We Need A Separate Forum for Fuses


LOL, I'll bet I gotcha on that Title! ;)  BTW, I put this thread under "Tech Talk" category as it involves the system physically, not tangentially. 

More seriously, two question survey:

1. Do you think designer fuses are A) a Gift to audiophiles, or B) Snake Oil 

2. Have you ever tried them?  Yes or No

In the tradition of such questions on Agon, I'll weigh in as we go along... 
Feel free to discuss and rant all you wish, but I would like to see clear answers to the questions. :) 
douglas_schroeder
As I've already said, I've swapped out three different fuses and they all sound better one way than another and when replacing one set of fuses, I put them in the wrong way and it was immediately apparent. 

Once you orient the fuses by placing them so that they read the same as the print on the PCB, or the other way (using the orientation as reference), it isn't due to chance reinsertion. It's the orientation of the fuse. If you're saying that it's due to reinsertion, then why does it consistently sound better one way than the other?

Also, tell me how the contacts of the holder change when inserting something circular. 

All the best,
Nonoise
So does an 18 gauge cable sound better than a 10 gauge cable? 
Does any fuse sound as good as no fuse? 
If no fuse truly sounds better, why can't fuses sound differently? 
I've never had the heart to purchase any crazy expensive fuses, but I have twice purchased cheap designer fuses on Fleabay. 
They are called Aucharm..... They were not a different world over stock fuses, but you could hear them.  Still don't have the guts to buy mega buck fuses, but I can say that fuses can make some sort of difference, for me not huge, but these fuses were like $4 or so. 
 
mapman
One indisputable fact for sure is you change a fuse and you also change the connection. No way to get around that one! Everyone knows connections do matter. Right? How do you get around that one in order to be sure its the fuse and not just the connection changing the sound?

By careful testing.

mapman
If you treat a regular fuse with contact enhancing gunk does that make it a fancy fuse? Inquiring minds want to know!

Sure, why not? 

mapman
What if the properties of the gunk changes with age (like most of us and not usually for the better) and the connection gets worse over time not better? is there some high end gunk remover for that?

What if it doesn’t change? What if electrons get old and cranky?
@timlub 
Thanks for thinking it through and taking the $4 challenge. 👍

Not too dear a price to see for oneself if there is something to all
of this. It opens minds as well as doors. I just wish more were 
willing to try instead of decry. 

Don't take it personally if you're deluged with demands for double
blind testing or that you're delusional or suffer from expectation bias.
For some, that $4 could have gotten a subscription to Skeptics Weekly.
😄

All the best,
Nonoise
@nonoise 

I have now purchased these a few times and @douglas_schroeder  I did measure directional resistance before putting them in, not sure that direction matters, but I figured "why not"..  
Tim