Audiophile Fuses

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,606
5,415
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E. England
What’s two weeks between an audiofool and his fuse?

You should pity me, I’ve just done a wholescale analog reinstall needing over a dozen seperate new things to break in.

For the stylus, energiser and psus, I had to go thru 240 sides of the same lp (on mute, being careful to not once forget I had an lp playing and allow the stylus to get stuck in the lead-out groove), to start to get where I am now.
Pure torture.
 

bazelio

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2016
2,493
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345
California
What’s two weeks between an audiofool and his fuse?

You should pity me, I’ve just done a wholescale analog reinstall needing over a dozen seperate new things to break in.

For the stylus, energiser and psus, I had to go thru 240 sides of the same lp (on mute, being careful to not once forget I had an lp playing and allow the stylus to get stuck in the lead-out groove), to start to get where I am now.
Pure torture.

Madness!! How much money can we make on a stylus breakin LP that simply has a single continuous groove which sweeps 20Hz to 20kHz in a single revolution?
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
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Portugal
This is a fascinating thread, very illuminating and bidirectional.

Bob,

Illuminating an audiophile fuse can be very expensive ...
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
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Portugal
Francisco,

I need no more stress in my life for the few remaining years I have left.

I have found that fuses are usually stressful. When we have to replace them it is a signal something went wrong. In tube amplifiers usually it is just one tube - either you have a tester to check for each of them or you have to create a strategy. I successfully tried an alternative method before taking serious action - I replace the fuse with one of much lower rating, say one fifth its advised current, darken the room and switch the amplifier on in the dark, looking at the tubes. If I am lucky the faulty tube glows when the fuse blows!
 

Tecknik1

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2017
50
3
115
HCM VietNam
Hi , Bazelio didn't I just read your review on the new D4 IC" Plus you stick in a new SR Blue fuse. I think you are now doing the right thing and letting the fuse burn in and letting the new D4 burn in then get used to the sound before making your final decision.

Awfully difficult to give a fair assessment when you have changed both IC and a fuse in a system at the same time and it doesn't sound right.

Enjoyed your review of the D4 by the way and hope to get a pair myself soon.
 

zztop7

Member Sponsor
Dec 12, 2012
750
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Edmonds, WA
+1

I have found that fuses are usually stressful. When we have to replace them it is a signal something went wrong. In tube amplifiers usually it is just one tube - either you have a tester to check for each of them or you have to create a strategy. I successfully tried an alternative method before taking serious action - I replace the fuse with one of much lower rating, say one fifth its advised current, darken the room and switch the amplifier on in the dark, looking at the tubes. If I am lucky the faulty tube glows when the fuse blows!

Very Good & Brilliant.

zz.
 

bazelio

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2016
2,493
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Hi , Bazelio didn't I just read your review on the new D4 IC" Plus you stick in a new SR Blue fuse. I think you are now doing the right thing and letting the fuse burn in and letting the new D4 burn in then get used to the sound before making your final decision.

Awfully difficult to give a fair assessment when you have changed both IC and a fuse in a system at the same time and it doesn't sound right.

Enjoyed your review of the D4 by the way and hope to get a pair myself soon.

I haven't done exactly what you suggest - "at the same time". The D4 arrived Thursday, and it is a fully broken in demo that I am auditioning. I've been listening to the effect of the D4 in my system since then, and added a new fuse a couple days later. It was quite easy to hear the affect of the fuse on the sound, by going back and forth. The D4 brings out so much dynacism and openness which promptly regresses with Blue fuse. Once you hear the D4's qualities, it's pretty hard to go back, and this fuse took me back. :)
 

Tecknik1

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2017
50
3
115
HCM VietNam
I must have mist the broken in part on the review, my mistake.

I currently have 45 hrs on my blue fuse and I read this thread before purchasing it so I new there would be a break in period. It certainly better then the stock fuse it replaced. It certainly sounds better then the first few hrs.

