Furutech or Oyaide Silver - Gold - Rhodium (inc NCF from Furutech) - Palladium - Beryllium - Sound Signatures

[rgmd11]

So I am in the initial process of swopping out a Isotek Aquaruis conditioner and lower / Mid end Isotek cables for a Torus isolating transformer for digital.

And I will change to two Gigawatt breakers in my mains panel and run two dedicated lines with better cable to my living room.

My Active speakers and Subs will go direct to the wall through either two Furutech or Oyaide unfiltered plug boards (One each side)

My main questions, what are your opinions on Plugs and IEC’s from Oyaide or Furutech (I am open to other brands) and what type of plating such as Silver - Gold - Rhodium - Palladium - Beryllium do you prefer and why.

Which do you prefer for amps and for the Digital front end, upsides and downsides etc.

Kind regards to all.

 

[Joe Cohen]

We are the US importer for Oyaide. In my experience biggest bang for the buck will be with the P and C-004 male and female connectors. These are made from beryllium copper with Platinum and Palladium plating plating. They present a great density of information and, at the same time, are smooth and relaxed. The M1 and F1 premium connectors use the same contacts but in a more sophisticated enclosure with three sections (contacts, Delrin inner barrel and aluminum outer barrel) The increase in price is not directly proportional to the improvement in sound. They are quieter, but the high end appearance might be tip the scales.

 

[Barry2013]

I use Entreq cables in my system.
I recently found a used Entreq Apollo power cable which I have sent back to Entreq to be upgraded to Apollo Infinity spec. The upgrade also involves replacing the IEC and mains plug with the Furutech Rhodium plugs so Entreq have clearly concluded that the Rodium plugs are better than the more normal gold and silver ones.
I am still awaiting its arrival so can't report more on it, but it is intended to be used from my mains outlet to my power blocl.

 

[rgmd11]

We are the US importer for Oyaide. In my experience biggest bang for the buck will be with the P and C-004 male and female connectors. These are made from beryllium copper with Platinum and Palladium plating plating. They present a great density of information and, at the same time, are smooth and relaxed. The M1 and F1 premium connectors use the same contacts but in a more sophisticated enclosure with three sections (contacts, Delrin inner barrel and aluminum outer barrel) The increase in price is not directly proportional to the improvement in sound. They are quieter, but the high end appearance might be tip the scales.

Hey Joe,

Appreciate your reply and council,

I Am waiting on the Furutech FI NCF plug and iec set to arrive any day now and then will try with the Furutech DPS 4.1 and their other cables available along with some Nanotech wire and a couple of others and will start In earnest experimenting and analyzing what combinations soundnbest to my ears.

I certainly have the intention to try out the products from Oyaide as well and maybe a couple of other brands,certainly as I have plenty of free time due to the present pandemic.

regards
RGMD11

 

[rgmd11]

I use Entreq cables in my system.
I recently found a used Entreq Apollo power cable which I have sent back to Entreq to be upgraded to Apollo Infinity spec. The upgrade also involves replacing the IEC and mains plug with the Furutech Rhodium plugs so Entreq have clearly concluded that the Rodium plugs are better than the more normal gold and silver ones.
I am still awaiting its arrival so can't report more on it, but it is intended to be used from my mains outlet to my power blocl.

Hi Barry2013

Having recently spoken to several people regarding the Furutech FI50 NCF with Rhodium it is plainly obvious that it is held in high esteem, and many higher end cables such as the Siltech Triple Crown are proponents as well.

best wishes
RGMD11

 

[analyzer]

We are the US importer for Oyaide. In my experience biggest bang for the buck will be with the P and C-004 male and female connectors. These are made from beryllium copper with Platinum and Palladium plating plating. They present a great density of information and, at the same time, are smooth and relaxed. The M1 and F1 premium connectors use the same contacts but in a more sophisticated enclosure with three sections (contacts, Delrin inner barrel and aluminum outer barrel) The increase in price is not directly proportional to the improvement in sound. They are quieter, but the high end appearance might be tip the scales.

Agree. I find the P & C 004 series very satisfying, a few years ago we made here a comparison between three identical AC cables (Tara Labs "the One") with different terminations: standard (unknown manufacturer, maybe Wattgate), Oyaide C-079 and Oyaide C004 and we found the latter more satisfying, superiore dense tone and better microdynamics.
Same experimenting with an AC Power cord of and Italian brand (Faber's cables, the top of the line "fifth elementh") with the item terminated with Oyaide C-079 winner towards the item terminated with Bals (German's made) connectors.
These are absolutely NOT "night&day" differences, overall mostly tiny and marginal, but they are slightly audible when changing the electronics (preamp, power amp or main fron the Wall to Power strip).

