Fuses Sound Science

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by Thenewerguy009, Nov 18, 2017.

  1. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,474
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Goddamn is that a horrible thread. You got a guy testing doing Blind ABX with two-three people on a Burrbrown DAC (which you already pointed out) against a FiiO, and he called it a day. Then you got the subjective form of Ilkless in there ("Man, I got proof....just google it or read these articles in this paywalled site while I go straight for the "I-Am-Very-Smart" thesaurus") and a guy everyone in that forum apparently takes as a joke making huge, bold claims that the Blind ABX test being done was completely flawless.

    Back on topic, after searching through all of the impressions and such...is it bad I'm still thinking "I should probably just get a Yggdrasil or save some money with a Gungnir Multibit" instead of other alternatives like the Soekris (which fixes the grey/slightly hazy background of the Gungnir Multibit [Yah, I agree with @Marvey on that]) or getting the Spring DAC and having to sell it when I do the eventual move to speakers in a couple of years and end up getting the Schiit-tier dacs anyway.
     
  2. WNovizar

    WNovizar Facebook Friend

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2016
    Likes Received:
    191
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Whatever it is about ABX, blind testing etc, can you guys stop derailing this thread and start new thread instead? This thread is one of the most excellent reference comparison of TOTL DACs, and derailing it makes me sad
     
  3. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,134
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    India
    When did this site become Computer Audiophile? Or even, the worst of Computer Audiophile and Headfi rolled together?

    And a little bit too sane for out and out audiophools. Here, have a piece of cardboard! No, I'm not suggesting the religion of double-blind testing, but big claims still require big proofs. And absurd claims require even bigger proofs. And... once in a while, a DBT might even show that some absurd claim actually wasn't so absurd. Such things have their place and purpose.

    (Crossposted (also with sfocit's last))

    Yes, me too. Yes, I'll stop.
     
  4. dllmsch

    dllmsch Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    280
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Molvanîa
    Resurrecting an old thread.

    So after ABing for a whole night between 3 different fuses. I am pretty confident that fuses do affect sound somehow. Yes I know there's kilometers of cable before the electricity reaching my amp, yes I did not do a controlled ABX, everything is just me switching stuff. I am no EE and don't know the science behind it, just sharing my observations.

    Gear used: Pi2AES with LPS>BF2>BHA-1>HD650/Atticus
    Fuse: stock(500mA 250V), Schurter(1A 250V)($2), Aucharm red(1A 250V)($12)

    I ordered these 2 fuses just because I saw someone mentioned these being "cheap and good" on chinese forum, and didn't really look into any sonic description of them. So the following sound impressions, even if they are placebo, are entirely from me.

    The difference I found between fuses are extremely subtle, but it's there after back and forth listening. Schurter has better soundstage depth and better imaging(IMO the strength of BHA-1) compare to the other two. Better sense of space while listening to this song during busy passage from 2:00 onwards.
    The aucharm one is "directional" and I find gold to silver brought vocal forward, while the other way round sounded just like stock fuse with a little less sibilance energy.
    The stock one is a bit warmer while having more sibilance compare to the other two, just like what I got from laptop>unison>BF2 compared to SPDIF, but less prominent.

    idk, I didn't expect to hear a difference or I might be making stuff up in my mind. expectation bias bla bla bla. But it's cheap and I'm happy with my 2 dollars upgrade.
     
  5. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    Was this a blind A/B or did you always know which one you were listening to?

    [edit] Sorry - re-read and saw that you were switching and knew which was which. My bad! :eek:
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2021
  6. dllmsch

    dllmsch Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    280
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Molvanîa
    Sadly it wasn't a blind test, as I would have to have 2 identical amp to do so(or a helper I guess). The process is basically turn off amp, switch fuse, turn on and listen again. Since BHA-1 is SS and I can do this process under 20s. I did have some occasions that I forgot which fuse I put in and I think I was able to discern the correct one through sound. The difference is really hard to describe, alomst like different instruments stand out with different fuse. e.g when I am not critically listening and just browsing stuff, fuse A has violin drawing my attention, while fuse B has some background noise that got my notice, and they are pretty consistent. I did do ABAC with SW51+ as a refrence and still believe there's a difference.

    Just realise there is also a fuse slot on SW51+ and my LPS, may do some further experiments.
     
  7. dllmsch

    dllmsch Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    280
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Molvanîa
    Did some more switching fuses between SW51+ and BHA-1. I find that BHA-1 with Aucharm and SW51+ with Schurter sounded more alike vs BHA-1 with schurter and SW51+ with aucharm. But none beat the stock SW51+ fuse in terms of my preference. Due the the nature of tube amp and how little of a difference there is I think I'm done.
     
  8. wric01

    wric01 New

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2021
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    san francisco
    Verified Aucharm red silver wire coiled with 7n copper nano 20 buck x2 fuse, well worth the upgrade. Gets rid of the high tremble siblance and boost everything lows mids and wider soundstage on my r2r Musican draco DAC. R2r leap was a mind blowing upgrade, adding these fuse is like adding some of that tube sound. I say it sound like a different dac all together after. Reminded me of the same leap on the Dx7pro with the sparkos 3602 opamp. But alas once you r2r you just can't go back to deltasigma, no matter well it measures. (Again piss on the audioscience old farts and their hearing impaired ears / measurements. Which led me into believing measure well should sound best with the DX7pro.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2021
  9. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,134
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    India
    Why did you buy a DAC with "high tremble siblance?"

    It's amazing how much people can find wrong with their gear when they find some weird "fix" for that wrongness.

    Anyway, your want to be very careful with high tremble siblance. Like an unbalanced washing machine destroying the kitchen, high tremble siblance can cause the mortar to liquefy and run out of the gaps between the bricks. Your whole house can fall down. And insurance won't cover it.

    Don't mind me: I'm just an OAF!
     
    • Epic Epic x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    • List
  10. mitochondrium

    mitochondrium Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,115
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    A Cell
    I would not piss on anybody. I find that other site boringly sectarian. On the other hand I went back from r2r to DS with no qualms whatsoever.
    It is not the size of the ship it is the motion of the ocean.
     

Share This Page