Hi. I know this topic asks about Hifi tuning fuses in Bryston amps. Glad to see someone comment on Furutech fuses. SoundGame reminded me about a review I sent the Furutech agent after I had fitted Furutech fuses to some of my components. So I will add my bit on fuses. I wrote that review as I was asked what my findings were on the upgraded fuses. After writing this review I bought more Bryston gear (the BDP-1 and a BDA-1) where I changed the fuses in those components too after doing some A-B-A comparisons. As finance allowed I did change EVERY fuse in the system. The upgraded fuses did make a positive difference in my listening environment. Here is the review I wrote:
"Hello Jeandre!
Here it is! "My" Feature Article: Furutech Fuse Review.
My listening room is 5.3m (L) x 3.30m (w) x 2.80m (H). The room is carpeted and furnished with a 3 seater couch that sits centred 1.10m from the rear wall, and there is a heavy wooden coffee table a short distance in front of the couch. The entire width of the rear wall is a cd rack that is 2.0m high. The wall behind the hi-fi cabinet is curtained, and the side walls have large picture frames mounted on them. The Paradigm S8 floorstanding front speakers are positioned either side and in front of the hi-fi cabinet and are positioned 1,40m off the front wall, and 0.5m off the side wall. Speaker toe in is aimed at my shoulders when seated in the centre seat of the couch.These speakers,with upgraded internal wiring, are bi-amped via an Anthem P5 power amplifier. The source of the music is via a Wadia transport and Wadia DAC, and this signal is sent to a Mark Levinson 38S pre-amp. All interconnects and speaker wire are of silver construction. Clean, regulated electrical power is supplied from a dedicated A/C circuit with upgraded 4mm 3 core shielded wiring to an active voltage regulator which feeds the power condition, which then distributes power to the various stereo and A/V components.
I initially entered the hi-fi scene as a cable/wire sceptic. Wire is wire. All wire is the same. Having an open mind I spent much time reading and in discussion before I got some hands on comparisions with various speaker wires and interconnects. As the quality of the wiring used improved I learned that good wiring does less damage in the signal path, and this was good, as the music became more enjoyable and "believeable". Alas the story of diminishing returns is very real, so I only upgraded to a realistic value for money price point. It does not take much to realise that a cable upgrade was often cheaper than a component upgrade, and this better quality cable can reveal more of your sound systems potential, reducing the need for a better component. Over time my system grew without breaking the bank or having to trade components.
As my experiences with various cables developed I got to thinking about fuses. Whether you have a megabuck sound sytem or one that is just enough to break the silence around you, all these sound systems have one thing in common. They all have cheap nasty fuses. I appreciate that every component must be built within a certain price point, but that little glass fuse that costs between fifty cents and two rand could be a component choker. After much research, the popular opinion is that fuses do not and cannot make a difference. Most of the writers of these negative comments had never tested fuses themselves. A small handful of positive reviews were found - by people who had tried upgraded fuses themselves. I approached various high end hi-fi dealers in town in a quest to buy a few. Some of the hi-fi dealers who have become friends over time teased me that I must be bored - I should just buy a better replacement component - or I get too carried away with ecking out every ounce of preformance my system has to offer. "Why not!" I would joke, "Surely a system is the sum of all its parts. Why not make small affordable upgrades that can release any hidden potential within the hi-fi components!?" I figured the worst case scenario would be that I would have a handful of brand new but pricey fuses. I contacted Jeandre Botha of AV Cables, the man responsible for distributing Furutech goodies across the land, and shortly thereafter I recieved five shiny silver and blue Furutech rodium plated fuses. Knowing that my fellow hi-fi enthusiast friends were waiting to throw pie in my face I gave the fuses a quiet audition before allowing them to visit for some A-B-A comparisions. Wow. Yes just that one word. Wow. That little fuse did THAT to my beloved system. (Actually the transport takes 3 fuses). Not to be fooled, as some people listen to the price tag or the dent in their wallets, I had a friend, Shani Kleyn, visit and she rapidly swapped fuses while I sat blindfolded in my seat. Every time the Furutech fuses were fitted into the cd transport I immediately heard a positive difference. After repeated A-B-A comparisons Shani stated that the music was smoother, clearer and easier to listen to with the Furutech fuses compared to the stock fuses. I had to agree as she was quite right. I then replaced the 2 fuses in the pre-amp, and again an improvement was heard. We were unable to decide which of the two components benefitted most from the fuse upgrade.
Knowing that my purchase was no financial loss I smugly (as I knew my face would be pie free) invited my hi-fi friends over. "Bring your favourite music along" I instructed. They arrived. The cd transport housing and internal shields were removed to allow speedy access to the fuses. The exposed transport was hidden behind a make shift cloth shroud so that the internals could not be seen by straying eyes. The music sytem was switched on whilst fresh coffee beans were ground and brewed. More jokes were made about the fuses, but these listening sessions have always been fun so I wasn't preturbed. Our systems had all grown and evolved through these test sessions. None of the listeners here are fans of loud music. The 38S volume range is from 0 to 90. 40 was selected as being the accepted listening volume. The listening process started. Jack Johnson, Michael Buble, Diana Krall, Sting, Four Play, Keb Mo, Katie Melua, Norah Jones and Sara K all took turns to audition themselves. The A-B-A process was regularly repeated. The original system (cd transport with stock fuses) had a really enjoyable foot tapping character. When the 3 Furutech fuses were inserted the change in sound quality was immediate. Jack Johnson sounded more easy going. Michael Buble does a duet with Nelly Furtado (Quando Quando) - she lost that nasal tone she previously had. In the song "Home" by Michael Buble, the emotion of the song had a greater presence. Diana Krall and Norah Jones' piano must have had a polish as the sound of this instrument was more alive. Keb Mo's tapping of his leather shoes in the studio floor was sharper, the cello played by One Republic in "The Secret" was more haunting and emotional. The typical tobacco smoking burbin drinking roughness in Sara K's voice was more distinctive. All listeners agreed - music coming from the silent background was clearer, more revealing, unveiled and certainly more present with the Furutech fuses. It was only after the testing that the listeners got to see any of the fuses. Every time the Furutech fuses were clippped in place the audience reported an improvement. In an attempt to dupe the listeners I unclipped the stock fuses, fumbled behind the shroud and clipped the stock fuses back in place. The agreed response - "No Change". No hiding that the Furutech fuses are superior. Both Garth Roberts and Shani Kleyn commented that as good as the stock system is, with the Furutech fuses the system lost its graininess and was less fatiguing. Eddie Kotze in his immitation lisp way of speaking commented that the music was more "fresh and crithpy". Sean Black and Quintin Benson commented the sound was clearer and more open.
So in months to come every fuse in the system including the TV and the A/V system will be replaced. After that... I am going to explore the world of upgraded power plugs. As I sit here typing this I am grinning from ear to ear. Unlike "The king and his new cloths story" I am satisfied that the cost of the fuses was money well spent. The Furutech fuses are certainly an affordable and worthwhile investment."
I am happy with the Furutechs. Since that article I was told to try HiFi Tuning fuses for comparitive purposes. Cant afford to buy fuses just for the sake of "comparisons". The Furutechs have been fitted toward the end of last year. Haven't had a single issue yet.
I always say: Believe your ears. Not your scientific calculators. Not your wallets.