 

[Tango]

It is pretty much like asking how do you want your ice cream and why. If I were an ice cream maker I would offer so many flavors with different rawmaterials to cater individual preference. New development is to prolong my business rather than search for the ultimate best tasting flavor. In the end it is about business and making money for cable makers. Same as everything else that is used to make a living. Only the buyer of cable can tell which flavor he likes. Test it in the system blind and don't read their marketing brochure. Anyone suggesting anything in audio especially on cable is suggesting their favorite flavor of ice cream. Learning background and preference in sound of people who suggest is very important when reading suggestion. Furutec and Oyaide plugs are expensive. I could hear differences in their different type of material used. But it takes less than one day to get used to that sound. So little and short sensation to get for paying premium. Not big fish. Not worth the money imo. I am now using plain industrial rubber type plug but still the overall sound of the system is still pretty good.

 

[DaveC]

Furutech NCF is hard to beat, the material works to reduce noise, and other brands don't have anything comparable. The NCF material has eliminated some sound signature the previous non-NCF versions had and were previously attributed to rhodium by many, but it's hard to say if that's the case if the NCF version eliminated it and still uses rhodium. The base material also matters, if the part is Furutech's phosphor bronze then gold plating might be a better choice, but with their alpha copper rhodium is very neutral sounding.

For AC plugs I prefer the FI-50 NCF with rhodium but also offer the FI-48 NCF with gold plating.

I have definitely found the best way to go is to use corresponding receptacles and IEC inlets, so for example if you have cables with rhodium plated plugs, it's best to get the GTX NCF receptacles and NCF IEC inlets as well. The GTX also won't scratch or gauge your male plugs, which is a problem with "hospital grade" receptacles, these will often put a decent sized gauge right through the plating, not great if you just paid $380 for the plug!

These parts also take a long time to burn-in so be patient... a new DPS cable w/FI-50 NCF needs a few days minimum before you listen critically. You can always use the cable to plug in something like a fridge with an adapter for the IEC end to avoid having it in your system. I burn-in my cables and GTX NCF receptacles with an Audiodharma high-power cable cooker, these are handy devices. A bit pricey but they come up used sometimes.

 

[rgmd11]

It is pretty much like asking how do you want your ice cream and why. If I were an ice cream maker I would offer so many flavors with different rawmaterials to cater individual preference. New development is to prolong my business rather than search for the ultimate best tasting flavor. In the end it is about business and making money for cable makers. Same as everything else that is used to make a living. Only the buyer of cable can tell which flavor he likes. Test it in the system blind and don't read their marketing brochure. Anyone suggesting anything in audio especially on cable is suggesting their favorite flavor of ice cream. Learning background and preference in sound of people who suggest is very important when reading suggestion. Furutec and Oyaide plugs are expensive. I could hear differences in their different type of material used. But it takes less than one day to get used to that sound. So little and short sensation to get for paying premium. Not big fish. Not worth the money imo. I am now using plain industrial rubber type plug but still the overall sound of the system is still pretty good.

Haagen Daz or Ben and Jerry’s !

The first option Is easily my favourite, Belgium Chocolate yes please.

However when it comes to cables I have finally learnt that with a very resolving system it is absolutely worth paying for a reasonably expensive cable, but of course that is dependent on the consumer and what worth he attaches and perceives to the dollar amount (or £ in my case) for a higher end cable , Uber amounts for a Siltech Triple Crown !, personally no way, if your a Russian Ogliarch or simply rolling in money then okay, it’s pocket change, however in my world I look for what I can afford and perceive as good value, very High End audio is a little like Fine Wine, you can get a first growth Fine wine such as Petrus, Ch Margaux, Haut Brion etc or if your smart just get the second growth from these producers for a great deal less But have 90% of the tasting experience, the old argument of diminishing returns.

Regards
RGMD11

 

[Joe Cohen]

Haagen Daz or Ben and Jerry’s !

The first option Is easily my favourite, Belgium Chocolate yes please.

