This installment will cover Gold Fuses by AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) and HiFi-Tuning, and the Quantum Chip made by WA-Quantum GmbH.

All of the fuses and chips were used in my conrad-johnson CA200 control amplifier. My CA200 has proven to be problematic when it comes to the mains/IEC connector slow blow 6.3 Amp fuse. In different situations, primarily when powering-on the unit from an off position, the mains fuse has repeatedly, although not always, been tripped. While changing power cords, I have gone through two HiFi-Tuning Supreme, an AMR Gold and even a stock glass fuse in this situation.

AMR Gold Fuse
At $20 apiece, these are the least expensive aftermarket fuses I’ve used. Sonically, I’d put them on par with the HiFi-Tuning Gold fuses. They’re an improvement over stock glass fuses with a slightly warm presentation that still imparts improvements to both clarity and dynamics.

AMR Gold Fuses

HiFi Tuning Gold XT Fuse
As stated, the mains/IEC fuse in my conrad-johnson integrated amplifier has proven to be problematic until I installed the extra slow blow (hence XT designation) Gold fuse from HiFi-Tuning. The extra slow blow fuse is intended for use, according to the manufacturer, wherever a power transformer drawing high current is present. It works and at $39.95 is a relative bargain in the aftermarket fuse arena.

HiFi-Tuning XT Fuse

Quantum Chips
WA-Quantum form Berlin, Germany is the manufacturer of Quantum Chips and they are available for a variety of applications including fuses, capacitors, transformers, coils, cables and loudspeakers. This is the same company that produces the HiFi-Tuning product line.

Quantum Fuse Chip on AMR Fuse

A word of warning: although the advertisements for the fuse chips depict them attached to the end cap of the fuse, the chips do not conduct electricity. As a result, placing them on the end cap of the fuse renders the fuse non-functional. I have placed them on the body of the fuse and in this position they work fine.

I’ve tried them on both stock and aftermarket gold fuses (AMR and HiFi-Tuning) with positive results. They seem to kick up performance a notch so that stock fuses sound more like Gold fuses and Gold fuses more like the Supreme level fuses. The operational phrase here is “more like” in that while the chips do offer an improvement, they are not a replacement for the actual aftermarket fuse itself. However, at a price of $7.50 for the 5mm chip and $9 for the 6mm chip, they are a bargain. The 5mm chip is intended for use with 20mm/.75" fuses and the 6mm for 32mm/1.25” fuses. You may want to try them “on one end of cap where it will not interfere with fuse holder contact” as the Cable Company states in their ad copy, maybe you’ll be more lucky than I was.