Tag Archives: digital cable
Furutech Project V1-D-XLR English ver.
Opinion 1
It is a shame to admit, but it turned out, when we did the count, that over the last eleven years of our joyful work, we have only once dealt with the cabling intended for digital transmission made by our regular guest, Furutech. And in addition, it was the budget Lan-8 NCF Ethernet cable. Supposedly, the situation is saved by Clear Line plugs designed for applications in LAN and USB ports, but the fact that we neglected the digital domain when it comes to the products of the above-mentioned brand, is all too obvious. Therefore, in order to compensate all interested parties for the gaps in our journalistic output, we turned our attention the flagship cable, still having that distinct factory smell. In addition, instead of waiting for a LAN or USB interconnect, which seem to be on top when we talk about streaming and which, I assume, will eventually appear in the Japanese portfolio, we allowed ourselves a few weeks of living with the „traditional” Project V1-D-XLR cable, representing the AES/EBU standard.
According to tradition and in opposition to manufacturers, who build their image on the halo of secrecy and closely guarded, restricted secrets, Furutech plays with its faithful acolytes in open cards. To put it bluntly, it simply posts detailed cross-sections and descriptions of its products, making it clear that there is absolutely nothing to hide, and if someone only has the desire and time, a lot of time, then on the kitchen table, or in the privacy of a garage, he/she can easily take on a truly Benedictine challenge of making a „backup copy” of any representative of Japanese technical thought. Also this time, this approach of Furutech applies to the tested cable.
Project V1-D was built on the basis of a hybrid α(Alpha) silver-plated OCC inner conductor and a α(Alpha) external DUCC conductor, made of the same specialized copper as the Project V1-L and Project V1 cables. These conductors undergo a unique cryogenization and demagnetization process. Like its older siblings, Furutech has not forgotten about the NCF (Nano Crystal2 Formula) technology, which is responsible for eliminating all noise and interference. Project V1-D has a multi-layer construction consisting of high-quality insulation and a vibration damping layer, which has been seen in the cables carried inside the turntable tonearms. This design prevents external interference, ensuring the highest quality of audio transmission and minimizing signal degradation. A double-layer conduit, triple shielding and anti-vibration filling are used here, and additionally a specially designed damping ring is used to improve the stability of the cable. And yes, both the rings themselves and the special connectors of the Project V1-D (RCA/XLR) series use Furutech’s special antistatic and anti-resonance NCF material in combination with high-quality nylon insulation. The pin conductors are made of non-magnetic, rhodium-plated pure copper α(Alpha), placed in NCF-insulated bodies. Their housings, on the other hand, are made of 4-layer hybrid NCF carbon fiber, finished with a special hardened transparent damping coating. However, it is worth mentioning that everything you have just read is a very … simplified version. So what does the option for advanced users look like? Well just like that: going from the outside, we come across a braid ready for organoleptic verification and visible to the naked eye, made of a 0.02 mm layer of high-quality soft damping polypropylene and 0.2 mm of hard cross-weave fiber, from under which a shield of α (Alpha) copper foil coquettishly shines through, tightly enveloping a layer of flexible PVC tubes, made especially for audio applications, enriched with nano-ceramic particles of a carbon compound. Then we include a small repetition of the entertainment, i.e. a twin polypropylene braid to the outer one, which keeps in check a sheath made of flexible PVC intended for audio applications, enriched with nano-ceramic particles of a carbon compound, which is separated from the double shield (copper braid α (Alpha) + copper foil α (Alpha)) by a paper tape. The same coating was used to tame the polyester yarn in which two conductors run in polypropylene insulation. Not enough details? So let’s move on, because each of the concentric conductors consists of 26 clockwise wound conductors made of silver-plated copper α (Alpha) OCC in the center, around them there are 23 counter-clockwise wound conductors α (Alpha) DUCC (Dia Ultra Crystallized Copper) and the outer layer consists of 31 clockwise wound conductors α (Alpha) DUCC. So, do you feel like making a DIY cable, or after reading the above recipe, do you feel like this type of handicraft is not for you?
