Furutech NCF Clear Line AC conditioner

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

  1. WvL

    WvL Improve the lives of other people

    Location:
    Birmingham al
    Still reading my way through the thread, but how would this compare to the ifi ac ipurifier? I have an ifi and it works for me, but if this works better...
     
  2. Rich-n-Roll

    Rich-n-Roll Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington State
    Lowrider75 likes this.
  3. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    If the alleged "burn-in time" makes that much of a difference with an audio system, what happens when you plug other electrical devices into it? Do your lights get brighter? Do your clothes come out of your washing machine cleaner? Does your microwave heat up your food faster? (Microwave ovens do, after all, contain a vacuum tube!)
     
    CoryG85 likes this.
  4. Audiofan1

    Audiofan1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    States
    Did you you plug into the wall or your power strip ? I would try both for curiosities sake.
     
  5. Audiofan1

    Audiofan1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    States
    You wouldn't believe how whites my whites came out! In fact I no longer need to use detergent or bleach during a wash! What use to take a full minute to heat up in the microwave now only takes 10 seconds.
    Don't be that guy!
     
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  6. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    Both
     
  7. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    I have the gear to measure.
    I do not have the desire to spend the $ to buy one.

    The mfg should give you guaranteed performance specs like an amp mfg does.

    enjoy
     
    vwestlife likes this.
  8. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    yes, the load (gear) is different
    But the power source (grid) is the same
    The load influence is <<<<<<< source, that anything plugged in // could not alter the grid.

    imo based on my rudimentary understanding
     
  9. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    If anyone is thinking of giving it a chance and you live in the UK we have Distance Selling legislation, which give us a right to return if we don't want the item. Although anyone needs to check to ensure they meet the specific notification and deadline requirements.
     
  10. WvL

    WvL Improve the lives of other people

    Location:
    Birmingham al
    I am going to order one from my dealer in Nashville. awesome guy. PM me if you want the name. I don't make any $ if you buy from him
     
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  11. jonwoody

    jonwoody Tragically Unhip

    Location:
    Washington DC
    Well based on one of your other threads should I assume that's Colin @ Gestalt? ;)
     
    WvL likes this.
  12. bajaed

    bajaed Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I got mine the other day and think it has a nice effect on the sound. I'm usually not subject to an anticipatory bias, I've tried plenty of things that have had a negative impact.
    I need to a/b this weekend. My initial impression is that it's giving a richer, fuller, warmer and more relaxed sound to this system. That's a good thing. It's tamed some harshness and I feel like I'm hearing a wider and deeper soundstage with more separation of the instruments.

    As I read the above, I know it sounds like s bunch of audio cliches strung together but it really seems to have a positive impact on the sound. I'll listen more in depth this weekend.
     
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  13. WvL

    WvL Improve the lives of other people

    Location:
    Birmingham al
    Well, you outed me. I wasn't sure if the mods wanted me stirring up too much business for Colin. I knew the regulars could quickly figure it out :D
     
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  14. bajaed

    bajaed Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I've talked to Colin before. Really great guy.
     
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  15. Sam

    Sam Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    That would be nice. They did provide some info in the technical data that I posted in a few posts up, but measurements don't always coincide with great sound quality. There were two reasons why I decided to try one: price and posted sound comparisons where I could actually hear the difference with inexpensive headphones. I mean, really, $250 in high end audio is like dropping a quarter in a slot machine. I'll take the chance. Hell, that's less than dinner and a show with the wife. And in my system, I hit the jackpot with what it does for SQ. As I mentioned in earlier posts, it's the best bang for the buck I have ever spent that positively affected the WHOLE stereo, including my tv picture quality. I would love to see measurements that show why it does what it does. In the end, in this crazy hobby of ours, I've come to only trust one measuring apparatus: my ears. Time after time over the years we have been told how, for example, digital "measures" better than analog, or solid state vs tubes. But in the end, it's what you hear that matters.
     
  16. inzite

    inzite Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    totally agree and dont feel the need to have to prove or argue with anyone lol. my money, your money.
     
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  17. Sam

    Sam Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    :righton:
     
    inzite likes this.
  18. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I believe in paying attention to two aspects that are often subjects of dispute among stereo system owners: power treatment and isolation treatment.

