Fuses fuses fuses

nonoise
What good have facts been in this thread?

For you, nothing. 

Cheers

It should be pretty obvious that you would want the direction exhibiting the lower resistance.

gdnrbob
Oh, your are going to light fires, especially with that avatar ;)

Re: directional fuses, I recall Ralph at Atma-Sphere mentioning something, but I forgot the details. Though I think he said there was something to it. (If I am wrong Ralph, sorry).
B

I don’t want to put words in Ralph’s mouth, either, but I’m pretty sure he’s not really on board the whole fuse directionality train. His argument is (and I suppose he could possibly be accused of fence sitting on fuse directionality) that when someone flips the fuse it somehow magically gets a better grip in the fuse holder. Cough, cough  As I recall the other fence sitter Almarg agrees with Ralph in this regard. 

almarg
Geoff’s statement above is correct. See the first of my posts dated 10-28-2016 in the long running "Synergistic Red Fuse" thread, in which I quote posts that have been made here by Ralph and several other designers of well regarded audio electronics on the subject of fuse directionality. I quoted Ralph’s comment (which had originally appeared in another fuse-related thread) as follows:

Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere:

"… Fuses are inherently incapable of having directionality in any way whatsoever.

… I joined this thread recently with some results on testing. Those results are that the directionality appears out of coincidence and that actually greater improvement can be had by rotating the fuse in the holder for best contact…. Reversal is improving the contact area because fuse and holder are not dimensionally perfect and the fuse might sit better in the holder in one direction. By rotating the fuse in the holder without reversing it gets the same effect only more profoundly."

>>>>Whoa! What? If fuses are incapable of having directionality in any way whatsoever why do almost all users of aftermarket fuses in the past 15 years report better sound when the fuse is in the correct direction? talk about ignoring evidence. Do you guys really think there’s some sort of audiophile conspiracy? Do you actually believe that it’s group hypnosis? The placebo effect? Expectation bias?

Ralph’s hypothesis of the fuse holder accounting for the improvement when fuses are flipped doesn’t hold water since if were true that fuses are not directional and the fuse holder was the key, then flipping the fuse and rotating it would lead to worse sound in many cases, not better sound. That is IF the fuse holder contact area differences were even AUDIBLE which I actually don’t think they are. Talk about grasping for straws. You might as well use the time honored naysayer argument that it's the oxide on the surface of the fuse holder being removed whilst flipping the fuse that accounts for the change in sound. 

 "Rotating affects the sound more profoundly than reversing it? Huh? I thought you guys didn't think there was any effect from reversing the fuse. How could something be more profound? Give me a break. Besides, the whole fuse directionality issue is rather moot in light of the fact were already know ALL WIRE is directional. We’ve known it for At least 25 years. So of course fuses - ALL FUSES - are directional. Hel-loo! This is all just a case where some folks didn’t get the memo and refuse to believe there ever was a memo. Who knows why.

In view of the overwhelming evidence in favor of fuse directionality AND wire directionality in general - not the least of which is the comprehensive data contained on the HiFi Tuning website. perhaps it’s best to put the fuse holder hypothesis to bed. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.

cheers,

geoff kait
machina dramatica
advanced audio concepts

What the guy at SR meant when he said "try it both ways" is that the SR fuses ARE directional (as are all fuses) but you cannot tell which way is the right way to insert them just by looking at them. You can't go by the lettering and you can't go by arrows, if there are arrows. Thus, try them both ways and pick the one that sounds best. Ergo, fuses are directional.

davehrab
With regard to fuse direction I believe the 50% ... 50% ... 98% rule applies ... simply stated when ever an audiophile has a 50 / 50 chance of installing a fuse in the correct orientation ... 98% of the time he will select the wrong direction .. how else can you explain that anytime an audiophile installs a fuse and then reverses it ... there is always an improvement

I also think the test is flawed ... has anyone ever reversed the fuse an heard an improvement only to back test it by reversing the fuse again to see if the improvement is lost .. you know a simple ABA test ... never seen anyone post about that

Funny thing, in Audiophile circles if you can hear things others cannot, you are revered...In society you are sent for treatment.Enter your text ...

