Audiophoolery

[k4kyv]

I recall Timtron telling a story of working on the transmitter for a bible beater up in KY.  After he had finished working on the rig and ready for the smoke test, the owner said, "wait a minute.  Before you do that, we have to bless the transmitter."

Wonder if anyone has gone into thye business of blessing the cables. I mean blessed cable sounds a whole lot better than non-blessed cable.

Do you pronounce that "bless-ed" or "blest?"

[KB2WIG]

so what did Tim do ? poor red stuff on it??

[k4kyv]

I think he replied, "You gotta be shittin' me."

[wavebourn]

Bob and John both have excellent ideas, but they don't work for some people. Some won't think they are broken so won't take pills. Others prefer to believe in scientific miracles rather than in God's miracles.

By the way, there are great explanations for selling some kind of cables, like Don suggested for example. The explanation is simple. The atom model is called planetar. But real planets are never collapsed together, so we may assume that neutrons and protons are also dancing in pairs on own orbits, and electrons dance around them! Also, all of them are rotating around own axes, so If we have wrong cable they will rotate in sporadic directions making the sound fuzzed! But if we take a good wire they all will rotate in the single direction. But if the current will rotate around the wire the path for the sound will be too long!
But if we take a litz especially made such a way nuclearn particles rotate to the same direction, but each wire is thinner, so the part is shorter, and because of many thin straids they will provide a wide path to the sound!

Do you like the idea, Don?

 

[KB2WIG]

If the  e spin is in one direction, will not the wire twist??? or worse, fall over on the side?..

[wavebourn]

If the  e spin is in one direction, will not the wire twist??? or worse, fall over on the side?..

If will, but with very high frequency!

For example, if Don's litz twists with thousands of teraHerts the sample rate is apriori higher than the best digital processor ever made has!

We can divide that frequency by the highest sample rate for Hi-End CD records and show the oversampling rate.

We should use some formulae, but not too much; buyer must feel he is clever and understands the theory!

[KB2WIG]

Tolly does Tulie .... I like it.....  klc

[W1DAN]

Hi All:

I have not read the whole thread, so I apologise if I missed something. Here are my thoughts:

As one who works in broadcasting and loves audio, I have found over the years that any real improvement in audio recording and reproduction can be measured by modern test equipment. The sonic differences between the $10k speaker cable and zip cord cannot be measured for it's audio characteristics (other than resistance, capacitance and inductance, which when driven with any real sorta amp will not be affected by these small numbers. i/e any changes will be outta the audio passband). Julian Hirsch of Stereo Review did numbers tests and A/B/X tests between zip cord and expensive speaker cable in the 1970-s and no one could tell the difference.

I have heard the original Edison accoustical player and I am still extremely impressed by the low distortion and wide frequency response of the entirely accoustical method. Extremely good for what it is.

Many people who buy thos audio phoolery stuff are not technically savvy. I was at an audio store about 5 years ago and had to bite my toungue when the salesman sold a roll of expensive speaker cable to a doctor. In the end the salesman told the doctor to connect the outside part of the roll of cable to the amp as the electrons flow better in that direction.

Ayup....

73,
Dan
W1DAN

[k4kyv]

I was at an audio store about 5 years ago and had to bite my toungue when the salesman sold a roll of expensive speaker cable to a doctor. In the end the salesman told the doctor to connect the outside part of the roll of cable to the amp as the electrons flow better in that direction.

That is why some audiophool speaker cable has those little arrows stamped on the jacket.

If I went to that doctor as a patient, I would hope he had a better knowledge of biology than he does of physics.  I believe doctors are required to take basic and intermediate courses in all the sciences during their pre-med training.  If he just memorised enough of his physics to pass the exam and then flushed the knowledge, I wonder how much medical knowledge he flushed after taking the test.

[John Holotko]

Another important factor in audiophoolery are the types of fuses you run in your equipment. I hope you are not using standard everyday common fuses !! If you are they could be destroying your listening experience. Click below for some REAL fuses for REAL audiophool quality listening.

http://www.fatwyre.com/FATWYRE/fatwyre/featuredprods.html

[Tom WA3KLR]

Why pay 44 cents for a 5 X 20 mm. fuse when you can pay $25 ?

Nice find John.  From Fatwyre's site :


"Now you can purchase true audiophile grade fuses:

* hand made and tested in Germany

* gold over silver end caps

* pure silver wiring

* ceramic casing, rather than glass, for better resonance characteristics.

