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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?


Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced a 500mA 250v
fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the sound much improved. Then I
decided to replace the 1.6a fuse with a jumper made of a silver
paperclip, and found the sound improved much further. Then I replaced
the paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved further
(though I'm less sure about the solder being better than the clip
overall...).

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so much about the gear blowing up,
since its old gear anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I
leave the amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of the
preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the integrated, its a wood
casing. What are the chances of fire and how would it start? What are
the chances of it blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless amp?

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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

This has to be the most nonsensical claim I've evr heard.
Do a search on the placebo effect.
Fuses don't do ANYTHING to the sound.
What a friggin moron.

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Don Pearce
 
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 13:21:35 -0500, Walt
wrote:

wrote:

Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced a 500mA 250v
fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the sound much improved. Then I
decided to replace the 1.6a fuse with a jumper made of a silver
paperclip, and found the sound improved much further. Then I replaced
the paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved further
(though I'm less sure about the solder being better than the clip
overall...).


Let me guess: It sounds much more warm without the fuse. LOL.

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse?


You could burn up the power supply, or it could catch on fire. Put the
damn fuse back in.


You can't fight Darwin. He'll only find some other way to fry himself.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

wrote:

This has to be the most nonsensical claim I've evr heard.
Do a search on the placebo effect.
Fuses don't do ANYTHING to the sound.
What a friggin moron.


Do you always talk like this to people in real life, or only when
safely ensconced behind a computer? Because if you do, I imagine you
have no teeth by now, and its probably hard for you to type anything.

As for "the most nonsensical claim I ever heard", you only display your
extreme ignorance in matters of audio. First off, I didn't make any
"claim" on anything, I only mentioned what I did and heard in order to
find out more about the process. Secondly,
there are FAR more "nonsensical sounding claims" than the idea that
fuses contribute to sonic degradation. That doesn't make those claims
false. It just means you are an ignorant clueless asswipe, and you're
better off shutting your piehole when certain subjects on audio are
discussed that you dont know **** all about. You haven't even heard the
effect of what you are stupidly criticizing, in order to realize what
an ignorant asswipe you are in the first place. For one thing, Yves
Bernard André has fuses custom made for his amplifiers, and his
amplifiers are unanimously praised as sounding quite excellent. YOU are
the one that needs to "do the research" on the sonic effects of fuses,
since you're the one misguided by false information. When you can
design amplifiers of this calibre, you might have something relevant to
say here. But since you don't have anything useful to contribute to the
world, please refer back to my earlier advice about shutting your
ignorant piehole. Thank you.

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Well it certainly isn't going to be people like you that others will
praise for advancing the state of music reproduction. You're not a
heavy thinker but, you make a good follower. I guess.


Don Pearce wrote:
On 24 Jan 2006 10:30:24 -0800, wrote:


Walt wrote:
wrote:

Let me guess: It sounds much more warm without the fuse. LOL.


No, I wouldn't describe it as that. Without going into minute details,
the overall resolution is much higher.

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse?

You could burn up the power supply, or it could catch on fire. Put the
damn fuse back in.


Could you describe just what condtions would cause the power supply to
burn up or catch on fire (I would not have thought this component to be
flammable!)? As I say, I've been running it a couple of hours so far
and there's been no change. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago I had
previously removed the heatsink from the output transistors in order to
improve the sound, and there was never any overheating problem.


What you need to do is remove the heat sink again ( that was a good
start). Now pack the heads of matches around the output devices, and
fix a can of lighter fluid close to them. Actually, a couple of
disposable lighters will do as well.

That should achieve the effect you are seeking. Play some music loudly
to complete the picture.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com




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Don Pearce
 
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

On 24 Jan 2006 10:52:35 -0800, wrote:

I guess.


