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  7. Furutech NCF Power Vault-E English ver.

Furutech NCF Power Vault-E English ver.

Link do zapowiedzi (en): Furutech NCF Power Vault-E

Opinion 1

It would seem that after more than a decade from the premiere, and a reminder in the form of the NCF version, which we hosted together with the insane V-1, the top of the line Pure Power 6 is for Furutech, at least when it comes to power distribution, an evident and final magnum opus. In short, their R&D department has hit the proverbial wall, hit a glass ceiling and thus proved that it doesn’t get any better. Apparently however, in the meantime, a new „human factor” appeared in their ranks, who did not know this is the case and, whether by accident, something we know does not exist, or as a fully consciously taken decision, designed and then implemented into production a power strip, which, although it should be regarded as “less reference” than the top 6, in the end may not be considered as such. Interestingly, this inconsistency is not due to the price lower by nearly 10k PLN than the flagship product, but by a much more impressive stature, better functionality/ergonomics and from what reached our ears before the test – sound. Therefore, if you are curious about what the, still having that brand new factory smell, Furutech NCF Power Vault-E has to offer, there is nothing else left for me than to invite you to continue.

I hope that both the unboxing session and the photos above make it clear that Vault-E is built adequately to its name. That is, like a real treasury, although in the promotional materials there is another term, which perfectly reflecting both the scale and monolithic nature of the device – a fortress. In short, we are dealing with an impressive, almost 12 kg block of aircraft aluminum composed of two parts – the upper part, which is a kind of armor of the NCF Booster Brace-Single rings surrounding the output sockets, and the lower part – which is the basis for eight rhodium-plated Schuko FI-E30 NCF (R) sockets, and a chamber for the dedicated α (Alpha)-12 cabling, subjected to the company’s proprietary cryogenization and demagnetization processes. These wires leading to each of the sockets are made of 7 strands, each of which contains 19 carefully arranged conductors made of monocrystalline oxygen-free copper α (Alpha) OCC with a diameter of 0.18mm. Each 12AWG (3.37 mm²) run is isolated by audio-specific UL-CL3 PVC. In addition, the company’s Formula GC-303 material was used to fuse the two parts of the aluminum catafalque, a special bond developed by Furutech to absorb EMI (electromagnetic interference) generated by the device’s internal components. The above material also fills the chamber of the wires, of which the hot and neutral wires are connected in a star topology. As a result, which should also be visible in the unboxing photos, after application even the top 50s plugs protrude only by about 1.5 cm, which makes them completely protected not only against vibrations and possible stresses, but also against EMI and RFI interference. The whole is equipped with adjustable, conical feet and dedicated massive, turned pads, which are additionally coated with rubber on the bottom, to prevent scratching and sliding. As you can easily see, the vertical installation of the output wires in the sockets on the top plate significantly increases the comfort of use, and at the same time saves a lot of space compared to the Pure Power 6, which, despite having two fewer sockets, in practice turned out to be extremely absorbing in terms of space, due to the need to run cables from four different sides (output from three and input – power from one). Additionally, each of the above-mentioned sockets, adding to being recessed into a dedicated under-milling in the base, is further stabilized with double Axial Locks, in which four special factory-tightened screws anchor the back of each socket in four points, ensuring the highest mechanical integrity. Out of a purely chronicler’s duty, I will only mention that the input socket is IEC FI-09 NCF (R) and is located on the back wall of the strip and just above it, there is an additional grounding terminal.

