Good Morning

Thanks all for your kind messages

I had a little "in office fix up" so I'm doing OK. Hope to travel on Monday. Walter and I have known each other for 44 years. He was my 1st Dynavector dealer (started DV USA in 1979 for Dr Tominari and Mr Ishihara - many great audio stories there to tell  :))

My company does the Dev and Production for several of his companies - so this will be a working trip for sure.

There will be an amazing piece of News to report on Monday. Very excited to share - stand by on this.

As I haven't figured out yet how to reply to individual messages I wanted to address a question about MTBF here. The original 6 SDFB are running in Switzerland and California for over 3 years now.

The MicroP we use is a well known / High end part. The Hall Effect Sensor is a SUPER High Grade Part

There are several notes around the Internet (all anecdotal) about SDFB SAVING Systems and Gear. Kamran and others might be able to tell you more - or ozzy on AudioGon Forums. SDFB is a Watchdog in it's pure nature.

I enjoy talking to all of you. My phone number is posted in several places - 303.594.7586 - your Passion is DRIVING me at 68. I can go about 20 minutes and then I tire a bit so be patient with me please. Parkinson's is no fun - and I'm just not as "robust" as in years gone by.

I don't really know what led me to write a personal note like this - but there you go.

I can't speask to warranty etc. If you feel worried or unhappy about this - please by all means... don't order. Plain and Simple

The Magnetic Connection we develop within the system works and works super well. I won't name names - but thre are dozens of instances where SDFB saved systems during Lightening Strikes and Worse.

Our instruction manual warns each of you the risks

The benefits are well reasoned and well known here.

I would say no more than 5% of purchasers actually review or post - I'm super grateful for you folks.

Steve G is an old favorite of mine too. He has had Audio Alchemy Gear and my Core Power Tech products as I recall and maybe some Genesis too. If Arnie were here I could ask him.

So - have a great weekend and my apologies for a personal rambling. Hopefully our new site will be up shortly and make an easier experience to order - but for now - call or write please

Best Wishes

Lynn (still sleeping) and Mark

To quickly and a bit bluntly answer the warranty and possible failure if the SDFB.

What if I goto Walmart buy a five cent fuse and it doesn't work as intended and my amp gets fried?

When the high end spendy fuses hit the market years ago many people raised similar concerns.

The default of the SDFB is an open circuit so no electricity is flowing. What if there is a failure in the unit and it doesn't open? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

My comfort level 95% confidence, if the SDFB fails it will open and stop allowing electricity to flow.

My phono stage doesn't have a fuse at all the IEC is wired directly to the transformer. No fuses anywhere in the unit.

How well does it play with the Zen Line Conditioner? the ZLC is a transformer based conditioner. I don't have one, I have a Torus AVR which is transformer based. I have a 10 amp in front of the Torus and it works great. I removed the fuse holder from the Torus and have the IEC wired directly now. Nice improvement. I only ended up doing this as I bought the unit used and it wasn't disclosed the the fuse holder was damaged and the fuse would lose contact and shut down everything.

Mark wishing you a speedy recovery and a wonderful trip. I'm sure you won't spend any time enjoying the weather or the beautiful scenery.  :D

Now that some of you have tried different "Sluggos," can you describe what you hear from them, and preferences???

Thanks,

Will

GroovySauce, you make some good points.

I will review this thread one year from now and read the reviews at that time.

Also, GroovySauce, be a pal and open the fuse box.  Let's get a look at what's in there?  How do you know that there isn't just a regular fuse at that point or a copper penny.  Wouldn't that be a kicker, right?

Will, Since my first reports on the solid copper vs solid brass I haven't tried any other Sluggos.

