May 29, 2015

  • Synergistic Research Quantum Red, Part 3

    In high school physics, my friend ACS learned that a fuse protects a circuit when it (the circuit) has too much current. The fuse sacrifices itself (blows), and cannot be used again. But the electronics are saved.

    ACS would then quip that a condom protects against over-current of another sort. The condom sacrifices itself, and cannot be used again.
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    In college, ACS and her housemates filled a small wooden bowl with condoms, placed it next to the living room futon sofa. The girls' motto was "Use more!" Another was, "Try it; you might like it." Eying the myriad brands and varieties, one girl used the cliche', "Variety is the spice of life."
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    The first Synergistic Research Quantum Red fuse showed enough promise in the Simaudio Neo 260D's F2 slot, that we decided to order other values for other audio components.

    A condom only works one way. When you are groping in the dark, you may start to put on a condom, only to find that it is the wrong way. Damn, gotta start over, flip it, and roll it on the right way. But you can and should try a fuse both ways.
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    So far, the Quantum Red appears to be strongly directional. Like a condom on backwards, you'll immediately know which way sounds worse. The images will be bloated, there'll be excess warmth, and PRAT will be f----- up.
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    With the Quantum Red going the right way in the Simaudio Neo 260D's F1 slot, the excess bass disappears, the images get closer to their proper size, the music becomes firmer (please, no jokes about a certain male part getting firmer), and there's less ambiguity.
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    Enough of the small 5x20 fuses. We ordered a "large" 32mm Quantum Red for the Simaudio 600i integrated amp. Similar to the "small" fuses, if you get the direction wrong, the images are too large and fuzzy, and rhythms are retarded.
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    Don't rush to judgement. Even when you determine which way to point it (get your mind out of the gutter), the Quantum Red takes a while to burn-in. Give it at least three weeks. With the 32mm model, I had to wait a total of five weeks, for that last smidgen of detail to emerge cleanly. That is plenty of time, for you and your sex partners to experiment with a wide variety of condoms.

    From what my audio friends report, and from my own experiences, the Quantum Red appears to perform consistently. You should expect focus, cleanliness, energy, gloss, and sharp image outlines. Versus other fuses, though, the Quantum Red lowers the amount of breath and air. It can cut off the top 1/5 of the soundstage's height. And if you want a larger soundscape, one in which the images are spread out further, you will have to pick something other than the Quantum Red. Yeah, yeah, if you (you know who you are) want to liken the Quantum Red to a thin and transparent condom, with a clean lubricant, go ahead.