Hypex NC400 - DIY Mods

[TNT]

You know - AC is "alternating"... means current goes one way for a while, and the takes the opposite direction in the next (hence the world "alternate") - there is a logical flow of energy going in one direction (towards the amp) - but this is nothing a fuse can tell. So, a directive fuse is such utter nonsense that it is embarrassing. I might do the resistor change on my pair as I also hover at -30dB. Inductor - well.... caps- no.

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[fpitas]

You know - AC is "alternating"... means current goes one way for a while, and the takes the opposite direction in the next (hence the world "alternate") - there is a logical flow of energy going in one direction (towards the amp) - but this is nothing a fuse can tell. So, a directive fuse is such utter nonsense that it is embarrassing. I might do the resistor change on my pair as I also hover at -30dB. Inductor - well.... caps- no.

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I'm hoping it's an elaborate troll. Hoping!!! I keep telling myself that.

 

[Feyire]

there is a logical flow of energy going in one direction (towards the amp) - but this is nothing a fuse can tell. So, a directive fuse is such utter nonsense that it is embarrassing.

All I can say to that is that the only difference I heard with the new fuse was in the bass (i.e. lower frequencies). Placed in one direction sounded noticably different and better over the other - that was my subjective experience.

I might do the resistor change on my pair as I also hover at -30dB.

That's worth pursuing for sure. You'll gain (pun intended) much better signal-to-noise ratio at your DAC as it gets closer to 0dB output.

Just be careful with the soldering and share your feedback afterwards if you wish.

 

[Killingbeans]

All I can say to that is that the only difference I heard with the new fuse was in the bass (i.e. lower frequencies). Placed in one direction sounded noticably different and better over the other - that was my subjective experience.

The chance of it having anything to do with the fuse is practically nil. Just saying.

 

[fpitas]

Maybe the fuse just needed the old, low-fidelity electrons pushed out.

 

[TNT]

difference I heard with the new fuse

Well, I sure that if you did a test where you didn't know if it was in or out, I'm sure you'd would find that you could not tell any difference. It is your brain playing tricks on you - you do realise this!? You belive and await an effect - wops, it's there... We have all suffered from it I'm sure... I have in my early days. It's a hobby - yes, and by all means enjoy it, but don't lure gullible people (like yourself) to feed this business. It's unethical I think. The persons who write these things on the net that you fell for, probably has a steak in that very lucrative business - these fuses cost 10c to produce and sell for 100USD. And do nothing electrically good whatsoever.

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[fpitas]

Well, I sure that if you did a test where you didn't know if it was in or out, I'm sure you'd would find that you could not tell any difference. It is your brain playing tricks on you - you do realise this!? You belive and await an effect - wops, it's there... We have all suffered from it I'm sure... I have in my early days. It's a hobby - yes, and by all means enjoy it, but don't lure gullible people (like yourself) to feed this business. It's unethical I think. The persons who write these things on the net that you fell for, probably has a steak in that very lucrative business - these fuses cost 10c to produce and sell for 100USD. And do nothing electrically good whatsoever.

//

I certainly won't argue with anything you said, but this whole exercise of "improving" what is already a well-designed amp is dubious, at best. I keep hoping it's an elaborate troll, but who knows. In any event I agree that people should beware advice from the internet. Even mine

 

[Killingbeans]

Well, I sure that if you did a test where you didn't know if it was in or out, I'm sure you'd would find that you could not tell any difference. It is your brain playing tricks on you - you do realise this!? You belive and await an effect - wops, it's there... We have all suffered from it I'm sure... I have in my early days. It's a hobby - yes, and by all means enjoy it, but don't lure gullible people (like yourself) to feed this business. It's unethical I think. The persons who write these things on the net that you fell for, probably has a steak in that very lucrative business - these fuses cost 10c to produce and sell for 100USD. And do nothing electrically good whatsoever.

//

I agree 100%. It should be obvious. But I also suspect that @Feyire will never allow himself to come to that conclusion.

 

[Feyire]

I agree 100%. It should be obvious. But I also suspect that @Feyire will never allow himself to come to that conclusion.

If the fuse hadn't made any audible difference, or if it had made an audibly detrimental difference, then it would have been sent back for a refund - as simple as that. I also wouldn't advise such a modification as worthwhile to try if it hadn't been the case for myself.