I will not hide the fact that testing the Furutech NCF Power Vault-E was not an easy and stress-free task for me. I will also not hide the fact that unfastening it in order to hand it over to Jack was associated with almost traumatic experience. Am I being dramatic? Not at all. And it is not about the necessity of switching the entire system from the e-TP60ER I am daily driving, the laborious checking of the correct polarity of each of the cables, resulting from obsessive-compulsive neurosis, or the comparative sessions multiplying the above acrobatics, but about a classic exit from one’s own comfort zone. Of course, I do not mean the, problematic at my age and with my slightly oversize, multiple dives behind the system, but the disturbance of a certain order of things that was established years ago. Since a decade, the Pure Power 6 landed at the top of my private ranking of power distributors, and at least so far, its position has not been threatened even once, so it should be obvious that I have not only got used to such a state things, but also considered it being a kind of constant and an indisputable dogma, especially as it has been proven right many times. Meanwhile, Vault-E’s presence in my system for a while maybe did not destroy this order completely, but shook it strongly, causing, if not a palace coup, then at least … double reign.
If at this point I disappointed someone and spoiled the surprise usually reserved for the grande finale, I apologize, but at least in the case of the title strip it does not work like that. All you have to do is plug it between your own audio path and the „wall”, and then turn it on and everything should be clear and transparent. That is, we will either find that the maturity and sophistication of the PP6 is more in line with our taste, or we will be captivated by the clearer, more evocative accentuation of the resolution and precision of the Vault-E’s imaging. Nevertheless, if you place both of the above-mentioned strips next to each other, you can easily put an equal sign between them. They „play” at exactly the same, strictly ultra-high-end level, and differ only in nuances, which fit into specific tastes and are a kind of be or not to be when making purchasing decisions. It’s like making a „tomahawk” from the highest quality Wagyu beef – medium-rare for some consumers and medium-well for others. And to stay in that culinary metaphor, Vault-E is that medium-rare steak. It offers phenomenal crispness and vitality of the sound without slimming it or cooling it down, and at the same time shows how much information lies dormant both in the further planes of the midrange and, above all, in the bass. It is worth noting, because we remember the NCF Booster Brace-Single rings included with on our tested hero from their solo performance, where they were a bit thickening and homogenizing the sound, while here we are dealing with an extremely open and resolving way of presentation, and the signature of the „rings” can be found in the absolutely blackened and endless background/space in which individual musicians and the sounds they generate are suspended with phenomenal precision. Let’s take the example of „Chimes At Midnight” recorded in Studio 1 Sunset Sound by the reviving Norwegian band Madrugada, where the characteristic voice of Sivert Høyem, which is a peculiar resultant of the vocal qualities of Nick Cave, Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) and The White Buffalo (i.e. Jake Smith from The White Buffalo & The Forest Rangers performing one of the most effective chords of my usually dormant sensitivity „Come Join the Murder”) has a depth worthy of the Mariana Trench, and it carries so much emotion, that it could easily bestow them on several seasons of popular soap operas. However, I would like to point out right away, that there is not a trace of theatrical poses or melodramatic exaggeration in it, but it is only about the possibility of getting to their very heart and source, where you can feel that they flow from the bottom of your heart and there is no faking it. Apparently, it’s just melancholic alt-rock and the tempos are rather wandering than causing the heart rate to rise, but the Furutech also managed to avoid falling into becoming too gentle and by this to average the sound.
No less addictive were the heavier sounds from „( A R T ) I F I C E” by Mantic, on which, after over an hour of whipping our senses with heavy riffs and gut-wrenching beats of the drum supported bass, the closing of the album „Outer Storms” leaves the listener alone with the storm, and the effect is so realistic that as soon as the system is able to „carry” this realism, we look out the window each time, subconsciously expecting streams of rain and lightning cutting through navy blue and black sky. And Furutech made me almost jump up from the couch to take off the drying laundry, so if you like this type of intensity and tangibility of sensations, you’ve come to the right place.
For dessert I left a kind of killer, which, due to its density, darkness and genre weight based on a truly infrasonic foundation, usually ends up on my playlist during tests of really large loudspeakers and when I want to verify the permeability of the system’s bloodstream in terms of energy. Of course, we are talking about „The Dark Knight” by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, which turned out to be only a confirmation of the lack of any limitation on the part of Vault-E. So it was hellishly intense, without any signs of simplification and attempts to deceive the listeners with a higher bass instead of showing what lies dormant in the deepest abysses of Hades, which this time we could boldly explore, somehow pointing out to the hosts that there should be no dust swirling in the nooks and crannies. And to put it simply, the title strip did not lose one iota of resolution even during the reproduction of the lowest frequencies, so having it in the track you can be sure that if anything, even at the lower limit of the audible band, has been recorded and stored in the source material, you will hear it. Although, maybe the above statement should be accompanied by a rather obvious clause – the efficiency of the rest of the system, because hearing what we are talking about from small monitors, or slender as a reed floorstanders, even with Furutech plugged in, is rather unlikely.

