2. amps-preamps
  3. 1448317474

Synergistic Red Fuse ...

I installed a SR RED Quantum fuse in my ARC REF-3 preamp a few days ago, replacing an older high end fuse. Uhh ... for a hundred bucks, this little baby is well worth the cost. There was an immediate improvement upon installation, but now that its broken in (yes, no kidding), its quite remarkable. A tightening of the focus, a more solid image, and most important of all for my tastes, a deeper appreciation for the organic sound of the instruments. Damn! ... cellos sound great! Much improved attack on pianos. More humanistic on vocals. Bowed bass goes down forever. Next move? .... I'm doing the entire system with these fuses. One at a time though just to gauge the improvement in each piece of equipment. The REF-75se comes next. I'll report the results as the progression takes place. Stay tuned ...

Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
128x128oregonpapa
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
2,850 posts
 
^^^
If those last two posts don't convince the remaining members to get the SR Black fuses, then I see no hope for them. 

I keep saying it I know, maybe to the point of being boring, but my system has an eerie quietness to it now. The music just seems to come from nowhere and fills the room. Tonight I was playing Miles Davis' E.S.P. reissue and the sound stage went completely from wall to wall totally outside of the speakers. In fact, the speakers don't even exist anymore. 

Audiolover ...

I'm really looking forward to your assessment as your new fuse breaks in. As the fat lady said after the standing ovation she got with the first song she sang ... "you ain't heard nuttin' yet!"  :-)
mac48025's avatar
mac48025
613 posts
 
While I tend to be skeptical of many of the audio tweaks, these fuses sound too good, too relatively inexpensive and too easy to implement, not to try! Thanks for everyone's input regarding them. I'll order mine soon and pass along the results.

Slightly off topic. I've been told that bypassing the fuse all together is even better sounding than using audiophile fuses. I tried it on an old pre I had sitting around by removing the fuse and soldering a piece of wire in its place. I couldn't hear any difference. Should I have used a copper rod instead of wire?

I feel more comfortable using the SR black fuses on my everyday equipment as its safer.......and quite possibly there's something "magical" the fuse imparts that bypassing doesn't? 

Thanks to to all for sharing your findings with the rest of us.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
"Maybe there is something magical these fuses impart."

I suspect you were probably right the first time, that bypassing the stock fuse with pure copper is better than any fuse, with the caveate that you take care to protect the exposed copper wire from local magnetic fields and RFI/EMI and vibration. And that the copper wire is inserted in the correct orientation.
p59teitel
288 posts
 
"I guess the next place would be the source, and pull the furutechs, because I'm sure the blacks would mop the floor with them and would be a better sonic upgrade from going from red to black in the preamp... "

I replaced Furutechs in my CDP and pre-amp with the Blacks.  The Furutechs were indeed an improvement over the stock fuses and served me well for a few years.  But the Blacks are in another league. 
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,483 posts
 
Gbmcleod, I read your post,  one thing stood out, I could not figure out if you preferred the furutech gtx-rhodium outlet's better than the rest of the compilation of wpo’s-wall power  outlet's? 
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