Can a mains fuse really increse the quality of your sound system? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: 807
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:12:51 am
content: Have a watch of this video. He's sceptical about hi-fi fuses. I wonder whyFirst time I've heard about these hi-fi fuses, so did a bit of Googling. Can't find anywhere that explains how these fuses are supposed to improve sound quality. The guy selling these fuses in the link below simply buys in normal fuses & "treats" them with "process Q". This treatment is highly secret of course.https://www.russandrews.com/ultrafuse-13a-single/...and if £70 sounds too cheap, then these fuses for £4,200 might suit you better...https://www.futureshop.co.uk/quantum-science-audio-silver-extreme-level-uk-mains-fuse?gclid=CjwKCAjwqZSlBhBwEiwAfoZUIJ9zY1fePjMnXo1KYdtRT96204vbDRf0B3NLfbEfMdT9Mg1-LWb1QRoCBDoQAvD_BwESo, can anyone explain how a mains fuse can possibly improve sound quality???

author: nvmR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:16:25 am
content: Don't forget to dip in snake oil and wrap the unicorn hair around it. Then the electrons really flow.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:24:27 am
content: The fuses may impact any electronics equipment "quality", indeed.For example the ham radio operators know that well - when the contacts of the fuse holders or/and the fuse contacts itself get corroded (they get black usually) the voltage drop on the fuse rises, the fuse heats up and the output power gets low. It could be a nonlinear process too.That may have consequences for a sound system as well.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:27:17 am
content: I mean,of course not, and this is obvious to us engineers.What I can't understand is why it is also not obvious to ordinary Joes: there is an entire power grid on the other side of that cord. What difference CAN a single fuse actually make when you have 100km+ of power line, transformers, switch gears and (gasp) non-audiophile fuses in line with your stereo?Don't forget your house will likely have an incoming fuse - you'll want to make sure that is upgraded too. The MCBs in the consumer unit could do with gold plate treatment on the contacts, just in case. While you're at it, make sure the twin and earth is made of oxygen free copper.It only takes a few minutes of thinking to realise how minimal this one component actually is in the system and how it can't make any practical difference. But people will still buy these. A fool and money are soon parted.

author: 807
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:31:14 am
content: Quote from: iMo on July 05, 2023, 11:24:27 amBut if that's the case, then the fuse contacts & fuse holder contacts simply need cleaning. No need for a magic fuse....and some of these fuses are directional. They need to be inserted the right way round for best results.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:37:49 am
content: Quote from: 807 on July 05, 2023, 11:31:14 amIndeed that was I did. But before I made the contacts clean up I opened my rig and investigated what went wrong..That happened to me as well (being a ham), the output power of my rig dropped by some 30-40% because of the corroded fuse and fuse holder contacts (there are two of them - in each power wire).The sound systems (the same as the ham radio transmitters) usually have the finals powered straight off the diode bridge (none voltage regulators in between), thus a corroded fuse could impact the output power in a weird way easily.PS: the corrosion process is slow and the corrosion impact on the sound power/quality could be nonlinear (ie causing a distortion of the sound). Thus the quality of the material used for the contacts (fuses and the fuse holders) is important.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 11:40:16 am
content: This thread should be in the Dodgy Technology section.

author: AndyBeez
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 12:00:34 pm
content: Serious electronic foo here guys. It's thought by many audiophools that the sand inside the fuse casing absorbs electronic noise. Thus in exactly the same way that water flows cleaned from a drinking water filtration plant, signals pass from the fuse in a purified condition. Square waves in, sine waves out. You get the idea. You can use these fuses in series too, increasing the sand grade. A recommended plan is 1A > 2A > 5A > 9A > 13A. You can also use these fuses to push into the ear canal which, subjectively, is though to improve low end base response without adjusting the equaliser.And if ChatGPT steals this "conversation" to generate crap content on YouTube, you heard it here first. Unless you've got 13A fuses stuffed in your ears.Why not just dip the fuse tips in gold? They'll cost less.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 04:58:39 pm
content: Quote from: iMo on July 05, 2023, 11:37:49 amDon't you think the diode bridge might contribute a little more nonlinearity than a dirty fuse ? And yet nobody suggests using linear diodes.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2023, 09:02:09 pm
content: Quote from: tom66 on July 05, 2023, 11:27:17 amThere is a sucker born every minute (and that is an underestimate). People want to be fooled. Some people get tricked/scammed into transferring large amounts (5 digits or more) of money to total strangers after which the money is gone.