The V1-D-XLR’s true similarity to its analog sibling (V1 XLR) , both in terms of appearance and, above all, design, has its obvious consequences – in terms of sound. What kind of consequences? After all, I wrote that those are obvious. It is a very tangible example of an approach to the reproduced sounds, i.e. de facto transmitted signals, which is completely opposite to the stereotypical and expected by those who are just entering the world of High-End. There is absolutely no flashy exaggeration in its sound signature, which would attack the listener with countless bits of information, extracted and presented in a surprising hierarchy of significance, also no trace of a certain ruthlessness exposing the wrong decisions made during the laborious configuration of our dream system. In fact, using key phrases, it is much closer to having absolutely no signature at all. How is this possible? The secret of this transparency, or as the cable-sceptics stubbornly claim „inaudibility” of all cables, and the Japanese connector in particular, lies in its naturalness and convergence with our – listeners’ DNA. What is so special about it? Well, that what reaches our ears sounds natural to us, i.e. fully in accordance with the patterns known „from nature”, so instead of engaging the senses in analyses and attempts to connect the results to the equivalents existing in our sound bank, we can go to a higher stage of initiation and let the music soothe our shattered nerves, savoring the beauty and complexity of the reproduced compositions. For example, on our ‘on duty’ „Black Market Enlightenment” by Antimatter (we especially recommend „Wish I Was Here”) Mick Moss’s vocal has an extremely deep timbre, the overwhelming power of the emission and at the same time shocks with calmness resulting from the lack of need to prove any feats to anyone. There is not an ounce of effort or struggle for some register unattainable for the competition. There is a story set in a strictly rock aesthetic and the rest somehow happens on its own, without cold calculations or pleasing the public. The same applies to Roberta Mameli’s „Round M: Monteverdi Meets Jazz”, which exists in a radically different aesthetic, where emphasis is placed on loose approach to form and ensuring synergy between jazz and classical music, rather than strenuously splitting hairs and breaking every sound into atoms. The expressive parts of the Italian soprano shine like mountain crystals, shimmering with countless reflections, and at the same time not really having the ambition to verify the limits of our endurance to the highest registers, at which the family crystals break. This does not mean any defect or even impairment of V1-D-XLR in terms of resolution, but only a fully conscious, and in accordance with nature, preservation of both the hierarchy and the ability to distinguish the above-mentioned resolution from the cheap and much easier to achieve common detail. On one hand, the Furutech sounds surprisingly dense and fleshy, which may give the appearance of a certain darkening, and at the same time gives a phenomenal insight into the structure, tissue of the recordings, dispelling any doubts as to whether it keeps anything for itself. It is an element that binds the components of the system, both electrically and, above all, sonically, and instead of a short-term „Wow!” effect, it focuses on a much longer cooperation, based on balance and harmony.
Due to the fact that for the high-end reality of the Furutech Project V1-D-XLR, it is surprisingly affordable, some seekers of extreme and uncompromising experiences may simply miss it. However, if what matters most to someone is the sound, and not the position in, sometimes quite irrational, rankings, or being the owner of a cable with a price tag, that makes others having an atrial fibrillation, then I will honestly recommend you to verify its capabilities by yourself, in your own system, because it may turn out that its sonic qualities will charm you enough to completely get rid of the desire to return it. But is it a cable for everyone? I dare to say – it is absolutely not, and that because if you are only looking for a momentary daze and an equally short-term adrenaline rush, the Japanese interconnect can be sorely disappointing. I do not know about you, but for me personally, it sounds like a sincere recommendation for all music lovers for whom music is the most important. And in life, in this audiophile hobby, they strive for much longer than fleeting relationships.
Marcin Olszewski
System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Vitus SCD-025mkII
– Network player: Lumïn 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: WK Audio TheRay Speakers + 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)
– Switch: Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Red + Silent Angel S28 + Farad Super6 + Farad DC Level 2 copper cable
– Ethernet cables: In-akustik CAT6 Premium II; Audiomica Laboratory Anort Consequence, Artoc Ultra Reference, Arago Excellence; Furutech LAN-8 NCF; Next Level Tech NxLT Lan Flame
– Anti-vibration platform: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Slim Platform
– Table: Solid Tech Radius Duo 3
– Acoustic panels: Vicoustic Flat Panels VMT
Opinion 2
Probably not many of you know that when the Furutech brand brought to life the V-1 cabling project, there was supposed to be only one model. The idea was to confirm the technological capabilities, which was to be showcased by the power cable made in a very limited number of pieces, probably thirty. Unfortunately, but in fact fortunately for us, the market interest in this design exceeded the most optimistic predictions and, willy-nilly, the Japanese decided to create a complete line. Admittedly, its replenishment is stretched out in time, but when you follow our adventures with the cable that is the hero of this meeting, you will find out, that after the mentioned Project V-1 power cable, analog interconnects have been released to the market relatively recently – the XLR test has already been published, while the RCA is waiting for its turn. A little earlier a RCA cable dedicated to connect a turntable to a phonostage was announced, but due to not having an option to connect it properly, we did not have a look at it yet. And now we have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the digital signal cable. Which one specifically? In the version I use every day, delivered thanks to the efforts of the Katowice-based distributor RCM, the Furutech Project V-1 D XLR (AES/EBU).