Beware of overpriced commercial fuses with nothing more than gold-plated end caps and nice packaging!

All common fuse values are available in fast and slow blow types.
See Available types on the Fuse Order Form.

Description
Retail 

"Large" 6.3 x 32mm (1.25")  $29.95

"Small" 5 x 20mm (.75")  $24.95" 

[kc2ifr]

ceramic casing, rather than glass, for better resonance characteristics.

I dont believe someone would really say something as stupid as this.........but Im sure there are folks out there that gobble this sh%$ up..........

[Glenn NY4NC]

My oxygen free brain hurts!!!!... 

[Ian VK3KRI]

* hand made and tested in Germany

So exactly howdo you 'test' a fuse.

Anyhow if you're really serious about eliminating the effects of a fuse, just don't use one.  Any fuse will have some resistance and thus effect (or is that affect) the signal in some way.  Assuming your not in a 'live' - and therefore  not audiophile,  suituation with pepole wiring speakers up live or pulling out cables or rolling over them with 1/2 ton racks, what excatly is the fuse going to protect against ?
                                                 Ian

[The Slab Bacon]

you know, its a shame. With audio grade wall receptacles, oxygen free speaker wire, audio grade fuses and cryogenically treated toobz, it makes you kinda wonder what kind of "snake oil" some unscrupulous rug merchant is going to come up with next.
Where in the hell does it end??

Is it all greed? If some of the consumers of this junk were better informed, maybe things would be different. If people knew some of the science and theory of their hobbies, I feel there would be a lot less of the "P.T.Barnum factor" involved.

I have seen this phenomenon in many other hobbies that I have been involved in over the years. Pepole should look for the performance of these items to be substantiated by fact and not heresay (like "double blind tests") this basically becomes something not unkike folklore. It is a shame that many people fall prey to this kind of crap.

There used to be some kind of "truth in advertising" laws, but I guess that they re not enforced anymore. Come on, $29.95 for a friggin fuse! Lets face it, that is snake oil!!

Many times little things can help, but eventually you get to the point of "diminishing return". At that point you are basically starting to piss your money away anyway. Anything that is left to speculation usually cant be substantiated in fact. also the power of suggestion definately plays heavily into anything left to speculation.

The bottom line is that people involved in a hobby should learn the "nuts and bolts" theory that makes it work so they CANNOT be taken advantage of by others!

NOW, WHAT CAN WE INVENT NEXT THAT WE CAN SELL TO THE AUDIOFOOLS!!

                                                      The Slab Bacon

[KB2WIG]

electron coherers......the electrons do not take a straight path down the wire. What they do is bounce side to side, like a pinball. This introduces sub audible harmonics which effect the low frequency response of the speaker cores. Feromagnetic assemblies strategerlyl placed allong the length of the speaker wire will reduce this degredation of sound.The material also helps form "speed up lanes" which help heaver electons arive at the same time.   As this is a work in progress, firm prices are not yet available. However, different levels of protection are....The General level of protection is $7.50 per linyear foot, (min 15 feet), advanced $16.00 (min 20 feet)and the Superior Extra $20.07  (min 25 feet). Please send your orders, allong with the initial down payment. Pay Pill accepted, allong with personal cheques.      klc   ps see our add for bas vio strings, made from genuine aircraft steel.....

[WBear2GCR]

Oh dear...

Fools calling fools fools? Funny actually.

Ok, Fuses ARE non-linear devices. You can measure them. It's published in serious engineering journals. Ergo, audible in this case.

In case you don't think so, put one in an open fuse holder, run an audio signal that peaks near the rated value of the fuse and watch it. Report back.

Now, I am NOT defending $25 German fuses.
Fwiw, I don't use any fuses in my speaker lines or my amplifier rails.
Think of it like a Funny Car, if you blow the engine, you blow the engine, but look at the horsepower!!

(fuses are intended mostly to prevent FIRE, not protect equipment from failure...)

Next.

Julian Hirsch never found *anything*. Those early 70's articles are a joke. Back then TIM wasn't even well understood. The State-Of-The-Art has come a long way since then. There is no doubt that R, L & C are the dominating factors in cables, and there is no doubt that variations in RLC absolutely can and do cause clearly audible and measureable variations in amplifier output. Degree plays a role, but surprisingly small variations are measureable and in a really clean low distortion system without masking effects can and are audible. Important to you or the average joe? Probably not. Doesn't mean it is BS.