>>>>Gold Star for best post of the week! 🌠

charlesdad1
My experience with the SR Black fuses is similar to those of nonoise with his fuses. I listened to the fuses placed in one direction and then reversed this direction. Without fail there’s an undeniable change in the sound, not necessarily good vs bad, but "different ". One direction was very clear and "locked in ", the other had an "out of phase" character to it.

I don’t think there’s any need to pussy foot around here. Obviously - by YOUR own words - one direction IS better than the other. Sonically. It’s NOT as you say, "just different."

Terry9
I found Ralph’s explanation of the phenomenon to be convincing. And it would be very easy to test. Anyone who wanted to bother only needs to repeat the experiment many times with randomization, and count. I suggest a paradigm known as ’two alternative forced choice’. Elementary statistics would do the rest.

OK, so if it would be "very easy to test" how come none of you guys ever bother to test it? Talk is cheap. And if it takes a test to prove directionality how come you guys have made up your minds already? Who do you think is going to test it, NASA? Besides I’ve got a sneaking suspicion you guys would not believe or would find fault with any test and or test results presented to you, as long as the results were not in accordance with your preconceived notions of time and space - Just as you guys have with the test results of fuse directionality found in the data sheets on the HiFi Tuning website. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, what test results? Right? You guys always seem to find some little nit to pick when the results don’t comport with your preconceived worldview. East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet.

Acme Audio fuse holders, which I used to have back when I had fuses, are not only silver plated but cryo’d. Fuses should also be cryo’d for best results. Everything should be cryo’d. Almost all high end cable manufacturers routinely Cryo their cables. You have to if you want to compete in the marketplace.

Almarg, let me give you a little logic lesson if I can be so bold. Just because there are a lot of variables doesn’t mean that fuses are not directional. Capish? If you guys were really interested in the truth rather than arguing til you’re blue in the face you’d have done the experiment yourselves a long time ago. The other variables can be controlled. Like the placebo effect, whatever. Don’t you know that?

Note to self: Why do naysayers, the uber skeptics , the practitioners of uber careful pseudo logic always demand that believers must be the ones testing for fuse directionality? Why don’t naysayers test for themselves? Wouldn’t that be uh, more convincing for them? I mean, why would these uber skeptic’s even believe any test by a True Believer? It doesn’t make sense. Yet the demands for tests, especially the silly double blind ones. Give me a break! Tests are for sissies. My guess is the pseu-pseu-pseudo scientists don’t want to be found wrong and be the laughing stock of all the other self-appointed shepards of the pseudo audiophile flock. This whole anti fuse directionality movement is really a big nothing burger. 🍔

Terry9
@geoffkait
"OK, so if it would be "very easy to test" how come none of you guys ever bother to test it? Talk is cheap."

Because I'm not making an assertion which goes against established physics. You are.

>>>I'll be the judge of that.

The onus of proof is on you.

>>>No, it's not. That's a very common misconception.

You don't have a case, cowboy. 

That's one of the primary functions of those silver type contact enhancers to fill in any micro gaps and establish a better more uniform contact surface between Mr. fuse and the fuse holder. I also suspect the silver plated fuse holder might have a smoother surface than a generic fuse holder but not completely sure about that. Better safe than sorry, just use the contact enhancer with the silver plated fuse holder. Why take chances?

Georgehifi
Maybe it should be moved to a new forum heading for things like this, called "Things we can't explain"

Well, at least "Things you and Al can't explain," anyway.

 
davehrab
Theory is when you know everything and nothing works.

>>>>Another Gold Star!  🌠

Keep up the good work!