However when it comes to cables I have finally learnt that with a very resolving system it is absolutely worth paying for a reasonably expensive cable, but of course that is dependent on the consumer and what worth he attaches and perceives to the dollar amount (or £ in my case) for a higher end cable , Uber amounts for a Siltech Triple Crown !, personally no way, if your a Russian Ogliarch or simply rolling in money then okay, it’s pocket change, however in my world I look for what I can afford and perceive as good value, very High End audio is a little like Fine Wine, you can get a first growth Fine wine such as Petrus, Ch Margaux, Haut Brion etc or if your smart just get the second growth from these producers for a great deal less But have 90% of the tasting experience, the old argument of diminishing returns.

Regards
RGMD11

Haagen Daz or Ben and Jerry’s !

Since you mention "the old argument of diminishing returns" I would like to introduce my idea, "The Myth of Diminishing Returns". I arrived at this after years of tweaking some "go for broke" systems. Simply stated, it goes like this: Each new bonafide upgrade brings the system to a new level. Once a certain critical mass, particular to each individual system, is reached, successively quantitatively smaller upgrades yield bigger and bigger returns. Of course bigger upgrades yield proportionally larger improvements in sound, with each new upgrade, big or small, having higher potential than the last due to the increased leverage brought about by the previous upgrade, and so on. The process is endless. As far as I can tell, there is no such thing as a ceiling. Each upgrade in the upper reaches of such an endeavor yield results which could not have been anticipated and which may be in an entirely new class of experience, but which at the same time are immediately recognized and understood for their rightness. This does not diminish from your idea to go for the second best, it's just that that last so-called "10%" has the potential to be 1000% and more.

 

[Kingrex]

RGMD what did you use as conductor from the panel to your outlet. If other than romex, what did you hear change.
Thanks Rex

 

[Trab]

Hello @RGMD11 , here's my opinion:

079 – warm, close, intimate. Great mids, thick bass, extreme delicate highs. Life-less.

004 – direct, full of details, natural. Controlled bass and edgy, metallic highs.

037 – thin, controlled bass, detailed, airy, natural metallic highs.

I cannot stand my system without 079 – it is that natural and intimate. But I also don't like it with more than one 079 Schuko. I had Schuko and two IEC 079, but and at the same time 037 somewhere else to compensate negative results (in the end I’ve found more satisfying combination).

My speakers need some extra care for the bass in the system. Those are horns with relatively small bass “horn”. Some say those speakers lack low end, and you just have to accept this. That was me too. It’s only true, when they are a direct replacement for, for example, Dynaudio bass reflex speakers. I came across IeGO pure copper plugs and they changed the game.

8055 from IeGO gives deep, strong and controlled bass, nice mids, excellent 3D, not top extended but very natural and airy highs. But not so fast, when I inserted too much IeGO 8055 plugs (5) it was again, not acceptable.

My plug / cable mixture for today is:

8055 IeGO / Duelund multistrand tinned copper / IeGO 8055 – powering LPS for UpTone Etherregen

Oyaide 079 / silver platted solid core / Oyaide 004 – powering LPS for SoTM SMS-200

Oyaide 004 / silver platted solid core / Oyaide 004 – to my DAC

2 x Shindo standard powercords for monoblocks. With those last two I would do some tests in the nearest future. The tests will include Furutech and IeGO gold plated plugs and Duelund multicore.


Three more things.
I suggest to try, in different places at the same time, silver platted copper solid core, and multistrand tinned copper (Duelund 600V dca12ga).

If you have two powercords, one for DAC and one for LPS for example, and you like the results, it might end up with deep disappointment when you switch them.

Be aware of false Oyaide, buy only at authorized dealers.

Sorry if this was obvious for you.
Have a good time with your stereo,

Greg

 

[Cellcbern]

So I am in the initial process of swopping out a Isotek Aquaruis conditioner and lower / Mid end Isotek cables for a Torus isolating transformer for digital.

And I will change to two Gigawatt breakers in my mains panel and run two dedicated lines with better cable to my living room.

My Active speakers and Subs will go direct to the wall through either two Furutech or Oyaide unfiltered plug boards (One each side)

My main questions, what are your opinions on Plugs and IEC’s from Oyaide or Furutech (I am open to other brands) and what type of plating such as Silver - Gold - Rhodium - Palladium - Beryllium do you prefer and why.

Which do you prefer for amps and for the Digital front end, upsides and downsides etc.

Kind regards to all.