There is no doubt that there are products that are questionable, and people who put out BS products, but you're scratching around the periphery and condemning the entirety. That's where the train is off the tracks here.

So called "directional cables" often have screens or shields that are either connected at one end or otherwise terminated in a non standard way. Again, you can most likely hear some differences when the direction is reversed. There is also the scheme where the shield is DC biased up some voltage. Think about what effect it has on the dielectric with respect to the AC signal that is impressed on it. OR maybe that's not why it can be heard at all... maybe it is some other scientific reason. But, you can hear the stupid thing.
Anyone can, pretty much.

And more:

Audio salesmen.
For the most part I have no regard for that breed.
I have NEVER found a competent audio store, salon, or salesman in this field.
Usually ignoramuses of the highest order.
You have to be in order to sell that stuff.
And, I'm talking about the "normal" stuff too, not just the high-end stuff.

Don't use them as representative of the "high-end" audio industry.

Also:

Broadcast, TV, Radio, PA/SR, Recording Studios, and even Home Theater are not the same as high-end, since the aims, goals and targets are different in important ways. There is an overlap and similarity, but nothing more. You can't use those same criteria for high-end. There is cross pollination of course.



Here is what some DIYers who are into tubes do:

http://www.americanwired.com/news/oswaldsmill/oswaldsmill.html
http://www.oswaldsmill.com/tasting.shtml

Take a look at some of the more finished diy amps shown... what sort of $$ value would you place on them?? Just curious.

This is fairly typical of the toobe diyer community.

There is also a solid state diyer community that tends to build very complex, high-performance, high-power things, and super slick low level stuff...

For a really big overview of high-end try   http://www.enjoythemusic.com

You'll see some rather exotic things... and some mundane things.

Open ur minds, take a look around.
Othewise you might be an old stuck-in-the-mud  fuddy duddy on an antique radio and nothing more...

        _-_-WBear2GCR

[WBear2GCR]

When the compressor in my central air conditioner trips on, my momentary a.c. line voltage sags noticeably.  The lights flicker dim, and I can see the pointer of the  line voltage meter on my transmitter jerk downwards.  Even a $100,000 line cord would do nothing to correct this.  I have had the power company out here a couple of times, and all they  have said is that they put their instruments on the line and that the power line  regulation is up to their specs, and they suggested that I call an electician to check out my house wiring (as if anything could be wrong with the house wiring that would cause the voltage output of their pole transformer to sag under load).

A good shot with the right round smack dab into the center of that pole pig would get them out there to replace ur pole piggie pretty quick... a little good talkin to the engineer in charge, and maybe some other motivating "schmeer" might get you a new, bigger pole piggie?? Dunno.

Obviously, the line cord will have nil effect on what happens off your pole. Duh.
As I said, I run a 240 volt AC line to an 8kv LOCAL iso/step down tranny to run my amp.
(Did you bother to check my website to see what it is?)

Despite the bullshit one may read in audiophool publications, the only possible way the power cord, a.c. outlet fixtures or even the house wiring could have any effect whatever on the sound of any kind of amplifier, would be due to power supply voltage sag at load peaks.

Good try Sherlock, but there is another issue as well. That is transmitted and reflected current pulses to and from the equipment to other equipment as well as RFI pick up and transmission. These too might be playing a role. So, not the "only" way... eh?

If you are really using a half-farad of filter capacitance with a tube type amplifier, I doubt if the voltage is going to sag measurably, given the maximum current the tubes are capable of drawing at full saturation, unless maybe you are running several hundred sweep tubes in parallel, CB style.

Shooting from the hip again?
Not a tube type amp.
Nor would you need or want that sort of capacitance with a tube amp. The equivalent Joule value would be a function of the B+, would it not?

I thought those multi-tens of thousand $$$ high-end tube type amplifiers all ran single-ended parallel tubes (usually triodes) in class-A.  By definition, a class-A amplifier draws a steady plate current regardless of the signal it is amplifying.  If you are pushing that amplifier to the point that the plate current increases on peaks, especially to the point of causing the DC supply voltage to sag, you have already generated severe distortion, and all that the $10,000 speaker cable is going to do is transfer that distorted waveform to the speakers, intact.

This is the sort of stuff that torques me off.
You have a computer, LOOK!! It doesn't take that long to find out what is what on almost any topic these days. It's absurd.
Figure out what is going on, before stepping waist deep into it with pronouncements of authority.
Ok?
Is that asking too much?

