Audiophile Fuses

Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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Out of interest Rudolf, what other fuses have you tried besides the Audio Refine?

Stock (Kondo) fuses, RS Components Limited ceramic fuses and the beeswax. I like the beeswax fuse a lot but found it lacking in the low end department. From a tonality and soundstaging point of view the beeswax is very good indeed imho.
 

Tango

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Hello Blue58,

I have about 100+ hrs on the Blues now. Still lost the treble in tone and the last bit sense of ambient comparing to the Blacks. Mids are still warmer than Blacks. Will these changes once I get to 300+ hrs.

Tang
 

Blue58

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Hello Blue58,

I have about 100+ hrs on the Blues now. Still lost the treble in tone and the last bit sense of ambient comparing to the Blacks. Mids are still warmer than Blacks. Will these changes once I get to 300+ hrs.

Tang
From what I heard in my SGMS2015 it wasn’t until 300+ hrs that the bit of treble peak receded and replaced with that missing tone and the lower mids opened up. Soundstage grows wider and deeper too.
I almost put the Beeswax back in around the 200 hr mark but very happy I persevered.
Stick with it Tang, only another 200 hrs to go :)

Blue58
 
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spiritofmusic

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I’m on 40 hrs burn in on my analog, and that’s torture enough.
My Blacks hardly needed burn in at all, the Blues must be **** hot if they truly are worth waiting 300 hrs for.
 
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Audiocrack

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Anyone out there who has played with the ultima beeswax shd fuse? Would be interesting to hear how it compares to the ‘regular’ beeswax and SR blue/black fuses.
 

Ron Resnick

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Arrruughhh!!!

This is so conFUSEing!
 

Blue58

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Anyone out there who has played with the ultima beeswax shd fuse? Would be interesting to hear how it compares to the ‘regular’ beeswax and SR blue/black fuses.

Not here, they would cost £220, approx $300 with tax/ship.
That’s just a little too much for my my taste.

Tang, how are your Blues developing?
 

Audiocrack

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Not here, they would cost £220, approx $300 with tax/ship.
That’s just a little too much for my my taste.

Tang, how are your Blues developing?

Apart from the costs involved I really hate this damned burning in of fuses with my tube gear. Maybe I should try one in a component - such as the Tidal Camira dac - that can play continuously. This is what Mark of Sablon Audio suggested to me. That said, I rather try one in my preamp.

It would be a great service if some of the fuse manufactorers would offer fully burned in fuses to the audiophile community. Is that too much to ask?
 
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Blue58

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Apart from the costs involved I really hate this damned burning in of fuses with my tube gear. Maybe I should try one in a component - such as the Tidal Camira dac - that can play continuously. This is what Mark of Sablon Audio suggested to me. That said, I rather try one in my preamp.

It would be a great service if some the fuse manufactorers would offer fully burned in fuses to the audiophile community. Is that too much to ask?

Far too much to ask :)
I think you should try the Camira though I think it’s two fuses but luckily direction of current flow is marked on the pcm if web images are correct.
Cheers
 

Audiocrack

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Arrruughhh!!!

This is so conFUSEing!

Come on, Ron, I know you are sceptical but make no mistake: fuses can make a (very) worthwhile difference in (high quality) audio systems. For example on Audiogon you can find many, many pages of comments made by a large number of audiophiles on all kind of fuses (including the SR blue and black fuses as well as the Audio Magic beeswax fuses) in which the differences between the various fuses are described. And - as with all things related to music reproduction - of course differences in opinion casu quo taste can be found there as well.
 

Audiocrack

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Far too much to ask :)
I think you should try the Camira though I think it’s two fuses but luckily direction of current flow is marked on the pcm if web images are correct.
Cheers

Probably it is.

Btw, can the SR blue fuse in your view really match the AM beeswax fuse in fluidity, continuouness and refinement?
 

Blue58

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I just have to clarify that I’ve only replaced the Beeswax with Blue in the SGMS2015 and waiting on more Blues to replace those in the power amps.