So we can see. I suggest you stop guessing, and start thinking.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com
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Arny Krueger
 
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

wrote in message
ups.com
Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced
a 500mA 250v fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the
sound much improved. Then I decided to replace the 1.6a
fuse with a jumper made of a silver paperclip, and found
the sound improved much further. Then I replaced the
paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved
further (though I'm less sure about the solder being
better than the clip overall...).

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an
integrated amp or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so
much about the gear blowing up, since its old gear
anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I leave the
amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of
the preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the
integrated, its a wood casing. What are the chances of
fire and how would it start? What are the chances of it
blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless
amp?


Good question for rec.audio.opinion. Ask for Middius.


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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

Best if your in the house when the thing goes up.
You can get your Darwin award....putz.



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Then both you AND Bernard Andre are fools.

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Colin B. wrote:
wrote:


Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so much about the gear blowing up,
since its old gear anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I
leave the amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of the
preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the integrated, its a wood
casing. What are the chances of fire and how would it start? What are
the chances of it blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless amp?


Given your first paragraph, I'm inclined to say that you should accept the
risks and eliminate the fuse. Hopefully it _will_ catch fire, and we'll have
one fewer true believer in the newsgroup.


Don't worry, I'm not trying to take over your little boys club. That's
"little boys" club, and not "little boys club". I would like to take
you up on it, but obviously, I can not "accept the risks" if none of
you ignorant ****s (you included "Colin B"), are able to describe
exactly what conditions would cause a preamp or integrated to "catch on
fire", as you keep alleging. Is this why one of your colleagues
proposed that i use lighter fluid and matches inside my amp? In order
to "prove" how right you are, when it is probably highly unlikely that
either of these two devices will "catch on fire"? And if they do "catch
on fire", given that one of them is in my baby's room, what kind of
stupid SICK ******* are you, that you would want to see a baby DIE?!
You're a pure Asshole, you are.

Now assuming I don't put vials of lighter fluid in the components,
let's see if a true ignoramus like yourself can even name one thing
that is flammable inside an amp and will make it "catch on fire", as
you allege. DO you even know what solder is made of, moron? Try
"metal". Holy cow! That's the same ingredient as what you find in a
fuse! Has it ever occured to you, imbecile, that if the metal wire in a
fuse breaks and shorts the connection, that this is EXACTLY what will
happen to the silver solder wire that I've joined to the two ends of my
fuse holder?

Try THINKING, instead displaying your infinite igornance, before you
post.



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GregS
 
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

In article . com, wrote:

Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced a 500mA 250v
fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the sound much improved. Then I
decided to replace the 1.6a fuse with a jumper made of a silver
paperclip, and found the sound improved much further. Then I replaced
the paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved further
(though I'm less sure about the solder being better than the clip
overall...).

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so much about the gear blowing up,
since its old gear anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I
leave the amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of the
preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the integrated, its a wood
casing. What are the chances of fire and how would it start? What are
the chances of it blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless amp?


Changing a fuse should do a bunch more than replacing a cord, especially
a cooroded fuse connection. Relacing any connection is likely to improve the connection.

A fuse can help prevent shocks, but there is no guarantee. Damaged transformers could leak
currents. Its preferable to have all metal cases grounded, but not all metal cases
are grounded. Wood can overheat with damaged components, and may or may
not still work. Fires have been started with metal chassis equipment, allthough
mostly with ventillated chassis.

greg


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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

Thanks Greg. I was having so much fun swatting the ignorant flies that
breed around the **** they create on this newsgroup, I wasn't expecting
an intelligent, respectful, and non-ridiculing response like this.
Especially so "late in the game" (given that the flies on this group do
nothing all day but post here, that means it only takes about 5-10
minutes for a thread to degenerate due to the inherent stupidity of
low-level audio techies on the net...). It's always funny for me to see
that once you start mentioning you can hear things to wannabe-
engineers that they weren't taught in their local college courses, they
start freaking out in fits of neuroses. Like babies who've had their
security blankets rudely yanked away. They don't even TRY to debate the
issue they contend with in the first place (because they actually
can't...), they simply make COMPLETE asses out of themselves, because
they simply don't know what to do with themselves...

