I will move the M-1 fuse from my router power supply to mk2 to at least get a flavor of how it might sound. It beats paying 260 dollars. Given how mountain top software varies having multiple fuses for Mk2 cold be a bonus. The stock router fuse was on the bright side
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A long burn in of 179 with a Purple has had an opposite result with no brightness or edginess at all. Like most aging audiophiles, I am very annoyed if things are thin, bright, or edgy. I ran a signal all day, for
days, to get there. Maybe reverting to 173 would help.
FWIW, I have M1’s throughout with the exception of MKll and amps, and have Gold Lions in the BHK pre and 600’s. Prior to this move, I had 60’s Amperex tubes in 300’s and Telefunkin in the BHK. The better the gear, I have not felt the need to compensate with warmer fuses or tubes. As @dchang05 has observed,
it’s all in the balance.
I’ve bought all the new PSA toys this year, plus cables and fuses. Fortunately, each piece got me closer to where I thought I should be without intervention.
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I don’t have the MKII yet, but I remember firmware upgrades on the MKI sometimes took hundreds of hours to settle in before sounding right to me. Sometimes the bass would be too prominent, other times it was the top end that seemed too prominent. In the end, every firmware update on the MK1, after settling in, was an improvement over the previous firmware.
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Yeah I hate to go back firmware. So far the longer 179 ran the brighter. The real EQ tweaks of mids and highs never sounds right to me. Normally my DSP only addresses bass. I guess I should try that first, since I did do adjustable bedframe post and sorbothane tweaks of power cords without rerunning bass DSP. My speakers really need larger 650 plus square foot room. My problem was the DS was running perfectly with all the cable and equipment tweaks before MKII and mKII 173 was another big uptick . Expectations that six days with new firmware is it should be melllowing. It just keeps going opposite direction only the bass heavier songs now sound good. I may try dialing back the DS volume to hit the right preamp sweet spot too. I can’t accept bright. I feels too much like ear buds the airlines pass out.
Do you use diffusers, thick rug, and bass traps for the room? If your speakers need bigger room to breathe, then room treatment would be crucial. My listening room is deep with 12-14’ tall sloping ceiling, and I was surprised to find using cheap acoustic foam panel behind speakers helped (only when turning the volume to way above my normal level, the high is sweeter and bass is tighter).
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I have a corner bass trap. Front wall diffusers. Diffuser panel with mid and high frequencies absorbing at first reflection and on rear wall. Bass trap behind and underneath sofa and love seat. Rug with pad.
Plus line arrays 8 feet tall cancels floor and ceiling reflections.
I also use laundry and bath doors to adjust bass suck out.
The conventional treatments have all helped everything but 179. I also have large rock wool stuff canvas art work over 1 inch frames.
The treatments cut down DSP percentages from 45 percent to less than 10 or 15 percent . Room is still lively.
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That sounds like a good room treatment setup and provides the right balance. Well, I am running out of ideas.
I borrowed a set of VooDoo Isopods from the Cable Company to compare with IsoAcoustics Orea, and my own Sorbothane ball-bearing supports under DS MK2. VooDoo has the sweetest high/mid among all. But the difference is smaller than a fuse change. They all make big improvement than stock feet BTW.
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next year, I will buy a MKII and try:
- SR Purple fuse
- two trafos (after measurement against the original power transformer: 100 VA - Shop Toroidy.pl
and then one Toroidy for digital and analogue - of course the Lundahl LL1948
What do you guys think?
For those that might be considering replacing the transformers:
Nominal 120V primary (or 240 if you prefer).
If you are going to use the matching connectors:
Four identical secondaries with the following specs:
No load voltage: 17.1VAC Max
Full load voltage: 14.5VAC Min @ 0.8A
In the DS Mk II both the digital and analog cards use two windings in series so overall you could have just two windings (two on one transformer or one on two transformers) each of which are a max of 34.2VAC with no load and a min of 29VAC with an 0.8A load.
