fuses - the $39 ones or the 85 cent ones

I have removed/bypassed fuses in speakers, but never in a A/C powered component. Especially if you leave them on... failure.. goodbye home. A fire is a very nasty thing to come home to.
Though a better fuse holder would also do a lot more... as most are dollar store level of build.

the fuses come from the same planet the magic copper comes from

If you can percieve an improvement, of say about 45 X that of the .85 cent ones, then the $39.00 fuses might be worth it.

(Assuming) the fuse isn't in the signalpath, and if it's the correct rating as specified by the OEM, then the equipment sees the same power quality as with any other fuse of the same rating. Sonic differences you hear are the result of otological axons in your brain losing their myelin insulation (due to age, stress, diet, genetics, etc) and lying too close to other axons carrying intense signals of unrealized desire to the hypothalmus (wishful thinking.)

". . . .and the Doctor said, 'them crazy dreams are only in your head!'"
-- B. Dylan
.

If anyone needs the 250 MA or 160 MA fuses we use in Music Reference amps we have them at $3 each or $25 for 10. They are sand filled in ceramic tubes made to our specification. The sand helps in two ways: It moderates the temperature as the current in the tube varies with the music and it fills the void when the fuse wire vaporizes as it usually does when 450 volts is applied across a short. The ceramic tube is more rugged than glass and will not shatter under the stress of vapor pressure.

BTW I agree that $39 fuses are a temptation that caters to those who believe commensurate amounts must be spent in each part of the system. Of course $39 is nothing to a listener who has spent $50,000 on a system or even a single component, but who is to decide what is commensurate. Does that mean we should replace all parts with ones that cost 10 times as much and expect the amp to sound 10 times better? Is this or that ludicrous part bought for "bragging rights"?

I have examined many amplifiers by many makers and when I look into the more expensive ones I often ask "Where's the money, I don't see XX,XXX dollars here"

There was a show on History Channel where an engineer was interviewed about structures. He stated and I agree "Anyone can over-build something but a good engineer gets the best results with the least materials". That's what engineering is about though I don't see much of it in the audio products these days.

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