December 2016

Great Audiophile Gift Ideas For The 2016 Holiday Season
Enjoy the Music.com celebrates our 11th annual gift ideas to give your audiophile!

Synergistic Research Black Quantum Fuses & UEF Black Duplex Outlet

  Even the proverbial "man who has everything" probably lacks a Black Quantum Fuse. No, it's not a testosterone supplement—just the world's most high-tech fuse for his Preamp or Power Amp. Unfortunately, it makes for an unlikely surprise gift as you need to specify the size and amperage, as well as slow or fast blow type of fuse. But the improved focus, sense of space and boom it brings to your music will make this a treasured tweak for even the finest system. Priced at $120, it gives you a healthy taste of what Synergistic cables and power conditioners can do for your honey. Need more, persuasion? Check out the review and be sure to give it time to burn in after you install it. Be careful when you open it, too. It weighs practically nothing but it really is hiding inside the foam — have patience, you'll find it.

Like the Black Quantum Fuses above, the Synergistic Research UEF Black Duplex Outlet adds clarity, a greater sense of space to the soundstage, and bloom to the music. When installed at the end of a dedicated line it can work its magic on your entire system. Though care must be exercised in proper installation, it is a lot less intimidating than changing a circuit breaker in your panel box. At $249 it is more expensive than their fuses, but it is not a product that will fail as a result of a voltage spike.

When used together with the Black Quantum Fuses it gives you a generous sonic taste of what you can expect from their power cords, cables and power conditioners—at a small fraction of the cost. If you need more convincing, check out the review of the Synergistic Research fuses and duplex outlet here.

Recommended by Enjoy the Music.com's Rick Becker

Get the Synergistic Research fuses and duplex outlet here.