Well, I sure that if you did a test where you didn't know if it was in or out, I'm sure you'd would find that you could not tell any difference. It is your brain playing tricks on you - you do realise this!? You belive and await an effect - wops, it's there... We have all suffered from it I'm sure... I have in my early days. It's a hobby - yes, and by all means enjoy it, but don't lure gullible people (like yourself) to feed this business. It's unethical I think. The persons who write these things on the net that you fell for, probably has a steak in that very lucrative business - these fuses cost 10c to produce and sell for 100USD. And do nothing electrically good whatsoever.

//

When I did the listening comparisons, I sat down with my girlfriend who doesn't care at all about my sound system and how it is setup, and asked her to listen for any differences, and in the end we both agreed that the fuse sounded better in one direction, as opposed to the other. The difference was only noticed in the bass frequencies, which is where you have the highest current draw.

If you're so convinced it does nothing, why don't you purchase one from a web shop with an appropriate refund policy, and try it? At least you'd be sharing your own real personal experience, rather than just dismissing it without your own evidence.

I keep hoping it's an elaborate troll, but who knows. In any event I agree that people should beware advice from the internet. Even mine

Not sure why you think I'm trolling. I'm not here to try and intentionally convince people to damage and/or degrade their equipment. I'm also not selling anything or looking for any kind of financial gain. I'm just sharing my own personal experience.

If you don't believe in the various outlined modifications, or are not interested in them, then this thread is clearly not intended for you.

 

[fpitas]

Not sure why you think I'm trolling. I'm not here to try and intentionally convince people to damage and/or degrade their equipment. I'm also not selling anything or looking for any kind of financial gain. I'm just sharing my own personal experience.

If you don't believe in the various outlined modifications, or are not interested in them, then this thread is clearly not intended for you.

I am...deeply skeptical. But you're right, this thread is not intended for me. Having said my piece, I'll retire.

 

[Killingbeans]

If the fuse hadn't made any audible difference, or if it had made an audibly detrimental difference, then it would have been sent back for a refund - as simple as that. I also wouldn't advise such a modification as worthwhile to try if it hadn't been the case for myself.

Name me a single hoodoo voodoo tweak that doesn't exist solely because of that kind of reasoning. They all give the exact same experience you descibe.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

If the fuse hadn't made any audible difference, or if it had made an audibly detrimental difference, then it would have been sent back for a refund - as simple as that. I also wouldn't advise such a modification as worthwhile to try if it hadn't been the case for myself.


When I did the listening comparisons, I sat down with my girlfriend who doesn't care at all about my sound system and how it is setup, and asked her to listen for any differences, and in the end we both agreed that the fuse sounded better in one direction, as opposed to the other. The difference was only noticed in the bass frequencies, which is where you have the highest current draw.

If you're so convinced it does nothing, why don't you purchase one from a web shop with an appropriate refund policy, and try it? At least you'd be sharing your own real personal experience, rather than just dismissing it without your own evidence.


Not sure why you think I'm trolling. I'm not here to try and intentionally convince people to damage and/or degrade their equipment. I'm also not selling anything or looking for any kind of financial gain. I'm just sharing my own personal experience.

If you don't believe in the various outlined modifications, or are not interested in them, then this thread is clearly not intended for you.

Can’t believe the nonsense you believe in especially as all this is so well known and debunked many times over and there is a perfect explanation for your perceptions.

The only thing is the SNR reduction with less gain, but that is so trivial and applies to any amp (but yet again in this case might not even be advisable and certainly not audible).

 

[Feyire]

Can’t believe the nonsense you believe in especially as all this is so well known and debunked many times over and there is a perfect explanation for your perceptions.

Since you have no personal experience with this modification, and haven't provided any peer reviewed research as to the effects (or lack thereof) of electronic fuses on the audio experience, everything you just wrote is hearsay. We can forever go back and forth in a "he-said, she-said" situation.

As I said previously, if you don't believe in the various outlined modifications and their stated benefits, or are not interested in them, then this thread is clearly not intended for you.

 

[Killingbeans]

Since you have no personal experience with this modification, and haven't provided any peer reviewed research as to the effects (or lack thereof) of electronic fuses on the audio experience, everything you just wrote is hearsay.

The problem is that it's physically impossible for a fuse to do the things you descibe, whereas it's highly possible for the placebo effect to give such a result.

If I found a person who sells super expensive bottles of tap water claiming that they enhance your endurance when you drink them, then bought some and reported to people how it made me run for longer. Would it makes sense to go "hearsay!" if somebody responded "Tap water can't do that. It's just expectation bias that makes you push yourself a little harder"? No, right? This situation isn't any different.

