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  #31  
Old 12-02-2019, 01:34 PM
IanCG IanCG is offline
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Originally Posted by W9TR View Post
DCS engineers would need to find a measurable improvement in some aspect of the device’s performance to justify the recurring cost increase of using a specially designed fuse. That, and manufacturing/logistics would also have to find a reliable volume supply of these devices, preferably from more than one vendor. Quality assurance would have to define and run the appropriate incoming inspection process to ensure that the devices met specifications and were uniform over different lots, vendors, and time.

This is what engineering companies do.
I couldn't quite work out whether your post was serious or tongue in cheek but it nicely summed up the fuse issue.

I'm based in England and know a bit about DCS's R&D and engineering capability and also their location in the Cambridge technology belt where any manufacturing sub-contracting would be straightforward. So capitalising on the huge differences which these fuses make would be something they would, I am sure, be very keen to deliver.
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  #32  
Old 12-02-2019, 03:21 PM
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The same could be said for vacuum tubes - why doesn’t McIntosh use Gold Lion re-issues when customer preference for these valves is universally positive?
Am sure it comes down to nothing more than cost. They probably get the private-labelled tubes from JJ or EH for <$20/ea. GLs would likely be about twice that. Including replacements (warranty), it could come to a significant number at the end of a year.
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  #33  
Old 12-02-2019, 05:49 PM
IanCG IanCG is offline
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Hifi enthusiasts are absolutely free to chose how to spend additional funds on component alternatives.

When that is in relation to a GL valve (c.$40) versus a stock valve (c.$20) in a Mcintosh amplifier which might retail at $10k, a couple of valves of discretionary spend doubles the valve cost and adds less than 0.5% to the overall component price (though possibly 5% if one uses a retail:component cost ratio of 10:1 which I understand to be common).

When that is in relation to a special fuse at $150 versus a stock fuse at $1 in a DCS player which might retail at $20k, one fuse multiplies the fuse cost by 150! It might not impact the overall component price by anything much different that the valve differential. So if consumers are happy to pay that, fine. it would be interesting to know DCS's views on the issue.
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  #34  
Old 12-02-2019, 07:06 PM
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W9TR W9TR is offline
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Ian - I was totally serious.

What we do as hobbyists with system optimization tweaks is totally disconnected from the reality of audio engineering and manufacturing.

The standard of proof in audio engineering and manufacturing is substantially higher than it is for audio hobbyists who only need to satisfy themselves that the change they made in substituting a valve or a fuse is worth the investment.

I have no doubt that the people substituting SR Blue fuses for bog standard OEM fuses are hearing an improvement.

So to be clear I am not belittling their pursuit of better sound. Far from it.

I know there are things I hear that I don’t understand or can’t measure. It’s part of the fun of the hobby.

I do seek to understand what makes things ‘tick’ and try to separate real improvements from illusory ones.

My other point was about supply chain - for a manufacturer surety of supply is critical, along with the reliability and consistency of the component. That’s what will drive a manufacturer to use a certain part over one that, to some people’s ears, may sound better.
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  #35  
Old 12-03-2019, 01:42 AM
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John49 John49 is offline
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I am still waiting...


I gave up... And now there are Orange fuses!
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  #36  
Old 12-04-2019, 11:25 PM
Parabellum Parabellum is offline
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I was able to find 3 Blue fuses on the used market with the right ratings for my amplifier so I jumped on this opportunity to tweak it a bit more. I installed them on the power supply board of my Yamaha CA-1000. Synergistic's logo pointing from left to right is the directionality of the fuse, so I installed them in the direction of the fuse rating markings on the board. I did so because the last fuse I installed on the amp board I noticed that it sounded better when in the same direction of the markings. I applied the same logic and so far it does not sound any worst than before so I will leave it as it is for a while. I will let the fuses properly setting in before concluding on the sound improvement.

EDIT:
My tech confirmed to me that these fuses are necessary only for the protection of the relay... No audio. Meh. But, I realize that only 5 out of 8 fuses are actually needed for the audio path. Right now I have 5 blue fuses installed so I may just sell them and get 5 orange instead. Live and learn.

EDIT 2:
I learnt that out of the 3 fuses on the PS board, only 1 is not in the audio path so I removed the Blue and sold it. While the 2 others are not directly in the audio path, they do supply current to the audio boards. Not sure if my mind is tricking me at this point, but I feel the amplifier to sound cleaner with more extended bass. Highs seems to have more sparkles. The difference is not night and day as with my other Blue fuses upgrades but still I like what I hear. They are keepers.
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Last edited by Parabellum; 12-10-2019 at 10:52 PM.
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  #37  
Old 02-05-2020, 12:04 AM
Parabellum Parabellum is offline
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And two more Blue fuses now installed, but this time on the amplifier boards. Only one fuse is missing at the moment but I will order a new one since they are on sale until March 31st.

At first after I installed them, I tried a few of the tunes I listen to when I make changes in my system and I almost always listen for the change in the bass region. The difference was not earth shattering but I could hear a bass more delineated and tighter. But... After listening over a longer period with some other material, I can say that there is a definite improvement in all areas. Soundstage is wider and deeper, more air around the instruments, much less sibilance in vocals along a cleaner presentation. Everything just sound more real and believable. The finer threads of the brush over the cymbals are easier to follow and have so much more definition. And this is still with a not so expensive USB cable from the source to DAC. I just wonder how all this will sound when I received my Kimber KS-2436 Ag USB cable. And then the Orange, is reported to be even better than this! Thumbs up!
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Last edited by Parabellum; 02-05-2020 at 12:06 AM.
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