By the way, theory is also when you know everything but you never try anything.

ebm
Good luck with after market fuses as i just talked to CJ and they are not UL approved so if your amp or preamp catches fire or your house burns down good luck.Plus i don’t think your preamp or amp might not be covered under the warranty food for thought.Fuses fuses fuses good luck though!!

Typical amp manufacturer thinking. How can the amp or preamp catch fire if the fuse blows? Duh! Aftermarket fuses have been around what, at least 15 years and we haven't lost anyone yet. Knock on wood.

I'm currently using a multi-stage set-up. Glass microspheres, constrained layer damping, and springs, all of which up on 3 Large DH Cones.

It doesn't take a genius to realize UL listing is for sissies.

Almarg, Roger appears to be just another outspoken but deluded amp manufacturer. Do you have a better example? 😬 Besides, you should know better than to use an Appeal to Authority. Does that work in court? Do you honestly believe that cable manufacturers who put arrows on unshielded cables are pulling a fast one on naive and gullible audiophiles? No need to answer, it’s a rhetorical question.

Atmosphere
"...fuse nor the fuse holder have perfect dimensions. As a result, there is a small amount of resistance at the contacts as the fuse sits in the holder. If you shift the fuse around you can reduce or increase that resistance. That is why they **appear** to be directional.

Now this is easy to measure. All you need is a DVM (Digital VoltMeter) and you simply measure the voltage drop across the fuse in the circuit. Its not going to be very much, so a DVM with more than 3 1/2 digits is helpful but not mandatory. If the fuse is in an open holder, you simply rotate it in the holder and you can watch the voltage drop across the fuse rise and fall. The least voltage drop is what you want."

>>>>>All we need? If it’s so easy to measure why don’t you or one of the other naysayers measure it? You’re just guessing. Why is it the folks that are already on board the fuse directionality AND Wire Directionality train are supposed to be the ones to measure it?

All wire is directional. Hel-loo! We Covered that in Fuses 101. More to the point HiFi Tuning data sheets already show the measured the differences in fuse direction. Not just their fuses, all manner of fuses, including stock fuses, ceramic fuses, cryo'd fuses. Guess what! It has nothing to do with the fuse holder. You act like this wire/fuse directionality thing is all new to you. The fuse holder argument can't save you in the cable directionality argument, now can it? These silly fuse Doubting Thomas threads have been going on for fifteen years. The wire directionality Doubting Thomases even longer, what, 25 years?

bdp24
I’m bound to regret this, but just can’t resist. So, on one side we have Ralph Karsten and Roger Modjeski (as well as almarg and other posters here)---two of the best living audio engineers in the world (I obviously place value in "authority"), and on the other side those who claim fuses are directional. And the explanation for Ralph and Roger (and perhaps Al, etc.) disputing the even possibility of fuses being directional (AC being what it is) is that they are "deluded amp manufacturer(s)"? Ay carumba! Very fitting in these Trumpian days.

bdp24, you don’t even know what an Appeal to Authority is, do you? You cannot win arguments using the Appeal to Authority since not all authorities agree. Follow? You can’t cherry pick your authorities. 🍒 Truth is not established by who can shout louder than the other guy or who has the most perseverance or who has the best credentials. Actually, if I can be blunt about it, one need look no further than the owner of Audioquest to find a real authority on cables and wire who is a strong proponent of wire directionality. Wire is directional. All wire. His opinion trumps all the naysayers, amp manufacturers, whatever. Trump. Get it? The arguments against fuse directionality are a big nothing burger. 🍔

note to self: No one has disputed that cables are directional, you know the ones without shields. So, if they accept that cables are directional they must be getting close to getting on board the fuse directionality train. Really close. All aboard!! 🚇

Thanks for the concern, ruebent. As for myself, I’d be listening to fuses this weekend if I had any fuses.

Wow! It’s about time the intellectuals showed up. Welcome aboard, sailors!

Nothing like a fuse directionality thread to bring out the 12 Angry Men syndrome. One can't help worrying, geez, what the heck will these guys say when something really controversial comes up?

