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The new Synergistic Research BLUE fuses ....

New SR BLUE fuse thread ...

I’ve replaced all 5 of the SR BLACK fuses in my system with the new SR BLUE fuses. Cold, out of the box, the BLUE fuses stomped the fully broken-in SR BLACKS in a big way. As good as the SR BLACK fuses were/are, especially in comparison with the SR RED fuses, SR has found another break-through in fuses.

1. Musicality ... The system is totally seamless at this point. Its as if there is no system in the room, only a wall to wall, front to back and floor to ceiling music presentation with true to life tonality from the various instruments.

2. Extension ... I’ve seemed to gain about an octave in low bass response. This has the effect of putting more meat on the bones of the instruments. Highs are very extended, breathing new life into my magic percussion recordings. Vibes, chimes, bells, and triangles positioned in the rear of the orchestra all have improved. I’ve experienced no roll-off of the highs what so ever with the new BLUE fuses. Just a more relaxed natural presentation.

3. Dynamics ... This is a huge improvement over the BLACK fuses. Piano and vibes fans ... this is fantastic.

I have a Japanese audiophile CD of Flamenco music ... the foot stomps on the stage, the hand clapping and the castanets are present like never before. Want to hear natural sounding castanets? Get the BLUE fuses.

4. Mid range ... Ha! Put on your favorite Ben Webster album ... and a pair of adult diapers. Play Chris Connor singing "All About Ronnie," its to die for.

Quick .... someone here HAS to buy this double album. Its a bargain at this price. Audiophile sound, excellent performance by the one and only Chris Connor. Yes, its mono ... but so what? Its so good you won’t miss the stereo effects. If you’re the lucky person who scores this album, please post your results here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRASONIC-CLEAN-The-Finest-Of-CHRIS-CONNOR-Bethlehem-Jazz-1975-NM-UNPLAYED-...

Overall impressions:

Where the RED fuses took about 20 hours to sound their best, and the BLACK fuses took upwards of 200 hours of total break-in, the BLUE fuses sounded really good right out of the box ... and that’s without doing anything about proper directional positioning. Not that the BLUE fuses don’t need breaking in, they do. The improvement continues through week three. Its a gradual break-in thing where each listening session is better than the last.

Everything I described above continues to break new ground in my system as the fuses continue breaking in. Quite honestly, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the system in order to get things done. Its truly been transformed into a magical music machine. With the expenditure of $150.00 and a 30 day return policy there’s really nothing to lose. In my system, its like upgrading to a better pre amp, amp, CD player or phono stage. Highly recommended.

Kudos to Ted Denney and the entire staff at SR. Amazing stuff, guys. :-)

Frank

PS: If you try the SR BLUE fuses, please post your results here. Seems the naysayers, the Debbie Downers and Negative Nellie’s have hijacked the original RED fuse thread. A pox on their houses and their Pioneer receivers.

Frank



128x128oregonpapa
slowikpl
14 posts
 
@tattooedtrackman ........ Please do share your experience here. Thanks!
fleschler
766 posts
 
I've previously noted that a test that I used in two audio systems for directionality.  If the sound you hear is out of phase, not focused and somewhat bright compared to a more focused, solid and warmer sound, stick with the latter for directionality.  The SR Blue fuse sounded great right away while the SR Black took 72 long hours to achieve it's great sound.  I'm so happy to pay only $20 more for a ready to use fuse.  
tattooedtrackman's avatar
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tattooedtrackman
343 posts
 
@slowikpl ......... I am getting my new Blue fuse in the mail tomorrow. I will try it both ways for a few days and get back with my findings. 
tattooedtrackman's avatar
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tattooedtrackman
343 posts
 
@slowikpl ........ And everyone else . I got my new Blue fuse in the mail today and i was very anxious to hear it. But first i wanted to listen to the stock ARC fuse in my Ref 6 before i installed the Blue. I put on a few cds with my volume on 24. I then changed the stock fuse with the Blue , put the same cds on and the same volume. The difference was dramatic. Much more detailed and improved frequency especially in the mid-range and high frequencies and wider soundstage . I am very impressed with the Blue fuse. I am very certain that out of all my tweeks this is the very best ive heard. And for the price its a no brainer. As much as i love the the ARC Ref 6 with the stock fuse i love it even more now !!! Hearing is TRULY believing. I am no longer a skeptic..............Now as far as directional the brochure says......Yes fuses are directional. Electricity should flow from the left to the right when you view the fuse { from the S to the R } If you do not know the direction of flow, you should listen to the fuse in both directions. One direction will sound more detailed. This is the correct way. ..........Now i also tried the Blue fuse both ways and to me the sound was more detailed with the letters S R on the fuse facing out of the fuse cap and going into the preamp. ...........  It also says ,Q, Do fuses have a burn in period? A, Yes most products have a settling in period. The first 200-300 hrs are the most crucial. Also says, What to expect during the Burn - In process: Black fuses can shift negative to positive with dramatic swings in the first 200-300 hrs of burn in while Blue fuses tend to outperform fully broken in Black fuses, in most performance areas, straight out of the box. With Blue fuses expect a less volatile burn in occurring during the first 200-300 hours . During this time you should experience a balancing of the soundstage with improved frequency linearity especially in the mid-range and high- frequencies.  
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oregonpapa OP
2,850 posts
 
tattooedtrackman ... 

Nice report. Thanks for taking the time to write it. 

For $150 its hard to see where you could go wrong with this simple fuse change. While its good right out of the box, it will continue to improve over the next 100 hours or so. 

Frank
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