Furutech rhodium plated plugs - sonic differences?

jackelsson

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Dec 1, 2013
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Can someone tell me about the sonic differences between the Furutech rhodium plated plugs:

FI-11-N1 (R?
FI-28 (R)
FI-48 NCF (R)
FI-50 NCF (R)

What do I gain if I move up the Furutech food chain within the rhodium plating?
 

Tallyho

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May 13, 2020
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If you go with an NCF plug, you will gain more resolution and more depth/space in the sound stage. As for plating, the FI-28R, FI-48 NCFR and FI-50 NCFR all have the same thickness rhodium plating on the same OFC conductor - same conductor part. While the FI-11-N1R has a phosphor bronze conductor which has an altogether different sound to copper.
Difference in sound of the three copper plugs really boils down to how damped the shells are and whether the plug has NCF or not. To me, I find the FI-48 NCFR to be a little over-damped and doesn't quite deliver the detail or extension of the FI-50 NCF.
If you want try both NCF and the rhodium plated OFC conductor and don't want to spend too much, there is also the FI-C15 NCF - best bang for the buck.
 

jackelsson

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Dec 1, 2013
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Thanks Tallyho, your answer is much appreciated!

That sounds promising, I think I will get an FI-50 NCF (R) and compare it with an existing FI-28 (R). Maybe changing to the '50 is a way forward for me.

Incidentally I can relate to what you wrote about the FI-48. I'm currently testing the gold version of this plug, and compared to the FI-28 (G) it certainly does give a somewhat better resolution and wider sound stage but seems a little too laid back at the top end. So this over-dampened top end seems to be a property of the metal housing for some reason. Quite interesting because from gut feeling I would have associated a higher damping with a plastic housing.
 

DaveC

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Nov 16, 2014
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The FI-50 NCF is pricey but worth it, and I agree the FI-15 is the best value.
 

Cellcbern

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Soundstage Ultra reviewed the FI-50 NCF connectors (link below) with PC-Triple C forged cable (considered by many to be superior to PCOCC) and found the combination to be superb in most respects but with a "cool" sonic signature and a high end bias. I personally hear a deficiency in the natural warmth of music with many Rhodium plated connectors, but not for example with the Palladium over gold Oyaide 046 connectors that Echole for example uses on their power cables.

 
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Cellcbern

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Furutech connectors specifically and Rhodium plated connectors generally are in the minority among top tier cable makers.

While Audience and Siltech have used Furutech FI-50 for some of their PC's, Ansuz, Argento, Audioquest, Hemingway, Lessloss, Nordost, Shunyata, Stage III Concepts, and Stealth make their own connectors for their highest level power cables. It appears that from this list of in-house connector users only Argento and Stealth use 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 plated connectors, Stage III uses palladium over silver over copper. Audioquest uses polished silver plating.

With the Odin 2, Nordost is dropping the Furutech Rhodium connectors in favor of gold plated connectors made in-house.
 
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matakana

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Aug 26, 2020
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Furutech connectors specifically and Rhodium plated connectors generally are in the minority among top tier cable makers.

While Siltech has used Furutech FI-50 for some of their PC's, Ansuz, Argento, Audioquest, Hemingway, Nordost, Shunyata, Stage III Concepts, and Stealth make their own connectors for their highest level power cables. Crystal Cable, Echole, Fono Acustica, and Pranawire use (non-Rhodium) Oyaide. Sablon uses Platinum plated Bochinno. Ansuz and Lessloss use gold plating, Stage III uses palladium/silver/copper. Audioquest uses silver plating.

With the Odin 2, Nordost is dropping the Furutech Rhodium connectors in favor of gold plated connectors made in-house.
You include argento above, As I understand it, my argento fmr are rhodium and use the blades from Furutech. 6650A4AD-E6FF-40F1-8170-37B6E2CE9F19.jpeg
 
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