Hey guys,
Just replaced a lousy little fuse on my preamp, a HiFi-Tuning one on sale. Even on sale it was 20 bucks. The jest is that the sound does change with that little ding.
But... not sure I liked the sound. So, I'm asking you experts out there, what's your recommendation for a good cheap fuse. I need a what they call a "large" one, like 6.3mm x 32 mm, something like that. Fast Blow, of course. Any cheaper recommendation? Don't see myself spending $80 for a fuse. There must be some cheap and good-enough ones to experiment with? Thanks.
Have you tried using a ceramic fuse instead of the standard fuse? With a modified Hafler DH-220 I put 4 ceramic fast blow fuses of the same value and the sound was a bit improved over the normal fuses. One thing another audio vet told me was to thoroughly clean the fuse terminals and the fuse ends. Use a metal polish then a contact cleaner like deoxit after the polish has been wiped off. I was told doing this gets you close to a high-end fuse replacement. I can't get myself to pay $20 to $80 for a fuse so I took his word for it on the cleaning.
Best of luck.
Bussman Ceramic is a good one.
You could experiment with contact enhancers. Polishing is one way to go. Another way is to fill in the micro surface gaps with dielectric (usually oil) to prevent microarcing. Another way is to fill in the gaps with silver paste to stop the arcs and increase the contact area.
Quote from: richidoo on December 22, 2014, 06:54:00 AM
Bussman Ceramic is a good one.
You could experiment with contact enhancers. Polishing is one way to go. Another way is to fill in the micro surface gaps with dielectric (usually oil) to prevent microarcing. Another way is to fill in the gaps with silver paste to stop the arcs and increase the contact area.
Thanks guys. I did "brush" clean both asses when I got it in. It does give a sound improved in some aspects, like transparency and oomph (energy/openness?). But.... somehow I'm not sure I like the "tonality" of the sound. That's why I asked if there's other "reasonable" brand I can try. No way I'm going to spend $100 for a fuse. I'm not fanatical like that yet.... :rofl: May be when I hit the jackpot.
I've been using Acme silver ceramics, in fact I need to order a few, thanks for the reminder.
http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/inc/sdetail/16482?noc=true
Quote from: goldlizsts on December 22, 2014, 01:22:08 PM
....... I'm not fanatical like that yet.... :rofl:
Of course you realize it's only a matter of time........ 8-[
Quote from: tmazz on December 22, 2014, 07:05:33 PM
Quote from: goldlizsts on December 22, 2014, 01:22:08 PM
....... I'm not fanatical like that yet.... :rofl:
Of course you realize it's only a matter of time........ 8-[
I'd say not likely :duh. Never say never. I may hit the jackpot tomorrow; then the ballgame changes, of course! :drool: :yay2:
Quote from: goldlizsts on December 22, 2014, 01:22:08 PM
Quote from: richidoo on December 22, 2014, 06:54:00 AM
Bussman Ceramic is a good one.
You could experiment with contact enhancers. Polishing is one way to go. Another way is to fill in the micro surface gaps with dielectric (usually oil) to prevent microarcing. Another way is to fill in the gaps with silver paste to stop the arcs and increase the contact area.
Try reversing fuse as they are directional. Play at 50 hours before any decision as well.
My favorites are Synergystic RED or Audio Magic. Very affective but costly. Try a Bussma ceramic fuse with a piece of teflon tape around glass. Progold the connections and be happy.
charles
Thanks guys. I did "brush" clean both asses when I got it in. It does give a sound improved in some aspects, like transparency and oomph (energy/openness?). But.... somehow I'm not sure I like the "tonality" of the sound. That's why I asked if there's other "reasonable" brand I can try. No way I'm going to spend $100 for a fuse. I'm not fanatical like that yet.... :rofl: May be when I hit the jackpot.
Quote from: richidoo on December 22, 2014, 06:54:00 AM
Bussman Ceramic is a good one.
You could experiment with contact enhancers. Polishing is one way to go. Another way is to fill in the micro surface gaps with dielectric (usually oil) to prevent microarcing. Another way is to fill in the gaps with silver paste to stop the arcs and increase the contact area.
Getting a couple of ceramic ones to experiment. I did use a little of the wonder drug Kontak to clean the ends of the fuse and the holder also. Boy, was the holder's end areas filthy. The cotton swab turned blackish coming out, with the debris clinging on..... But, somehow I've also busted the fuse holder. Will have to replace it. It's cheap from Radio Shack.