12 Angry Men memorable quotes

Juror #10: Don't give me that. I'm sick and tired of facts! You can twist 'em anyway you like, you know what I mean?

Juror #9: That's exactly the point this gentleman has been making.

Juror #10: You can't prove it!

Juror #2: You said we can throw out all the other evidence.

Juror #10: I don't understand you people! I mean all these picky little points you keep bringing up. They don't mean nothing!

Juror #3: You're talking about a matter of seconds! Nobody can be that accurate!

Juror #12: Oh, come on. Nobody can know a thing like that. This isn't an exact science.

georgehifi
"I talked with a software engineer who also had a masters degree in electrical engineering. He said, "Let me look at it.""

About an hour later he came to me and said, "I’ve found the problem, let me show you." He had found a 250 kHz signal modulated onto the power sine wave.
You said it all buckhorn_cortez

He as an engineer measured and he found.
There’s non of that going on here with the pro side of fuses can sound better, also when they are reversed.

Cheers George

Are you feeling a little groggy this morning, George? Of course engineers have measured fuses. Don't tell me you didn't get the memo. You can go back to sleep now.

Floyd: It's Liberty! He - he's hurt

😛

Lee J. Cobb who played Juror #10 (the last holdout) was also great of course in On the Waterfront as mob boss Johnny Friendly. Also as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.

georgehifi
Of course engineers have measured fuses.

Not in the way you promote them, they wouldn’t be stupid enough.

Cheers George

>>>>>If you’re pretending to be dense you’re doing an excellent job. ( Juror #2 from 12 Angry Men)

Who do you think measured the directionality of fuses that are shown in the HiFi Tuning data sheets? Engineers. And they measured fuses in EXACTLY the way I promote them. I.e., conductivity is better in one direction than the other. Duh! 

For Al: perhaps the greatest phrase ever uttered by a lawyer was, "If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit." 

😀

Time for a fuse measurements recap. Interpretation of measurements. All aboard!

INTERPRETATION OF MEASUREMENTS (HiFi Tuning data sheets)

(verbatim)

There is a measurable difference in directivity of fuses. Mostly that will be due to the way the melting wire is manufactured. The difference is in the range of 5 % . That is in the range of variations due to the factoring process, but the difference is measurable with all types of fuses.

The resistance of the fuse itself is dependent on the length and thickness of the melting wire. At pure DC- resistance measurements, of the commercial available fuses, the solder type with leads gives the best results. Worst results gives the fuse with a glass tube and spiral shaped melting wire.

The high end fuses all give better results in conductivity, the cryogenically treated fuses from HiFi-Tuning give the best results, while the rhodium coated fuse from Padis gives the highest DC- resistance.

For DC applications it ́s recommended to use the solder type fuse or the cryogenically treated fuses from HiFi-Tuning Germany.

The drop in resistance up to the factor of 8 is clearly measurable and also could be detected in listening test.

Fuses with a glass tube and a spiral shaped melting wire are additionally by a factor of 20 more sensitive to micro phonic effects. Fuses with a glass tube and a straight wire still by a factor of 5.

Sorry, Al, I wasn’t addressing you specifically, though now that I think about it.... My response to your (silly) argument concerning precision of measurements, answer me this: why do the (small) measured differences ALWAYS correlate with the listening tests? It there was an issue with precision that would not be the case. Follow? It can’t be the fuse holders since the HiFi Tuning data didn’t measure the fuses in their holders. If they (and Roger Modjeski) HAD measured them in their holders, and came up with what you call insignificant differences or differences that are not precise that clearly means that your and Atmasphere’s theory of the fuse holders causing the differences must be wrong. Very wrong. Or did Atmasphere somehow measure more precisely than the Germans? Really?Assuming he actually did, which I'm now not so sure of. You can’t have it both ways. Capish? Another question: you haven’t really read the HiFi Tuning data sheets very carefully, have you? 😛

INTERMISSION

Let's give the naysayers a moment to reload.

