Furutech NCF Clear Line AC conditioner

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Sam, Sep 14, 2021.

  1. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Audio Woo also discusses turntables, and tube amps, too. It's not a very impressive bit of writing. It smells like a weak ego trying to shore itself up by feeling superior. No one is debating that the audio industry, LIKE EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY ON THE PLANET, is full of hyperbole and lifestyle products that are questionable at best. It's just a bunch of pretentious garbage that makes some people feel superior. TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE MATERIAL THIS IS MADE OF AND HOW IT DAMPS VIBRATION AND WHY VIBRATION IN AN AC CIRCUIT IS ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
     
  2. Sam

    Sam Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Ok. I started to read the site you referenced above. Who the heck wrote that? I had to stop from laughing when I read the below passage:

    There exists an inverted class of audiophiles who claim that the sound of vinyl, i.e. reproducing music by scraping needles across pieces of plastic, is superior to the sound of compact discs or other digital music despite the objectively improved distortion, dynamic range, and repeatability of digital recordings.

    Are you serious??? My ears have told me for years as to the sonic advantages of a properly set up vinyl rig. Many thousands of listeners agree with me. Yes, objectivity digital was SUPPOSED to sound better, until it was finally discovered and measured that jitter, for example, was playing a part in the negative experience of digital listeners.
     
  3. Hanks3

    Hanks3 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, Tx
    Borrowed.

     
  4. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Also

     
  5. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    This does have a metal coil inside. As I read about EMI, I'm learning that it is a pretty broad tent that includes several types of distortion—static, narrow band, wide band, etc. I suspect that this device may be targeted pretty tightly.

    StackPath

     
  6. Hanks3

    Hanks3 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, Tx
    After now having three of these devices: Clear Line, Nordost QK1, and today Puron(running all three together currently), I will say that they have varying degrees of impact, as well as impacting different areas of the frequency range. Puron, from the jump, is the most impressive and impacts the whole presentation more completely. Really adds nice a nice body to the tone, a more "there" presence. But not forward, attacks and decays seem more real, more organic. I don't see removing any of them.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2023
  7. Ilusndweller

    Ilusndweller S.H.M.F.=>Reely kewl.

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    A google of their patents does not mention any of their "mystery materials".

    Patents Assigned to Furutech Co., LTD - Justia Patents Search

    Related
    • Shaft lock socket system
      Patent number:
      7648391
      Abstract: A shaft lock socket system comprises: a housing defining a receiving chamber; at least a socket received in the receiving chamber, installed with a gap between the back of the socket and the inward portion of the receiving chamber; and at least an adjusting member arranged in the gap between the socket and the receiving chamber and abutting against the back of the socket. The system allows for adjustment of the tightness between the socket and the housing to a proper level, reducing resonance vibration in response to tiny vibrations caused by current passing through the plug and socket, thus improving the stability of power transmission and the sound quality of an audio device.
      Type: Grant
      Filed: August 30, 2006
      Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
      Assignee: Furutech Co., Ltd.
      Inventors: Yoji Nishimura, Frank Yoo
    • SHAFT LOCK SOCKET SYSTEM
      Publication number:
      20070092353
      Abstract: A shaft lock socket system comprises: a housing defining a receiving chamber; at least a socket received in the receiving chamber, installed with a gap between the back of the socket and the inward portion of the receiving chamber; and at least an adjusting member arranged in the gap between the socket and the receiving chamber and abutting against the back of the socket. The system allows for adjustment of the tightness between the socket and the housing to a proper level, reducing resonance vibration in response to tiny vibrations caused by current passing through the plug and socket, thus improving the stability of power transmission and the sound quality of an audio device.
      Type: Application
      Filed: August 30, 2006
      Publication date: April 26, 2007
      Applicant: FURUTECH CO., LTD.
      Inventors: Yoji Nishimura, Frank Yoo
    From where? Thanks!

    "The devices work by capturing EMI from the AC line and converting it to heat. Most of them use metal plates or coils coated in various types of carbon nanoparticles in a polymer matrix. The polymer chains entangle (intercalate) with the nanoparticles and in some cases react with functional groups on the surface of the nanoparticles. The particles work like a supercapacitor. Some formulas use additives to increase the conductivity of the polymer, which is normally dielectric. The conductive polymer transfers the current from the carbon nanoparticles via the functional groups into the matrix where it disperses as heat."

    Lightweight high-performance carbon-polymer nanocomposites for electromagnetic interference shielding - ScienceDirect
     
    jeff kleinberg likes this.
  8. Audiofan1

    Audiofan1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    States
    Keep listening a few days to see if that impression last, I find sometimes it can be good from the get go only to find something amiss later. Hopefully you found a new groove.
     
