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75.3.4.202
I had been eyeballing these for a while, but had not gotten around to trying them...was skeptical as well...just hype? fluff? Was torn also between Isoclean or Hifi...ultimately went with Hifi on a recomendation from manuf.If this is all old news...sorry about that.
So, I replaced the one fuse in pre-amp (AI Modulus 3A) and noticed a definate improvement...maybe 5% increase in dynamics and resolution. But this was encouraging enough to get me wondering about the possible effects (cumulative?) in replacing the fuses in my amp (McCormack DNA .5 Rev A w/torroid).
Woah...yup. Improvement in dynamics/resolution was very noticeable...felt the need to reposition my speakers after this...
So...just wanted to put a check mark in the 'positive and audible improvement' column for these...IMHO.
Did I A/B them against regular brand new fuses...no.
Did I A/B them against Isoclean...no.
Did I A/B them against just putting contact enhancer on the clips...no.
Did I A/B them against shorting the fuse...no.
So...call me lazy...
Follow Ups:
.. and was very surprised that I had to turn the volume control down to achieve the same level.I would surmise that the fuses are in the signal path to some extent.
Besides the volume level I would say that the silence between players and the background is quieter. Subtle, but in my opinion worth the $90.00
....while I have not tried the "HiFi Tuning" fuses, I am using the cryo'd ceramic body fuses from Cryo parts.I did notice a small improvement in image precision and high end cleanliness BUT it was a small improvement.
I heard bigger gains by replacing the IEC inlet on my Pass Labs Aleph 3 with a cryo'd Furutech unit.
System synergy all boils down the small, ancillary parts and the fuses just took me one step closer.
Let the naysayers say what they will, all one needs to do is make the purchase and decide for oneself :-)
Cheers,
I'm sorry for contributing to it.
Every time this topic comes up it turns to Bahgdad style civil war!
Everybody just go to your own temple and don't go where you don't belong!
I wish that were the focus on these forums. I recognize and appreciate that you are extending an olive branch with this particular posting however.
I don't want to be a jerk about this tweak. It is one tweak that might work well, etc. The silver filament is one reason, as it is much more conductive than the usual tin or copper, The gold plated ends are slightly more conductive than tin also.
I think I've tried most of tweaks that have passed my way since 1972. I could have saved a lot of money had I known that some would not produce the claimed benefits.
I got a degree in EE and many classmates thought I was off the wall when I asked the professors to explain the mechanisms behind some of the tweaks. My senior project was an amplifier clipping detector. So many speakers then suffered blown tweeters. They could not handle any power and Ferrofluid was new in 1977. My project was not understood or well-received. I got an A for that one though. But being an audiophile in a class full of computer hackers was not fun!
I feel that I have to counter at least of the dubious claims made by the so-called snake oil salesmen. I hate seeing young people get taken. I can understand it, however. Components cost a lot now and so many people who cannot afford new gear look for sonic improvements from budget tweaks.
Science can explain a lot, but not everything is explainable by science. That's why I always say:If you can hear it, it's real
Tom
...as expressed in this post. I certainly don't mind dissenting opinions. What I personally want from the Asylum is for people to state what their results are, as they perceive them, and allow me to explore, if I so desire, for myself whether or not there is a potential benefit to be found.From the aspect of self-interest, I am shortchanged if there is less exploration done by others as the result of doubt created by naysayer views. Now if the naysayer is speaking from personal experience, that information simply enters the record and is judged for what it is worth. IOW, if the naysayer has a chip on their shoulder I would discount their testimony to a large degree. Of course, if there is no suspected bias, their testimony would be viewed as being as valid as the next guys. The yeahsayer opinion would also be judged critically if their recommendations haven't panned out in the past, etc. All in all, it saves a lot of legwork having other peoples experiences serve as a starting point.
Well, enough with the pontification regarding my preferences. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
I'm not even catching the grammatical errors when I proof read them. It's like my brain is not connecting with my hands.
nt
After all, I've spent 34 years trying to achieve what you did with a simple cartridge swap!
For 30 bucks you had to hear something and you did.
We mere listeners, are happier when expensive stuff turns out *not* to be good. Also we've usually made arrangements for a return.Can't see why folks persist is stating the opposite of the truth.
to the thousands of dollars I've spent on component "upgrades" which yielded no sonic improvements at all.
I guess that means I'm a bigger sucker!?
Thanks for pointing out my mistake. Geez I can't even write with this neoropathy!
Observant fella that cha are, eh?So, I'm not surprised you haven't gotten it right after 34 years of trying...
"I've tried nothin' and I'm all out of ideas..."
Boo...hoo
After all, what do I know?
Enjoy!
I already have you pegged...For anyone interested in trying the fuses I thought I would relay my experience...because that's the intent of the forum, no?
I had a positive experience...and was open to whether or not they would make a difference...it wasn't one of those strain to hear it kind of differences...but an appreciable one.
Sonic Nirvana? No. I'm not saying that...but they most certainly had a positive effect.
If you don't think it can work...don't think it could work...make any kind of difference...whatever...I don't care...what...like I have to spend a lot of time convincing you...no...I don't have a lot of ego invested in it...
But it would have been nice that instead of making a shitty comment off hand you could have actually discussed the merits of it...or not said anything...but whatever...all cables sound the same...all amps sound the same...power cords don't make any difference...yadda...yadda...yadda...we're all deluded fools and our systems sound no different...OK...gotcha...Thanks.
