[Monkeypaw57]

do aftermarket audiophile fuses really make s difference

[toocool4]

Yes, but don't spend too much as that money maybe better off spent elsewhere.

[nature boy]

Vera-Fi Swiss Digital Fuse boxes are a much better alternative IMHO. Transformational in most systems.

NB

[rollo]

Yes. However maybe not to your liking sound wise. Purchase with money back option. Try and find out.


charles

[timind]

I couldn't hear any difference the one time I tried them. System was Benchmark DAC3 HGC, Benchmark AHB-2 amp, Benchmark HPA-4 pre, and Joseph Audio Pulsar 2 Graphene speakers. I mention the system because someone always says system may not be resolving enough. Just another opinion from someone who tried them.

[Photon46]

Hmm, always reluctant to answer these sort of questions asking for absolutist yes or no answers. They usually just devolve into people talking past each other. Now that I've got that off my chest, my answer is "it depends." I've recently tried ACME silver cryo, Hi-fi Tuning Gold and Silver Ultimates, and Synergistic Research Purple fuses They've gone into a DeHavilland UltraVerve preamp, Modwright KW99 mono amps, a DecWare Zen Torii amp, and Auralic G2.2 and C2.1 streamers. Their effects varied from very obviously positive (HiFi Tuning Silver Ultimate in Modwright amps,) to a bit of an improvement (Synergistic Purple in the DeHavilland and the ACME Cryo Silver in the Auralics,) to not so much (Hi-Fi Tuning Gold in the Decware ZenTorii.) I've found they're a bit like audiophile power cords in that their effects can vary from being nearly transformative to "I can barely tell a difference if at all" depending on where they're used. Cost doesn't seem to be a factor in the fuses efficacy either (among the few I've tried.) The $21.75 ACME cryo fuses are a bargain compared to the $200 Synergistic Purple (on sale for $130.)

[nlitworld]

The question on everyone's mind is what gear are you putting this into and what sound traits are you hoping to gain? So far, I've had good luck using the HiFi Tuning Supreme fuses on the tube gear I've tried them in. Not a night and day difference, but an affordable and noticable improvement even on my modestly priced gear. They brought out a little more dynamics and clarity to the sound in my amp, dac and phono stage. Amp made most difference, phono slightly less and dac least. Like others have already said though, let it be the icing on the cake to squeak out the last bits of performance rather than spending real upgrade budget on fuses.

[ric]

As I've said before (IMO) you need two things to be in this hobby, 1) sensitive equipment and 2) sensitive ears. So when anyone asks a "does blank make a difference" question, it depends on the above to answer properly. Another factor is cost. For myself, like gambling, I will not spend more than I can afford to lose, which in my case, $200 for a fuse maybe, $500 for a fuse, no. Because fuses can blow and I would prefer to spend that money on other tweaks.
      I do use Synergistic fuses, but the newest ones are just too pricey for me. If you can return your product if you don't hear any difference, fuses are great because shipping costs (non-refundable) are minimal. To my ears, yes, they make a huge difference and I recommend Synergistic or Tweek Geek's QSA fuses.

[rollo]

I couldn't hear any difference the one time I tried them. System was Benchmark DAC3 HGC, Benchmark AHB-2 amp, Benchmark HPA-4 pre, and Joseph Audio Pulsar 2 Graphene speakers. I mention the system because someone always says system may not be resolving enough. Just another opinion from someone who tried them.

  Doesn't Benchmark use two fuses ? Did you replace both ? Yes Benchmark is quite revealing gear.

charles

[Speedskater]

Oh dear, oh dear.
No audiophile fuses don't make a difference.
Until they blow.
Fuses in an power amplifier's audio output, have just measurable distortion below 20 Hz.

[rotarius]

Acme fuses are coated with "crystal fiber compound".
I am positive it makes a difference, lol. 
But is it better than the dark matter optical treatment? 

[rollo]

  Actually NO fuse sounds best. A  copper sluggo from Vera-Fi fuse as an experiment was used. More open sound. Do we really need that fuse ? I have had transformers melt down, blown 211 tube, and cap fail. Fuse never blew. Then a surge from power Co, nada. Convince me with proof that the power fuse is required or just a UL overkill regulation.


charles

[WGH]

I don't think I ever had a power fuse blow but I'm too cautious to try a sluggo and leave the room or run a quick errand with the electronics left on.

I did have a preamp tube go wild and send an ear splitting noise at full volume into the amp, luckily the Van Alstine amp has speaker fuses which worked as designed. A quick trip to Ace Hardware for a fast blowing fuse along with a tube replacement and everything was working perfectly again with no damage done.

[rollo]

I don't think I ever had a power fuse blow but I'm too cautious to try a sluggo and leave the room or run a quick errand with the electronics left on.

I did have a preamp tube go wild and send an ear splitting noise at full volume into the amp, luckily the Van Alstine amp has speaker fuses which worked as designed. A quick trip to Ace Hardware for a fast blowing fuse along with a tube replacement and everything was working perfectly again with no damage done.

   

Yes the fear factor. I use tubed gear and never leave the House while on. Going rouge with sluggo.

charles

[FullRangeMan]

This is corect, security came first.

[lancruiser_]

 A few issues I have with audiophile fuses (yes, I have tried them). The first is not a fuse fault, most folks have
never paid attention to thier fuses prior to replacement. All connections oxidize, a better than previous connection
(somewhat removing the oxidation layer from the connecting surfaces) has potential for a percieved difference.
One of the fuses I tried was slightly larger in diameter than the 3AG conforming fuse it replaced, again a better
than previous connection. Cleaning the fuse, its connecting holder and also putting more tension on the leaves
made a difference in the original 3AG fuse, it restored it's original performance. The fancy fuses were inaudible when
tested blind and would probably void any manufacturers warranty. There is also a placebo and expectation bias.
 If one thinks these devices are worthy of the price, please indulge yourself. I would rather purchase cool new music,
the reason I have an audio system in the first place. About every 6 months or so, I clean ALL of the connectors in my
system with De-oxit, etc and I recommend it to anyone interested in perserving the original performance of their equipment.
It's cheaper than fuses with a better result, one might preserve or restore the performance of equipment that is lost to oxidation.
 If serious about system improvement, spend the funds on better loudspeakers or room treatment where they make the
most difference. There is no magic here only science.

[rollo]

  Good point about cleaning connection. Experiences vary it appears. At least you tried one. Which one may I ask ? A SR fuse by any chance. Another product to try which betters ANY after market fuse is the Swiss Fusebox. A SS design which does not throttle the incoming AC. One places a Sluggo in fuse position. Either copper, Graphene or silver over copper. That is how I discoverd just using the sluggo. Plug the fuse box in to IEC with a PC then another PC to wall. Highly recommended read the reviews.
  So far years with no fuses just sluggo and zero issues. Chancey ? Some say yes others no, go figure.

charles

[lancruiser_]

Hi Charles,
 
 Several fancy fuses were used; purple, orange, supremes and acme (not the kind the coyote uses). It was a saturday test between folks
who were interested, we used 2 examples of the same amplifier (Benchmark AHB2). One stock, the other the test example. We used a remote
controlled ABX box for amplifier switching, long story short no one could discern a difference. Level matching was set to < .1 db difference.
 Before the comparison some were convinced there would be an audible difference, the fancy fuses came from their respective systems.
We also had an oscilloscope set for inverse nulling of amplifer outputs, nothing to see or hear and it was time to move on. There are devices
that WILL make a discernible difference in the perceived performance of an audio system, fuses not so much. If one changes fuses and perceives
a favorable result no problem here have fun.