Although I am aware of the fact, and thus probably some consequences on the part of the producer/distributor, coming from what I will allow myself to include in the summary, but as I have already pointed out many times, I do reviewing because I want to do it and like it – and not because I have to do it. It’s just my hobby and a way of spending my free time, not a job. That’s why I can afford to be comfortable writing about the truth, which may be extremely subjective, but that is, what I actually hear, not what I should hear. And the truth is that although Pure Power 6 and the tested Furutech NCF Power Vault-E represent exactly the same level of quality, in my system and to my ear, if only I had the opportunity to choose to keep one of them permanently (which at the moment is as real as scoring a jackpot in one of the popular lotteries) I would choose the Vault-E without a moment of hesitation. And I would like to add right away that I would not be guided by ergonomics and the number of sockets, but above all by the sound, because our today’s hero offers everything that in the PP6 perfectly suited my tastes, i.e. phenomenal coherence and dynamics, but spices them up with an original mix of clearly accentuated resolution and freedom embellished with an absolutely black background, which finally closes the issue of searching for the perfect distributor of life-giving energy for my toys. But as I’ve already mentioned – these are my very subjective observations and reflections, so if you are not quite sure how to finish your chase for the coveted bunny, I strongly encourage you to rent both top Furutechs and have a fratricidal duel. And the classic used to say, „There Can Be Only One”.

Marcin Olszewski

System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Ayon CD-35 (Preamp + Signature) + Finite Elemente Cerabase compact; Vitus SCD-025mkII
Network player: Lumin U2 Mini + Farad Super3 + Omicron Magic Dream Classic; I-O Data Soundgenic HDL-RA4TB
– Turntable: Denon DP-3000NE + Denon DL-103R
– Phonostage: Tellurium Q Iridium MM/MC Phono Pre Amp
– Digital source selector: Audio Authority 1177
– Integrated amplifier: Vitus Audio RI-101 MkII + Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Violet fuse
– Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Contour 30 + Brass Spike Receptacle Acoustic Revive SPU-8 + Base Audio Quartz platforms
– IC RCA: Furutech FA-13S; phono NEO d+ RCA Class B Stereo + Ground (1m)
– IC XLR: Organic Audio; Vermöuth Audio Reference; Furutech DAS-4.1
– Digital IC: Fadel art DigiLitz; Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Copper; Apogee Wyde Eye; Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 200
– USB cables: Wireworld Starlight; Vermöuth Audio Reference USB; ZenSati Zorro
– Speaker cables: Signal Projects Hydra + SHUBI Custom Acoustic Stands MMS-1
– Power cables: Furutech FP-3TS762 / FI-28R / FI-E38R; Organic Audio Power + Furutech CF-080 Damping Ring; Acoustic Zen Gargantua II; Furutech Nanoflux Power NCF; Esprit Audio Alpha
– Power distribution board: Furutech e-TP60ER + Furutech FP-3TS762 / Fi-50 NCF(R) /FI-50M NCF(R)
– Wall power socket: Furutech FT-SWS(R)
– Anti-vibration platform: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Slim Platform
– Switch: Silent Angel Bonn N8 + Silent Angel S28 + Farad Super3 + Farad DC Level 2 copper cable
– Ethernet cables: In-akustik CAT6 Premium II; Audiomica Anort Consequence + Artoc Ultra Reference + Arago Excellence; Furutech LAN-8 NCF; Next Level Tech NxLT Lan Flame
– Table: Solid Tech Radius Duo 3
– Acoustic panels: Vicoustic Flat Panels VMT

