I’ve said it a number of times on here already but yes the price for “just an outlet”, seems ridiculous, but its price vs performance is one of the biggest improvements in my hifi journey. Getting the power sorted & room treatments are fundamental IMO. I have spent a lot on the Furutech NCF stuff but it has probably actually saved me money in the long run, as I no longer feel the need to upgrade other kit constantly. I’ve been thinking about upgrading my speakers for sometime now but it seems every time I listen, I think to myself, this sounds so good, why upgrade?
I fully agree with your point on the price for an outlet seem outrageous. But I dare say that this outlet outperforms many black box or cable upgrades of for a fraction of their price. This is where it all starts in the chain and once the incoming power is covered, the whole chain will profit from it.
Having experience with NCF power connectors, NCF boosters and now the NCF wall socket, I can say that the NCF products are really good and manage to impress me each and every time.
Did you ever receive this DAS 4.1 cable? I’m a bit confused if we ever received the answer on how you get on with them.
I’ve received and setup the DSS4.1. Still in burn in stage as I haven’t had much time to listen to the system for over a month.
I still haven’t built the DAS4.1 interconnects as of yet. However even at about 20 hours the DSS4.1 speaker cables began to shine. The top end began to settle in nicely but I still cannot review them as I haven’t spent enough time with them.
Having owned the power cable variant for about 2 years now I can say that these cables are as good as cables can get IME. other than Superlumina I haven’t tried some of the other range toppers like the Chord Music or Ansuz.
Ok thanks. I am REALLY looking forward to hear more about the DAS. Keep us posted and good luck with getting through the break in of these cables. I know it can take ages.
Okay, I’ll fess up to being the first person to doubt that a wall socket can have a profound effect.
Over the last few months, my listening has been restricted to a few select recordings which sounded ok with the infamous Firmware 3.10 on the Naim ND555. On a whim I ordered a Furutech NCF Rodium plated wall socket. Compared to the original MK wall socket, even after only a few hours I’ve got to admit I am gobsmacked. There is now body and guitar sounds like a guitar again. The sound is smoother and the metallic harsh edge on female vocals has reduced dramatically. No loss of detail but leading edges / fret buzz etc are not quite so pronounced but still there to make the music feel real.
However, I’d sum it up by saying that music sounds like music again. Before changing the socket, some albums were frankly not great due to the hard / cold sound. I’m smiling! Whilst it’s an expensive socket, I truly cannot believe the difference it has made.
I haven’t charged anything else and the swap was a straight one with very little system downtime.
Im impressed but frustrated that I can’t understand how a change of something like a wall socket can make such a profound difference.
For reference, the socket feeds a Chord M6 power block to ND555 / NAC 552 / NAP 300 DR.
I know everyone’s rooms are different and systems will react differently but this has to be a one of the best value upgrades I’ve experienced.
PS:
If it sounds sh*** tomorrow I’ll let you know, but so far it looks like a success. ![]()
You will go through a rollercoaster in the next five weeks
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At some point you will want to take it out and replace it. Wait, then wait some more and then wait more again. Only then you will be absolutely gobsmacked that you listened all this time with a normal socket. It’s some of the best couple hundred $/£/€ you will ever spend on your hifi in my opinion.
Thanks for the warning! ![]()
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Not a warning but a fact! :-). We’ve all gone through it. That being said I’m so happy that you enjoy what you are hearing. I agree with @Hifi_Naim_CNNL best $ I’ve spent for sure.
If you read a number of the posts above, don’t be shocked if it does sound like **** tomorrow, it will eventually come good. Powering all my kit, it took somewhere ~400hrs for things to settle down/run in & this is with outlets that were pre burnt in from my dealer. Lower current draws will take longer.
It really was an interesting process and it was one I have never experienced before, the sound would change daily, every time I’d listen during run in I would wonder “what am I going to hear tonight” as the swings in tonal balance are large & will probably even shift when listening.
It really is amazing what an outlet can do, the only problem is you’ll start to question what power cord ends can do as well, spoiler alert, they do make a difference ![]()
Well this was the first time since the installation of 3.10 on the ND555 that I have listened to the system for more than a couple of hours. Far more enjoyable and whilst it is calmer than before, there is detail previously unheard. So far so good but tempering my expectations with the possibility of a potentially bumpy ride ahead.
Hopefully once the wall socket is done with the rollercoaster ride, the latest firmware will be released. I wouldn’t make any other changes for awhile.
Indeed. I’m not planning on doing anything to the system in the next few months tbh.
Last night I was playing music until nearly midnight. That hasn’t happened for a good six months.
Great news. It surely works!
I presume you only have a single Furutech wall socket and not duplex. Otherwise you could experiment with different connection configurations to obtain the best result. I’m not sure about the Chord M6 but I recently found that my new amp (Gryphon Diablo 300) needs to go directly to the wall outlet instead of the power conditioner for the best result.
It’s a double but that is mainly because it was a straight swap for the previous socket.
I’ll experiment when I have the time.
Great to hear you’ve upgraded. It’s truly a remarkable socket. I recently compared it to the Russ Andrew Signature socket and the Furutech was better.
The sound was more open with a more articulate sound across the spectrum.
BTW the sockets takes a very long time to break in. I can’t say for sure how long but if I had to give a time frame I’d say about 8 months. I know that sounds absurd to some people and I don’t mind any scepticism but eventually you will get leading edge attack without the harshness and a better flow to the music.
So far, I’d say there is an air of calm and refinement with a better defined soundstage. Previously there was a ragged edge which was limiting what I could comfortably listen to. There is no loss of detail though. Everything sounds more natural. ![]()
Hi great that you’ve made such great progress with Furutech NCF wall sockets. I had the same experience with a simpler system and the non-NCF socket. Due to the long break-in period, I didn’t switch to the NCF version. But I’m happy with what I have.
I’ve never had the same problems with the new firmware that others are reporting in the endless ‘unhappy’ thread. There’s been a slight change, yes, but no deterioration, maybe even an improvement. However, I have NDac/ND5XS2 as a separate combination. And it hadn’t even occurred to me that the Furutech wall socket and the E-TP60 power strip could be a factor here. I don’t know if you (as an ND555 user) shared your experience in the ‘unhappy’ thread. Some people there are very frustrated with the current firmware…
I would say 8 months is excessive. Mine was stable after 5 weeks. Active speakers drawing power 24/7.
Once I also connected my surround system also it sped up the breaking in significantly. Maybe it was because it draws a lot more power than just the hifi.
Yes, I’ll probably put something up on that thread later. It’s obviously difficult to predict how these things pan out with so many variables at play. It is interesting how something like this can have such a profound effect. To be honest, the cost when considered against the price of the other components in the system makes it a comparative bargain.
I’m just happy to have a musical system back and would happily have paid more to achieve that.
I’ll probably eat my words when 3.11 appears! ![]()