Furutech NCF AC Plugs: Gold vs Rhodium Reviewed!
- Thread starter DaveC
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Well, we're talking about matching plating on connectors and not the wire. I have not found issues between wire and connectors while I have had issues with different plating materials being combined.
I also use a silver/gold alloy. It's my own wire I have specifically manufactured for me by Neotech using the UPOCC process. It's better than Siltech or Mundorf silver/gold alloy wire imo. If you're into the silver/gold sound you're welcome to demo some of my cables for free! I also have a new pure UPOCC silver PC that is AMAZING... and it's ribbon wire so it has a lot more body and fullness vs round wire silver, and the price is far more reasonable. I was going to offer a silver/gold PC but the price would have been ridiculous. My PC won "Best in Class" (for the more expensive PCs) in a big Audio Bacon test vs a lot of excellent cables from Shunyata, Sablon, Purist, etc.. and my cable is actually less expensive than all of them, while being a better performer.
Platinum and Palladium are very similar to rhodium, I'd probably try to match them to rhodium or if it's platinum, WBT uses platinum plated silver in their connectors so you could use WBT if they make the right part. Unfortunately, WBT does not offer a wide variety of connectors using their platinum plated silver, it is IMO the best possible connector to use where it's possible. The other issue is WBT parts are not that "bling", and paying $100 each for spades and bananas encased in clear plastic is unfortunate, but they are excellent connectors.
Most of my customers don't notice that there's anything wrong with their mismatched plating but most have noticed improvements by matching them. I've even had several folks with gold plated receptacles change to rhodium to match the Furutech NCF plugs I use and reported a more relaxed and easy to listen to sound, that a hardness was gone! This hardness is often thought of being an attribute or rhodium, but it's NOT. It's an unfortunate result of mixing gold and rhodium plating.
Personally, I use all Furutech rhodium plated NCF AC parts and I think it makes a massive difference. I think you're much better off going all-in on one brand and one plating of AC parts and this include the IEC inlets for sure! And Furutech NCF is the best there is and they make all sorts of different plugs, receptacles and IEC inlets.
Thanks for your post and let me know if you have any questions!
As I said, my customers have not thought they had audible issues but when switching to all rhodium those issues you mention simply disappear. It's NOT the rhodium that's the issue! I've been doing this for many years, I have far more data than most folks... i.e. my N is far more than ONE.
I'm trying to give folks information based on YEARS of sending people demo cables and advising them on the best solution for AC power.Gold has a large negative effect on resolution, it smooths over a ton of detail.
Yeah, I'd go FI-48 so you get the NCF material. I think the only thing you don't get with the FI-48 is the carbon fiber, which will save you a little over $100. Personally, I'd go with the top-end FI-50 NCF if the extra $100 isn't an issue.
Nice! Not many are willing to do what it takes to mount new IECs, RCA jacks, etc. in component chassis but it does make a big difference.
I installed Furutech FI 33 NCF inlet and FI E30 outlet on a DC Blocker.
It seems to take forever to break them in. I really hate it. Changes from good and open sounding to more closed in, with lack of bass and harsh highs. The holographic soundstage and the dynamic potensial is not there, even after weeks.
Luckily I have been through this break in process with Furutech equipment before.
Honestly, I think it requires more time than people realize.
I would say give Furutech cables, connectors, outlets etc. 2-3 months in the system before you reap the awards.
It seems to take forever to break them in. I really hate it. Changes from good and open sounding to more closed in, with lack of bass and harsh highs. The holographic soundstage and the dynamic potensial is not there, even after weeks.
Luckily I have been through this break in process with Furutech equipment before.
Honestly, I think it requires more time than people realize.
I would say give Furutech cables, connectors, outlets etc. 2-3 months in the system before you reap the awards.
Yes, that's a great description of the Furutech rhodium plated copper burn-in. It's tough to go through!
A couple things can help... I use a cable burner for the receptacles, and it could be used for IEC inlets too but I don't sell may of them, maybe one for every 100 receptacles. Next, you can get a IEC to female AC plug converter and use a cable on a fan or refrigerator for a month or so. You can also wire up a converter using the receptacle you want to burn-in.
Thanks for the advice. It is now 5 weeks since I installed this DC blocker with Furutech NCF inlet/outlet in my system.
Around a week ago when I came home after a day out, and I let the system play internet radio while away. 12-15 hours of music everyday since the start. When I sat down to listen the sound was almost transformed.
The music played with explosive dynamics that had been gone 4 weeks. Don't think I have experienced this kind of difference related to burn in before I got this NCF stuff. I really have to pinch my arm, because this was a remarkable upgrade, and a dramatic turn around in terms of burn in.
I give the DC blocker credit, but it was the Furutech NCF that took that long to burn in.
I am not sure if it still gets better through this burn in process. I got so excited so I purchased a new power cord, and started a new burn in cycle with this. This is "luckily" not Furutech so hopefully it will not take that long time.
Thank again
I've tried rhodium and copper plugs. For amplifiers, dacs, internet power supplies, source players and subwoofers. For me for amplifier copper is better than rhodium. For dac rhodium is better than copper. For internet electricity, rhodium is better than copper. For subwoofers copper is better than rhodium. For source players, rhodium is better than copper. So for the main power as much as possible, all pure copper should be. From the main power is divided again for several electrical sections where there is some rhodium. I've never tried gold because gold tarnished over time. I think some amplifiers better use rhodium some better use copper . So you must try using copper and rhodium by each of your device
Gold can wear off but it can't tarnish. To my ears Rhodium is too cool and clinical with all types of components so I have banished Rhodium plated connectors from my system. Gold plating sounds natural and musical, and the combinations with Platinum and/or Palladium (e.g., Oyaide, Hemingway) also work.
Furutech for example offers bare Copper AC connectors only in their lower priced (FI-11 and Fi-15) AC connectors, but their top tier connectors including all NCF models are only available with Gold, Rhodium, or Silver plating.
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It is not easy to do this, I have discovered. I had to order Cardas cables with special-order (and less expensive) connectors to avoid rhodium.
Iconoclast Belden BAV power cable connectors do not use any rhodium, Bob Howard reported.
Marty gave me the ingredients for Dave Cahoon to assemble a couple of power cables with rhodium-free Furutech components.
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