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

[Birdwatcher]

Any other opinions on the differences between the top connectors made by Furutech (50 NCF Rhodium) and Oyaide (F/M1 or even the same connector material in the 004 series)?
Which one would you choose for natural sounding tube systems for good resolution?

 

[Cellcbern]

Any other opinions on the differences between the top connectors made by Furutech (50 NCF Rhodium) and Oyaide (F/M1 or even the same connector material in the 004 series)?
Which one would you choose for natural sounding tube systems for good resolution?

After many months of use I am very pleased with the Oyaide Armored AP-004 and AC-004 which were not distributed in North America. Don't hear an audible improvement over them with the F1/M1. They are superior (more resolving and with better tonality) to the standard 004 plugs and have proven to be a great upgrade on my Verastar Grand Illusion HC Series III power able. My other favorite is the gold plated ETI Legato AC connectors which come standard on Ikigai power cables. I plan to upgrade my Echole Omnia PC with them. I dislike the clinical sound of Rhodium so I don't use Furutech's (or any) Rhodium plated connectors, and their gold plated ones are not as well made as the ETI. You don't have to have NCF material in the AC connectors. If you want it (and it is worth having) there are other ways to get it. I use both the NCF booster brace and Clear Lines - the latter in particular audibly reduced high frequency noise and contributed to a more natural sound (see photo). Note that my experience has not been that matching plating on AC connectors, IEC inlets, and wall sockets results in the best sound. I have found that you can mix different plating types to tune/balance the sound, and that you can use different brands of connectors with different plating types at opposite ends of a cable for the same purpose.

FYI: https://eti-research.com/legato-ac-connectors/

FYI: Ikigai's top of the line silver/gold conductor "Kinzan" power cable comes with the gold plated ETI Legato connectors (see photo). Ikigai is one of the seven cable brands that Audio Exotics offers:

 

[CKKeung]

After many months of use I am very pleased with the Oyaide Armored AP-004 and AC-004 which were not distributed in North America. Don't hear an audible improvement over them with the F1/M1. They are superior (more resolving and with better tonality) to the standard 004 plugs and have proven to be a great upgrade on my Verastar Grand Illusion HC Series III power able. My other favorite is the gold plated ETI Legato AC connectors which come standard on Ikigai power cables. I plan to upgrade my Echole Omnia PC with them. I dislike the clinical sound of Rhodium so I don't use Furutech's (or any) Rhodium plated connectors, and their gold plated ones are not as well made as the ETI. You don't have to have NCF material in the AC connectors. If you want it (and it is worth having) there are other ways to get it. I use both the NCF booster brace and Clear Lines - the latter in particular audibly reduced high frequency noise and contributed to a more natural sound (see photo). Note that my experience has not been that matching plating on AC connectors, IEC inlets, and wall sockets results in the best sound. I have found that you can mix different plating types to tune/balance the sound, and that you can use different brands of connectors with different plating types at opposite ends of a cable for the same purpose.

FYI: https://eti-research.com/legato-ac-connectors/

FYI: Ikigai's top of the line silver/gold conductor "Kinzan" power cable comes with the gold plated ETI Legato connectors (see photo). Ikigai is one of the seven cable brands that Audio Exotics offers:

The products of ETI Research are excellent?