IsoClean Audio Grade Fuses
DarqueKnight
Posts: 6,765
Introduction
I spend some time every now and then reading DIY type audio forums. I have been reading about audio grade fuses for a few years now. The thing that tipped me over the edge to try a couple was some posts by John Curl, who is the one of the designers of my Parasound JC 1 power amp. Although Mr. Curl did not specifically recommend a particular brand of audio grade fuse, he did state that he knows that fuses can and do make an audible difference. Posts by other audio tweakers lead me to believe that the audio grade fuses offered by IsoClean were worth a try. Everything I read indicated that the IsoClean fuses were worth the $25 (per fuse :eek:) price. The sole U.S. source for these fuses is AAudio Imports (www.aaudioimports.com), so bargain hunters are out of luck...unless you find a dissatisfied customer wanting to unload his or hers. The manufacturer, TRC Development of Hong Kong, keeps a tight grip on the supply chain and I doubt if bargains on these can be found even in Asia. Furthermore, because of the ease of counterfeiting something as simple as a fuse, I would be leery of going outside of authorized channels, even if they did exist.
Figure 1. The jaded skeptic in me wanted not to like these.
The Isoclean fuses are packaged in a corrugated cardboard pallet that is wrapped in plastic (Figure 1). That pallet is then enclosed in a form fitting corrugated cardboard box. The pallet also contains a thick tissue for cleaning the ends of the fuses. I'm glad my expensive, gold-plated "audio-grade" fuses weren't shipped lose in a plastic bag wrapped in newspaper. Moreover, I am glad that the manufacturer did not append the word "audiophile" to the name of the fuses. That surely would have added another 25 to 50 bucks to the cost.:)
The IsoClean fuses are directional and there is an arrow printed on the glass case indicating the direction of current flow. Finding the direction of current flow in my amp's fuse holder was easy: I just tested for continuity between the hot male lead of the power cord plug and either end of the fuse holder. Continuity indicated the fuse holder end where the AC enters.
The JC 1 stock fuses were 12A 250V ceramic fuses. The left amp had a Buss MDA series fuse and the right amp had a Littelfuse 326 series fuse (Figure 2).
Some people apply a contact enhancer to these (and other) fuses prior to installation. I did not. I have not used any contact enhancer product in over 20 years. More on that later.
Listening Evaluations
I only used three musical selections to evaluate the IsoClean fuses: Track 5 ("Diane's Blues) of George Howard's "The Very Best of George Howard" CD, Track 4 ("B'wana He No Home") of Michael Frank's "Sleeping Gypsy" CD, and Track 10 ("You Don't Have To Go Home") of Boney James' "Pure" CD.
The evaluation procedure was as follows:
1. I first made notes listening to each song with the stock fuses.
2. The stock fuses were replaced with the IsoClean fuses in the proper orientation.
3. The stock fuses were reinstalled.
4. The IsoClean fuses were reinstalled in the proper orientation.
5. The IsoClean fuses were reinstalled in the reverse orientation.
6. The IsoClean fuses were reinstalled in the proper orientation.
7. Sit back and enjoy musical details previously unobtainable.
The IsoClean product packaging and marketing literature make the following performance improvement claims:
1. Transparency
2. Details
3. Airy Spacious Sound Stage
4. Extends Top and Bottom Octaves
I will discuss each claim, and my results, individually.
1. Transparency
Immediately after installing the IsoClean fuses I noticed a wider and deeper sound stage (no change in sound stage height). The music sounded slightly louder, but the sound level meter registered no increase in sound level. The most dramatic change was in the blackness (quietness) of the sound stage background. It was analogous to the sound stage being illuminated with dimmed lights with the stock fuses, then when the IsoClean fuses were installed, the lights were turned off completely and all the sounds coming from the sound stage were draped in inky, silky black space.
2. Details
No major differences in details between the stock and IsoClean fuses. I did hear some low level percussion and electric bass sounds that I'd never heard before. The sound of the air column rushing through Boney James' saxophone was more evident. Michael Frank's voice was deeper and thicker and there was more of a sense of reinforcement from his chest cavity. When a new piece of equipment brings out new sounds in a familiar recording, I will switch back to the previous equipment to see if the sound was always there, but not as evident. In most cases it is. During this exercise, when I went back to the stock fuses, I could not hear the new details, even though I knew exactly when and approximately where they should have been occurring. I say approximately because there were spatial differences between sound stage image placement and size between the two fuse brands.