It is precisely the kinds of amplifiers that audiophools avoid like the plague: solid state power amplifiers and push-pull tube type amplifiers running class AB2 and class-B, that draw substantially more current from the power supply during audio peaks, compared to what they draw during idle periods.

Another statement that misses the intended target?
While it is true about the current drawn, FAR more audiophiles use solid state amps than tubes, that's first. And, second, as I explained, current draw is very likely not the reason why "power cables" sound different in the first place. They tend to be rather noticeable on low level CD players, transports and DACs. Which tends to bolster the noise/RFI idea.

If I were really worried that much about voltage sag on audio peaks, instead of using a half-farad of filter capacitance, I would purchase a bank of car batteries and wire them all in series and keep them charged with a trickle charger.  Let's see.  If I bought a bunch of VT4-C/211's at $100 apiece to use in the amplifier, I would need about 1250 volts on the plates.  It would take 91 fully charged "12v" car batteries (at 13.8 volts each), to deliver that voltage. Naturally, an audiophool wouldn't want to use anthing less that the very best available car battery for this purpose, so I checked on the price of the top quality maintenance-free replacement battery for a Cadillac automobile with the largest size engine, and the price at local stores for a Mega-Tron Plus - 85 Months - 800 CCA  is listed @ $119 each.  91 of those batteries would come to $10,829 - about the same price as the speaker cables.  You could homebrew a 1250 volt trickle charger for under $100, and the terminal connectors required for seriesing up the batteries would run a few hundred $$$ as well.  The charger wouldn't need to deliver but a few milliamps at that voltage to maintain charge, if kept on the batteries 24/7.

Been done.
The danger of having batteries of the type you suggest in the home is significant.
So, while it is a potential DIY project, not a commercial product.
Sealed, Gel Cells might fly.
And there is at least one company that came forward with battery powered preamps and at least one amp.
It has some merits to be sure.

Of course, if the amplifier used a few puny 2A3's or 300B's, you would need only about 400 volts, or 29 batteries @ $3451.  Quite a bit cheaper!

In addition to concerns about the A.C. line cords and "hospital grade" outlet fixtures, what about the DC cable that runs from the power supply filter cap(s) to the output transformer?  I have heard a lot about "high end" speaker cable and power cords, but nothing about "high end" under-the-chassis hookup wire for building amplifiers.  Maybe welding cables would work for this purpose, but I suspect there would be a problem soldering it to the transformer terminals.  Does anyone sell "oxygen-free" copper hookup wire, with "high-end" insulation?

You have to pay attention, and read what is written.
(repeating) I use 10ga SPC (silver plated copper) with Teflon (PTFE) insulation. Known as Type E or EE wire for my power and speaker connections in my solid state amps. I use lesser gauges elsewhere of the same wire, or in some cases pure silver wire with a FEP jacket (mostly low level stuff, like phono or mic).

Are you still melting & breathing old style PVC insulated hook up wire??
I'm not.
 

Let's hear the debate over whether it's best to use stranded or solid hookup wire.  For DC wire leads with the minimum  self-inductance, I would recommend Litz wire... Ready for the next audiophool ripoff fad, genuine N.O.S. Llitzwire (you supply your own insulating sleeve) @ $100+ per foot (price will vary according to gauge)?

Not much of a debate here.
Litz is highly regarded. (difficult to strip, solder and work with, in general)
There is at least one company that builds inductors with Litz. They measure better.
Another few build inductors with ribbon conductors.

There are interconnects and speaker cables made with Litz and with ribbon.

Any other questions?

Really suggest taking some time to see what is going on first before jumping all over this topic.

            _-_-WBear2GCR



PS. Fwiw, I said before that the primary purpose of things like those silly vacuum "speaker cables" is to generate HYPE & PR... get noticed. It probably is just a piece of dressed up Heliax or similar gas filled coax... and it is atypical of most of the high-end[/b].

[The Slab Bacon]

OH Dear...................................... is right! Come on Bear, it looks like you are on the ropes and trying to come back swinging.

Some of the stuff might actually have some effect, but it is way past the point of diminishing return.Why do you think we refer to you guys as "audiofools"??  because you guys get so wrapped up in the bragging rights that you forget that you are only a human.

Unfortunately some really take advantage of those who are prone to "folklore".