    As for power treatment over time I moved to PS Audio regenerators and have one in each system (a P15, a P10 and a PPP). In my main system I have the P15 and in addition to the Furutech Clearline I previously used two Sunyata Defenders. One was gifted to me and I liked it so bought another. And because I like what they do to my system I tried the Clearline.

    Over time I've played around with the placement of these three items in my system and found subtle differences. The arrangement that creates an overall sound that I most like is: a Defender in the same outlet as my P15 is plugged in, the other Defender in the only unused outlet in my P15 and the Clearline in the outlet directly across from the one that I have the P15 plugged into (these are the only two outlets in this part of the upstairs "loft-like" room.)

    When I remove any one of these or two of these or all three of these I am less satisfied with the overall size, the frequency balance shifts a bit towards an edgy brightness and the sound stage diminishes in scope and shape. I'm a believer in their use regardless of how they might measure or not.

    I also use audiophile fuses to pleasant effect. . . have been transitioning from Audio Magic Super that was my standard for some time to Synergistic Research Orange and now a Purple. Fun to experiment, definitely hear changes to the system sound with these fuses.
     
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  19. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    A "power regenerator" is just a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) without a battery. PS Audio says "The P12 takes your incoming AC power, converts it to DC, and then regenerates it, producing new sine-wave-perfect, regulated high current AC power." Umm... that's exactly how a double conversion UPS works. You're just paying a lot more for an "audiophile" UPS that's missing the battery.
     
  20. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    My experience has been that the supply to my amp and factors such as sockets, plugs power chords and a dedicated line can make a positive difference to varying degrees.

    So despite my experience with this product, the refund of £230 has produced a itch and I wonder if anyone has tried the Russ Andrews X Blocks, I would need the 4 socket at £285, with a 60 day return policy.
    Russ Andrews - Hi-Fi mains and cable specialist
     
  21. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I do not believe they are the same thing by any means. UPS are not designed for audio. They produce a high impedance output that is not ideal for audio amplification. And they are rarely powerful enough for audio systems. I'm very happy with my regenerators and am glad I do not have a system without one. They also have various modes and adjustability that I don't believe UPS do.
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2021
    jonwoody likes this.
  22. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    It doesn't matter what the device was designed for -- it's still ultimately delivering AC mains power. There's nothing stopping you from plugging your toaster into a "designed for audio" power regenerator and your stereo system into a "designed for network servers" UPS. (See video below where LGR uses an "audio timer" to make Pop-Tarts.)

    And the impedance graphs have been debunked as meaningless because they're measuring it at hundreds of MHz, while AC power is only running at 50 or 60 Hz -- and ultimately gets rectified to 0 Hz (DC) before it gets anywhere near your audio signal path.

     
  23. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I'm going to disagree with your conclusions. In my experience it does matter what equipment is designed for. And others have commented that UPS produce inferior sound for audio. Each of my regenerators progressively lowers the output impedance to components and the lower they go the better the system sounds. I'm not watching your video etc. Believe what you want to, I'm only interested in the actual performance in my systems. It doesn't bother me that you think I have wasted money.
     
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  24. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Using a double-conversion, true sine wave UPS? Cheaper ones use a stepped square wave which they euphemistically call "modified sine wave" which is obviously not appropriate for audio equipment.
    Have you measured it at the output of the DC rectifier circuitry in your audio components? Because that's what's actually powering what you hear, not the AC mains power.
    Greater enjoyment is never a waste of money. But a lot of times, the source of that greater enjoyment is really just a placebo.

    And the video is literally just a guy plugging a toaster into an audio timer and using it to make Pop-Tarts. It's just a bit of fun, not some serious debunking video.
     
  25. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Honestly, I tire of those who try to debunk or devalue certain audio products. No offense but it just seems like trolling to me. You believe a UPS is just as good okay. Others whose audio history and experience I know more of don't.

    I don't do audio measuring. I've not the equipment, and I lack the interest. I have already made my choice of the components I wish to have and enjoy them.
     
    jonwoody, Dave, Eigenvector and 3 others like this.

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