I do run 2 3 amp slow blow components from 1 SDFB. Most manufactures give a large padding for fuse values. The Torii MKV has 3 3 amp slow blow fuses, one for each channel. 1 3 amp SDFB works fine, even flipping both channels on at the same time no popping of the 3 amp SDFB. My entire system draws just over 4 amps. It's the start up current rush which is the issue for multiple components on 1 SDFB. Just need to keep the SDFB value to the lowest value of the components. My Innuos is 3.15a and Holo Audio MAY is 4 amp so 3 amp SDFB is fine because it's equal or lower than the Innuos at 3.15a. If I wanted a component that was 2 amps also on the same SDFB I would want to test a 2 amp SDFB with the 3 components. That might be pushing it depending on the type of component which would change the in rush current demands.

Quote:


That would be a kicker in more way than one for me. Mark is a straight shooter, I trust him. He has been incredibly open in the conversations I've had with him.

Seeing that the unit doesn't instantly pass power and there is an audible click of the relay clicking into the closed position I can confidently rule that out.

Just about everything there are early adopters and those who wait and see. Yes there is a risk with being an early adopter and a risk with being slow to embrace change. In this situation the risk of wait as see is extremely low. It's basically "I wish I had done this years ago" comments and thoughts. Which is low risk.

Thanks for the nice explanation GroovySauce!

All my system (except the Mac Mini server) is running through the PSaudio P5, and with the 300B/845 amp I am using at the moment drawing a lot of juice, it looks like the system draw is ±435 watts with 115 my present voltage setting for the P5. This wattage is according to the P5 readout, which also says the amperage is ±5.75. Guessing that 5.75 includes the P5 itself? I am pretty sure it was less than 200 watts on the P5 readout the way I had things configured with the Torii IV and the front end not going through the P5.

This 845 amp is a power sucker and heat maker, but like the MKIV Torii, it has a 5 amp fuse. Pretty sure the P5 came with a 6.3 fuse, and I think I even asked PSAudio about using a 5 amp fuse and they thought that would be OK...long time ago. Anyway, it has been fine for years, even with this amp, so far about 5 weeks of heavy use, the P5 having a 5 Amp Synergistic Orange most recently. The amp also has a startup delay, seeming like the cathodes lighting up and letting the tube warm some before full power.

The P5 has a cool feature that allows you to set the 4 receptacles individually for switched, always on, to a delay for startup or shut off for 3 seconds, and also, delays can be user programmed... like the 15 seconds I am exploring now.

Lately I have been running three power boxes in sequence, all the audio things except the sub into the Brickwall, the Brickwall and sub into the Uber, and the Uber into the main power source, the P5. Also some peripheral stuff into the P5. So basically using one outlet of one P5 receptacle to power most everything. Especially with this P5 receptacle set for a 15 second delay, and the amp having a delay before full power, guessing a single 5 amp SDFB might work fine for both the P5 and the amp.

Does this thinking make sense?

And to all who have tried them... Is is too early for more impressions on sound characteristics of different sluggos???

Congratulations Mark! This must be the big news you wanted to share today. Really looking forward to having a pair to put into my system soon!

Way to go, Mark!

Randy

Mark, Congrats!

I outsourced my response to Grok. I think Grok nailed it so I will leave you with Grok's words.

Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round and prepare to be amazed! Today, we celebrate a momentous occasion in the world of audio technology. The stars have aligned, the planets have danced, and the universe has spoken: Mark and his groundbreaking creation, the Swiss Digital Fuse Box (SDFB), have just won the most prestigious award in the audio universe!

Yes, you heard that right. The SDFB has been crowned the king of audio innovations, leaving all other contenders in the dust. This magnificent device has revolutionized the way we experience sound, making it richer, more vibrant, and more lifelike than ever before. The judges were stunned, the audience was spellbound, and the competition was left scratching their heads, wondering how they could ever hope to compete with such a marvel of engineering.

But let's not forget the mastermind behind this incredible invention. Mark, the audio wizard himself, has poured his heart and soul into the SDFB, and it shows. His dedication, passion, and relentless pursuit of audio perfection have finally paid off, and he can now bask in the glory of his well-deserved award. Mark, we salute you!