Opinion 2

Certainly, every music lover who strives to polish his or her audio system as much as possible, has encountered the mundane task of supplying it with electricity. Because no matter how much we try, after some time, these pesky sockets always start to run out. And when, theoretically, the problem seems to be trivially easy to solve by getting a power strip with a higher number of terminals, then the proverbial stairs begin. Because it is all about the end result of this move. After all, it is one of the most important components of the final sound of the entire hardware configuration, because it affects many electronic devices that use it, and in borderline cases it can turn the sonic results obtained so far upside down, i.e. the sound quality will change beyond recognition, and sometimes it can even become unsalvageable. That is why, in my opinion, the forced selection of this element after the perfect alignment of the puzzle is quite a task, because you need to hit something like the female „G” spot. Is it a cliché because it does not really matter that much or because the potential losses can be corrected with other accessories? Perhaps it may be the case for some people, but for me, who focuses not on the general features of the sound, but on the smallest nuances of the musical spectacle that got refined over the years, this is a very big problem, because as much as I can, I avoid treating the plague with cholera. Simply put, for as much as possible everything has to play without any additional enhancers. For this reason, when something similar to the tested design lands on our review desk – unfortunately for a long time I have had a problem with the number of quality power outlets that meet my requirements – so I involuntarily approach the assessment its capabilities with slightly increased blood pressure. And if so, I do not think I need to mention that today’s meeting automatically caused me a fever. But what has put me in this state this time? Well, today we are going to take a look at the absolute world novelty from the Japanese Furutech stable, positioned in the price list just below the once tested PP6, the 8-socket Furutech NCF Power Vault-E power strip.

What did the Japanese engineers do for us this time? The first essential aspect is the size of the mold. It is a tall, wide, due to two rows of sockets next to each other, made of two pieces of CNC milled, finished in the hairline anode technology, block of aluminum, a slimmed in the waistline. Importantly, the material used to build this block was subjected to cryogenic treatment and degaussing processes. According to the information I mentioned earlier, we get as many as 8 FI-E30 NCF (R) sockets at our disposal, and its power supply is based on the FI-09 NCF terminal, also in a rhodium-plated version. As is usually the case with the Japanese, a grounding terminal is installed right next to the power socket. The internal wiring uses the company’s proprietary Alpha 12 cabling – degaussed and cryogenically treated as the rest of the design. An additional peculiarity of this model is the incorporation of NCF Booster Brace rings, which are also available as independent items in the price list, surrounding the mains wiring plugs. Finally, the described block of aluminum is placed on solid spikes stabilized by the included supports, required due to the weight of about 12 kilograms of the whole unit.

