|
 This
is a review of fuses. Since many insist that
fuses cannot matter and others say they
matter greatly, I undertake this largely out
of personal conviction that they do matter.
Also, as most have multiple components, one
must choose between evaluating the impact of
each fuse introduced one at a time versus
replace all reference fuses with the fuses
being evaluated. I must say that I find the
one by one approach entirely too tedious. In
my system, I replace all six reference fuses
that I have been using for several years
with six of the new Synergistic Research
Quantum SR 20 fuses.
For a good part of my audio experiences, I
hardly considered fuses, save for the rare
blown fuse, and when this happened I went to
the electric supply shop or Radio Shack to
get the replacement. Lloyd Walker of Walker
Audio first brought my attention to fuses,
when he strongly suggested that I reverse
the direction of the fuse in his speed
controller for turntables. Since I knew that
he would seldom jest, I heeded his advice.
He was right and did have the fuse placed in
the proper direction in the unit as I
received it. I did spend some time pondering
how this could be with alternating current,
but it did make a difference so I went on
with my life. I did, however, add switching
fuse direction to the list of introducing
new equipment in my system. This grew
complicated when one had an amplifier with
multiple fuses. Fortunately, with the SR
fuses, I thought, I did not have to worry
about this. They are “treated” in both
directions and thus were not sensitive to
direction.
It was many years later that I experienced
my first “boutique” fuses, those by IsoClean.
They had a fuse direction arrow on each
fuse. If you knew the direction of the hot
side through the fuse holder, you could just
insert the fuse to point the arrow into the
component. I later learned of the HiFi
Tuning fuses and compared them with the
IsoCleans. I found them directional despite
the lack of a direction arrow. Since that
time, several other manufacturers have
offered specialty fuses.
There is a certain irony in my reference
fuses. With one exception, they are all
IsoClean fuses that have been ‘treated’ by
Synergistic Research on their Tesla Coil. I
don’t exactly remember how such treatment
and their kind offer to zap them came up,
but it made a massive difference to the
fuses. I even got them to zap a standard
Buss fuse and HiFi Tuning fuses. All were
improved. It did not make a silver purse out
of a sow’s ear, however. I was so impressed
that I strongly suggested that SR work with
one of the fuse manufacturers to treat their
fuses. Nothing happened after I made that
recommendation, which was about two years
ago. But when Ted Denney asked if I might be
interested in reviewing the SR fuses, I
said, “absolutely!”
Listening
The Synergistic Research webpage says, “SR
Quantum Fuses significantly outperform all
other high-end fuses on the market and are
guaranteed to deliver a noticeable increase
in sound staging, resolution and air thanks
to a lower noise floor and blacker
backgrounds.”
Since these are many of the attributes that
I heard in comparing the zapped and unzapped
fuses that I have, I thought I might hear
little difference between my reference fuses
and the SR Quantum fuses. It might be just
that finally Tesla Coil fuses might be
available to everyone.
I compared fuses in three components: the
H-Cat Audio amplifier and line stage and an
Exemplar Audio tube DAC. The reference fuses
had been well broken in. I listened to the
six cuts, that I normally use in evaluations
plus several new cuts from SACDs transferred
in DSD to my hard drive by Empirical Audio
Legacy. I also added several new 192/24 HD
downloads from HD Tracks. In the main
system, all the cuts yielded the same
impressions. These cuts were:
 •
Frank Sinatra with Count Basie performing
“One for My Baby” from Sinatra At The
Sands (Vicy 94366 Japan SHM)
• Holly Cole's “Get
Out of Town” and “Train Song,” from It
Happened One Night (Metro Blue CDP 7243
8 52699 0 5)
• Ansermet’s “Swan
Lake Duo” from This Is K2 HD Sound (UD!
FIM K2 HD 078)
 •
Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis
“Stardust,” from Two Men With The Blues
(Blue Note Records TOCP-70541 Japan)
• “Stardust" from
Rob Wasserman's Duets, (MCA
Jazz 42131).
The SACDs now in DSD on my music server are:
• Stan Getz and Joao
Gilbert, “The Girl From Ipanena,”
Getz/Gilberto (Verve UCGU-9001).
• “Temptation,” from
Diana Krall's The Girl in the Other Room
(Verve B0001K9IJ8).