From what I’ve heard so far there is indeed the same fluidity and tonal density with added resolution and greater soundstage depth. Continuousness and refinement? I wouldn’t say the Beeswax were continuous as by comparison they sound a touch closed in on frequency extremes. The Blues are quieter but you wouldn’t know until you hear them in the system. AND this is with only ONE!

Will this translate to power amps when changed? Only trial will tell.
I will keep a Beeswax in my Preamp for the time being.
AG duo subs will have to wait as they require 2 each.

Try them in the Camira and if they don’t work for you, you should be able to return them.
 

highstream

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I’m a few days into burning in a blue in a DirectStream dac, in place of a beeswax, which I preferred over the Black. Improvements in a few ways were immediately obvious. However, I’m not convinced yet that it’s a step forward, or even an equal, in tonal accuracy - big for me - and the soundstage seems a liitle farther back, not so immediate, thus far. Have to see how things develop.

I’m detecting a little ‘matter of factness’ To the Blue fuse after living with it for a week and will swap them over with the Beeswax next week to assess their character. It may be the Blues are great, but not for all components. Keep us posted Highstream.
Blue58

Blue58, As you requested, after six weeks with the Blue in a Directstream dac (thus one piece only), I have to agree with most everything you just wrote (#474) about the sound differences. I'd add that the Blue is much more delicate and much louder than the Super beeswax, although those may be a function of its greater quietness to some degree. Nonetheless, I've gone back to the AM Super beeswax for the moment, and will now consider the Ultimate. Why? Primarily greater warmth and tonal accuracy (up to a point, I find the two go together). To me, the Blue in the DSD brings fantastic "sonic effects," but tonally makes things relatively cool and digital sounding, so that all music seems to sound the same and leaves me emotionally uninvolved. With burnin completed, I've come to feel seriously put off, wondering how the hell I could have put in this much effort and money and ended up feeling sometimes like I dread listening. Switching back to beeswax in the dac changes that to a fair degree, bringing me back into the music. I'll add that the beeswax's bass seems to be more substantial too (though less transparent). In addition to music, this is evident with TV, where the resonance of speakers' voices comes through much more (all my audio - modded Oppo 203 and cable - is run through the DirectStream). Of course, there is a matter of component and system synergy, but my experience makes me wonder if the SR Blue needs some seriously compensating warmth in a system, enough at least for the musically attuned ear.


System: PS Audio Soundbase, P5 Regenerator and DSD; Oppo 203, ATC SCM19A active speakers (SR BlacK), PS Audio power cords and MG Audio Design AG2 XLRs, Furutech NCF(R) outlet
 
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Ron Resnick

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Come on, Ron, I know you are sceptical but make no mistake: fuses can make a (very) worthwhile difference in (high quality) audio systems. For example on Audiogon you can find many, many pages of comments made by a large number of audiophiles on all kind of fuses (including the SR blue and black fuses as well as the Audio Magic beeswax fuses) in which the differences between the various fuses are described. And - as with all things related to music reproduction - of course differences in opinion casu quo taste can be found there as well.

Dear audiocrack,

Yes, I am skeptical, but in that post I was merely expressing confuselment about all these fuse choices!

Do you find that particular fuses have consistent sonic signatures across different components? (Will a fuse which displays refinement and tonal density in an amplifier made by one company also manifest these characteristics in a preamplifier made by another company?
 

Tango

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I took my Blue out of my monos about two weeks ago. Not concluding that they are not good but I have components keep coming into my system. The Blues gave me more quietness which I really don’t need any more of. My system is already very quiet. It is the kind of quietness that shaped off spatial info, high extension and openness in my system. The Blues also gave me more pronounce in mids. Yes, the sound got louder as someone said. But I don’t have a patience waiting 300 hrs. This is longer than burning in cartridges. So I sent them to my friends to do time for me :p. Now the Blacks are back in place. Honestly, the fully burned Blacks are good enough for me.

Kind regards,
Tang
 

Ron Resnick

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So — among the Black, the Blue and the Beeswax — which sounds the smoothest, warmest, highest tonal density and mid-bass or midrange emphasised (think Koetsu Rosewood) and the least detailed, fast and analytical (think early Lyra)?
 