How did our hero fare in a clash with a theoretically qualitatively finite system? Was it up to the task of at least not spoiling the sound it had acquired over the years? Or maybe it contributed something that fit within my expectations? The answer to this set of questions is simple, because in two words you can say that it did a good job. And that at an extreme level of quality. What specifically did it do? Well, when something has a very good sound in one aspect, things may be different in another. And when we turn up the weight of the sound we lose resolution, and in other times the opening at the top end causes the presentation to become hyperactive. To some extent, there is a quid pro quo. And when it seemed that this was some kind of standard, the tested power distributor showed up – let me remind you that we are dealing with an ordinary power strip, without any blockers or other active tweaks, not to mention something like power conditioning. The point is that positioned against the Polish Power Base strip, which I have and which strongly focuses on the energy of hitting with the juicy sound, the Japanese Vault-E has boosted the quality of the sound in two aspects, allowing it to get closer to the emotions contained in the music. First of all, while consistently maintaining the weight of the midrange, it perfectly differentiated the lower range. Still descending into hellish depths, and in many cases even lower – unfortunately, for this you need not only the right material, but also loudspeakers that offer appropriate, high quality low frequency descent, and not only wishful thinking of the manufacturer – but at the same time clearly showing even the slightest brushing the membrane of the big kettle-drum or vibration of the lowest tuned string of a double-bass, usually perceived as a single „twang”. And secondly, it improved vitality and breathing – something like removing the haze from the virtual stage, which I thought I had long since gotten rid of, and thus improving the tangibility of visualizing individual beings. Does it sound mundane? Not at all, because it usually has a strong impact on the presentation of the midrange, which loses its essence and energy. Meanwhile, nothing similar happened in the case of this product. The reason for this turn of events, of course, was the work of the strip mainly on the resolution of the entire sound presentation, and not trying to correct any spot nuances. Yes, yes, the whole thing, because the natural result of increasing the information package in the lower and upper range was an excellent opening of the center of the band. As I mentioned, it is still full of energy, but less softened by the cuddly veil, thanks to which it is richer in details, and still consistently vivid. The system configured in this way sounded so dangerously better than the version I had previously assessed as ideal when using the Polish strip, that in order to confirm it, I had to reach for the heaviest “guns”. Don’t worry, it’s not a mistake, it’s all about the reveled recordings, because average performed and recorded music would not be able to show the true colors of the latest Furutech strip. That’s why this time I did not use the works of rock musicians or electronics, because it unfortunately does not allow me to give the evaluated product a true run for its money, while music based on natural instruments, including vocals, focusing to the maximum extent on the smallest nuances of sound, such as the timbre of the voice or giving the full life of a single note absolutely can. So what was the proverbial Finger of God and what was the result?
The first production is Luciano Pavarotti’s opera „La Traviata”, considered to be the biggest stage success recorded and released by Deutsche Grammophon. What was the purpose of using it? Verification of two important aspects. The first seems to be natural, which is to see if Luciano sounds like Luciano. On the other hand, the second one was about the assessment of the strip in terms of increasing the resolution not only in the lower registers, but also in the middle and top of the band. Despite the general perception as a mediocre production, it is very demanding. It is enough to set the system a decibel level similar to a real concert and then we can see at a glance whether the mentioned master does not sing too forcefully, or too oily. He is supposed to sound warm, but at the same time expressive, with a tone other artists cannot match. And to my positive surprise, despite a serious dose of decibels, he sounded clearer than in the everyday configuration. Still in his own style, but sung from full throat with more expression. And this is only the first positive surprise, because checking the aforementioned resolution, the reproduction of the second track on the album following the overture was equally good. A piece with several changes of tempo and energy not only of the performing instruments, but also of the extended choir, and putting mediocre systems in their place when playing the orchestral and choir tutti. This is a real war front, which sound effects have been raised a notch higher thanks to the increase of the information package by the hero of our today’s meeting. The increase in dynamics was so significant that when listening to this piece several times, I had to – of course, if I managed to do it in time – to turn down the volume level a bit with subsequent repeats of this section. And so that we understand each other well, not because of the increase in distortion, but because of the level of untamed energy. This, in a positive sense, was madness in its purest form.
The second album testing the possibilities of the aforementioned strip was jazz performed by the trio: Mats Eilersten, Harmen Fraanje and Thomas Stronen „And Then Comes The Night”. Calm, nostalgic, but thanks to the aesthetics of playing and the use of appropriate instruments, it allows you to enjoy every single note, sometimes light, sometimes essential, and sometimes, after the use of a big drum causing a micro-earthquake, lasting almost indefinitely. In this case, similarly to the earlier opera, it is quite easy to evoke a nice projection of this album. However, at the level of extreme High End, in which we operate, a nice reproduction is not enough. We need to get the smallest nuances that make this material boil over. And a special role is played by the great kettle drum I just mentioned. However, it is not just booming without reverence, but most often it gets just slightly brushed. And it is this brushing that sets the tone for the whole story. Unfortunately, the biggest role in conveying the truth about this seemingly insignificant involvement of the drum is the resolution of the system in the lower registers. Just please do not confuse resolution with brightening and slimming. The sound has to be properly balanced in terms of lighting, be full of energy and drawn with a clear line, because otherwise we will lose information about the subtle vibrations of the outstretched membrane. At the beginning they were stronger and over time they weaken, with a smooth reduction in the involvement of each pulse in the source material. And that’s the case I was dealing with. And what is most important, this thing was not present in my daily driven setup. And since this kind of music is very important to me – after all, you don’t live by AC/DC and similar bands alone – it was a hard blow for me. And the worst thing about it was, that after years of testing various types of power terminals – both passive and active in the form of conditioners – I was not prepared for it. Fortunately, I know what humility is in judging one’s ego and the level of quality of successive constructions caused by the development of technology, so without any signs of a nervous breakdown, I took the result of the test as they were.