Smoke if ya got em.

🍰 🍦 🍺 🍧 🌭

You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, dude. That’s also a movie reference.

bdp24 and reubent - sorry, fellers, you’re following the wrong sheep. Exhibit A, the page on wire directionality on the Audioquest website, is linked below. Read em and weep.

Excerpt:

"In one direction, the music will sound relatively flat and a little grainy, as though being forced through a screen door. In the opposite direction, the obstruction is removed and music will be communicated with a natural ease, depth, and an open invitation to pleasure. When presented with a cable whose conductors have been controlled for the correct low-noise directionality, a listener feels a sense of comfort and relief: Ahh…Music!"

See the entire article here,

http://www.audioquest.com/directionality-its-all-about-noise/

Who ya gonna believe, a few hearing impaired renegades and naysayers or the head of the most successful high end cable company in history?

If the glove doesn’t fit you must acquit. 😀

bdp24 - Well, if I can be so bold at least we now know Roger Modjeski must be deaf if he can’t hear the difference in fuses. He’s deaf and stubborn. Amp manufacturers! Harumph! Uh, Mr. Smarty Pants - Why should there be ANY difference whatsoever in measured resistance if fuses are not directional? They should measure exactly equal. He’ll-loo! None of you Barko Lounger experts have figured that one out, eh? Besides, HiFi Tuning acknowledges the differences in measured resistance don't compor entirely with the sonic differences. It's a Strawman argument on your part to put words in anyone's mouth that anyone thinks there must be some other, as yet unexplained, reason for the sometimes great difference in the sound between fuses and between directions. 

All aftermarket fuses are not priced at $100. One is $175. So what? Don’t be a knucklehead. Some aftermarket fuses are much less? Some are $20, some are $5. So what? Of course price is not the subject of this thread. Who cares? Like anything else in the hobby prices vary. For anything you can name prices vary all over the place. So what? If you want to listen to cheap junk that’s your prerogative.

On the data sheets they use m for milli, as in when they write m Amp. One assumes the commas are just the convention in Germany. You know, HiFi Tuning is German.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong but in the interpretation of measurements section on the HiFi Tuning data sheets that I posted the other day the statement is made that the differences in resistance between one direction and another of fuses is generally around 5%. I’m not seeing that; what I’m actually seeing is almost an order of magnitude less than 5%. Agree/disagree? Talk amongst yourselves. Smoke if ya got em.

atmasphere
Not to make too fine a point of it, but has anyone here noticed that I have confirmed by measurement that if you place the fuse in backwards that you may indeed hear a difference?

>>>Let me help you out. What we are actually saying is that not only is there a difference between one way and the other but that it’s PREDICTABLE which way will sound better than the other - when you control the manufacturing process. There is no backwards or forwards! Didn’t you read the Audioquest paper? That’s why we say fuses are directional. That’s why we say ALL WIRE is directional. It’s because of the wire manufacturing process that the wire becomes "directional." So, it’s not just that it SOUNDS DIFFERENT, it SOUNDS BETTER one way than the other. and it's predictable if you control the process. That’s the whole point. We don’t even have to get into the atomic physics of why that’s true. Does that help?

Now, cable manufacturers who mark their cables with arrows obviously control the manufacturing process. Not so sure fuse manufacturers control the process of fuse manufacture, which is not really a problem since the user can simply try any fuse both ways and pick the direction that sounds best. And for cables and interconnects that aren’t marked with arrows then obviously the user should try both directions and see which one is best.

tubegroover
Yeah I read it Ralph and am mystified why Geoff didn’t acknowledge it in his explanation which completely avoided it. It is a truism in audio that MANY things can affect sound, often in quite subtle ways, some more profound, of that i’m a witness . Unfortunately it is often taken as a monetary opportunity for some that make their livelihood by exploiting for profit, sometimes substantial, the differences. Geoff wouldn’t you agree that Audioquest has a vested interested in promoting "truthful hyperbole"? It’s all about marketing savvy and understanding the customer. Hundred dollar fuses, really?😂

