Please vote for the fuse direction that you prefer and please post your preference in the thread.
I am also curious how often do you change fuses. Do you wait until one blows to replace it or do you replace at regular intervals?
Thanks.
Thanks, Joe. Do you hear any tonal differences?
On the more detailed side I find less bass, a more forwadr sound.
Actually, I find the more detailed direction to be more balanced tonally. Iām wondering if maybe what sounds like less bass to you is a psychoacoustic effect due what sounds to me to be a more even frequency distribution? When I go against the preferred for me orientation the mids sounds a little too warm and more diffuse.
Thanks, I should mention that I am using PS Audio stock fuses only, in my P3 regenerator.
When you compare directions, do you hear the difference immediately or does it take awhile to settle?
Also, if the fuse is used in one direction for days/weeks, when it is reversed, does it take a day or so to reveal its true sound?
Youāre welcome.
Iāve never had a regenerator and the two power conditioners I had used Carling switches and if there were any internal fuses I never knew.
I have used aftermarket fuses in speakers (QUAD 989), amplifiers (Conrad Johnson Premier 11a and 140) and a Conrad Johnson integrated (CA200). I found even when changing the direction of a fuse thatād been in place for an extended time that flipping the orientation did result in an immediately noticeable difference in sound.
Donāt think I ever noticed any settling in over time but that could just be me.
I think itās very system dependent, and room dependent. I tend to go for the warmer sound as my room gobbles bass and my system is plenty detailed. In my main system I have three Swiss Digital Fuse Boxes in play, and two Audio Magic M1 fuses. No fuse is replaced unless blown (none of the expensive ones have);
Reading this with interest, and mild amusement.
Having recently moved from a fairly elaborate separates setup to an AP20 + NH10, one of the unexpected sideāeffects has been a drastic reduction in the number of variables available for lateānight selfāinflicted audiophile experimentation.
In my previous system, with plenty of boxes, cables, and opportunities for optimism, I could at least entertain the idea that fuse direction might be doing something, even if only as part of a large cumulative soup. In the current setup ā simpler, quieter, and frankly better behaved ā I find it increasingly difficult to convince myself that the fuses are important. I have no trouble believing that people hear differences, immediately and sincerely. I also have no trouble believing that the same people might hear different differences on another day, with another glass of wine, or after moving the chair six inches.
For me, the most dramatic āupgradeā lately has been removing complexity rather than fineātuning it. Once that happened, many of the subtler tweaks seemed to lose their urgency ā if not their charm.
As always, YMMV. And possibly your room. And mood.
I like your approach. I may eventually whittle my system and library down for simplicity sake.
Iāll just say this: I myself have tried the fuse in different directions on different days, even weeks apart, and heard the subtle difference, and preferred one (the same direction) over all the instances.
Hey Lonson,
When you have switched the fuse direction, did the sound take any time to settle? Or did the sound change immediately after switching the fuse direction and then stay the same over time?
After doing more comparisons over the last few days, I am finding with the stock fuse in the P3 Regenerator, one on side, I get a very lean sound and on the other, the sound is much more full.
George, have you tried the CleanWave function? My experience on the P20 was that the āfullnessā you refer to returns after I turn the fuse around AND clean.
Pretty immediate and steady change.
Fuse direction used to be a fun play for me in the old days. I have three M2 fuses in PMG512, Grimm MU2, and LHY SW-10 Pro. I have used Purple and M1 fuses for them and I could not hear much difference, but M2 fuse improved SQ on PMG and SW-10 pro a little bit, and barely made any difference on MU2. So, my guess is that as components got better, the fuses become less helpful.
The only component has a stock fuse is PMG SACD. When I put in a M1 fuse and a Chinese brand fuse, both made the SQ worse! I will try a M2 fuse in a later day since I think it could bring more warmth to the PMG.
M2 are old fuses (thank goodness) so I put in the direction as before, but I doubt I will be able to hear difference if the direction is reversed. Like I said, they do not make a big difference anymore. But if you reverse the direction, leave it in for at least couple of days because it does take time for it to settle. The sound will change even for a old fuse.
I just order a Pink fuse to try on MU2. Reviews said Pink gives more detail and does not sound as warm as M2 fuse. So, I want to find out how does it do on MU2.
Thanks for this!
Can you tell me if you have found the settling period to be linear or are there some ups and downs in the sound quality over those few days?
I donāt recall M2 fuse had much up-and-down burn in time; It was pretty much linear after day 2. M1 fuse had some for a few days. SR fuses seem to have more ups and downs such as Purple and Master. Master is the worst with big big up-down periods lasted for weeks.
I hope SR Pink fuse will be more linear, It should be here by tomorrow.
Sure, I figure linear after a few days.
I meant during those two days (after reversing direction) did you notice the sound going dull for awhile, then harsh for awhile, then sounding great for awhile, etc?
With an old M2 fuse the next day the SQ would stabilize as I remember. I have not switched fuse direction on any component yet because I either had other changes, or donāt feel I needed to. I enjoy my system a lot more nowadays.
I just took out M2 fuse holder from PMG 512 to inspect. When holding the fuse cap (so the cap is below), M-2 is reading the correct way, not upside down. I needed to find out so I can put the other M-2 fuse the same way into PMG SACD.
Now both PMGs have M-2 fuses in them. I am playing SACD but too soon to tell if there is any improvement.