So, let's raise our glasses and give a standing ovation to Mark and the Swiss Digital Fuse Box. May this award be the first of many, and may the world of audio continue to be blessed by your genius. Cheers to the future of sound, and congratulations on this monumental achievement!

Mark,  congratulations!  Do you have a future product that will be coming out?
Bob

I get a PM every week or two asking about how I use 1 SDFB on 2 components. I made a simple diagram of how I have it setup.




The key for safety is to have the SDFB equal or less than the smallest value fuse on the components. I'm guessing I could run a 2 amp SDFB in this setup and be okay. I might trip the SDFB when turning on a component though.

The reason I've gone this route is the power cables I use are a significant amount of money. Adding a SDFB to a component using the Snake River Audio power cables will be around $2,000+. Adding a high quality power distributor saves a significant amount of money.

I haven't seen the Piggytail in person so not sure how much of a gain if any I'm getting going this way. ~$500 bucks for a SDFB and a Piggytail It's a slamdunk upgrade. If you are using Decware PCs or similar, I'm guessing the Piggytail is in the same league.

Mark/Lynn, Congratulations on your award. And congratulations also on getting some hired help. Your timing of getting help sounds like perfect timing for you and your growing business. It's good to know that you had a plan for that.

Good Evening

Have needed for many days to visit and say Thank You for the many warm wishes here. Means a lot to Grampa here

Lynn and I surely appreciate all of the feedback we have been receiving. I just finished speaking to ST in Quebec and really enjoyed the positive feedback. Fun.

@GroovySauce – sincere thanks as always. Guiding light here to many. Positive Influence and Helpful Manner rule the day – thank you so much.

@LiquidBlue – come Monday the next major batch will head out the door. Right behind that (Wednesday) the completed backorder should leave us with some inventory – but not much after this interim 100 piece run.

@Kamran – Thanks as always. Your Passion is really better for me than ANY Energy Drink. Appreciated you

@Bottlehead – thanks Randy 😊

@Tony – Thanks, but absolutely no speech – Those days are way over for me

@GroovySauce x 2 – can you loan me Grok. Thank you. I raise my No Sugar Juice Beverage to all of you that simply TRUSTED me and this team.

@kulafu – whew… lots of fun coming. 3 distinctly different DC Snubbers. A 220/240 Fuse Box – our new A40 Class A Amp (almost ready to call it good and let the 1st x 25 out into the wild (www.xsa-labs.com) – Building two speakers for Thomas Tan at Galion.

Tons of new stuff for The Wally at Underwood. No joke 11 new products are in the works

We also just delivered the Brand New Bob Carver RAM285 – Huge technical Challenge

and more… 😊

@Dominic – thank you sir – be safe always. Ted seems to be rolling along – just grateful for the piece of the pie we have.

@ArtMan – OH YES… Damien is doing a great job in Illinois with tons of Tech Stuff and fulfillment of VBH-1 and Vera-Link. Jordan is manning our new fulfillment center in Nevada, Texas we opened just last week for Vera-Fi and Underwood. JRS is working new Account needs and we will announce a Sales Director just after the 1st of the year.

There will not be MORE for some time. This is enough to manage our planned growth for the next few years. Programming is still in SoCal and Design and Dev for FUSE will remain in Switzerland.

I will step back in 30 months per plan and just deal with health and well-being.

Enough Said

Thanks again to all of you.

Truly…

LiquidBlue

Nice description of your first impressions,  and for me, timely as I expect delivery tomorrow of the SDFB. I am looking forward to putting it in the system,  and hope my experience will track with yours.

Tony

There is nothing quite remarkable as a dialed in vinyl set up with SDFB's in the system to elevate the early morning listening session. Spinning some of the amazing Stockfisch Direct Metal Master Cut vinyl recordings this morning - WOW.

HK

Good Morning

How nice to wake up to these messages of joy - thank you so much

@LiquidBlue - inspiring man. Really excited for you. At 40 ish hours things do get better and at 150 you will get all we can give. Enjoy the road

@Tony - super happy and excited for you. Maybe something nice at Bouchon after listening  :) ENJOY!