    Hanks3 likes this.
  9. Otlset

    Otlset I think I am I think

    Location:
    Temecula, CA
    I love my audio woo. It makes the music sound real, it makes it sound true! :laugh:
     
  10. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Quoting a manufacturer's sales pitch is not proof that the product actually works as they claim.

    Besides, there are plenty of ways to filter electrical noise that are based on well-known principles of electrical engineering and are easy to measure and test. Furutech decided to ignore all of that, and instead requires you to place all of your trust in their unmeasurable, untestable "nano crystal formula" magic pixie dust.

    And as has been mentioned in this thread, it has not been tested and approved by UL, CSA, or any other electrical safety certification agency, so you also have to trust that it won't short out and burn your house down.
     
    occargeek likes this.
  11. tubesandvinyl

    tubesandvinyl Forum Resident

    Getting mine tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it!
     
    jonwoody, motorstereo, Lonson and 2 others like this.
  12. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Great!
     
  13. tubesandvinyl

    tubesandvinyl Forum Resident

    I plugged mine into a SR 8 power conditioner. For reference, I have a 10 year old Wattgate 381 wall receptacle, 20 amp dedicated line, and all my power cables are Tchernov Reference. So I already have pretty darn good power supplying my pretty darn good power supplies in my tube amp and tube phono pre. They each have all poly caps (no electrolytic) including Mundorf M Tube caps, SR fuses, Furutech IECs, and audio grade chassis wire.

    Essentially, I hear a more 3D presentation, with tighter, more precise bass and more intimate vocals.

    Yes, there is an undeniable improvement. But it’s not as significant as I hoped. Upgrading one pair of 6sn7 tubes yielded a greater improvement. Isolating cables (off the floor) gave as much of an improvement and basically cost zero.

    That said, the improvement is certainly worth $200. But not more.
     
  14. tubesandvinyl

    tubesandvinyl Forum Resident

    Been spinning records for 7 hours and the gadget is performing better. I know, I know, I’m getting familiar with sound, or I’m talking myself into the improvements. Nope. If it sucked, I’d bin it without hesitation.

    It definitely makes things more focused, tighter, more textured and more dynamic.

    I hear better performance if I plug it into the receptacle proximate to my power amp, than my preamp.

    I plugged in my second gadget (was in wall plug all day) proximate to my preamp. Guess what? Further improvement.

    So if I only had one, it would sit right near the amp power cord. But I have and am keeping two. One for the amp, one for the preamp.

    These things work.
     
  15. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Furutech admits the device has no electrical connection and does not form a circuit. They're telling you it's a placebo!

    But sometimes in medical trials, when people are told they were taking a placebo, they elect to knowingly continue taking it -- because they are convinced the benefits they experienced were too real to just be coincidental or imaginary, and thus there must be something in it that is actually helping them, even if science can't explain it.

    This device is the audio equivalent of that.
     
    VQR, NormB and Agitater like this.
  16. motorstereo

    motorstereo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct.
    Link please.
     
  17. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    it does flow current
    I've measured impedance and V drop
     
    ubiknik likes this.
  18. Agitater

    Agitater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    On this page, lower down:

    NCF Clear Line | FURUTECH

    ...you'll find this:

    "How it works:

    The NCF Clear Line is an entirely passive device that does not interfere with current (no circuit is formed between L & N) and it has no form of circuit filter inside.
    "
     
    Brother_Rael, NormB and vwestlife like this.
  19. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    it is passive vs active
    The device is in parallel not series
    Load current does not flow thru it
     
  20. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    My life is so much better after putting some persons on "ignore." ;)
     
    jonwoody, Jim0830 and tubesandvinyl like this.
  21. Agitater

    Agitater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    It does not flow current, and Furutech itself that's that the gadget does not pass current. How and what did you measure? Furutech's own words about the NCF Clearline on the product page state that, "The NCF Clear Line is an entirely passive device that does not interfere with current (no circuit is formed between L & N) and it has no form of circuit filter inside."
     
    VQR and vwestlife like this.
  22. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    If that is all it took to make your life 'better' I'm glad to help you improve your life. ;)
     
    jonwoody likes this.
  23. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    I disassembled one and measured it.
    It does not flow LOAD current.
    It is in // not series
    I know a bit about power flow
     
    jonwoody and ubiknik like this.
  24. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Well it was a small incremental improvement. And it was not YOU I was putting on ignore. . .I had to select "Show Ignored Content" to see the comments of those you were replying to.
     
    Ingenieur likes this.
  25. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    It is two springs in a plastic box, one connected to live and the other connected to neutral. Neither of them are connected to each other or anything else:
    [​IMG]

    Since you know a bit about power flow, please explain the electrical engineering principles by which this could possibly achieve its claimed benefits of "optimizing" the AC waveform, reducing noise, eliminating static, and improving S/N ratio. Because after 69 pages, that's what we're still trying to figure out!
     
    sublemon, VQR, NormB and 1 other person like this.

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