We can forever go back and forth in a "he-said, she-said" situation.

I have no problem acknowledging the ridiculously infinitesimal chance of a SMPS fuse doing something audible, if you acknowledge the ginormous risk of placebo being the cause of the experience.

As I said previously, if you don't believe in the various outlined modifications and their stated benefits, or are not interested in them, then this thread is clearly not intended for you.

No, just no... Compartmentalizing nonsense doesn't stop it from spreading. There's absolutely no good reason to give this kind of stuff a place to live.

 

[fpitas]

No, just no... Compartmentalizing nonsense doesn't stop it from spreading. There's absolutely no good reason to give this kind of stuff a place to live.

Agreed. Not on ASR. It's kind of our job to push back the tide of nonsense.

 

[Feyire]

Agreed. Not on ASR. It's kind of our job to push back the tide of nonsense.

The current presented arguments against it are "..brain playing tricks..", "..physically impossible for a fuse to do the things you describe..", "..nonsense...", "..this is so well known...", "...debunked many times over.." and "..tide of nonsense..".

Still waiting on those peer reviewed research papers that add the scientifically backed credence to your claims, or even just your own subjective personal experience with the modification.

I have no problem acknowledging the ridiculously infinitesimal chance of a SMPS fuse doing something audible, if you acknowledge the ginormous risk of placebo being the cause of the experience.

Placebo is entirely possible, I don't deny it. However, how many AB tests are needed to be performed with the same result, until it is not considered placebo anymore?

 

[fpitas]

The current presented arguments against it are "..brain playing tricks..", "..physically impossible for a fuse to do the things you describe..", "..nonsense...", "..this is so well known...", "...debunked many times over.." and "..tide of nonsense..".

Still waiting on those peer reviewed research papers that add the scientifically backed credence to your claims, or even just your own subjective personal experience with the modification.

Although I have to admit...a research paper proving a fuse is just a small wire would be quite humorous.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Since you have no personal experience with this modification, and haven't provided any peer reviewed research as to the effects (or lack thereof) of electronic fuses on the audio experience, everything you just wrote is hearsay. We can forever go back and forth in a "he-said, she-said" situation.

As I said previously, if you don't believe in the various outlined modifications and their stated benefits, or are not interested in them, then this thread is clearly not intended for you.

The claimant of implausible claims needs to bring the proof. It is like you are claiming the earth is flat, whereas it is well established that it is not. So as you believe it is flat, you bring the proof. That far out it is what you are saying.

Do your homework, go to school, take a course, read books … they will teach you and then you will know too, provided you are even open to it. (don’t need to write a PhD on it or find a research paper, it is that basic).

Plus people have patiently explained it all to you already and I am not doing it again, as it is a waste of time, because you will ignore it anyway.

I am only interested that others who might read this nonsense are mislead by your abstruse ideas.

 

[Killingbeans]

However, how many AB tests are needed to be performed with the same result, until it is not considered placebo anymore?

You could do it like this: Your girlfriend flips a coin and puts in either a normal cheap fuse or the fancy silver one. She makes a note on a piece of paper about what was put in, but keeps you in the dark. You aren't allowed to ask her or coax out non-verbal cues. Then you listen and make a note about what fuse you think is being utilized on a piece of paper of your own. Your girlfriend does a secret coin flip + potential fuse swap again, and you listen again with no knowledge of what's in the fuse holder and make your note. You repeat this blind testing 10 or maybe 20 times, and then you compare notes. If your notes are as good as random guessing, then you're screwed (or rather, then the fuse con men, hopefully, has one less future victim). If your results are better than random guessing, then there's basis for more rigorous testing.

 

[AdamG]

When I did the listening comparisons, I sat down with my girlfriend who doesn't care at all about my sound system and how it is setup, and asked her to listen for any differences, and in the end we both agreed that the fuse sounded better in one direction, as opposed to the other. The difference was only noticed in the bass frequencies, which is where you have the highest current draw.

If this is true, then grab a mic & REW and record some Frequency Sweeps with the fuse in one position and then the other position and show us how the bass increases in the measurement plots. Should be pretty straightforward experiment. The burden of proof is on you as you are the person making the claim that changing the orientation of the fuse makes an improvement in the Bass frequencies. We await to be astonished.