Tango

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So — among the Black, the Blue and the Beeswax — which sounds the smoothest, warmest, highest tonal density and mid-bass or midrange emphasised (think Koetsu Rosewood) and the least detailed, fast and analytical (think early Lyra)?

Ron,

The Blue has more density than the Black in my system.

Imo, if you want to play around with fuses, just look for ones that are energetic, dynamic and open. Don’t use the ones that shape the tonality of your already very carefully selected components.

Kind regards,
Tang
 

Audiocrack

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Blue58, As you requested, after six weeks with the Blue in a Directstream dac (thus one piece only), I have to agree with most everything you just wrote (#474) about the sound differences. I'd add that the Blue is much more delicate and much louder than the Super beeswax, although those may be a function of its greater quietness to some degree. Nonetheless, I've gone back to the AM Super beeswax for the moment, and will now consider the Ultimate. Why? Primarily greater warmth and tonal accuracy (up to a point, I find the two go together). To me, the Blue in the DSD brings fantastic "sonic effects," but tonally makes things relatively cool and digital sounding, so that all music seems to sound the same and leaves me emotionally uninvolved. With burnin completed, I've come to feel seriously put off, wondering how the hell I could have put in this much effort and money and ended up feeling sometimes like I dread listening. Switching back to beeswax in the dac changes that to a fair degree, bringing me back into the music. I'll add that the beeswax's bass seems to be more substantial too (though less transparent). In addition to music, this is evident with TV, where the resonance of speakers' voices comes through much more (all my audio - modded Oppo 203 and cable - is run through the DirectStream). Of course, there is a matter of component and system synergy, but my experience makes me wonder if the SR Blue needs some seriously compensating warmth in a system, enough at least for the musically attuned ear.


System: PS Audio Soundbase, P5 Regenerator and DSD; Oppo 203, ATC SCM19A active speakers (SR BlacK), PS Audio power cords and MG Audio Design AG2 XLRs, Furutech NCF(R) outlet

Thanks for this feedback, highstream. For what it is worth - because I never tried the SR black or blue in any of my systems -: what you are describing is what I actually feared. Technically the black and blue are undoubtedly good, but do they move you emotionally? In the end that is what really matters to me, not the usual technical aspects that audiophiles emphasize again and again. The beeswax involves me (as well). Apparently the blue does the same for Blue58. So in the end it is a matter of synergy with one’s audio components and personal taste. Thinking about the AM ultimate beeswax fuse as well but only if I can arrange somehow that they are burned in before trying them out.
 
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Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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Dear audiocrack,

Yes, I am skeptical, but in that post I was merely expressing confuselment about all these fuse choices!

Do you find that particular fuses have consistent sonic signatures across different components? (Will a fuse which displays refinement and tonal density in an amplifier made by one company also manifest these characteristics in a preamplifier made by another company?

Hello Ron,

I am using Audio Refine fuses in most of my audio componentss. They sound consistent and I like them.

Have no experience (yet) with the SR blue and black fuses so cannot comment on them.

I really liked what the AM beeswax were doing at the time in my Gakuoh 300B se amps as regards refinement, tonality, dynamics, staging and emotionally involvement but in my LA set up - contrary to the experience highstream just described - they were somewhat lacking in the bass (depth and punch). Due to their - large - size and technical specs I cannot try the beeswax fuses in my Kagura’s (need small size fuses and not two but in total four fuses for the Kagura’s).

The Kagura’s are in my LA set up a better match with inter alia more bass control, depth and punch so maybe the beeswax will function in these amps better in that regard. But I am not sure because I have not tried it.

Notwithstanding aspects like consistency, yes/no components/system symergy effects and personal taste, all various fuses have a serious impact on the music reproduction. So why not try out a few different (fuse) brands that might appeal to you and find out which one you actually prefer in your set up? This search will in the end reward you with better sound quality or a music reproduction that is more to your liking.
 
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