3. Airy Spacious Sound Stage
My sound stage was already airy and spacious. It was even more so after installation of the IsoClean fuses. Depending on the recording, I gained another 1 to 2 feet in depth and in width. Images within the sound stage, particularly the rear and sides, took on a little more weight.
4. Extends Top and Bottom Octaves
I did not hear an extension in the top and bottom octaves of the sound stage. I did hear an improvement in the sound quality of the top and bottom octaves. The airy metallic cloud that surrounds cymbals and drum kit high hats took on a smoother, more extended, and silkier sheen. Bass sounds, especially the low growl of electric bass, were faster, more defined, and more evident.
For such little investment...Such good sound!
Switching back to the stock fuses brought a sound stage contraction and the loss of the details heard with the IsoClean fuses. Installing the Isoclean fuses in the wrong orientation caused the sound stage to contract to the size of the stock fuse sound stage and the background was not as black. However, most of the new image details were still there.
I would say that I realized 3.5/4 of the manufacturer's claims. Although I was hesitant to pay $25 for a fuse, I realize that I gained many times over the cost of the fuses in performance benefits and listening pleasure. Sometimes I get compensated for the diminishing returns I have incurred in other areas of my audio travels.:)
I would replace the fuses in my line level and phono preamps, but they use 0.5A fuses and IsoClean does not make that value.
Even though people have reported mixed results with the IsoClean fuses in source components. I would like to try one in my SACD player, but the power line fuse is inside the case and opening it would void the warranty. Cary Audio was considerate enough to put a sticker on the case warning to that effect. So, for the time being, no peeking inside and no tweaks.:(
Figure 2. These sneaky little **** were robbing me of some of
my hard earned listening pleasure.
A Real Tweak From My Earliest Days In Audio
Figure 3. Real snake oil. I keep this as a solemn reminder
that not all tweaks are good tweaks.
Figure 3 is a picture of a half empty bottle of Tweek contact enhancer that I purchased circa 1987. It was very popular until its ugly secret was revealed: Using this mess between different metal types would often cause a chemical reaction in Tweek which would cause it to turn into a black, sticky mess. This snake oil was eventually discontinued. I have warm memories of cleaning Tweek induced goo off my cable connectors and component input and output jacks. I have not used a contact enhancer product since, although I'm sure Caig and others make some very fine products. I could probably get over 100 bucks on ePay for my half bottle of Tweek from some audio collector with too much disposable cash. That would cover the cost of my fuses and a couple of spares.;)
If you keep going in this direction you are going to become an audio recluse.
You talk like that's a bad thing.~DK
I spend some time every now and then reading DIY type audio forums. I have been reading about audio grade fuses for a few years now. The thing that tipped me over the edge to try a couple was some posts by John Curl, who is the one of the designers of my Parasound JC 1 power amp. Although Mr. Curl did not specifically recommend a particular brand of audio grade fuse, he did state that he knows that fuses can and do make an audible difference. Posts by other audio tweakers lead me to believe that the audio grade fuses offered by IsoClean were worth a try. Everything I read indicated that the IsoClean fuses were worth the $25 (per fuse :eek:) price. The sole U.S. source for these fuses is AAudio Imports (www.aaudioimports.com), so bargain hunters are out of luck...unless you find a dissatisfied customer wanting to unload his or hers. The manufacturer, TRC Development of Hong Kong, keeps a tight grip on the supply chain and I doubt if bargains on these can be found even in Asia. Furthermore, because of the ease of counterfeiting something as simple as a fuse, I would be leery of going outside of authorized channels, even if they did exist.
Figure 1. The jaded skeptic in me wanted not to like these.