Anyway, not sure what you mean by "changing a fuse should do a bunch
more than replacing a cord". Bunch more soundwise? Replacing one fuse
for the same fuse, or for that of a different rating? As mentioned in
my message, I didn't try replacing one fuse for another of the same
type, but for that of a different type. I did try reversing the amps
original fuse, and found that made an audible difference as well.

What I'm still unsure about is:

- What is the exact risk involved of changing the rating of a fuse (in
my case, 1.6a 125v for a 500mA 250v)?

- What is the exact risk involved in using solder wire instead of the
original fuse and its filament wire? (Seems to me the solder would burn
at an even lower temperature,

- Would a transformer damaged by the absence of the original fuse be
audibly apparent before leaking currents and creating a risk of shock?

- How can I check to be sure my metal case is properly grounded?



GregS wrote:
In article . com, wrote:

Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced a 500mA 250v
fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the sound much improved. Then I
decided to replace the 1.6a fuse with a jumper made of a silver
paperclip, and found the sound improved much further. Then I replaced
the paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved further
(though I'm less sure about the solder being better than the clip
overall...).

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so much about the gear blowing up,
since its old gear anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I
leave the amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of the
preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the integrated, its a wood
casing. What are the chances of fire and how would it start? What are
the chances of it blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless amp?


Changing a fuse should do a bunch more than replacing a cord, especially
a cooroded fuse connection. Relacing any connection is likely to improve the connection.

A fuse can help prevent shocks, but there is no guarantee. Damaged transformers could leak
currents. Its preferable to have all metal cases grounded, but not all metal cases
are grounded. Wood can overheat with damaged components, and may or may
not still work. Fires have been started with metal chassis equipment, allthough
mostly with ventillated chassis.

greg


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Who said I made amplifiers?
I do work for the largest fuse manufacturer in the worls however...

Do your speaker cables have little arrows on them too Bob?

P.T. Barnum sure was right...



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Don Pearce wrote:

On 24 Jan 2006 11:35:40 -0800, wrote:

I see that your ability to comprehend English syntax is about as good
as your engineering know-how. Especially considering that you are still
flapping your gums here but have not been able to explain what will
cause my amp to "catch on fire" or that fuses are inaudible or whatever
other nonsense that you are trying to blubber out. Obviously, like the
rest of the RATs and leeches here, you know nothing about desigining
world class amps. You don't even know how a fuse works. Why then have
you leeched on to my thread?

Because despite everything, you are making me laugh.



Trust me, I'm not making you laugh even half as much as you are making
me laugh. The fact that you have nothing better going on in your life
than to hang around newsgroups ridiculing people who's experiences
contradict your lack of explanations, makes me laugh at you even
harder. Like many of your kind, you're too stupid to realize exactly
how stupid you are.. and how stupid you look to those that realize how
stupid you are. And like the true hypocrites that you and your kind are
known to be, you demand evidence of everything when someone discusses
something in audio you've never heard of, but you provide absolutely
NONE but your vigorous denials of their empirical trials. Nice show of
illustrating just what group of pathetic fools you belong to.


Do drop in a post
just before you carry out your big experiment, then when you make no
more posts we will all know what has happened - we'll raise a glass to
you!


Indeed! What a surprise that you sound just like the other fool I just
read on this group who criticized a well known audiophile publisher
(John Atkinson) for ignorance because of something he didn't mention.
Not only do people have NOTHING to offer to support your vigorous
denials, but in a blinding display of sheer and total ignorance, you
make these insane leaps of logic whereby you assume a negative to be a
positive.... (that means, translated for a supreme idiot such as
yourself, that you are concluding something is true simply for the fact
that you do not know it to be untrue. The least I can say about you, is
that your twisted, simple-minded kindergarten logic is at least
consistent. Since you also believe that in the case of the audibility
of fuses, it must not be true, since you do not know it to be true).

