FURUTECH Powerflux
Power cables
After sharing our homes with more than 20 different power cords that had resided for over three months in our reference systems we learnt that, yes, a power cord could make a sonic contribution which is far from being insignificant. With more and more sophisticated (and expensive) designs coming we got used to the fact that the performance of our audio systems could be consistently improved by small steps. But honestly, we were not prepared for leaps.
Function and form
The all new FI-50 Piezo Ceramic connector is what makes the Furutech’s Powerflux so beautiful. The connector’s body controls mechanical, thermal and electrical energy through a sophisticated mix of carbon, ceramic, nylon and fiberglass particles insulated in a polymer dielectric surrounded by non-magnetic stainless steel bands. While the Valhalla uses gold-plating on its connectors´ pins, the Furutech prefers rhodium for its ability to bring more information at higher frequencies which nicely complements their Alpha-OCC copper. The rhodium plating is also more durable than any other treatment.
Normally, that alone is technology enough, but Furutech goes even further: according to Furutech, the cycling power frequency (50/60Hz) induces current flow - hence electrical potential and subsequent floating magnetic fields – in all metal parts of the connector including the screws that hold the housing together. Furutech therefore introduces a sprung metal bridge that ties the metal parts together and shunts the potential to ground. The system, Floating Field Damper, won to Furutech a Best of 2009 Innovations Award at the CES exhibition.
Unlike the copper-silver Valhalla, the Powerflux’s conductors are OCC copper strands insulated with a PE dielectric. It is a kind of signature for Furutech to treat the conductors with their proprietary ´alpha cryogenic and demagnetizing process´. The cable is then shielded with a stranded copper braid between two layers of PVC and covered in nylon.
The Powerflux is reasonably flexible, however, do not expect an above standard user-friendliness – the cable comes in the length of 1.8m only (Furutech would probably custom-make any other length for you, but the standard is 1.8) which is long enough to make twists and turns to accomodate the cable behind a rack. The Valhalla is, despite it uses the solid core conductors, slightly better manoeuverable.
Bass management
How does the Powerflux compare to the Nordost Valhalla sonically?
With the Furutech Powerflux in my system and Rebecca Pidgeon spinning in the SACD player I was getting a very balanced sound with perfect articulation and a little hint of sweetness. There was exceptional fullness, roundness and bodily presence to the sound that lent a glowing quality to instruments and vocals. I got completely absorbed by the sound, like I had been transformed from an observer to a participant of the session. The plucked double-bass intro was easily the best I have ever experienced in my system and with its weight and energy the Powerflux effortlessly outperformed the Valhalla here.
Also with the Shostakovich’s Eleventh I received a magic result, a kind of U-R-there feeling. If the symphony’s marching rhythms were ponderous with other excellent cables, they became hell unleashed with the Powerflux. The fully fleshed sound of skins on big kettles made walls of my listening room vibrate – the energy of sound swept across the room with a penetrating force, the devastating thuds of timpani were perfectly contoured and focused, not in an audiophile way but in a very real and almost frightening way. Pure bliss it was.
Clarity & delicacy
I noticed that horns possessed less blazing quality which made the Powerflux a tad inferior to the Valhalla. When it comes to the brass the Valhalla excels and has no challenger. Anyway, once we have a human element in music, the Powerflux transcends the Valhalla by a degree. Therefore I preferred the former more on voices, being it Jacintha, Rebecca, Elvis or Johnny Cash. In a conjuction with the impeccable midrange world of Audio Physic’s Virgo V speakers the Powerflux was simply more emotionally involving. Where the Valhalla provides an ultra high-fidelity-borders-reality experience, the Powerflux creates the illusion of a liquid live performance. What we may perhaps miss is the air and ringing open clarity of the Valhalla - the Powerflux is more laid back and uses more tinted color palletes. Listening to a piano one can easily concentrate on overtones, vibrancy and echoing of the music notes (the Valhalla) or on the size of the instrument, the notes’ tonality and color shading (the Powerflux). Once you live with the Powerflux for a while it will require some time to adapt back to the Valhalla when it comes to the weight, solidity and physical palpability of sound.
Tonal accuracy
Now, let me take a piano recording. Thomas Tirino (Ernesto Lecuona, The Complete Piano Music vol. 1, BIS) is recognized as one of the finest interpreters of the Lecuona’s music. His grand Steinway’s sound was beutifully captured by BIS engineers through Neumann KM140 microphones in NYC Patryck Sound Studios. The sound si balanced with a bit of studio dryness which contributes to high sonic intellegibility.
A 2-minute piece named Zambra is a sibling of more famous Malagueňa. It is a rhytmical piece structured in the traditional and sensual flamenco style. Through the Valhalla, the transients of piano strokes are lightning fast with sustained tomes lingering in the air. Actually, it is easy to track the reverbs of studio despite that decay of the reflected sound is quite fast. I do not know how and where the Neumanns were positioned during the recording session but I can swear that during the valhallized playback it is possible to spatially distinguish individual piano strings, one by one as they are hit. The depth of image is breathtakingly precise resulting into a studio-like quality that is more on the ´professional´ side than on the ´emotional´ one.
Let´s now switch to the Powerflux. It is apparent that the sound is somewhat darker, more velvety if you want. The edges of the transients are not razor-sharp as they are with the Valhalla but they are not blurred or excessively softened either. The Powerflux may also not be that outstanding in resolving various ambient clues, however, it is outperforming the Valhalla with its sheer musicality. Zambra was more entertaining, more emotional and more involving in my powerfluxed system. If you concentrate enough you will find similar spatial genius, though it is less obvious to notice it immediately.
Spatial resolution
In Battery (right out from Metallica´s legendary Master of Puppets album) it was refreshing to hear microresonances of strings of the 2nd guitar in the song´s intro – I have never noticed that before. The Valhallas rendered fast portraying and cleanly and clearly laid out sound with enough guitar bite and believable Hetfield´s vocals. Being powerfluxed, the sound subjectively slowed down a bit thanks to its darker balance, however, it developed a bigger ´thump´factor, it was more pounding and dense, more thrashy.
You can guess from what I discovered in my system that it is impossible to vote for a winner between the Furutech Powerflux and the Nordost Valhalla. No matter which of the two cords wins in your system but you will lose a significant amount of money. I would advise you to audition the Powerflux or the Valhalla only on the condition that you have your budget ready.
Let me make one final remark: it is scary to hear how much information is hidden on silver discs. It is even more scary that such information can be brought out to daylight by something so ordinary as a power cord.
[This review is a part of our extensive POWER UP! power cord megatest. For other valuable information, competitors,and lists of recordings and equipment that was used we recommend to check the full article here.]
Recommended resellers
Audiostudio s.r.o., Olomouc, tel. +420 608 752 475
Manufacturer's website: http://www.furutech.com
Associated components
- Sources: EMM Labs TSD1 (transport) and EMM Labs DAC2 (D/A DAC), Accuphase DP-78
- Amplifiers: Audiomat Opus 2 and Audiomat Festival, Accuphase A-60
- Loudspeakers: JMlab Focal Alto Utopia Be, Audio Physic Virgo V, Dynaudio Evidence Master, Plinius SA Reference
- Interconnects and speaker cables: Nordost Valhalla, Nordost Odin
- Power conditioning: IsoTek Titan, Nordost Qb8, Nordost Thor
Gallery
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