As is a standard in Furutech’s case, the signal conductor is a combination of silver-plated OCC copper and DUCC copper subjected to the Alpha process with a total cross-section of 14AWG. The electrical purity of the flowing signal, or removal of RMI/RFI interference if you wish to call it that way, is, in this model, ensured by doubling the shielding of its run. Ensuring tonal balance and extending the range of transmitted frequencies is achieved by the use of two types of polypropylene with different densities. Mechanical and electrical distortion is reduced by the company’s method of terminating plugs. Those plugs are naturally the brand’s top solutions, the CF-601 NCF RP and CF-602 NCF RP. As for the basic dimensions, the outer diameter with the top braid reaches 14 mm, the length of the cable is typical for this brand – 1.2 m. On its way to the customer, the product is first placed in an elegant blue bag, and then in a bamboo box softly padded with blue material, and finally, getting on the way to the target customer, the whole thing is packed in a transport cardboard box.
What happened after the application of a digital cable that supports dispassionate zeros and ones in my system? I must admit that once again the same thing, avoiding turning the existing sound upside down. Of course, I think I managed to get a well-configured system in the first place. So what happened? Well, the most important aspect was that the music in the center of the band began to boil with greater sonority and vibrancy, which perhaps not dramatically, but noticeably raised the level of life forces and the joy of visualizing the material. Interestingly, contrary to the actions of the competition, when improving the transparency of the midrange, the Furutech had nothing at all happened on the treble, at least until some moment – which I will discuss later. No “fireworks” in the form of an additional sparking or a brighter projection, but as it turned out at the end, and what I signaled previously, it was only seemingly. On the other hand, a lot was happening on the other side of the frequency barricade, in the bass range, where it’s much better resolution could be heard. A resolution that naturally caused the erroneous feeling of a reduction in its share in the sound. Meanwhile, this range, not losing anything of its reach, similarly to the midrange, in the positive sense of the word, began to split the proverbial hair into four parts. Suddenly, it turned out that hitting a huge drum is not just one bigger or smaller boom. It is an action that begins with the stick, then triggers a membrane response, and then with the aesthetics of a sinusoid, smoothly disappears from the ether, with decreasing energy levels and fading impulses. For someone this may not be a very important issue, because they like to play loud and with unrestrained energy and are satisfied with a solid and compact kick. Such a perception means that it is enough for the music to strike us, offer good lighting of the stage event to be relatively coherent, to mean it is a good presentation. However, there is no need to deceive ourselves – of course, the expectations as to level of quality the music listened to are individual, and I have nothing to do with it. Unfortunately such standards, evident averaging of the sound, do not befit the High End class, to which our hero undoubtedly belongs. In the mentioned elite, a lot of attention is paid to the smallest detail from the bottom, through the midrange, to the highest registers, which in my opinion was perfectly shown during the test by the digital XLR cable, and which I hope I clearly articulated. Someone will ask: What about the treble, which in my opinion did not change compared to the cable disconnected from the system? Let me explain. Well, we find out about the class of the upper register only after returning to its predecessor, by unplugging the Japanese cable – in my case it was a fratricidal fight, but a bit predetermined, because it happened at different price levels. Suddenly, it turns out that a very thin, so far completely unnoticeable, curtain closes; the music sounds kind of grayish and in the end, presenting the aspects listed a moment ago, offers less vividness, less life. Yes, yes, you are right, in order to get excellent openness and thus palpability of the music you listen to, you do not need to turn up the spark in the upper registers, you just need to take care of improving the resolution and vibrancy of the rest of the ranges. The treble is supposed to be neutral, because being too sparkling is not only a deviation from neutrality, but in the long run it can be tiring. And in the case of the V-1, it is exactly on the point.
How do I conclude the description of the test session? Well, without stretching the facts, I can easily recommend the Furutech Project V-1 D XLR digital cable to literally everyone. Why? After all, I mentioned at the very beginning, that it does not turn the sound of the existing set upside down, but in the way assigned to the High End segment, it improves its vital parameters. However, unlike most of the competition, not by serving us unnecessary flashiness, but by taking care of the smooth and sonorous presentation of the full spectrum of information contained in the source material. I assure you, it is a big difference. Perhaps it is not yet understandable to everyone, but I assure you, it is very important. And the worst thing about it is that for me personally, too. So much so that after leaving the power cable, the last order of two XLR analog interconnects, the digital cable also stays in the system permanently.
Jacek Pazio
System used in this test:
Source:
– transport: CEC TL 0 3.0
– streamer: Lumin U2 Mini + switch Quantum Science Audio (QSA) Red
– 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
USB cable: ZenSati Silenzio
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 NCF Power Vault-E
– 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: 16 800 PLN / 1,2m
Najnowsze komentarze