That’s got to be the dumbest thing anyone said so far. What possible financial motive would Audioquest have in promoting cable and wire directionality? Heck, most audiophiles are like you and don’t believe it anyway, and wouldn’t buy it because you think it’s a scam. But to further destroy your silly argument Audioquest is by no means the only cable manufacturer selling directional cables. In fact any cable manufacturer that wants to compete for audiophile dollars must certainly be aware of directionality and actually mark their cables accordingly. Anti Cables obviously, Goertz, and I’m sure many others. Not only that almost all high end cable manufacturers cryogenically treat their cables. Why? To be able to compete. So what have we learned here. It’s performance that drives the market of cables not hyperbole. Duh!

Atmosphere, if you’re pretending to be dense you’re doing an excellent job. Don’t you get it, we’ve already eliminated all of your cable directionality causes. It's the wire itself. Nobody said there aren't other issues like shielding. As the Audioquest dude said you have to be aware of al of them and deal with them, CONTROL them, accordingly. Capish?

It ain't over til the fat lady sings. if you cant stand the heat get out of the kitchen. You can't control the controllers.

Hey, you just reminded me! When can we expect to see some liquid fuses hit the market?

Also, question: are liquid cables directional? I’m of course referring to the conductor not the shield. I wouldn't think so but sometimes ya never know.

Whoa! What?! An enigma within a labyrinth! Gad zooks! 

timlub
@geoffkait
You may think that its pretty obvious, but in cable manufacturing that isn’t the case.... Impedance, DC resistance, inductance, capacitance, skin effect all come into the effect of a cable....
Of course here we are speaking of a simple wire, maybe I shouldn’t assume that a tasty gourmet fuse would have more than simple DC resistance as a parameter.

>>>>You might possibly be overthinking this. I never said it was that simple. Obviously other factors/parameters are involved but fuses always sound best when the resistance is minimum, I.e., conductivity is highest. You can forget about the other parameters. Were you seriously considering measuring skin effect? 😀

I think you would probably agree there are many parameters involved with testing fuses other than the fuse parameters themselves, no? Parameters involved with the test itself.

I suggest you take a gander at the data sheets for fuse measurements on the HiFi Tuning website which are linked to somewhere on this thread.

By the way, when it comes to fuses nothing makes "all the sense in the world."

Sidebar: How small can something be and still make a noticeable improvement? I gather most objections to the proposition that fuses can’t make a difference and that fuses can’t be directional have to do with the idea that fuses are just too small to make any significant difference. The fuse size is too small, the wire is too small. Which leads to my question. How many things can you think of that are very small and yet improve the sound? We can start off with tiny little bowls the diameter of which are around 7/8" or 1" and the PWB Silver Holographic Foil that is a mere 1/8" by 0.75" and Marigo VTS dots that are as small as 1/16" diameter.

almarg
Geoff, regarding your question just above, in one of my posts here yesterday I had quoted the following statement I made in an earlier fuse-related discussion:

... all or nearly all of the directional differences in resistance were vastly smaller than 5%, with the exception of the "standard glass fuse."

However, note that what the paper says is "the difference is in the range of 5%," not "generally around 5%." Differences that are "vastly smaller than 5%" are WITHin the range of 5%. So their statement is arguably accurate, although highly misleading.

Regards,
-- Al

Are you pulling my leg, Al? In the range of 5% means exactly the same thing as generally around 5%. Therefore, their statement is not accurate at all. In fact, as I already pointed out, ALL measured differences were about an order of magnitude less than 5%. NONE were anywhere near 5% so YOUR INTERPRETATION MAKES NO SENSE. If things were as you say then they could have said "in the range of of 10%%, fortifying their argument. Apparently I was correct, you never read the HiFi Tuning data sheets carefully. Oh, well....

