a modest amplifier and overall system (Cambridge Azur 640C V2 CDP, AQ Diamondback ICs, AQ Type 4 SC, Vifa and Morell custom bookshelf speakers). My rig still runs out of steam and gets confused at high volumes, but at normal listening levels the overall sound is much improved. I would think that many pieces of better equipment would be "liberated" by the addition of these fuses and get closer to the potential inherent in their quality components.
PS - to protect my new fuse investment, I put banana plugs on the amplifier end of my speaker cables to make assembly by feel in the back of my cabinet a safer affair. Duh.