A fuse, come on, as long as it offers no resistance or voltage drop at the operating current level of the circuit will be transparent. A fuse is for all intents and pourposes a friggin piece of wire. As ling as its current load is not enough to make it heat up, how can it not be linear??

As far as a line cord is concerned, again as long as it is up to the voltage and current load that it is asked to carry it should be a non issue. If the piece of equipment that it is powering has a properly designed power supply, and that power supply is properly isolated and filtered, and up to the load requirements, the line cord should be another non issue.

By the looks of your writings, i can see that you are very passionate about this audiofool stuff. thats ok-fine, but this is a ham radio site and most of us think that people like you are nuts, as you may well feel the same way about us.

Being different is part of the fun of being alive. Remember that opinions are like an a$$hole, everybody has one. You seem to be wound up like the barking dog next door, and it is fun poking you with the proverbial stick.

You seem to be wound up and "on the ropes"........................................
Give it up around here as most are not audiofools, at least not to the point that you are. We all enjoy good sounding audio, but have enough common sense not to empty out our wallets looking for those "subtle nuances".

poke...........poke................poke
                                                         The Slab Bacon

[w1guh]

 

"You'll never go broke under-estimating the intelligence of the American public."


 

But, seriously, there's one factor that you're all overlooking, the ever present and dangerous SKIN EFFECT.  Hmmmmm....how much would that add to $10,000 speaker wires?  Or would that be a $20,000 "upgrade" soon after you get the cheaper wires?

And, no matter how good  or expensive your wires are, always mount your amp above your speakers so that the sound flows down, not up.  Makes a big difference in the sound.

And by all means don't have any metal knobs on any controls.  Use only non-resonant WOODEN knobs.

The skin effect can have an effect on the wood, though.

[The Slab Bacon]

Hmmm.............. I wuz wonderin when someone wuz gonna come up with audio grade knobs!!  There Ya go!!

Buy it now, for the descriminating audiophile only: NEW AUDIO GRADE KNOBS PRODUCE THE FINEST TESSITURA...........just $399.67 ea

only while supplies last.......................

[Sam KS2AM]

Hmmm.............. I wuz wonderin when someone wuz gonna come up with audio grade knobs!!  There Ya go!!

Buy it now, for the descriminating audiophile only: NEW AUDIO GRADE KNOBS PRODUCE THE FINEST TESSITURA...........just $399.67 ea

only while supplies last.......................

Quality audio knobs will only set you back 485 clams.

http://www.referenceaudiomods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=NOB_C37_C

You might want to give these a shot on that Ranger for my neighbor in Jersey.   



Sam  /  KS2AM

[WBear2GCR]

OH Dear...................................... is right! Come on Bear, it looks like you are on the ropes and trying to come back swinging.

Oh C'mon! Be serious!       

Some of the stuff might actually have some effect, but it is way past the point of diminishing return.Why do you think we refer to you guys as "audiofools"??  because you guys get so wrapped up in the bragging rights that you forget that you are only a human.

Now, gee I thought you'd started to make a sensible and calm statement. Ya let me down.
Yes, we are talking about the realm of "diminishing returns."
The same spot that race cars, race boats, photo gear, fishing gear, heck you name it gets into...

Unfortunately some really take advantage of those who are prone to "folklore".

yes, so?
That just doesn't mean it is ALL that... which is what the jist of most of those squawking so loudly about this topic here appear to be saying.

A fuse, come on, as long as it offers no resistance or voltage drop at the operating current level of the circuit will be transparent. A fuse is for all intents and pourposes a friggin piece of wire. As ling as its current load is not enough to make it heat up, how can it not be linear??

I think you can look it up... an article on it is in The Loudspeaker & Headphone Handbook by Borthwick, iirc. Nice graphs of non-linear fuse behavior. Quite so.  It offers both resistance and Vdrop that is proportional to voltage and current. Like a filament. The harder you hit it the worse it gets.

So, shall we use say a 30 amp fuse on a 3 amp line? Now THAT would be linear, I suspect. But, wait! Oh no!!  That won't PROTECT US!! Help help help!

As far as a line cord is concerned, again as long as it is up to the voltage and current load that it is asked to carry it should be a non issue. If the piece of equipment that it is powering has a properly designed power supply, and that power supply is properly isolated and filtered, and up to the load requirements, the line cord should be another non issue.

Indeed. SHOULD is the operative word.
Whaddya think, you think anyone wanted any of this stuff to have any effect?
It just didn't happen like that.