The Isoclean fuses are packaged in a corrugated cardboard pallet that is wrapped in plastic (Figure 1). That pallet is then enclosed in a form fitting corrugated cardboard box. The pallet also contains a thick tissue for cleaning the ends of the fuses. I'm glad my expensive, gold-plated "audio-grade" fuses weren't shipped lose in a plastic bag wrapped in newspaper. Moreover, I am glad that the manufacturer did not append the word "audiophile" to the name of the fuses. That surely would have added another 25 to 50 bucks to the cost.:)
The IsoClean fuses are directional and there is an arrow printed on the glass case indicating the direction of current flow. Finding the direction of current flow in my amp's fuse holder was easy: I just tested for continuity between the hot male lead of the power cord plug and either end of the fuse holder. Continuity indicated the fuse holder end where the AC enters.
The JC 1 stock fuses were 12A 250V ceramic fuses. The left amp had a Buss MDA series fuse and the right amp had a Littelfuse 326 series fuse (Figure 2).
Some people apply a contact enhancer to these (and other) fuses prior to installation. I did not. I have not used any contact enhancer product in over 20 years. More on that later.
Listening Evaluations
I only used three musical selections to evaluate the IsoClean fuses: Track 5 ("Diane's Blues) of George Howard's "The Very Best of George Howard" CD, Track 4 ("B'wana He No Home") of Michael Frank's "Sleeping Gypsy" CD, and Track 10 ("You Don't Have To Go Home") of Boney James' "Pure" CD.
The evaluation procedure was as follows:
1. I first made notes listening to each song with the stock fuses.
2. The stock fuses were replaced with the IsoClean fuses in the proper orientation.
3. The stock fuses were reinstalled.
4. The IsoClean fuses were reinstalled in the proper orientation.
5. The IsoClean fuses were reinstalled in the reverse orientation.
6. The IsoClean fuses were reinstalled in the proper orientation.
7. Sit back and enjoy musical details previously unobtainable.
The IsoClean product packaging and marketing literature make the following performance improvement claims:
1. Transparency
2. Details
3. Airy Spacious Sound Stage
4. Extends Top and Bottom Octaves
I will discuss each claim, and my results, individually.
1. Transparency
Immediately after installing the IsoClean fuses I noticed a wider and deeper sound stage (no change in sound stage height). The music sounded slightly louder, but the sound level meter registered no increase in sound level. The most dramatic change was in the blackness (quietness) of the sound stage background. It was analogous to the sound stage being illuminated with dimmed lights with the stock fuses, then when the IsoClean fuses were installed, the lights were turned off completely and all the sounds coming from the sound stage were draped in inky, silky black space.
2. Details
No major differences in details between the stock and IsoClean fuses. I did hear some low level percussion and electric bass sounds that I'd never heard before. The sound of the air column rushing through Boney James' saxophone was more evident. Michael Frank's voice was deeper and thicker and there was more of a sense of reinforcement from his chest cavity. When a new piece of equipment brings out new sounds in a familiar recording, I will switch back to the previous equipment to see if the sound was always there, but not as evident. In most cases it is. During this exercise, when I went back to the stock fuses, I could not hear the new details, even though I knew exactly when and approximately where they should have been occurring. I say approximately because there were spatial differences between sound stage image placement and size between the two fuse brands.
3. Airy Spacious Sound Stage
My sound stage was already airy and spacious. It was even more so after installation of the IsoClean fuses. Depending on the recording, I gained another 1 to 2 feet in depth and in width. Images within the sound stage, particularly the rear and sides, took on a little more weight.
4. Extends Top and Bottom Octaves
I did not hear an extension in the top and bottom octaves of the sound stage. I did hear an improvement in the sound quality of the top and bottom octaves. The airy metallic cloud that surrounds cymbals and drum kit high hats took on a smoother, more extended, and silkier sheen. Bass sounds, especially the low growl of electric bass, were faster, more defined, and more evident.
For such little investment...Such good sound!
Switching back to the stock fuses brought a sound stage contraction and the loss of the details heard with the IsoClean fuses. Installing the Isoclean fuses in the wrong orientation caused the sound stage to contract to the size of the stock fuse sound stage and the background was not as black. However, most of the new image details were still there.
I would say that I realized 3.5/4 of the manufacturer's claims. Although I was hesitant to pay $25 for a fuse, I realize that I gained many times over the cost of the fuses in performance benefits and listening pleasure. Sometimes I get compensated for the diminishing returns I have incurred in other areas of my audio travels.:)
I would replace the fuses in my line level and phono preamps, but they use 0.5A fuses and IsoClean does not make that value.
