installing 7 Furutech GTX-D NFC (R) outlets this morning

DaveC

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Nov 16, 2014
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I got an NCF booster to check out. A customer just got 6 of them yesterday!

I agree with Uk Paul's thoughts, and would say I notice the cleaner, more focused aspect in the bass most.

I'm using mine to support an NCF IEC plug going to my preamp. It requires 1.5" to either side of the IEC plug and about 3" behind your component, 2"at a bare minimum.

There are also extension shafts you can get for $35, these would allow support of male AC plugs in a wall receptacle, since this powers my entire system I'll get an NCF booster w/shafts for this plug. It will be the full totl Furutech setup... NCF receptacle w/wallplate and cover, 20A NCF IEC plug supported by NCF booster, DPS-4 cable... :)
 

rockitman

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Sep 20, 2011
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If you like NCF, I highly recommend the limited edition DPS-4 power cable with NCF connectors. They are a fraction of the cost of my Nordost Odin PC's and to my ears sound every bit as good. I just ordered 3 more NCF/DPS-4 pc's from Joe at Kosmic. I currently use two for my Torus RM 15 PLus transformer boxes.
 

DaveC

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If you like NCF, I highly recommend the limited edition DPS-4 power cable with NCF connectors. They are a fraction of the cost of my Nordost Odin PC's and to my ears sound every bit as good. I just ordered 3 more NCF/DPS-4 pc's from Joe at Kosmic. I currently use two for my Torus RM 15 PLus transformer boxes.

Agreed on the DPS-4. Although beating Nordost isn't that hard... ;)

I'm currently offering them with no termination fee, free techflex, free burn-in and free shipping.
 

Pb Blimp

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Oct 30, 2017
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If you like NCF, I highly recommend the limited edition DPS-4 power cable with NCF connectors. They are a fraction of the cost of my Nordost Odin PC's and to my ears sound every bit as good. I just ordered 3 more NCF/DPS-4 pc's from Joe at Kosmic. I currently use two for my Torus RM 15 PLus transformer boxes.

Agreed on the DPS-4. Although beating Nordost isn't that hard... ;)

I'm currently offering them with no termination fee, free techflex, free burn-in and free shipping.

I agree. I use all Nordost V2 interconnects and speaker cables and Odin (phono) but thought NCF with FP-S55N were quieter and more dynamic than the Nordost PC's. The DPS-4 is supposed to be better yet!
 

highstream

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Nov 16, 2013
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I got an NCF booster to check out. A customer just got 6 of them yesterday!

I agree with Uk Paul's thoughts, and would say I notice the cleaner, more focused aspect in the bass most.

I'm using mine to support an NCF IEC plug going to my preamp. It requires 1.5" to either side of the IEC plug and about 3" behind your component, 2"at a bare minimum. :)

Compared to what? I use 4x4” bamboo coasters glued together with wood spindles from Michaels, about $6 each total, to keep cords apart and off the carpet, with inexpensive ~1” thick rubber covered wood isolator blocks off eBay to keep cords separated where the little stands aren’t enough. The NCF Booster better be something special to justify the high cost. Also they don’t appear to be very practical with a power conditioner/regenerator, where cords are close together, at least w/o the additional purchase of extenders.
 
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DaveC

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Compared to what? I use 4x4 DIY bamboo glass holders held together with wood spindles from Michaels, about $6 each, to keep cords apart and off the carpet, with inexpensive ~1” thick rubber covered wood isolator blocks off eBay to keep cords separated when the little stands aren’t enough. The NCF Booster better be something special to justify the high cost. Also they don’t appear to be very practical with a power conditioner/regenerator, where cords are close together, at least w/o the additional purchase of extenders.

Personally, I would't use them as cable elevators but for supporting PCs at the plug ends they are nice and do make an audible improvement. I think this is the main intent as the cradle is shaped to hold a plug, although they can be used as cable elevators too. Fair to say I haven't experimented with this and can't compare the results to other methods of supporting AC or IEC plugs though, it is a new thing for me. I also have not experimented much with cable elevators, I have wood floors and really don't notice a significant difference although I could see this changing with a synthetic carpet or laminate floor.

I agree about clearances, which is why I posted the required space for the booster device to fit. It will not fit any of the plugs used on my power distribution devices (without blocking a nearby outlet) except the AC power in on the SEQ model SurgeX.

I also agree about cost, they aren't cheap and I totally understand the skepticism. Years ago that was me too, but I've come to trust Furutech's claims, especially wrt their NCF products. If anything the NCF line has exceeded expectations. I've also never liked their power cables until the new PCs with nano-fluid and the DPS-4 came out. It took me quite a while to even try the S55N...
 

highstream

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Nov 16, 2013
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Not really skeptical, as I have an NCF(R) outlet and a couple of inlets not yet installed, but just wondering what reference the comparison was being made against. If it's against cables laying on the floor vs. already on stands, that might make a big difference. The boosters are in fact primarily cable holders*, which they claim have anti-static, cable alignment and camping support, and the ability to convert thermal energy. OK, but even without nano particles it's fair to wonder if my DIY stands - really setup guru Jim Smith's idea - captures much or more of the same effects. BTW, all my PCs are PS Audio AC-12's, so there is a lot to heft.