These numbers are fairly hard limits, no more than the max voltage on no load and no less than the minimum voltage when loaded with 0.8A. If they aren’t speced for and followed by your transformer you may cause damage.
If you do the four windings you’ll be able to use them in the TSS as well (it has exactly the same transformer specs.) But in the TSS they are configured differently, older TSS’s used each of the four windings independently for the analog outputs of the analog card, and all four in parallel for the digital supply in the analog box. The digital box used all four windings in parallel. The new analog box design has two (pairs of two in series) in parallel.
So make sure all windings are identical since you don’t really know which will be put in series vs. in parallel.
I should add that the current transformers aren’t cheap and aren’t a compromise.
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Well I have been making great strides so far.
I didn’t change anything with fuse’s yet. I checked toe in fifst. I cut straw to front wall to ensure rear baffle was equidistant. This was to ensure tweeters are firing straight ahead. Found i was off 3/8on right and 1/4 inch on right. That helped but still too hot. I did pick up wider soundstage.
I then placed the reworked Core Power Diamond Xtreme power cord with new silver male plug and fixed the Aluminum and coper foil RF Drain Shield breaks. I swapped it for the same cable on preamp without the new male plug. Bingo I think It sounds right but I am m rerunning my bass DSP. I will listen after that plays out. That is a 10 or 12 microphone placement job then running six separate speaker sweeps. It is usually a half bottle of wine task. But too early for that still.
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While the transformers in the Mk II ate Edcor, the ones in the TSS are Jensen as far as I remember, right?
I was just confused because your post sounds as if the TSS uses the same as the Mk II.
The subject was the AC power transformers, the Mk II and the TSS share the same specs for those.
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Sorry, my fault.
Glad to hear you are making improvements. I adjusted my speakers a little bit when I first listened to MK2 (something I did not remember until you mentioned it in this post). The MK2 at first produced a much fuller sound than DS so that I could widen the soundstage a little. I do not plan to adjust more because the SQ has never been better (Heck! I will and I may be getting something even better. No golfing today).
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I had also found my couch had migrated 3 inches left when inputting position distances to each speaker dust cap of mid drivers to focus position.
Now all the DSP filters are set. I think I have reached peace with 179 Antero finally.
It took a retoe for perfectly straight ahead tweeters. Preamp power cord silver plate over copper on male connector and fix breaks on RF antenna drain shield. moving listening couch 3 inches right, Rerun of roomperfect DSP for bass optimization
The Beeswax Ultimate SHD fuse remains a great MkII selection with my three other M-1 fuses. Everything is imaging perfectly and balance is there. The bass solidity is perfect too
Best of all I now have balance with volume changes that was previously lost.
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Merry Christmas! 
I have a four rib prime rib in the refregirator aged for 10 days. We are doing a lot of prep work for family gathering tomorrow night. I think you have a bigger party than mine and now you can enjoy.
I doubt my guests will hear any difference from my much improved system. 
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Thanks and Merry Christmas to you also! Thinks are much better not chasing nYou reminded me I have been doing a marinate for a week on some steaks.
It is great getting my music back after the mountain top quandary. I am sure many can’t hear differences that we all obsess about. Fractions of an inch speakers and listening set ups, different conductors and fuses. I am just glad I don’t chase tubes in my system.
I am sure I get plenty eyes rolls from my guests as you do.
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Welcome your guests wearing the crown, your majesty King of Tweaks!
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I am just the nutty guy that serves lots of wine and plays incredibly great sounding music. Hopefully your MKII is easier to sort out than mine was after Antero. But everyone’s system has its own twists.
Right now the clarity and balance is pretty jaw droopingly good. I hope I can say know to another M-1 fuse that @waymanchen11 is liking now.
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I have to agree. Maybe GPS locator for the listening chair? Or laser pointers to the legs. It is not the first time. My wife looking for a power outlet is one possible guess. Or the step son doing airborne launches to the couch when getting home from school.
But more was going on since things leaned out in the system from an adjacent room. Things may mellow more as my new plug has the silver break in. Which would still be welcome the more I listen.
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