Most Rhodium plated connectors I've listened too have lacked a little of the natural warmth of music. I do not hear this deficiency with the palladium over gold Oyaide 046 connectors that Echole uses on their power cords. When I was having my Pathos TT upgraded I therefore picked the Furutech FI-09 gold over copper IEC connector. Since I have two gold and two rhodium plated Furutech GTX-D outlets in my Bybee Stealth Power Purifier I have been able to do direct comparisons of my power cables (Hemingway Audio Z-Core Beta, Echole Omnia and Signature, Verastarr Grand Illusion, Audio Magic Clairvoyant Liquid Air, and Isoclean Supreme Focus) in each type of outlet. Without exception I have gotten more natural and enjoyable sound via the gold plated GTX-D outlets without missing anything in the way of resolution. Currently I have all of my components plugged into the gold plated outlets and Nordost QV2's plugged into the Rhodium plated outlets. Note that with all of the isolation and power purification measures I have taken I do not need to have NCF in my connectors (I do have the NCF Clear Lines and Booster Braces).

 

[Joe Cohen]

I prefer the R0 Unplated beryllium copper outlets from Oyaide.They are less expensive than the R1s which are plated with platinum and Palladium but I think deliver more subtle information whereas the R1s are a little smoother. Both are great.

 

[Cellcbern]

Interesting piece from Lessloss which to this day only uses gold conductors. The paragraphs on Oyaide plugs explain why they preferred the all gold 079: "The Rhodium plating of the other models, being less conductive, sounds a bit harsh". The current CMARC power plugs are custom gold over copper. I've owned multiple DFPC models and CMARC, and while they weren't the best power cords I ever owned they were very good. I don't recall them lacking resolution or reading that they did in reviews.

https://www.lessloss.com/docs/LessLoss_Difficult_Design_Decisions_PRINT.pdf

 

[Cellcbern]

Just found out from Hemingway what the power connectors on my extraordinary Z-Core Beta power cable are plated with. Hemingway makes their own (exquisite) connectors and plates them with layers of gold, platinum, and chromium over copper (not sure in what order but they are silver in color).

 

[Cellcbern]

Just found out from Hemingway what the power connectors on my extraordinary Z-Core Beta power cable are plated with. Hemingway makes their own (exquisite) connectors and plates them with layers of gold, platinum, and chromium over copper (not sure in what order but they are silver in color).

It may be that making your own connectors to match the cable is the path to better sound quality since more top tier cable makers seem to be doing it. Hemingway and Stage III Concepts have done it for years, but Fono Acustica, Shunyata with the Omega series, Audioquest with the Dragon PC, and Nordost with the Odin 2 have joined them.

 

[Cellcbern]

I'm told that their patented conductors are made from a Z-shaped weave of copper wire with chromium, platinum, and a silver/gold alloy layered on.

 

[Cellcbern]

My nephew who was stationed in Seoul, sent me a set of these Oyaide "Armored" power connectors to try. They are not sold in the USA. In researching them I have found that they are very highly regarded, including on this forum, and are sometimes mixed and matched by Asian audiophiles with the Furutech FI-50 Rhodium connectors to offset the latter's more "clinical" sound. I'm going to replace one of the two Oyaide 046 connectors on my Echole Omnia and Signature power cables with these to test them.

 

[Cellcbern]

While a lot has been said on this forum about Furutech Rhodium plated connectors, not many top tier cable manufacturers use them for their highest end cables (Audience and Siltech have used them), and Rhodium plated connectors generally are in the minority. Ansuz, Argento, Audioquest, Hemingway, Lessloss, Nordost, Shunyata, Stage III Concepts, and Stealth make their own connectors for their highest level power cables with only Argento and Stealth using Rhodium plating. Crystal Cable, Echole, Fono Acustica, Gryphon, and Pranawire use (non-Rhodium) Oyaide connectors. Sablon uses Platinum plated Bochinno. Ansuz and Lessloss use gold plating, Stage III uses palladium/silver/copper. Audioquest uses silver plating. Note that while the Nordost Odin PC uses Rhodium plated Furutech connectors, with the new Odin 2 Nordost has switched to gold plated connectors that they make in-house. Shunyata warns against using their new "Copperconn" connectors with a rhodium plated outlet. In his recent reviews of Audience Front Row ("Audience Rhodium Connectors") and Fono Acustica (Rhodium free Oyaide connectors) cables, which included comparisons between the two, Marshall Nack of PFO preferred the Fono Acustica, calling them the most musical cables he had ever encountered.