*http://www.furutech.com/news/ (see Warsaw show photo)
 

rockitman

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Sep 20, 2011
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I’m not buying the booster claim that it improves sound quality any more than supporting the plug with a cable elevator, foam blocks cut to height etc. if the connector is level and inserted completely without stress...that is good enough for me.
 

DaveC

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Nov 16, 2014
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I’m not buying the booster claim that it improves sound quality any more than supporting the plug with a cable elevator, foam blocks cut to height etc. if the connector is level and inserted completely without stress...that is good enough for me.

I wouldn't buy it without trying it either.... But if you try it I'd bet you'll buy it.
 

Uk Paul

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Sep 27, 2012
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I’m not buying the booster claim that it improves sound quality any more than supporting the plug with a cable elevator, foam blocks cut to height etc. if the connector is level and inserted completely without stress...that is good enough for me.

I compared this into my pre with a foam support block, so the IEC (Furutech FI-50) was level and supported, the NCF booster does make a difference, so much so that I'm probably going to get a couple more sent over soon. I am naturally a sceptic until proof enlightens me too!
 

DaveC

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Interesting... I'll have to give a block of foam and wood a shot too. :)

These are expensive but they are built like their wall plate and cover for the GTX receptacles, with massive structural overkill.
 

Ron Resnick

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Jan 24, 2015
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"Developed by Furutech, NCF features a special crystalline material that has two ‘active’ properties. First, it generates negative ions that eliminate static. Second, it converts thermal energy into far infrared. Furutech combines this remarkable material with nano-sized ceramic particles and carbon powder for their additional piezoelectric damping properties. The resulting Nano Crystal² Formula, exclusive to Furutech, is the ultimate electrical and mechanical damping material."

How does this material "generate" negative ions?

Why is "active" in quotes? Is it active or is it not active?
 

Mike Lavigne

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Apr 25, 2010
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"Developed by Furutech, NCF features a special crystalline material that has two ‘active’ properties. First, it generates negative ions that eliminate static. Second, it converts thermal energy into far infrared. Furutech combines this remarkable material with nano-sized ceramic particles and carbon powder for their additional piezoelectric damping properties. The resulting Nano Crystal² Formula, exclusive to Furutech, is the ultimate electrical and mechanical damping material."

How does this material "generate" negative ions?

Why is "active" in quotes? Is it active or is it not active?

tourmaline crystals, when heated, throw off negative ions which neutralize static (a simplistic description). our hobby has many things which perform better with reduced static.

you can buy hair dryers with tourmaline in their plastic which reduce static in your hair. it's a well known principle.

10 years ago, a local friend developed tourmaline 'guns'; which were hair dryers with attached screens full of tourmaline pellets and magnets which I would treat CD's, Lp's, cables, etc and for 15 minutes there would be a significant sonic advantage in vividness and dynamics, more life. but since the heat was not continual, and the tourmaline was not present in the targets, the effect stopped after awhile.

I still have 3 or 4 of those things in storage. got tired of using them, but they work.

Furutech simply realized that the inherent thermal energy in an A/C circuit will continually energize the tourmaline powder in the NCF material and lower noise and increase dynamics.

so it's 'active' in the way that heat + the right kind of tourmaline 'actively' throw off negative ions. but there is no circuit or mechanism at work, just thermal effect.
 

Ron Resnick

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Okay. That makes sense. Thank you, Mike.
 

Uk Paul

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Sep 27, 2012
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How come no one is saying anything about Furutech's suppressor CF-080? Hasn't anyone tried it yet? If so, what did you discover?

I see what you are referring to now, Furutech IEC sleeve called CF-080, I had not realisd that they called it this, but no, this was not my comparison, perhaps somebody may know how these perform?
 

Uk Paul

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Furutech produce our UK 13 amp mains connector in NCF now so this will be an area of investigation at some point soon due to the boosters effect being positive so far.

Thanks for the tech description Mike, I hadn't got round to reading up on this yet. Although these parts may appear costly, at least they could be added in to the system gradually over a period of time, I'm sure that the cumulative effect is extremely positive.
 
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ayreman

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Jan 2, 2017
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Ayreman, are you referring to Furutech NCF Booster on the Concert Fidelity CF-080?
Of course not. In my post I clearly wrote The Suppressor CF-080. Here it is on Furutech's web site:
http://www.furutech.com/2013/03/19/3120/

Three weeks went by and not one member responded! NCF Booster you are referring to is a completely different product.
 

Uk Paul

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DaveC

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Nov 16, 2014
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Of course not. In my post I clearly wrote The Suppressor CF-080. Here it is on Furutech's web site:
http://www.furutech.com/2013/03/19/3120/

Three weeks went by and not one member responded! NCF Booster you are referring to is a completely different product.

I have not tried the CF-080 but I believe it's supposed to provide similar mechanical damping as the FI-50 plug's stainless/carbon body, so you can upgrade plugs with the polycarbonate bodies without buying FI-50s.

I have tried FI-50 vs FI-28 and the 50's stainless/carbon body does provide noticeably better performance, with the NCF version being even better... so I'd be tempted to recommend the NCF as the best solution with the CF-080 providing part of the benefits of the FI-50 NCF.
 

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