I had the blacks last year in a different system and liked them thats why I wanted to try the blue.
 

bazelio

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2016
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I must have mist the broken in part on the review, my mistake.

I currently have 45 hrs on my blue fuse and I read this thread before purchasing it so I new there would be a break in period. It certainly better then the stock fuse it replaced. It certainly sounds better then the first few hrs.

I had the blacks last year in a different system and liked them thats why I wanted to try the blue.

I probably didn't mention the cables were broken in. But they're audition cables, and Dave only has a couple pairs of audition cables, so they've made the rounds. I think he might also cook cables for customers before shipping new orders, but I could be mistaken there.

As for the fuse, I have ~12 hours on it at this point thanks to the light bulb rig. I may give it a listen again around the 50 hour mark just out of curiosity. I do have a bit of skepticism at this point, but am keeping an open mind. Otherwise, maybe I should find out who manufacturers my amp's stock fuse so I can sell those. ;-)
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I have found that fuses are usually stressful. When we have to replace them it is a signal something went wrong. In tube amplifiers usually it is just one tube - either you have a tester to check for each of them or you have to create a strategy. I successfully tried an alternative method before taking serious action - I replace the fuse with one of much lower rating, say one fifth its advised current, darken the room and switch the amplifier on in the dark, looking at the tubes. If I am lucky the faulty tube glows when the fuse blows!

Very Good & Brilliant.

zz.

I'm thinking in that similar line of thought.
 

bazelio

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2016
2,493
1,745
345
California
Update. After initial disappointment with the out-of-the-box performance of the SR Blue quoted below, I left it in my DIY fuse cooker (documented a few thread pages back) for the better part of a week. At this point today, I estimate approximately 120 to 140 cooking hours have passed, and I decided to have a listen. So it is back my my EAR 890. And.......... Well, much to my surprise this thing really has opened up. I was in a bit of a rush heading out the door, but after one side of a very familiar record that I'd been listening to all morning for other reasons, I'm now hearing air, great extension, delicacy around the notes, no muddiness, and all without any loss of body. There might be even slightly more bloom now but in a tasteful way that sounds right. This fuse is now at least as good as my stock fuse and probably even a notable improvement. The added air is creating better distinction between instruments and a greater sense of space while opening things up to be more revealing of inner detail, while not being the least bit thin, analytical, harsh, etc.

Very positive results thus far, and despite being skeptical and still well within the money back return period, I'd have to corroborate the burn in requirements of SR Blues. And at least initially say that I'm about to hop on the fuse believer train.

Well I might be a fairly lonely voice of dissent here in regards to the SR Blue. Last night I replaced the stock fuse in my EAR 890 with a brand new 4A SR Blue, and I am decidedly disappointed. People have told me these are supposed to sound good right out of the box, so I don't know if I should give it time. But the SR Blue sounds distant and compressed vs the stock fuse. It lacks the air and openness of my stock fuse, it truncates decay and mutes treble shimmer, and is a tad bloated and less articulate on the bottom end. Kind of a thicker and slower sound that's less extended in both directions. So overall not a good showing. In fact, it didn't last more than one side of one record before I said "meh" and went back to the stock fuse.

Should I expect dramatic improvement here, or should I send it back now? I hardly have the desire to sit around waiting for it to improve, but could be convinced to reconsider.

EDIT: On the positive side, the SR Blue is a bit quieter than my stock fuse. But the slightly blacker background is probably related to the slight veil over everything that has been introduced.

Thanks!!
 
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Tecknik1

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2017
50
3
115
HCM VietNam
I have been listening to the Blues in my Ref 3 pre from the beginning. I wouldn't say its been as bad for me has others have reported but they have definitely opened up with more bloom in the midrange and seemed to have lost quite a bit of the edge. At around 120 hrs the bass was over whelming, not boomy had very good deffiniton and texture. The bass has evened out now and are extremely quite has others have reported and if Im only half way there then I well be quit pleased with the end results and definitely worth the $140.00 for the improved SQ they give.
 

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