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
theaudiotweak
1,793 posts
 
You dont know. Some things in your room do travel faster than the sound barrier. Just need to know their identity and how to deal with them..Tom
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rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Dear @oregonpapa : As many of us years ago I learned and understand that the best capacitor or resistor is: no capacitor/no resistor at all, only the best type of these items where is need it.

Two years ago and after I installed separate power line regulators/surge protectors/noise reduction items in my system came to my mind that maybe the best fuse is not-fuse at all.

I have to say that I used almost every new kid in the block but the blues. So I took action and due that I had KCAG silver Kimber Kable I decided to eliminate every single input fuse and fuse's holders from my whole electronics including subwoofers and use the KK cable. All my electronics are SS.

I decided to do it thinking that if  the power line now is fully regulated and bullet proff with surge protrectors then the item input fuses are just out of the " equation ", we don't need it any more.

Differences with out any single input fuses ( it does not matters which ones we have installed. ) is nigth and day. 
You just can live with out this kind of set up. It's a no return-road.

Any one can do this and we can have a quality level improvement that no " Diamond SR " fuse can outperforms. Just try it and compare vs your blues. It could be a learning audio task.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.



geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 

theaudiotweak
You dont know. Some things in your room do travel faster than the sound barrier. Just need to know their identity and how to deal with them..Tom

>>>>Uh, Tom, you forgot the smiley face.

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
4,382 posts
 
@rauliruegas 
I think you just hit the proverbial nail on the head. If someone has, let's say, whole house surge protection (i.e. at the fuse box) then it would negate the need for fuses, period. The same would go for anyone with surge protection for their components. Others here have done that already and like you, sing the praises of going fuse free.

An audio dealer who I live nearby told me a similar thing when I told him the benefits I got with aftermarket fuses: use a copper bar or just pullout the fuse holders and solder it up with wire and I'd be floored with what I hear.  And, that I"d never go back.

You wouldn't need a double blind, AB/X test. Just one system with fuses and another identical system without and then watch for the furrowed brows and angry retorts. 

All the best,
Nonoise
auxinput
1,538 posts
 

Well, I can understand that no fuse is better than fuse.  However, you are potentially setting yourself up for failure.  I'm sure you know that removing the fuse and hard-wiring will VOID any sort of manufacture warranty that you have.  The other thing you don't realize is that the fuse is meant to blow when the unit pulls more A/C current than is expected.  This can happen when you have huge inrush of current to the transformer.  However, it can also happen when there is a short somewhere in the circuit.  If the short causes significantly more current to be pulled in than expected, it can actually fry multiple elements in your circuit.  An example would be a preamp/DAC device that should not have a fuse higher than 1-2 amps.  If you remove the fuse and something shorts, you can cause more problems than just the shorted area.  Resistors blow, electrolytic caps blown, op amps, etc. etc. 

I have no doubt that it sounds better, but the risk is yours to take if you wish.  Not saying that your equipment will be fried by an uncommon short or circuit failure.  It's that 0.02% chance that something MIGHT happen.

Up to you.

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