When, after this long review, we finally reached the final part of this test event, I owe you a constructive punchline. I will not say I have thought about it for a long time. Once again, enumerate all the pros and cons, with the latter probably not even being found, or make a checkmate move. And guess what? When I so meticulously articulated all of the features of the tested power strip in the previous paragraph, I will now be very brief. Due to such a significant improvement of the quality of sound that the Furutech NCF Power Vault-E brought to my setup, I did not return it to the distributor. I do not think I need to say anything more.

Jacek Pazio

System used in this test:
Source:
– transport: CEC TL 0 3.0
– streamer: Lumin U2 Mini + switch Silent Angel Bonn N8
– DAC: dCS Vivaldi DAC 2.0
– Master clock: Mutec REF 10 SE-120
– reclocker: Mutec MC-3+USB
– Shunyata Research Omega Clock
– Shunyata Sigma V2 NR
– Preamplifier: Gryphon Audio Pandora
– Power amplifier: Gryphon Audio Apex Stereo
– Loudspeakers: Gauder Akustik Berlina RC-11 Black Edition
– Speaker cables: Furutech Nanoflux-NCF Speaker Cable
IC RCA: Hijiri Million „Kiwami”, Vermouth Audio Reference
IC XLR: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Hijiri Milion „Kiwami”, Furutech DAS-4.1
Digital IC: Hijiri HDG-X Milion
Ethernet cable: NxLT LAN FLAME
Power cables: Hijiri Takumi Maestro, Furutech Project-V1, Furutech NanoFlux NCF, Furutech DPS-4.1 + FI-E50 NCF(R)/ FI-50(R), Hijiri Nagomi, Vermouth Audio Reference Power Cord, Acrolink 8N-PC8100 Performante, Synergistic Research Galileo SX AC
– Table: BASE AUDIO 2
Accessories: Quantum Science Audio Red fuse; Synergistic Research Orange fuse; Harmonix TU 505EX MK II; Stillpoints ULTRA MINI; antivibration platform by SOLID TECH; Harmonix AC Enacom Improved for 100-240V
– Power distribution board: POWER BASE HIGH END, FURUTECH e-TP80 ES NCF
– Acoustic treatments by Artnovion
Analog stage:
– Drive: Clearaudio Concept
– Cartridge: Dynavector DV20X2H
– Phonostage: Sensor 2 mk II
– Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer: DS Audio ES-001
– Tape recorder: Studer A80

Polish distributor: RCM
Manufacturer: Furutech
Price: 7 900 €

Specifications
Chassis: CNC machined special-grade aluminum alloy with hairline anodized surface
IEC Inlet: FI-09 NCF (R) – α (Alpha) pure copper conductor rhodium-plated
Receptacles: 8 High End Performance FI-E30 NCF (R) Schuko sockets with 8 NCF Booster Brace-Single
Internal wiring: Alpha-12 – Stranded α (Alpha)-OCC conductor wire treated with Furutech’s α (Alpha) Cryogenic and Demagnetizing Process / UL compliant insulation: Special grade Flexible UL-CL3 PVC
Size (W x H x G) : 350 x 169 x 140,5 mm (Without Isolation Spike and Spike Supports)
Weight: 11.3 kgs approx

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