Will report back later perhaps. Thanks guys for all your advice.
Shek, check if the old fuse holder contacts are magnetic (steel.) Some electronic parts use steel for contacts because it is a lot cheaper than copper. Even some leaded electronic components like Wima PP caps use magnetic leads rather than pure copper. Steel is a poor conductor, and corrodes easily. A small amount of dirt raises the resistance which increases heat, which makes a burn at the contact piercing the nickel plating over the steel. Then moisture from summer humidity can get to the exposed steel and rust it which increases the resistance even more, which makes more heat and eventually the part breaks, or burns up.
Check to make sure the new IEC has copper alloy contacts. A small amount of steel in the contacts is not uncommon for industrial applications because steel is strong and cheap and makes excellent spring which you need for contacts. But audio use it should be all copper alloy wherever possible.
When I was playing trumpet I noticed that some brass players' horn finish would corrode faster than others. My first pro horn was a silver Benge trumpet that had all the silver dissolved away where the previous owner's hand held it. Our skin is naturally slightly acidic as a protection from airborne bacteria. Oleic acid is skin oil. Metabolic acids like uric acid are also excreted through the skin. As we get older our alkaline reserves wane, so the sweat is more acidic. Of course there is salt in our sweat, that's what they use to accelerate corrosion tests. So it's a good idea to clean the end caps of a fuse before inserting it. Myself I would just use spit and my T-shirt, but any contact cleaner would work.
Quote from: richidoo on December 31, 2014, 08:19:17 AM
Myself I would just use spit and my T-shirt, but any contact cleaner would work.
That might be OK, but if you really want it clean it would be better if you got your wife to spit on it. I determined back when I was about eight that mother's spit was the one true universal solvent in the world. A little bit of Mom spit on a tissue could clean absolutely anything.
Although the one thing it could not cleanse away was the embarrassment you felt when she did it to your face in front of a half a dozen of your friends. :rofl:
"Now just stand still, this will clean that right off." How many of us have been there? :roll:
Richidoo said "As we get older our alkaline reserves wane, so the sweat is more acidic"
JESUS H CHRIST!!!! One more thing to look forward to! :shock:
I love fuses. They sound like an extension of the PC. The generic ones are not bad but after-market tend to tilt the tone one way or another. I like em...
Quote from: Werd on December 31, 2014, 04:41:27 PM
I love fuses. They sound like an extension of the PC. The generic ones are not bad but after-market tend to tilt the tone one way or another. I like em...
So I discovered. I am getting some cheap ceramic fuses, as Rich recommended, like $0.98 each. Cheap enough to play the tweak game. :thumb:
Quote from: goldlizsts on January 02, 2015, 03:32:04 AM
Quote from: Werd on December 31, 2014, 04:41:27 PM
I love fuses. They sound like an extension of the PC. The generic ones are not bad but after-market tend to tilt the tone one way or another. I like em...
So I discovered. I am getting some cheap ceramic fuses, as Rich recommended, like $0.98 each. Cheap enough to play the tweak game. :thumb:
It's all about the fuse. :lol:
Quote from: jimbones on January 02, 2015, 03:50:16 AM
Quote from: goldlizsts on January 02, 2015, 03:32:04 AM
Quote from: Werd on December 31, 2014, 04:41:27 PM
I love fuses. They sound like an extension of the PC. The generic ones are not bad but after-market tend to tilt the tone one way or another. I like em...
So I discovered. I am getting some cheap ceramic fuses, as Rich recommended, like $0.98 each. Cheap enough to play the tweak game. :thumb:
It's all about the fuse. :lol:
This audioholic game should have been this cheap all along!? :yay2:
Yeah, but you need a $5000 tube preamp to hear the cheap fuse differences. :lmc:
Quote from: richidoo on January 02, 2015, 06:55:33 AM
Yeah, but you need a $5000 tube preamp to hear the cheap fuse differences. :lmc:
Had my 1st round with the cheap $0.98 Bussman Ceramic just in my Ultimate Outlet. And, I could hear the difference, in a very positive way. Next is fixing up the fuse housing on another preamp, and another Bussman. Expect to hear more positive results. Thanks for your advice.