Even though people have reported mixed results with the IsoClean fuses in source components. I would like to try one in my SACD player, but the power line fuse is inside the case and opening it would void the warranty. Cary Audio was considerate enough to put a sticker on the case warning to that effect. So, for the time being, no peeking inside and no tweaks.:(
Figure 2. These sneaky little **** were robbing me of some of
my hard earned listening pleasure.
A Real Tweak From My Earliest Days In Audio
Figure 3. Real snake oil. I keep this as a solemn reminder
that not all tweaks are good tweaks.
Figure 3 is a picture of a half empty bottle of Tweek contact enhancer that I purchased circa 1987. It was very popular until its ugly secret was revealed: Using this mess between different metal types would often cause a chemical reaction in Tweek which would cause it to turn into a black, sticky mess. This snake oil was eventually discontinued. I have warm memories of cleaning Tweek induced goo off my cable connectors and component input and output jacks. I have not used a contact enhancer product since, although I'm sure Caig and others make some very fine products. I could probably get over 100 bucks on ePay for my half bottle of Tweek from some audio collector with too much disposable cash. That would cover the cost of my fuses and a couple of spares.;)
If you keep going in this direction you are going to become an audio recluse.You talk like that's a bad thing.~DK
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
Post edited by DarqueKnight on
Comments
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Have you heard them in your system yet?~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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Have you heard them in your system yet?
Yep, they expanded the bottom octave and now I'm rock solid down to 9Hz.
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I've tried these fuses before in a tube int. amp and noticed a very slight improvement.HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50 LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub
"God grooves with tubes." -
It's a very nice writeup but I haven't heard an improvement with better fuses. Bob Crump was a Machina Dynamica user, and I admired him but you don't see Brilliant Pebbles in my house.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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Nice review! I have wanted to try these in my Magnepans, just hadn't got around to ordering them yet. I did switch to some cryogenically frozen higher quality ceramic fuses from Cryoparts.com, and yes there was a nice improvement. Not sure how much of the improvement was from the move to a ceramic fuse and how much was from the cryo treatment.
Just remember ........ cables don't matter, fuses do :cool:DKG999
HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED
Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC -
I have wanted to try these in my Magnepans, just hadn't got around to ordering them yet.
I would check to make sure your Magnepans can use slow blow fuses. My Magnepan MG12's require the use of a "fast blow" type fuse and IsoClean only makes "slow blow" type fuses.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Was there a need to upgrade the contacts for the fuses? This could lead to a chain of upgrades.Monitor 7b's front
Monitor 4's surround
Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
M10's back surround
Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
Harman/Kardon AVR-635
Oppo 981hd
Denon upconvert DVD player
Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
Mit RPTV WS-55513
Tosh HD-XA1
B&K AV5000
Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek: -
I have the HiFi-Tuning fuses in my system as per the post in the Tweak forum. I believe they make large and small fuses in both fast and slow blow values.
HiFi-Tuning Fuses
This reminds me that I need to revisit the fuse in the DAC...
Arthur SchopenhauerAll truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed and third, it is accepted as self evident. -
Yep, they expanded the bottom octave and now I'm rock solid down to 9Hz.
I would have expected you to receive a significant improvement in the 60Hz frequency region.
Arthur SchopenhauerAll truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed and third, it is accepted as self evident. -
This could lead to a chain of upgrades.
Yeah, I agree, but you talk like that's a bad thing.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Whoops! I think I was looking at the Hi Fi Tuning fuses which do have fast blow types.DKG999
HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED
Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC -
DarqueKnight wrote: »Yeah, I agree, but you talk like that's a bad thing.
never ever ever ever ever a bad thing.:D
If it were not for many upgrades , I would be in a crazy house from the wife and kids. :eek:
Everybody needs a hobby.Monitor 7b's front
Monitor 4's surround
Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
M10's back surround
Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
Harman/Kardon AVR-635
Oppo 981hd
Denon upconvert DVD player
Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
Mit RPTV WS-55513
Tosh HD-XA1
B&K AV5000
Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek: -
Man up and throw a chunk of copper in there instead of a fuse....