Are you the official leader of the flies on this newsgroup? Since you
seem to consider yourself important enough to state your business in
your signature, then you can pass along the official RAT credo to the
other ****fly buddies of yours:

"We, the flies who hover around mounds of our own ****, believe that
whatever we do not know to be true is false, and whatever we do not
know to be false, is true".

You can take credit for that, I don't mind. Because I believe that all
confederacies of dunces should have a binding credo.






d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

  #32   Report Post  
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?


Arny Krueger wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com
Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced
a 500mA 250v fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the
sound much improved. Then I decided to replace the 1.6a
fuse with a jumper made of a silver paperclip, and found
the sound improved much further. Then I replaced the
paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved
further (though I'm less sure about the solder being
better than the clip overall...).

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an
integrated amp or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so
much about the gear blowing up, since its old gear
anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I leave the
amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of
the preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the
integrated, its a wood casing. What are the chances of
fire and how would it start? What are the chances of it
blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless
amp?


Good question for rec.audio.opinion. Ask for Middius.


Aren't you the sick ******* that was collecting all sorts of kiddie
porn, and falsely accused others of sending it to you?

  #33   Report Post  
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

It truly is a wonder that you are still alive.
If you don't even know how to check for a ground, take your amp to a
qualified professional.
Put the fuse back in.
Somebody should probably take the kids out of your house...

  #34   Report Post  
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Don Pearce
 
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

On 24 Jan 2006 12:13:22 -0800, wrote:


Don Pearce wrote:

On 24 Jan 2006 11:35:40 -0800,
wrote:

I see that your ability to comprehend English syntax is about as good
as your engineering know-how. Especially considering that you are still
flapping your gums here but have not been able to explain what will
cause my amp to "catch on fire" or that fuses are inaudible or whatever
other nonsense that you are trying to blubber out. Obviously, like the
rest of the RATs and leeches here, you know nothing about desigining
world class amps. You don't even know how a fuse works. Why then have
you leeched on to my thread?

Because despite everything, you are making me laugh.



Trust me, I'm not making you laugh even half as much as you are making
me laugh. The fact that you have nothing better going on in your life
than to hang around newsgroups ridiculing people who's experiences
contradict your lack of explanations, makes me laugh at you even
harder. Like many of your kind, you're too stupid to realize exactly
how stupid you are.. and how stupid you look to those that realize how
stupid you are. And like the true hypocrites that you and your kind are
known to be, you demand evidence of everything when someone discusses
something in audio you've never heard of, but you provide absolutely
NONE but your vigorous denials of their empirical trials. Nice show of
illustrating just what group of pathetic fools you belong to.


Do drop in a post
just before you carry out your big experiment, then when you make no
more posts we will all know what has happened - we'll raise a glass to
you!


Indeed! What a surprise that you sound just like the other fool I just
read on this group who criticized a well known audiophile publisher
(John Atkinson) for ignorance because of something he didn't mention.
Not only do people have NOTHING to offer to support your vigorous
denials, but in a blinding display of sheer and total ignorance, you
make these insane leaps of logic whereby you assume a negative to be a
positive.... (that means, translated for a supreme idiot such as
yourself, that you are concluding something is true simply for the fact
that you do not know it to be untrue. The least I can say about you, is
that your twisted, simple-minded kindergarten logic is at least
consistent. Since you also believe that in the case of the audibility
of fuses, it must not be true, since you do not know it to be true).

Are you the official leader of the flies on this newsgroup? Since you
seem to consider yourself important enough to state your business in
your signature, then you can pass along the official RAT credo to the
other ****fly buddies of yours:

"We, the flies who hover around mounds of our own ****, believe that
whatever we do not know to be true is false, and whatever we do not
know to be false, is true".

