Fuses fuses fuses

I was always of the mind that a better made fuse would perform better. My own ears proved it. What I didn't have was my feet planted on the side of the argument that they are directional. That was almost two years ago.

Fast forward to just last week, I've been considering getting new speakers because the highs were never as good as what I had before. Just for sh*ts & grins I opened up my SACD player and changed fuse directions on all four fuses (some were in the signal path) and lo! 😃

Everything improved. I'm keeping my speakers for the foreseeable future. Yes, fuses are directional. Maybe not in the AC path but definitely in the signal path. Others might have been lucky enough to have put them in right the first time as it's a 50/50 shot. I wasn't.

Now I'm thinking about those SR Black fuses. Damn.

All the best,
Nonoise

A few years ago I considered buying something from Wyred 4 Sound and audiophile fuses were an upgrade. I've also read reviews and announcements of products that have them already featured but can't recall the brands. They are in the minority but that seems to be growing, albeit, slowly.

All the best,
Nonoise

@charles1dad , 
"out of phase"was a spot on analogy about fuse direction. Lots of things can sound right when out of phase and yet something is amiss with other parameters. They are different, for sure, and I must stress that for me, the differences are of an amount significant enough to point to the better of the two choices.

There is some theory that I can't remember concerning distortion and other anomalies in hearing thresholds that was a cornerstone of sorts until some people were tested and found to have hearing acuity 10x greater than the limits originally thought. That was some 5-10 years ago.

Our ears are some fairly sophisticated devices that are, at present, unmeasurable with current testing devices when it comes to detecting false signals, cues and the like. Science has to take a long and serious look to see those differences with technology unavailable to the general population.

All the best,
Nonoise

A placebo effect wouldn't compel me to defeat the tone controls of my integrated to offset the now, too high treble boost. Nor would it extend the soundstage permanently, instead of occasionally, beyond my speakers. Nor would it alleviate the upper mid bass emphasis (which I thought was a permanent feature due to rear porting and close front wall placement). I could go on but the naysayers would write it off as a sort of delusion, which is pure and unadulterated crap. 

One of the main tenets of scientific study is that it is repeatable, by OTHERS. So, get off your butts and try it for yourself, and stop quoting the bits of "science" that gives you the warm and fuzzies but amounts to nothing more than another dose of "weak tea" reasoning.

All the best, really,
Nonoise

The Flat Earth Society must be holding a meeting.They'll respond en masse shortly.

I can't speak to the average fuse holder and fuse dimensions mentioned, but the ones in my Marantz Reference don't appear to be average.

They appear to be silver plated (not really sure)
They  have a shape that can only hold the fuse in one manner
They require effort to remove (the circuit board literally lifts upon removal)
They can be rotated in place but it is not easy to do so 
Comparatively, they have a much tighter grip than any bananas I've encountered with speaker cables and speaker terminals

These facts then to relegate the "what could be wrong with fuse holder" arguments to a fall back position: a general statement.

I readily concede that not all fuse holders are equal but that implies that some don't fall into the category of holders with poor contact points. It could very well be that Marantz takes all aspects of QC seriously and rejects lots of fuse holders or goes for a top grade vendor to supply them or even makes them themselves. I can't really say one way or the other but then, how often does this come up in discussion?

All the best,
Nonoise

@bdp24  don't resist the need to voice your concerns and beliefs. This is what forums are for. 

Trumpian?
I do not think it means what you think it means. 
-Inigo Montoya

All the best,
Nonoise

Does it come with a set of steak knives?

Make that 13.
😃

I've watched that movie so many times. It never gets old. Lee Marvin was so deliciously evil in it and Strother Martin was so creepy as one of his henchmen, along with a young Lee Van Cleef.

John Wayne had more emotional range back in those days and used it to portray some darker sides to his characters. He was even better in The Searchers.  And let's not forget good old Jimmy Stewart. From a timid practicing lawyer to the one who stole Wayne's girl (though she never saw it that way) only to become the Senator who owed it all to The Duke. 
Great movie.

Sorry about going off on tangent but if you like that one, check out Donovan's Reef. It's in a lighter vein but has Wayne and Marvin in one of the best pairings Hollywood has ever done.


All the best,
Nonoise

I think we've finally narrowed it down. YMMV is the final arbiter since it's up to the individual to decide how much cost for how much further enjoyment. My MPG went up considerably since I've reversed the fuses to appreciate the costs incurred almost two years ago. Money well spent as well forgotten. I've spent more on wine tastings in the meantime. 🍷🍷🍷

This is like the snake eating it's tail. Can we end this now?

All the best,
Nonoise

meh...

I did a quick google search to see if places other than the USA use a different descriptor than "high breaking capacity" in their fuses. Apparently there’s also "high rupturing capacity".

Two different types of fuses.

HRC fuses are built primarily with ceramic bodies, silver plated end caps, silver internal wire and are filled with different types of powder to prevent arcing when the wire melts on one end inside the fuse. It’s also stated to be a calibrated conductor.

Sound familiar?

The stated advantages are that they do not deteriorate with age, they clear high and low fault currents and have consistent performance.

Could it be that someone just applied the better material aspects of fuse design in HRC fuses and applied them to "normal" audio fuses with the corresponding markup our hobby enjoins?

As a novice, I’m just asking.

All the best,
Nonoise

Wow.

There are no facts, only interpretations.,
                     or
There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

Fact is an enlightenment "folk concept" that doesn't actually exist.
--Alasdair Macintyre

Lots of philosophers would take issue that they are idiots.
But then, this is supposed to be a discussion of fuses with one side "factually" hearing a difference and the other side denying what they're lying ears are hearing.

What good have facts been in this thread?

All the best,
Nonoise

Geoffkait,
Amen. 🙏

It seems no matter what is posted is simply overlooked so as to fit one's narrative. 

High rupturing fuses are not only better made but better in their application in audio gear and therein lies the rub. 

Google it.

Why is it that every other part of audio can be improved but not the fuse?

Yes, it's overpriced but what isn't? The same arguments have been used for cables and whatnot. Gone are the days of cheap glass tubes with cheap wire and end caps. Get over it.

All the best,
Nonoise

To think we're up against a knee-jerk reaction similar to repressed sexuality disguised as something else (audio appreciation). I can see where the angst comes from.

Creatures of habit. Creatures from the Id.

Well, I welcome their hammers 🔨🔨🔨. 
Swing away boys, swing away. And now I'll simply enjoy what my efforts have wrought, now knowing the audio prudes purpose: to deny me my pleasure.

All the best,
Nonoise

It died some time ago.
What you hear are echoes. 👂