I also used the HD
Tracks recording of Ella Fitzgerald’s “A
Night in Tunisia,” from Clap Hands Here
Comes Charlie!, (HD Tracks, 192/24).
As noted above, Synergistic Research
emphasizes the gains in “soundstaging” with
these fuses. What I consistently heard was a
wide, deep, and more holographic and
realistic sound stage, more of a sense of
“being there.” This, I think, is most
plausible in live recordings. Sinatra at the
Sands seems the most realistic I have heard
him both in his voice and his placement
relative to Basie, the Band, and the
audience. Similarly, Holly Coles live “Get
Out of Town,” gives the decay and location
of the audience with such realism that you
have the feeling that you are on stage with
her and her band. The Ansermet Swan Lake
recording also gives a great
three-dimensional feeling with great
instrument timbre. The Nelson and Marsalis
“Stardust” is also live. Here Willie’s voice
is true to form and Marsalis trumpet
perfectly captured. Finally, Wasserman’s
“Stardust” allows you to gauge the recording
studio’s size and very involving.
Synergistic Research also speaks of the
resolution of these fuses. I agree.
Certainly the ultra high resolution of the
DSD SACDs achieves full measure in both used
in my listening. You hear everything,
musical and not. I should also note that the
ripe edge of the Marsalis’ trumpet, the
horns in Ansermet’s "Swan Lake", and
Sinatra’s 51-year-old voice are all well
resolved.
I think both the top and bottom ends are
exceptional. The top end on violins is just
perfect on Ansermet and the bass is
controlled and profound.
Finally, the Synergistic Research Quantum
fuses are put on the Tesla coil both
directions, which they claim makes them not
directional. That would be convenient, but I
have found that not true. I find the
lettering on the fuse runs opposite of the
direction of the fuse that sounds best. This
is not a major factor, but with their
exceptional realism, it is not one you would
want to forego.
Conclusion
There are many ways that fuses can be
treated to improve their sound. The better
sounding metals can be used, they can be
cryogenically treated, they can have
vibration dampening, their contacts in the
fuse holder can be improved, and they can be
treated on a Tesla coil. To my knowledge
only Synergistic Research uses a Tesla Coil.
Some have suggested that it does much the
same thing as does cryogenic treatment. I
have never heard a fuse treated with both,
but in my experiences, I don’t find these
treatments impart anything like the same
sound.
I have not had the opportunity to assess
gold versus silver fuses and in fact had to
ask what the metal was in the Synergistic
Research fuses. It was chosen because of the
metal, but they did not want to reveal what
it was, only that it is very low resistance
(nothing is lower than silver). I have heard
fuses dampened with AVM paint as well as
ones with liquid filling. The stickers on
the Synergistic Research fuses do provide
dampening. I think there are benefits to be
had with such efforts. I have also had some
limited experience with the HiFi Tuning
Quantum chips for fuses. They are add-ons
and do improve the sound. I can only assume
that those on the Synergistic Research fuses
do the same.
I think the quantum tunneling on a Tesla
coil is key to the sound of these fuses, and
the consumer can only get it from SR with
their third generation Tesla Coil. This, of
course, leaves little choice. These fuses
are at about the same price point as other
audiophile fuses. I am a sucker for the
thrill of hearing a sound that suggests I am
at the recording venue. These fuses allow my
equipment to yield such a holographic image.
The sound is open, effortless, defined,
extended, detailed, and most importantly
realistic.
I had completed this review over a week
before one evening when I made a major
change. It is common to have gradual
improvements in virtually everything as it
settles in or breaks in, but the Synergistic
fuses have been in for several weeks. I was
just listening to music while I finished a
novel, when I suddenly noticed a very
substantial jump in the precision of the
soundstage. I put the novel down and
listened to many cuts from a broad range of
albums and continually heard more realism
than I have heard before.
Highly recommended.
Company Info:
Synergistic Research, Inc.
Specifications:
GMA = 0.75” (5 x 20 mm): Retail $59.95
3AG = 1.25” (6.3 x 32mm): Retail $69.95
Contact:
Webpage:
www.synergisticresearch.com
Email:
www.synergisticresearch.com/contact/
Phone: (800) 578-6489
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