You can take credit for that, I don't mind. Because I believe that all
confederacies of dunces should have a binding credo.


Nope, didn't get any of that. Anybody help?

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com
  #35   Report Post  
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GregS
 
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Default How safe operating an amp with no fuse?

In article .com, wrote:
Thanks Greg. I was having so much fun swatting the ignorant flies that
breed around the **** they create on this newsgroup, I wasn't expecting
an intelligent, respectful, and non-ridiculing response like this.
Especially so "late in the game" (given that the flies on this group do
nothing all day but post here, that means it only takes about 5-10
minutes for a thread to degenerate due to the inherent stupidity of
low-level audio techies on the net...). It's always funny for me to see
that once you start mentioning you can hear things to wannabe-
engineers that they weren't taught in their local college courses, they
start freaking out in fits of neuroses. Like babies who've had their
security blankets rudely yanked away. They don't even TRY to debate the
issue they contend with in the first place (because they actually
can't...), they simply make COMPLETE asses out of themselves, because
they simply don't know what to do with themselves...

Anyway, not sure what you mean by "changing a fuse should do a bunch
more than replacing a cord". Bunch more soundwise? Replacing one fuse
for the same fuse, or for that of a different rating? As mentioned in
my message, I didn't try replacing one fuse for another of the same
type, but for that of a different type. I did try reversing the amps
original fuse, and found that made an audible difference as well.


Many change the replacable line cord which does very little
in the big picture. I do like soldered line cords. A line cord normally
has less resistance than a fuse, except slow blowing fuses under
1 amp will show definate resistance increases. The equipment should
be built to go around these issues and perform OK.

If you think you hear a difference, then a difference could possibly exist.


What I'm still unsure about is:

- What is the exact risk involved of changing the rating of a fuse (in
my case, 1.6a 125v for a 500mA 250v)?


Some fire potential. A fuse does not guarantee anything except current overflow.


- What is the exact risk involved in using solder wire instead of the
original fuse and its filament wire? (Seems to me the solder would burn
at an even lower temperature,


You probably mean silver solder vs silver bearing solder. It does not
melt at too low of a temperature, but lower than copper. A fuse is made
to have resistance and cause heat melting itself. The lower the rating, the
more the resistance. Silver bearing solder could have at least 1 % silver
content. Most of the non-lead solders have a higher melting temperature,
but most solders have high resistance.


- Would a transformer damaged by the absence of the original fuse be
audibly apparent before leaking currents and creating a risk of shock?


No. The fuse would not damage the transformer, but could cause a damaged
transformer to get too hot or otherwise let it continue to opperate when
it should not be opperating.

- How can I check to be sure my metal case is properly grounded?


It might have a 3 wire AC connector. Thats normally the only way to ground, but
there are other ways. Most consumer audio equipment does not have a grounded
case. Grounding it may cause ground loop noise.
In non grounded equipment, a voltmeter connected to a resistor and parallel capacitor is normally
attached from the equipment to earth ground. There is a limit on passing current,
normally less than 100 uA.



GregS wrote:
In article . com,

wrote:

Did some experiments on the fuse of my amp... I replaced a 500mA 250v
fuse with a 1.6a 125v fuse and found the sound much improved. Then I
decided to replace the 1.6a fuse with a jumper made of a silver
paperclip, and found the sound improved much further. Then I replaced
the paper clip with silver solder, and found it improved further
(though I'm less sure about the solder being better than the clip
overall...).

Question is: Exactly what risks are there in running an integrated amp
or a preamp sans fuse? I don't care so much about the gear blowing up,
since its old gear anyway. But nor do I want a fire started when I
leave the amp running all night or am not at home. In the case of the
preamp, the casing is solid metal, with the integrated, its a wood
casing. What are the chances of fire and how would it start? What are
the chances of it blowing up and how might that occur? (so far, no
problems!). Is electrical shock a risk with a fuseless amp?