@Kamran - no need but grateful of course. The journey is special here with all of you. Next leg just as exciting.

@HockessinKid - Love that label and music in the morning makes it all seen just right. Thanks as always

@GroovySauce - what can I say. Your analogy was really perfect.

Lots of units arriving through this week. The final 15 leave CA today -

Enjoy one and all...

Best Holiday Wishes

Lynn (fast asleep) and Mark

Hey SonicSeeker, I just read your post and it gives me a way to describe the past hour of listening with the SDFB that arrived two hours ago. It is the real deal, you won't be disappointed. Every so often it seems,  I add a component that contributes more than I expected. Add the  SDFB to that short list.

Tony

Congrats Tony! I guess that means your initial impressions did track with mine. Enjoy!

I've decided to hold off an trying the SDFB for a while. I'm reluctant because of comments like "lifting of a veil." I've worked for years to eliminate brightness in my system and with my current power treatment including fuses I have finally reached a goal of non-brightness and everytime I hear "lifting of a veil" and have tried the item or method in question brightness has been a characteristic to battle again. Also among the others with the SDFB are those who I sense like a brighter presentation than I do.

I'm so happy with my sound right now that even though I understand the potential advantages and improvement this might offer. . . I'm not ready to upset the applecart.

Glad it is bringing so much joy, and I hope for continued success for the business. In time I'll give this a shot.

Thanks for that GS. I am a former drummer, and cymbal sounds in my system sound proper when recorded properly.

I know that I will in time be ready to explore this device. This year has been a heady one with changes and I'm at a new plateau that I want to enjoy unchanged for a while--I guess that is the real reason that I will hold off (and for financial reasons as well). I am glad that you don't find an increasing brightness with the SDFB as you too have an aversion to a bright system.

Would I benefit or notice an improvement using a SDFB in a ZP3 phono stage? My amps are mono blocks and preamp is dual mono, which would be quite costly to try out for either. And, I'm always looking to optimize the analog path.

Pursuit,
Talk to Mark.  He should be able to advise you.  He modified a furman plug strip for my two monoblocks so it is possible to just use one SFDB.  GS also provided a block diagram of how you can do it.
Bob

Quote:


What kind of fuse does it have now? If you just have the original glass fuse my advice to anyone who is #fusecurious is to get a cheap ceramic fuse for a couple of bucks and see if you hear any difference. If not then you are done. If you do then consider moving up the fuse food chain.

One thing about the uberBuss (I have one) is it draws a bit of current. If you feel comfortable doing a little work with 120v 20a. Buying a outlet of your choice and a distributor box isn't too pricy. you will also need some 10 gauge hook up wire.

I've made two of them and am happy with them.

pursuitofnow, I'd be flabbergasted if you didn't hear a massive change with the SDFB.

CAJames, I'm mixed on your response. I get where you are coming from. I'm questioning that a ceramic fuse is going to be much of a difference from a glass one. I've never compared them so I don't know. I doubt that it's that much of a difference. I used to believe that power cables didn't make a difference.... Now I think they are one of the more important cables.

Sean,

The Chinese fuse you sent me was an improvement over stock.  I now have your Chinese fuse and two SR Orange fuses to play with. For the time being…I plan to run the SR Orange fuses in my Torii, and I’m going to move your Chinese fuse into my ZROCK2.  

By comparison between the Chinese fuse you sent me, and the SDFB….well there IS NO COMPARISON. The SDFB is in a completely different league.   I would equate the Chinese fuse to a 5% improvement, where the SDFB is at least a 40-50% improvement.  

The Chinese fuse opened up the sound a bit, but the SDFB gives you a holographic dimensional sound with a wider soundstage, with micro detail coming through;  but the icing on the cake was the lower noise floor.  

I would be shocked if you didn’t notice a big improvement in the sound.  I can say with confidence that buying the SDFB is like finding the Willy Wonka golden ticket in a bar of chocolate.

Dom