New SR Master fuse review vs AM M1 and Purple to follow

It is good to know that you still hear improvement after 500 hours. Mine is at 50 hours and the sound is much better than yesterday. So, after another few hundred hours I hope I will feel the same to say the purchase is worth it. :grinning:

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Thank you, Max! That’s super helpful. Best wishes and stay strong!
Mick

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Tonight, the Master’s midrange has developed nicely. It has Purple’s sound signature but equipped with a better fullness and warmth, also with a more correct tonal balance. In a way, it combines the strength of Purple and M-1, and after 50 plus hours the SQ finally reached a level that is clearly better than others in my system.

However, the midrange is more pronounced at this point. I use an analogy, if my system has 50% weight at midrange and 50% weight at surrounding, now the midrange is 60% weight and 40% on the sides. Normally this is a part of the break-in process from my experience, so I expect in a week or two the sound will be more balanced. We shall see.

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What is your Mrs. telling you? Seems she would like the mids.

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She loves it, but I never told her what I paid for that little fuse. :laughing:

I should make a clarification for my last post. The ”weight” is more like a degree of details. The midrange details has developed faster than background.

Also, the soundstage is still a bit flat, and this is usually the last to come.

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So if your Mrs asks for some exclusive accessories for her wardrobe…
your last words will be “yes dearest” what ever you like."…right? but of course!! :grin:

Great to hear that your new SR Master is coming around…

Best wishes

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Our trip is coming up soon, and she already said “you had your fun” and it’s my turn! :joy:

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If not gear you can always buy lots of SACDs in Asia… right now that your streaming rig surpassed (?) your PST!

SACDs are easier to carry than LPs for sure.

Streaming has a more analog sound while PST has a more digital sound. PST still has better detail and soundstage. Using your math method PST is a 10, and streaming is a 9. With a better streamer I am sure the streaming would win. That’s the future plan.

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The math is more compicated than a simple 10 vs 9. If I play the best media such as SACD vs. DSD256, then they are closer. The streaming will move to 9.5.

After I added a network switch and a silver 5N ethernet cable (China made), the SQ has improved from 7 to 8. The Omega USB has improved the SQ to 9.5. On some music the streaming sounds better than PST even.

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You guys are splitting hares…Al might not like the splitting of hares…
such heresy :grin: my oh my…

Best wishes

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Audiophiles are all about splitting hares, that’s why we keep doing useless upgrades😀

PlYing golf again!

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Ok Donald…which fuse are using for a Tee today?

Best wishes

Master is a keeper now!

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Okay…so what in particular about the SR Master has brought you to keeping it?

A cogent salient essay is in order here …right? but of course!!

Best wishes

Concentrating on golf now! Cannot think about Master until this afternoon

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The Master fuse is by far the best fuse from SR, and it is a significant improvement over the Purple too; no wonder SR asks for three times more than Purple without giving much lame excuse. I said it before, it combines the strength of Purple and AM M-1, and without the shortcomings of lean-treble from Purple and the excessive mid-warmness from M-1. I will not say it is worth $600, but I would rather have one Master in the system than with a Purple and a M-1.

Unlike others, I was disappointed to hear it on the first day, but on the third day I can comfortably say I am thrilled to hear it. The improvement was so obvious, even Al would hear it in his system. :grin:

It will be interesting to hear what Max Smith says about it when compared to his QSA Violet. That should tell how good it is and, dare I say it, worth it!

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Good news on you SR Master fuse Donald…was hoping that it would come around
settle in and show itself off…in such a positive manner…

So you got a hole in one

Thanks Donald for reporting back!!

Best wishes

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My Audiophile scissors are stuck in Boise for the next 41 days. I am more instant gratification than that. Sigh.

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That’s a long time for any audiophile to sit down doing nothing. You can get a Master fuse to play within a week, and you will have two M-1 fuses for backup. :laughing:

I am thinking by next week I will put the stock fuse back in P15 again, just to confirm it has not made a sonic jump against the Master; like it did to other fuses in the past. :roll_eyes:

You or your system maybe the very few can resist the fuse voodoo, and I actually do not mind joining the group.

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