Changing a fuse should do a bunch more than replacing a cord, especially
a cooroded fuse connection. Relacing any connection is likely to improve the

connection.

A fuse can help prevent shocks, but there is no guarantee. Damaged

transformers could leak
currents. Its preferable to have all metal cases grounded, but not all metal

cases
are grounded. Wood can overheat with damaged components, and may or may
not still work. Fires have been started with metal chassis equipment,

allthough
mostly with ventillated chassis.

greg




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GregS wrote:
In article .com, wrote:



Anyway, not sure what you mean by "changing a fuse should do a bunch
more than replacing a cord". Bunch more soundwise? Replacing one fuse
for the same fuse, or for that of a different rating? As mentioned in
my message, I didn't try replacing one fuse for another of the same
type, but for that of a different type. I did try reversing the amps
original fuse, and found that made an audible difference as well.


Many change the replacable line cord which does very little
in the big picture.


Yes, I know about that. I've changed line cords on tape decks,
turntables, etc.... always found significant differences. Didn't always
like the difference, since so many characteristics change. Not easy to
experiment with, unless you play around with IEC replaceable cords.


I do like soldered line cords. A line cord normally
has less resistance than a fuse, except slow blowing fuses under
1 amp will show definate resistance increases. The equipment should
be built to go around these issues and perform OK.

If you think you hear a difference, then a difference could possibly exist.


The difference is tremendous (to me), and I have no doubt it exists,
but then, I really didn't come here to prove that to anybody or debate
this issue (especially with those who have preconceived notions about
what can and can't be perceived in audio...)... only to find out what
the "real risk" was of substituting the fuse for something else that
would maintain the current, as the fuse did, but sound better. I don't
claim to have an engineering background, which is why I came asking
questions.

What I was comparing was the silver solder that I used in place of the
fuse (I dont nkow the percentage, but Im sure its very low, I nkow it
contains lead and its from RadioShack), vs. the wire filament in the
glass fuse tube. I'm thinking that if the wire filament is designed to
cut off the current during an overload or short by breaking from the
heat generated, would not the solder have the same effect of melting
during an overload and thereby cutting off the current and preventing
the amp from melting down or "catching fire"? The electronic solder
used does not seem to have a particularly high melting point, but I
don't know if it is much lower than that of a fuse filament. However, I
understand you to say most solders have high resistance, and that
resistance is what helps the filament in a fuse melt itself. Would this
not make it easy for the Radio Shack silver (probly mostly lead!)
solder to melt under overload conditions and prevent further damage?




What I'm still unsure about is:

- What is the exact risk involved of changing the rating of a fuse (in
my case, 1.6a 125v for a 500mA 250v)?


Some fire potential. A fuse does not guarantee anything except current overflow.



So you're saying even the RIGHT fuse installed does not guarantee the
amp wont catch on fire? Intersting, because all the crazy little boys
here have been screaming at me that my amp will send me and family to a
burning hell the minute I replace the fuse with anything but the rated
type. Some are even prearing hot dogs to roast at my family's
"personal barbecue", from what I've read.


You probably mean silver solder vs silver bearing solder. It does not
melt at too low of a temperature, but lower than copper. A fuse is made
to have resistance and cause heat melting itself. The lower the rating, the
more the resistance. Silver bearing solder could have at least 1 % silver
content. Most of the non-lead solders have a higher melting temperature,
but most solders have high resistance.


- How can I check to be sure my metal case is properly grounded?


It might have a 3 wire AC connector. Thats normally the only way to ground, but
there are other ways. Most consumer audio equipment does not have a grounded
case. Grounding it may cause ground loop noise.


I guess my metal preamp isnt grounded then. Theres some kind of
grounding going on inside of it, but the plug is a two prong ungrounded
type.




In non grounded equipment, a voltmeter connected to a resistor and parallel capacitor is normally
attached from the equipment to earth ground. There is a limit on passing current,
normally less than 100 uA.


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