The Audiophoolery Thread.

[Craig Sawyers]

Originally Posted by bikerhifinut

Does Blu Tack count Craig?
I've used it for donkey's years to stop speakers sliding off stands as a less damaging solution than sharp spikes sticking up into the expensive wood veneer.
Not a clue as whether it enhances anything though although I imagine it may have a limited amount of vibration damping?

Andy.

For laser optics applications Blue-tak has memory. So you put it in position and then it creeps a bit. Been there, tried that. Plasticene stays put.

The disadvantage with plasticene is that over a period of time at room temperature and exposed to the air (a year or two) it goes as hard as rock. I think that is because the oils that act as the binder either evaporate, or oxidise.

At cryogenic temperatures in the magnet application that of course is not an issue. Plasticene is the standard solution, and it works. Annual consumption by OI was hundred of kg of the stuff per annum. AFAIK the industry has not tried blu-tak.

To either stick speakers to stands, or the stands to the floor though - I would have absolutely no hesitation to use blu-tak.

[GrimJosef]

If it matters, Plasticene is not a great insulator. I suspect its resistivity is high, and probably nonlinear, but on very high voltage stuff (20-30kV upwards) we sometimes stuck blobs or snakes of it on sharp metal points/edges to increase the effective radius and thus lower the local electric field. This prevented corona and arc formation which might otherwise have lead to breakdown.

Cheers,

GJ

[stevehertz]

I won't name it for obvious reasons, but on another forum there's a collection of qty 19 'hifi fuses' for sale. £160 the lot..

[Station X]

They can't be any good at that price. I'd reckon to pay twice that.

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Station X

They can't be any good at that price. I'd reckon to pay twice that.

Presactly. Every audiophool knows that those musical atoms will be able to travel through a proper hifi fuse much sweeter than a standard fuse. Never mind the many metres of plain old copper cable that they have passed through during the recording process and so on afterwards. Oh, and it's my firm belief that these fuses, being sold 'pre-owned', are properly burnt in. Buy with confidence folks.

[Red to black]

You really are a funny guy! (reference to Goodfella's)

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

Oh, and it's my firm belief that these fuses, being sold 'pre-owned', are properly burnt in. Buy with confidence folks.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Who knows, they might have been connected up to some measuring equipment and their audiophile characteristics ruined?

It's difficult to tell. We all know that there's nothing special visible on these fuses. The only way to tell is to get an accredited guru to listen to them.

David

[m0cemdave]

The audio industry has not yet cottoned on to the damping properties of plasticene.

When I worked for a loudspeaker company we used plasticene when making prototype horns. The basic shape was in wood (or could be an existing horn to be modified), then plasticene was applied where necessary to form the detailed shape of the surfaces. Quick and easy to work with and to make fine adjustments to, for example, the shape of a horn throat.
It could also be applied experimentally to verify where extra damping was required although it wasn't used in the final products, in which the usual damping material (in fibreglass horns) was balsa wood.

[knobtwiddler]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

I won't name it for obvious reasons, but on another forum there's a collection of qty 19 'hifi fuses' for sale. £160 the lot..

I got some for our toaster. The whole family agrees that the toast now has better midrange balance.

[elanman99]

Just think what these fuses could do for the whites in your washing machine.

[emeritus]

I have a large collection of vintage glass fuses that I saved from the skip when my Marconi site closed ( they said help yourself, so I did). Perhaps I should put them in some fancy packing and offer them for sale at a premium for use in vintage radios to ensure a vintage listening experience? Not on this forum though!

[Radio Wrangler]

You'd have to decide what colour to tint them, and come up with a smarty pants brand name for them. Then you'd have to listen to each and every one so you could make out a test-sheet listing all the adjectives which apply. Putting out audiophile components isn't just a matter of whomping up the price, some real work has to be expended.

David

[Red to black]

That is me sorted for a new business venture then Thanks.
I am going to run said fuses to within an inch of their life for a week, DC only of course and only with the correct L to R polarity to obtain the correct quantum spin of course, then pop them in the freezer for another week to freeze said spin before shipping, I am going to call them the "Cryoburn range" reg. Tm A steal at a hundred quid each.

A premium range at a 150 quid apiece will also be available as above, but the processing will be for two weeks for each stage.

Have I missed anything ?

[ms660]

Originally Posted by Red to black

That is me sorted for a new business venture then Thanks.
I am going to run said fuses to within an inch of their life for a week, DC only of course and only with the correct L to R polarity to obtain the correct quantum spin of course, then pop them in the freezer for another week to freeze said spin before shipping, I am going to call them the "Cryoburn range" reg. Tm A steal at a hundred quid each.

A premium range at a 150 quid apiece will also be available as above, but the processing will be for two weeks for each stage.

Have I missed anything ?

Yes, the guarantee.....100 years or 'till you first use them whichever comes first.

Lawrence.

[Red to black]

Damn!! I never thought of that bit... lol

Given the "huge" cost of the fuses, one could offer an inheritable lifetime replacement guarantee or even a "sale or return" replacement if they don't like the sound of a particular (serial numbered) fuse.

Poor lambs, they need all the help they can get.

[Red to black]

There was me thinking I was being too cheap!

[Craig Sawyers]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

Given the "huge" cost of the fuses, one could offer an inheritable lifetime replacement guarantee or even a "sale or return" replacement if they don't like the sound of a particular (serial numbered) fuse.

Poor lambs, they need all the help they can get.

Whatever the various opinions are about Russ Andrews (and there are strong ones both pro and against), he offers a sale or return on everything he sells. Including the fuses. 60 day no quibble.

Try that with any other company: "I've decided I don't like it. There is nothing wrong with it, I'd just like to return it after 2 months for a full refund"

I'm not inviting another Russ bashing by the way. Just saying it the way it is.

Craig

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Craig Sawyers

Whatever the various opinions are about Russ Andrews (and there are strong ones both pro and against), he offers a sale or return on everything he sells. Including the fuses. 60 day no quibble.

Try that with any other company: "I've decided I don't like it. There is nothing wrong with it, I'd just like to return it after 2 months for a full refund"

I'm not inviting another Russ bashing by the way. Just saying it the way it is.

Craig

All very well, but the intrinsic psyche of the audiophile/phool is very often of the blind belief kind. Hence, a buyer of such expensive, exclusive, hifi fuses is more than likely able to 'hear' a difference and be perfectly satisfied with his purchase, chuffed in fact, and have no desire to return them. That's part of the whole audiophool thing; they hear what they want to hear and are happy to pay a lot of money for that plastic satisfaction. Audiophools have and are being conned into spending lots more money on much more nebulous things than fuses. Here's some wooden cable elevators (sold by Russ Andrews as it happens - and I didn't search for his name, just a product type): https://www.russandrews.com/cable-elevators-set-of-2-4227999...f0o59vvlaBhYz5zcPllWGBoCvawQAvD_BwE

I mean, come on, this is pure April 1st joke territory, anyone who believes that this improves the sound of a hifi system has to be .

One of my Saturnalia presents this year was a bottle of Talisker. Now that improved the sound/vision and programme quality no end. Unfortunately it is not a "fit and forget" type of thing, never mind! Probably cost as much as 1" of sooper dooper 'speaker cable.

I do wonder if the purveyors of these things really "believe"* they work or are just rip off merchants.

*Belief "an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof."