Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables

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DaveC113

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Furutech has re-introduced their acclaimed FP-S55N 10 gauge power cable! It features Furutech's special Alpha copper that is coated with their silver/gold nano-particle fluid. It has a braided copper shield and a substantial heavy-duty jacket resulting in a large diameter power cable. This will not fit every plug body out there. With a techflex jacket added it's a perfect fit for the new FI-50 NCF plugs.

Terminated with FI-50 NCF plugs this cable is the same as the $5800 NanoFlux-NCF power cable with the exception of Alpha copper vs PCOCC copper.

I ordered a spool of the power cable and a bulk order of FI-50 NCF plugs, since it is not in-stock at the distributor yet I have decided to offer a presale of these items. This will include a free techflex jacket, free termination, free burn-in and free shipping of the complete cable. I can offer these parts separately for DIYers as well. Also, I can terminate with less expensive plugs if desired, I stock some of the less pricey options as well.

Price starts under $1k for a 1-meter long cable with NCF plugs! Not cheap but this is end-of-the-road power cable you can hand down to your kids for multiples less than comparable cables. A rare exceptional value in high end audio brought to you by Furutech, and with free termination, burn-in and shipping it's an even better value to buy here.

If you're interested in a quote please send me a pm or email me at dave@zenwaveaudio.com... Thanks!  :thumb:

Pics of my demo/test cable to come! :)






genjamon

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #1 on: 16 Mar 2017, 10:57 pm »
Do you like this combo better than your own PL cables, Dave?

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #2 on: 17 Mar 2017, 03:15 am »
Do you like this combo better than your own PL cables, Dave?

Initially, I think it's really good but give me some time to do more testing before making comparisons.

A couple of reasons this cable interests me is I can sell it bulk, and people can terminate it themselves. My PL cable is not hard to reproduce for those interested in DIY but it's a ton of labor and the litz wire is very difficult to work with. Very few people want to deal with litz wire, especially larger gauges. My PL 11g w/NCF plugs is more expensive. Also, this is a shielded cable which might work out well for some applications like digital or components with SMPS. The 10g size is nice too, overkill but it's true many components seem to like overkill AC cables.

Both my PL and the Furutech cable address the issue of grain added by stranded wire, the PL is technically a more advanced solution with fully insulated stranding and UPOCC copper but the ag/au nano particle added to the Furutech wire does seem to be effective and it it seems very clean so far.  Of course it's reasonable to assume it was intended to pair well with the NCF plugs, which are amazing.

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #3 on: 23 Mar 2017, 06:15 pm »
Ok, I have some comments about the Furutech cable vs my PL11. Of course I'm biased but I try to report exactly what I hear.  :)

First, the character, or non-character more accurately of the NCF plugs makes more of a difference vs the cable. The NCF plugs are very clean and clear sounding, the effect is similar to the NCF receptacles if you've tried them, but not quite as dramatic. Also, the stainless/carbon body has a lot to do with the sound as well, it's main purpose is to manage mechanical vibration. 

As far as the cables, I have both PL11 and Furutech approximately the same length, both with the same NCF plugs. The short version is the PL11 is more open and adds less of it's own character. The Furutech adds a bit of it's own character but it's subtle and not objectionable at all, which is an accomplishment for a very conventional power cable. The sound with the Furutech is a bit darker and thicker... just a bit and it's really only noticeable on the most critical sounds, which are imo female vocals and acoustic string instruments.

The Furutech is made just like any other power cable, with stranded copper wire in PVC insulation and a PVC jacket... it's just much larger and has a shield. I can say from experience there is no way this cable has a right to sound as good as it does and the main reason I was willing to give it a shot is Furutech's claim that the Ag/Au nano-particles applied to the stranded conductors reduces the negative effect of stranding. I've been skeptical of Furutech's claims in the past but experience has proven them to be very honest about the effects their parts will have. This is no exception.

The Furutech is also the closest any power cable has come to my PL cable, which in dozens of trials has not met it's match yet... however, the cables are about to go to a guy who has some $8800 demo cables he's trying out with silver/palladium alloy conductors. Admittedly, this might be the end of the PL's winning streak but otoh the $8800 cables don't have NCF plugs, which IMO make more of a difference than the cable does, at least in the case of the PL11 and Furutech cable. I have thought about making PCs out of my OCC silver/gold wire but they would be about the same price, nearly $10k. Seems like maybe a bit out there for direct sale, idk... but that's the only thing that'll improve on the PL imo.

On the PL cable, this is made of my own custom UPOCC copper litz wire, each 14g conductor contains over 1000 runs of individually insulated 44g UPOCC copper braided around a flat film core. In turn 6 runs of this 14g wire are braided to make the PL11. In terms of cost this is $8.59/ft * 6 * 1.35 (braiding loss) = ~$70/ft and that's without labor, and labor is a major issue as the tinning process for the litz wire is ridiculous. So, what I need to do is make the PL more expensive, I've been holding off on doing that because I don't think the market will react well, but OTOH the PL cables and my SMSG speaker cables are both my most expensive AND least marked-up products. I really need to charge more for them.

So, that leaves the Furutech as both a more affordable option at ~$58/ft with no labor involved and it's practical for folks who want to make their own cables. Attempts to re-create a PL cable are going to be frustrating and expensive for those without a lot of experience. Terminating the Furutech is just like any other cable, it's just larger which does make things more difficult but not by too much. The only disadvantage I see with the Furutech is really it's size, once terminated it needs to be wrestled into place with the biggest difficulty getting the plugs rotated correctly to fit the outlet or IEC. The PL by comparison is very easy to handle.

Finally, shielding... the Furutech is shielded which is an advantage in some circumstances. Some components do create noise with their power supplies which can get broadcast by an unshileded cable. Geometry minimizes this but at higher frequencies the twist/braid won't be tight enough to work properly. Whether this is an issue varies according to system, but I do think the Furutech cable would be a good choice for components with SMPS type power supplies. The shield should be terminated at the AC male end which in effect extends the receptacle's ground to cover/shield the cable, the theory being noise picked up or radiated is carried back to ground/neutral by the shield. Even diode bridges are noisy but not the same spectrum vs SMPS and isn't as much of an issue. Overall the PL is a better cable imo but the shielded Furutech may trump it with certain components.


DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #4 on: 29 Mar 2017, 04:51 pm »
I forgot pics! Here's a couple... (the black techflex was added by me, this is optional as is any other jacket you might want, I can order anything)




Wig

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #5 on: 30 Mar 2017, 03:54 am »
Dave,

Those look and I imagine sounds fantastic.

Wig

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #6 on: 2 Apr 2017, 03:38 pm »
Dave,

Those look and I imagine sounds fantastic.

Wig

Thanks!

It shouldn't be too much longer before the cable is available. I currently have 2 more power cables with NCF plugs available for the preorder. Save some cash and get in now!

If anyone wants to demo the Furutech and my PL cable let me know, I have a couple folks interested in the demo so it might be a few weeks but I'd be more than happy to accommodate some demo requests.

Wig

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #7 on: 2 Apr 2017, 05:25 pm »
Thanks!

It shouldn't be too much longer before the cable is available. I currently have 2 more power cables with NCF plugs available for the preorder. Save some cash and get in now!

If anyone wants to demo the Furutech and my PL cable let me know, I have a couple folks interested in the demo so it might be a few weeks but I'd be more than happy to accommodate some demo requests.

That's awesome and can't wait to receive mine; I've read that this cable is truly a Reference Level PC and can't wait to get it burned in on my cooker for 10+ days and integrated into system. Planning on trying it on my SET Integrated Amp and Balanced Power Conditioner to see which one yields the best sound.

This is going to take my system to the next level especially with the Furutech NCF Receptacle I'm going to be adding shortly...

Thanks,
Wig

Wig

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #8 on: 6 Apr 2017, 01:32 am »
Dave,

Any initial observations from your demo customer on the Furutech in comparison to the mega-buck silver/palladium alloy conductors?

Wig

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #9 on: 6 Apr 2017, 02:52 am »
I just got a message from him, he's had the cables in the system but is letting them settle and hasn't compared yet... hopefully soon! 

The cable and NCF plugs have arrived at the US distributor!  :thumb:

Wig

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #10 on: 7 Apr 2017, 03:16 am »
Good to hear the cables and connectors have made it. Looking forward on his impression of the 55N in relation to mega-dollar PC; know of a few who use these PC exclusively and have sold their uber expensive PC...

Wig

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #11 on: 12 Apr 2017, 03:38 pm »
The cable is in-stock and I have a couple set of FI-50 NCF left as well.

For now I am going to offer this cable with free termination if you buy the NCF plugs with them, and $75 termination fee with Furutech FI-28 plugs.

Prices are $58.85/ft for the S55N cable, $385 each for NCF plugs and FI-28 plugs are $113 or $139 for gold or rhodium respectively. The cable is also available by the foot, unterminated.




Wig

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #12 on: 13 Apr 2017, 05:26 am »
That's awesome and looking forward on hearing them.

Wig

nature boy

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #13 on: 24 Apr 2017, 10:30 pm »
Dave just emailed me and my new Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF 10 gauge power cord is off the cable cooker and being shipped.  Looking forward to listening to it on my Decware Zen Mystery amp.

Thanks Dave!

NB

beowulf

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #14 on: 25 Apr 2017, 05:56 am »
The cable is in-stock and I have a couple set of FI-50 NCF left as well.

For now I am going to offer this cable with free termination if you buy the NCF plugs with them, and $75 termination fee with Furutech FI-28 plugs.

Prices are $58.85/ft for the S55N cable, $385 each for NCF plugs and FI-28 plugs are $113 or $139 for gold or rhodium respectively. The cable is also available by the foot, unterminated.

Stupid question possibly, but does the $385 include both the A/C and IEC connectors (i.e. both ends)?

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #15 on: 25 Apr 2017, 04:58 pm »
Stupid question possibly, but does the $385 include both the A/C and IEC connectors (i.e. both ends)?

Unfortunately, the price is per plug... they are pricey but they also set a new standard for AC plugs. I heard back from the person demoing the cables vs the $8800 PC and his initial thoughts are they are pretty close! I should get more detailed comments pretty soon, but this is the reasoning for offering this cable... It's a reference level cable for around $1k, and while $1k certainly isn't cheap it's a relative bargain in the world of audio cables. And if that's too much the version with the FI-28s is about half that price and the FI-28s are still great plugs with pure copper contacts, in fact the exact same contacts the FI-50 NCF use just with more economical construction.

Bottom line is these cables are unbeatable for the price and compare to other cables at multiples of their price, which totally fits in with ZenWave Audio's mission to provide the best value in the industry.

beowulf

Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #16 on: 26 Apr 2017, 06:26 am »
What about using the NCF plugs with your UPOCC PL cable?  How would that sound?

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #17 on: 26 Apr 2017, 02:12 pm »
What about using the NCF plugs with your UPOCC PL cable?  How would that sound?

Sure, check out my comments in the 4th post...

kngale1

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #18 on: 26 Apr 2017, 08:12 pm »
Quote
As far as the cables, I have both PL11 and Furutech approximately the same length, both with the same NCF plugs. The short version is the PL11 is more open and adds less of it's own character. The Furutech adds a bit of it's own character but it's subtle and not objectionable at all, which is an accomplishment for a very conventional power cable. The sound with the Furutech is a bit darker and thicker... just a bit and it's really only noticeable on the most critical sounds, which are imo female vocals and acoustic string instruments.
From my experience, once the cable is broken and settled, darkness and thickness disappears.   In my system, approximately 5th week without moving it.

This is the reason I avoid quick A/B ...  I found only way to evaluate cables is listen for an extend amount of time. 

DaveC113

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Re: Preorder Special: Furutech FP-S55N + FI-50 NCF Power Cables
« Reply #19 on: 27 Apr 2017, 05:27 pm »
From my experience, once the cable is broken and settled, darkness and thickness disappears.   In my system, approximately 5th week without moving it.

This is the reason I avoid quick A/B ...  I found only way to evaluate cables is listen for an extend amount of time.

The cables were both burned-in. I don't doubt the Furutech has some chance of improving further but both had the disadvantage of being moved... although I am very gentle with my cables.  :)  The differences I noticed were pretty subtle. Especially compared to a different cable I recently tried which made for a massive difference!

I think quick A/B as well as long term comparisons are useful. What you find long-term might be more evident in shorter term listening with more experience.