One of the best loudspeaker crossover upgrades out there is to ditch any sort of fuse or polyswitch. They were put there by engineers so idiots wouldn't complain...www.forceaudio.com .... We cut through the BS. -
So it's true...there is one born every minute.
-
DarqueKnight wrote: »Introduction
A Real Tweak From My Earliest Days In Audio
Figure 3. Real snake oil. I keep this as a solemn reminder
that not all tweaks are good tweaks.
Figure 3 is a picture of a half empty bottle of Tweek contact enhancer that I purchased circa 1987. It was very popular until its ugly secret was revealed: Using this mess between different metal types would often cause a chemical reaction in Tweek which would cause it to turn into a black, sticky mess. This snake oil was eventually discontinued. I have warm memories of cleaning Tweek induced goo off my cable connectors and component input and output jacks. I have not used a contact enhancer product since, although I'm sure Caig and others make some very fine products. I could probably get over 100 bucks on ePay for my half bottle of Tweek from some audio collector with too much disposable cash. That would cover the cost of my fuses and a couple of spares.;)
~DK
Tweek, though apparently it had problems with some materials as stated above, did actually work as promised. At one point my company introduced a new test fixture for very low voltage transducers. To test these transducers they had to be seated in a quick release socket. Voltages being applied and measured were in the microvolt range. We were having a 50+% failure rate shown on the fixture due to contact resistance issues. We tried tweek (some silly audiophile/engineers idea). Back up to 100% pass rate for the next several years. It had its benifits as well since tweek was then readily available for us to use as needed.
madmaxVinyl, the final frontier...
Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... -
It makes fingernails shine too...Monitor 7b's front
Monitor 4's surround
Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
M10's back surround
Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
Harman/Kardon AVR-635
Oppo 981hd
Denon upconvert DVD player
Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
Mit RPTV WS-55513
Tosh HD-XA1
B&K AV5000
Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek: -
DK, did you purchase a pack or just get an individual fuse?~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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I bought two fuses, one for each amp. The fuses are sold individually rather than in packs.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
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Are the snakes milked or pressed to secure the oil?
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Actually, its better if you slow boil them in distilled water.;)Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
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DK- I really respect you, and your audio knowledge... I really do. So don't you or anyone else be offended by my next question.
Do you people ever sit back and just enjoy the music? Or are you always thinking "man, these fuses are really holding me back" Or, "if I tightened the lug down on my outlet a little bit more, it might make better contact and help me notice the miniscule enhancements to my amplifier"
I mean, wow... you guys must have a hell of a lot better ears than I.Ludicrous gibs! -
All the time but if there is a way to possibly improve what we have then we strive to achieve better whether it be small or monumental. Nothing wrong with that.Do you people ever sit back and just enjoy the music?
I'm enjoying the hell out of some tunes now. ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
You know, since Fengshui has become the new fad in real estate, I think we should bring the Fengshui fad to audiodom.
The amp has to be facing a specific direction, the CD player has to be placed in a specific box, the speakers have to face a certain way, and you need to have some enchanted crystals with healing powers placed on top of your fuse box, then your music will truly come to life...:D -
You know, since Fengshui has become the new fad in real estate, I think we should bring the Fengshui fad to audiodom.
The amp has to be facing a specific direction, the CD player has to be placed in a specific box, the speakers have to face a certain way, and you need to have some enchanted crystals with healing powers placed on top of your fuse box, then your music will truly come to life...:D
Damn Earth and her polarity....Monitor 7b's front
Monitor 4's surround
Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
M10's back surround
Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
Harman/Kardon AVR-635
Oppo 981hd
Denon upconvert DVD player
Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
Mit RPTV WS-55513
Tosh HD-XA1
B&K AV5000
Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek: -
DarqueKnight wrote: »Actually, its better if you slow boil them in distilled water.;)
Just messin' with you. I've been using the AHP "Critical Link" fuses in all my PS Audio GC components for quite some time. Even my old ears could appreciate the improvement immediately. -
Do you people ever sit back and just enjoy the music?