What’s bizarre, funny and ironic all at the same time is that you would pick an argument on this point since, you know, it kind of supports your position, not mine. Hel-loo! 😀

If the glove doesn’t fit you must acquit.

have a nice day

zavato OP
To the people here on Audiogon that have seen me post from time to time over the years please accept my apologies. I’m really not a sh*t stirrer. I never intended or expected or dreamed that this thread would ignite passions the way it has. I’m sorry! To the folks that have had strokes or heart attacks because of this thread, please go listen to some chill music. To the people who have put up reasoned posts, I suggest walk away and whistle, don’t worry, look at the bright side of life. To those on the sidelines, hopefully you won’t need to buy anymore popcorn.

Translation: "I didn’t do nothin’."

Al, if they had wished to say what you’re assuming they were saying, they would simply have said, in the range 0-5%. That’s a range. One number is not a range. However, there is no difference in the data sheets for resistance more than about 0.5%. Thus, your interpretation makes no sense, even allowing for language differences. You could be pulling my leg. Is this a lawyer trick? 😀

Unfortunately, the numbers you cite don’t - by themselves support - HiFi Tuning’s contention in their Interpretation of Measurements section that the differences are around 5%, or in the range of 5%, whatever. Those 4 relatively high numbers are OUTLIERS and can be thrown out. In fact, HIFI TUNING cautions AGAINST using glass fuses, IIRC. Most differences on the data sheets are, by far, an order of magnitude lower than 5%. End of argument. It should also be pointed out we ALREADY KNOW that directionality is only ONE VARIABLE involved with fuses sounding the way they do. Which is why folks often report aftermarket fuses sounding better than stock fuses right away, even when NOT installed in the right direction. Shall we review all the fuse variables?

Of course, the real interesting thing in the fuse measurements was that listening tests correlated to measurements, i.e., the best sounding directional was ALWAYS the direction with least resistance. It’s NOT random. Also note fuse holders were NOT used in the fuse measurements per se but their resistance measurements appears separately. So, we can dispense with the fuse holder argument.

This is all starting to look like a case of not seeing the forest for the trees.

If the glove doesn’t fit you must acquit.

almarg
Geoffkait 7-20-2017
Of course, the real interesting thing in the fuse measurements was that listening tests correlated to measurements, i.e., the best sounding directional was ALWAYS the direction with least resistance.

A question: Where do you see that?

The only reference to listening tests I see in the HiFi Tuning paper is the following statement, which has nothing to do with directionality:
For DC applications it ́s recommended to use the solder type fuse or the cryogenically treated fuses from HiFi-Tuning Germany.
The drop in resistance up to the factor of 8 is clearly measurable and also could be detected in listening test.
Regards,
-- Al

>>>>>Al, that’s a good question, but why on Earth would they have even had someone test fuses if not to prove - or at least show evidence - that fuses in general are directional and that HiFi Tuning fuses exhibited better measured characteristics in terms of conductivity than other high end fuses of that time period as well as stock fuses? HiFi Tuning believes in fuse and wire directionality. That’s why they mark their fuses with that diode symbol, so the user can experiment and find out which direction sounds best. So, of course HiFi Tuning obviously believes that the measured data supports their position. Otherwise they would not have published the data. And that the fuse direction that exhibits the lower value for resistance (I.e., higher conductivity) would be the best sounding direction. In their conclusion, they state,

"The measurements done so far showed some measurable differences between fuse,
but didn ́t explain completely the sonic differences between fuses."

That statement shows they believe the directionality measurements correlate with sonic differences (but do not necessarily explain the large sonic differences they heard). As I’ve already indicated many times, there are other variables involved with fuse sonics, fuse directionality is not the only variable. No one ever suggested directionality was the only or even primary variable. One need look no further than the design of many modern aftermarket fuses such as Audio Magic Beeswax fuse and Synergistic Research Black (I.e, Graphene) fuse to see that other factors are involved and addressed, and HiFi Tuning gold and silver fuses and cryo’d fuses obviously address other factors, too.