People did things that everyone knows shouldn't and couldn't possibly have any effect at all. (usually inadvertently or by accident) But, something did happen, and the effect was people being incredulous and scratching their heads over it. This happened as two things occured in audio: 1) very excellent source got readily available to more people and 2) distortion in amps & speakers was reduced, and these became more commonly available. Both happened (generally speaking) after say 1985 - 1990...

Some of it got figured out and reduced to engineering and/or science.
Some has not yet yielded.
Some of it is as you have noted, utter and complete nonsense.

But in an awful large number of places, with gear that is designed into the ground, and has no obvious flaws of any sort, a stupid line cord can and does change something that you can hear.

Quite frankly, it pisses me off quite a bit when it happens when you don't want it to... but it certainly does happen fairly often.

Come by, I can demo it all day long. You can be a blind monkey and you'd be hard pressed to miss it.

By the looks of your writings, i can see that you are very passionate about this audiofool stuff. thats ok-fine, but this is a ham radio site and most of us think that people like you are nuts, as you may well feel the same way about us.

Us?  Who is US white man?
I've been a ham for probably as long as you have...
Never ever been a CBer either. Pleh.

Being different is part of the fun of being alive. Remember that opinions are like an a$$hole, everybody has one. You seem to be wound up like the barking dog next door, and it is fun poking you with the proverbial stick.

Ur easily amused, dear Pigmeat.
Suggest spending some time doing something else that is more productive?

You seem to be wound up and "on the ropes"........................................
Give it up around here as most are not audiofools, at least not to the point that you are. We all enjoy good sounding audio, but have enough common sense not to empty out our wallets looking for those "subtle nuances".

poke...........poke................poke
                                                         The Slab Bacon

Well the nice part, is that Ham Radio and DIY audio have a whole lot of commonality, not the least of which is building things and using tubes. Obviously modulators and amps are pretty darn similar.

Rather than turning up your noses at the WHOLE thing, and taking a few rather silly things (like vacuum speaker cables), the only thing that I'm objecting to is the BROAD BRUSH that is being used. If ur wrong and off base, I'm going to say so.  And, also, trying to turn y'all onto something that is pretty cool and neat. So, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

           _-_-WBear2GCR

[John Holotko]

I unserstand that there are such things as conniseurs of fine quality audio reproduction equipment and that is fine. There are big differences in the quality of various audio components that can make a definate difference when listening. That's fine and I can fully understand and appreciate sensible hi fi audio fanaticism.  BUT..... it can reach a point of stupidity when dealing with non-scientific gobbledegook or, measurable quantities that at best so miniscule that no haman ear will discern even the slightest difference.

Please, $29.00 fuses are not going to make a difference. Ceramically encased fuses are not going to improve "resonace" in any such a way that you or I are going to notice. If making such infinitesimal changes to the incoming power system is going to mnake a notable difference in audio quality then the audiophools are going to have to start replacing their entire house wuiring infrastructure and then start convincing the power company to change their entire infrastructure to enhance the audiophools experience.

There is such a thing about sensiblity in acheiving quality audio. And then there is the art of selling snake of to people who have a  lot of money to spend so that they can acheive a certain level of bragging rights.  Most people on this board have the knowledge and technical experience to recognize audio quackery when they see it. They know that $29.00 ceramic fuses are not going to do squat to improve audio quality. The people selling this garbage are merely con artists. Dependant upon the ignorance of some in order to get them to part with their money.   I and most knowledgeable people on this board are not going to spend $29.00 on a fuse or $600.00 for a "cable cooker".  Unfortunately there are many out there who lack the knowledge and understanding and will gladly plop down $29.00 for a fuse or $600.00 for a "cable cooker". Sad but true.

[John Holotko]

OH Dear...................................... is right! Come on Bear, it looks like you are on the ropes and trying to come back swinging.
A fuse, come on, as long as it offers no resistance or voltage drop at the operating current level of the circuit will be transparent. A fuse is for all intents and pourposes a friggin piece of wire. As ling as its current load is not enough to make it heat up, how can it not be linear??

Yes but you are forgetting these $29.oo/each fuses are  encased in CERAMIC and they sound better because the "ceramic resonates better than glass".

Now, I am confused. If I replace  the fuses in a piece of audiophool gear do I also need to replace the fuses in my house too ? Also, which one resonates better, an automatic circuit breaker or a ceramic fuse ??

All this audiophool stuff about fuses has con-fused me.