Your concern is appreciated. I assure you that, between my two automotive audio systems, four home systems, and system at work, I get in adequate amounts of listening time, usually when I am doing other things.:) About 10%-15% of my weekly listening time is "dedicated" listening time sitting in front of my two channel system.Or are you always thinking "man, these fuses are really holding me back" Or, "if I tightened the lug down on my outlet a little bit more, it might make better contact and help me notice the miniscule enhancements to my amplifier"
It is obvious that I have some interest in audio performance enhancement. I do not understand why the pursuit of audio performance enhancements and having adequate time to enjoy an audio system are mutually exclusive concepts. To me, that is like saying because a hot rod enthusiast is always thinking about and pursuing automotive performance enhancements, he doesn't have time to drive and enjoy his car.
I am aware that, for some audio enthusiasts, the journey is far more important and enjoyable than arriving at a particular destination. I am not of that class.I mean, wow... you guys must have a hell of a lot better ears than I.
Yeah, maybe.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
From Cnet blog: The Audiophiliac
April 4, 2009 10:39 AM PDT
$39 gold-plated fuses improve sound quality
by Steve Guttenberg
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)
Isoclean makes audiophile-grade gold-plated fuses. This fuse is a "tweak," an accessory that promises to improve the sound of your hi-fi.
Audiophiles eat this stuff up. We put special cones or pads under our equipment to eliminate bad vibes, plug our electronics into AC power line conditioners, and buy equipment stands to coddle our components.
Isoclean isn't the first company to offer audiophile fuses, and I can't say I'm game for these types of tweaks. They reek of "snake oil" silliness, but an audiophile buddy couldn't stop raving about the difference the Isoclean fuses made to the sound of his hi-fi, so I decided to give them a try.
My Magnepan 3.6R speakers have a total of four fuses (two in each speaker), and the fuses are $39 each.
Each Isoclean fuse is packed separately with a thick cleaning cloth you use before installing the fuses. The gold plating is of a high quality, and with the supplied cloth, I buffed it to a shine.
Also noteworthy is the fuses' glass body, marked with a direction arrow. Isoclean recommends experimenting with reversing the direction of the fuse to see which direction sounds better (turn the gear off when reversing the fuses).
To cut to the chase, yes, the fuses did make a difference. The sound was fuller, weightier, and the stereo imaging was more 3D with the fuses in the speakers. Was it a jaw-dropping improvement? No, but it was there.
Audiophiles looking for a little boost to their sound should check out Isoclean fuses. You can use the fuses in some speakers, CD players, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and other devices.Slowly emerging from the 90's
Fronts: Polk LSi15's
Center: Polk CS350ls
Pre: Sony STRDA555ES
Amp: Rotel RMB-1075
Sub: Velodyne SPL-1000
TV: 46" Sharp Aquos LCD
Dust magnet: Sony PS3 -
Hi DarqueKnight.
Thank you once again for an informative post. Education is the main reason I belong to 10 Forums.
Do you have any comments on the Cryo-Parts fuse ($7.75 ea.) and/or the Critical Link gold plated ($30 ea. at PS Audio http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/description/critical-link-fuses?cat=accessories)?
Do you have any idea why/how a fuse upgrade would result in improved SQ?
[Not being crtical, just curious]
Mike____________________________________________
Home Theater 32"LG LCD; Comcast; 7.1 Onkyo 805; Fronts: Polk M50s; Center: Polk CS2; Sides: Polk M40s; Rear: B&W LM1s; Subs: (2) Sony 12" x 100w; Samsung 1500BDP; Toshiba A-2 HD-DVDP.
PC stereo: Viper custom PC: Windows XP; ASIO4ALL; JRiver Jukebox> Pop Pulse USB to S/PDIF conv> Monarchy DIP > Musiland MD10 DAC > Parasound 2100 pre> Aragon 4004 MKII amp> Dali Ikon6 towers; Sunfire True Sub; PSA Duet, Ultimate outlet and Noise Harvestors. -
Do you have any comments on the Cryo-Parts fuse ($7.75 ea.) and/or the Critical Link gold plated ($30 ea. at PS Audio http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/description/critical-link-fuses?cat=accessories)?
I have not tried fuses from either vendor.Do you have any idea why/how a fuse upgrade would result in improved SQ?
Audio grade fuses are constucted with lower noise, higher conductivity materials and better vibration damping. Lowering noise content, increasing conductivity and reducing vibration usually results in better SQ.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