You have to install them in the stock fuse-holders which are made of the same or worse crappy metal as are stock fuses themselves. So would this not run the risk of negating or at least minimizing any possible benefits related to the fancy fuse? (I don't really know the answer, just posing the question.) So these remarks should bring on the advent of $100-copper/silver/gold fuse-holders. I can hardly wait to try them.
... that I decided to give the (too) high priced fuses a try. Bought a pair for my SET monoblocks and was really surprised. Not "night and day" certainly, but not all that subtle either, in my system at least. Ended up with three more of the things. They work, Nightdoggy. Sorry about that.
It's because I already know that Walker SST smeared on each end of the fuses that serve the output tube power supply in my amps makes an audible positive difference that I too am intrigued by both the fuses and fuseholders made by Acme (see someone else's post here). But each monoblock has 6 individually fused output tubes, so I would need a total of 12 fuses @$30 each plus 12 fuseholders @ $5 each. (Total = $420!) This fact gives me pause. Oh, and also now and then one or another of these fuses will tend to blow. The result is harmless to amp and speaker but also makes me not want to invest in expensive fuses.
Didn't mention it earlier because I didn't want Nightdoggy to blow an aneurism. I use it on the HiFi Tuning fuses as well.I totally agree, BTW, that spending $460 on fuses and fuseholders is a bit much. These things ARE overpriced, IMO.
BTW, the fuses in my amps of which I speak ARE directly in the signal path (we're not talking about a fuse that sits on the primary side of the power transformer), so it's no surprise at all that the quality of the conductors of which they are constructed could affect the sonics.
But the good news is they are only about $5 a pop...However, it is silver plated...not seven nines...I'm waiting on that one too...ha ha...
which is another reason why I might be wrong. But never mind physics as the snake oil pundits preach. Some things cannot be explained by physics. I love that one.
In the past I have done without fuses altogether. After determining that the component I'm de-fusing is reliable, I replaced the fuses with cut aluminum (5mm) and copper (1/4 inch) tubing I bought at a hobby shop. I'm almost certain I heard better dynamics and transient attack from the lowered "ESR". But maybe I'm wrong. Who the hell knows?
As a snake oil vigilante, I feel that it is my obligation to give back and fight the snake oil onslaught. Tweaks are sometimes good and sometimes bad. I hate to see people ripped off by useless tweaks. I'll fight this fight forever because I was once young and believed that if it was being sold, it must be true. I'll fight this fight until the day I die.
As for the fuse tweak I can only say an audible improvement is impossible imo. Physicists correct me if I'm wrong.
And I can respect your opinion.But what I'm saying is that I heard a difference.
You say - well, you spent money on it and expected to hear a difference so...there.
OK.
But rejecting something just because it doesn't fit in with your world view...being that science can explain everything I am supposing...is just demagoguery of another stripe.
So, whether you see yourself as the avenger of useless tweaks...OK...that's cool if that's your bag...but around here it's kinda like handling out speeding tickets at the Indy 500...you're gonna be real busy my friend.
And I agree to a certain extent. I don't think some tweaks would or could work. Really. I'm not out to convert people and move into a compound somewhere with a big stockpile of green pens and make people color in the edges of CD's all day...
There are some tweaks I just won't try...there are some tweaks I have tried and they didn't really have a discernable effect...but I was curious about these fuses. I tried. I liked.
I put it in my list of 'Yup. That worked.'
So, shorting a fuse...you thought you heard an effect. But replacing a fuse with one of another type/design could not have an effect...because it's impossible. OK.
Great anchor components and judicious use of good tweaks. I wish I was still as opened minded as you are.
What happened to me is that I became jaded. After riding the new, "better" component wave throughout the 70's and 80's I started to think that everything sounded enough alike to not even bother. I was spending a fortune and rarely heard a big enough difference to justify the expense and keep going.
Three things snapped me into focus and back on track. Maggies, a Sutherland phono pre and some moving coil cartridges. Finally a difference I could hear!
Now I'm playing records all (I'm disabled) day and loving every minute of it.
Find your own course and don't let idiots like me ruin your fun. Music is the main thing but the equipment can and should be fun too.
No slouch yourself there chief!And it took a lot of class for you to say that. I appreciate it.
I wish I had a better vinyl rig...some day...some day...I've been coveting a Thorens BTW...
No worries. I don't take all this personally...and I mean that.
For me, it's fun...it's a hobby that I enjoy. Most folks that are not into it think I am crazy anyway...
I think there def is a price point where the price is the point! God forbid I should ever end up with that mentality...
And I can't say I blame you for your feelings regarding the state of audio today...it's a crowded field competing for a limited customer base...the ones who make good components at good prices should be rewarded. But, sadly, it doesn't always work out that way.
I tend to try to keep an open mind...not so open I lose all my sense! But I try to keep my expectations in check and see if something is worthwhile to me...
Regards!
No call you a sucker with less money.
You're not going to last very long on this forum with your constant trolling. It would be nice sometimes if you could contribute something to any thread other than pure negativity. I pity your ignorance.
trying to say...
No you idiot. In your last phrase you said to call you lazy. I said to call you a sucker. Because thats what you were. You hear a change yet didnt A/B against anything, and these little bundles of sonic joy you bought changed all the laws of physics, man why dont we all buy some.
You lazy laws of physics no magic sucker snake oil man.
"No call you..." I thought you were saying "I wouldn't call you..." Because that's really what you said...instead of what I think you were trying to say...It's OK. You'll get the hang of it.
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