Being sceptical is a good thing in 'high-end' audio. We are, however after listening/comparing different connectors in an already good system it became obvious that Furutech is in a different league (reason for us to start distribution). Here's a manufacturer with serious research departments, they have the knowledge, all cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, and they actually listen!
Furutech applies a special, unique plating process with extreme pure, non-magnetic materials. All metal parts and wires go through CRYOGENIC process to change molecule structures (not the usual 'cryogenic treatment', but high-tech cryogenic processing at extreme low temperatures) and then DEMAGNETIZATION treatment. Next the metal parts are plated and polished, Furutech's approach on this is truly unique and ground-breaking. On this page you'll read all about it.
Pure Transmission
Furutech Pure Transmission technology turns a macro lens on every element of power and signal transfer applying optimized engineering solutions to well-known problems such as contact resistance, EMI and RFI rejection, grounding, and using the best materials and processes available. |
Alpha process | Unique plating process | Easiness in assembling | The best materials | Other Furutech Techniques
Alpha process
Using cutting-edge technology and materials, Furutech developed a low-temperature two-stage process that significantly improves every facet of audio and video performance. ALL metallic parts used in Furutech products go through the Alpha Process treatment to keep all connectors, conductors, and metal parts in a perfect stress-free, stable and highly conductive state.
Cryogenic process
The treatment begins during the manufacturing process with a deep, conditioning cryogenic freeze of all metal parts. Using high-end refrigerants -- liquid N2 or He -- Furutech achieves temperatures of between -196 to -250C. The treated parts actually change their molecular structure at these extremes of temperature relieving internal stress. The molecules bond together more tightly and the overall structure becomes more stable. This improves electrical conductivity and so power and signal transfer.
Demagnetization
Step two in the Alpha Process exposes these same parts to the patented Ring Demagnetization treatment. Ordinary high power magnets used for this purpose often increase magnetization effects; they leave some areas more magnetized than others. Just like a CD spinning over a fixed magnet; when the CD stops the area above the magnet is still exposed to the magnetic field causing audible effects. This patented process uses controlled attenuation to completely eliminate magnetization for immediately more vivid and colorful improvements. Ring Demagnetization further enhances conductivity of all treated materials.
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Unique plating process
The plating process applied by Furutech is truly unique. Furutech plates high quality 24K Gold and Rhodium direct over copper. That means no silver or nickel is used, which has serious advantages in sound quality. Furutech is the only manufacturer in the world who has the knowledge and skill to succesfully do this, and explains a bit why Furutech connectors sound so exceptional good.
Furutech has found that plating thickness greatly effects the sound reproduction and too much or too little plating can have adverse effects. After many sample listening tests, Furutech settled on 0.1μm for Rhodium and 0.25μm for 24K Gold.
Each connector is carefully polished before and after plating. The connectors are finished with a buff by hand so that Furutech can accuratly examine if it meets their high standards concerning reliability and safety. |
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Easiness in assembling
| Next to the highest possible quality, another Furutech priority is easiness in assembling. Each connector is designed so that anyone, and by that Furutech also means anyone who has never seen a screwdriver, is able to easily use the connector. For example, inside the connector there's always enough room to work with (thick) cables and screwholes / solderarea's have more then enough room to easily assemble the cable. |
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The best materials
Furutech has a wide range of products in all price ranges. Within these ranges, and thus also in the more afforable ones, only the best materials are used. Speakercables, interconnects, powercords, all introduce unwanted resonances. In order to prevent these resonances to run freely apart from the signal itsself, Furutech applies extreme rigid, resonance damping materials.
The piezo effect with ceramic and carbon
This is best to be seen in Furutech Carbon Fiber Series connectors: here the body of the connectors combine two “active” materials: nano-sized ceramic particles and powdered carbon. Only nano-sized ceramic particles (which is piezo-electric) effectively couples with carbon powder. When mechanical pressure is caused (which always is in a cable), the ceramic creates an electrical charge, the carbon powder (that exhibits thermal-conductive characteristics) converts this charge into heat, releasing it from the surface of the connector body. This forms an extremely effective, well damped, mechanically and electrically nonresonant connector body. |
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Other Furutech techniques
GC-303 absorbtion
This is a special technique which forms a passive filter/absorber for EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). The construction being passive, it keeps the music completely in tact, along with all the beautiful harmonics, coherence, tonal palets, dynamics, musicality. It consist of a material with a special crystalline structure which actually absorbes EMI. In each power distribution block, GC-303 is bonded to the bottomplate. All Furutech Reference cables contain a special GC-303 module surrounding the cable. |
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GC-303 is bonded to the bottomplate.
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Parts in red indicate Floating Field Damper. |
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Floating Field Damper
Most audiophiles and video enthusiasts assume plugging a power cord into a wall receptacle is the point at which electrical disturbances or potentials are generated; everyone has created a small spark when plugging in a device that should have been switched off. But intense research has shown that there are actually many elements in a connector capable of creating stray electrical potentials, like cable clamps, screws and other magnetic parts.
Current flowing through a cable and its connector creates magnetic (and electrostatic) fields – building and collapsing 115 times per second in 230VAC systems. The magnetic field induces current flow – electrical potential – in small parts like the screws holding the connector halves together, which have to be metal for tight clamping. The current flow in these small parts creates multiple “floating” magnetic fields that interfere with the cable/connector’s larger magnetic field, resulting in noise and distortion.
The Furutech Floating Field Damper completely solves this problem (which you propably never realized you had) by star grounding the parts in which floating magnetic fields are created by current flow. A precisely engineered, sprung metal bridge ties the various parts together and shunts the potential to ground, significantly reducing distortion for ultra clean and stable power transfer. |
Axial Locking
A special technique to make sure the power sockets in a power distribution block are as solid as a rock. A hand-torqued locking-screw anchors each socket directly to the aluminium chassis. The sockets become far more rigid and are coupled to the chassis in order to discharge their resonances/vibrations. Also, the sockets are surrounded by a 3M damping material, isolating each socket. |
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The result shows how Furutechs Axial Locking System - hand torques to optimum values during assembly - reduces noise, oscillation and vibrations by a factor of almost ten times! |
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More info
- About Furutech and philosophy
- Technology
- Cryogenic process en demagnetization (pdf)
- Floating Field Damper (pdf)
- White-paper cables (pdf)
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