Direction of aftermarket fuses (only for believers!)


It is with reluctance that I start another thread on this topic with the ONLY GOAL for believers to share their experience about aftermarket fuses.
To others: you can call us snobs, emperors w/o clothes,... etc but I hope you refrain posting just your opinion here. If you did not hear any difference, great, maybe there isn’t.

The main driver for this new post is that I am starting a project to mod my NAD M25 7 ch amp for my home theater. It has 19 fuses (2 per channel, 4 on the power supply board, 1 main AC) and I will try a mix of AMR Gold, SR Black and Audio Magic Platinum (anyway that is the plan, I may try out some other brands/models). As it is reasonably difficult to change them, esp the ones on each channel module that requires complete disassembly, I would like to know what the direction is for these models mentioned and of course, others who HAVE HEARD there is a difference please share your experience on any fuse model you have tried.

Fuses are IME directional:
Isoclean is one of the first to indicate the direction (2008/2009) on their fuses. Users of HiFi Tuning (when the awareness rose quite a bit amongst audiophiles) have mostly heard the difference.

As an IEEE engineer, I was highly skeptical of cabling decades ago (I like the speaker design of John Dunlavy but he said on many occasions that cables nor footers matter at all, WRONG!). Luckily, my curiosity proved me wrong as well. I see the same skepticism that I and many others had about the need for aftermarket cables many, many years ago now on fuses and esp on the direction on fuses.

Another example is the direction of capacitors (I do not mean electrolytic types). Even some manufacturers now and certainly many in the past did not believe it can make a difference sonically. Maybe some do but it takes time in the assembly to sort and put them in the right direction/order (esp as some of the cap manufacturers still do not indicate "polarity") so that maybe is one argument why this is not universally implemented.








jazzonthehudson
The HiFi Tuning fuse measurements that are provided in data sheets on their website were obtained by an independent third party tester.

For Fuse directionality?

If it would not be too much of an inconvenience could you produce a web link of the test from the actual independent testing laboratory. Please include certification of the testing lab.


Again for all others reading this thread I do not dispute whether fuses are directional or not. I personally have not experimented for myself. I do respect the findings of others that have. Until proven otherwise I take the word of those that say fuses are directional.

The question posed to geoffkait is to produce actually proof that a fuse is directional. So far he has not.

jea48
2,074 posts
05-25-2016 2:18pm
Geoffkait: The HiFi Tuning fuse measurements that are provided in data sheets on their website were obtained by an independent third party tester.

to which Jea48 responded,

"For Fuse directionality?"

For fuse directionality and other stuff. Even fuse directionality for AC circuits.

jea48 then asked,

"If it would not be too much of an inconvenience could you produce a web link of the test from the actual independent testing laboratory. Please include certification of the testing lab."

What about this? What about that? What about this? I’ve posted the link a bunch, so has Al. Try the search function. I don’t like to judge these things too harshly but it appears a little due diligence on your end might be advantageous.

jea48 then wrote,

"Again for all others reading this thread I do not dispute whether fuses are directional or not. I personally have not experimented for myself. I do respect the findings of others that have. Until proven otherwise I take the word of those that say fuses are directional."

That is very accommodating of you.

Then jea48 has the nerve to make the comment,

"The question posed to geoffkait is to produce actually proof that a fuse is directional. So far he has not."

So, you believe what everyone says about directionality of fuses without proof. But you hold my feet to the fire? I’m afraid that’s not logical. Don’t you know it’s not proper protocol to demand proof. Besides, I gave up trying to convince die hard skeptics a long time ago.

cheers
Geoffkait:I read your last post. I read your last two posts. Did I err? Did I misinterpret something?

to which Atmasphere replied,

"As far as I can tell, you misinterpret on purpose. That makes it hard to have a conversation. Example:

Geoffkait: Or maybe you’re insinuating that any person who doesn’t get the results you’re looking for isn’t honest and careful, it’s hard to tell."

Unfortunately the example you provided has nothing to do with what we’re actually talking about, which is YOUR last two posts and if I had misinterpreted something you said. You have deftly avoided answering my question, instead deciding for some bizarre reason to quote my response to Al on a an entirely different issue. In any case, just to set the record straight, UL is not a requirement or a directive, it’s a guideline or standard. In other words, there is nothing preventing an audiophile from using non UL listed fuses. Audiophiles are not directed or required to use UL listed fuses. In the Government, for example, if the Government specifies that a certain standard is required by the contractor then the standard is required.  Otherwise the particular standard is NOT required. End of story. 

Then Atmasphere opined,

"Al does not insinuate. You are one of the very few I have ever seen to attack Al, who IMO and that of many others is an important asset to this site. You might consider ratcheting down the rhetoric."

The insinuation that tests that don’t get the "right" results are not honest or careful is rhetoric. His rhetoric. I’ve already pointed out that a scientifically correct test would eliminate the fuse holder altogether. I don’t see any reasonable refutation of that approach from either you or Al on that point, just a lot of who shot John.

cheers

geoffkait,

You can’t even provide proof of any credible third party test that fuse directionality is audible.