Absolute Power - Outlet Covers

[Joe Pittman]

As I have said before I have been obsessed with the power system for many years. Most recently the Furutech NCF technology has rocked my world. Part of the journey has included the benign outlet cover needed to cover the duplex outlet. My first tweaked outlet cover was Winston Ma's (RIP my friend) stainless steel outlet cover damped with Dynamat and a layer of ERS material which was an improvement over a plain plastic cover. Next were experiments with Oyaide, Acoustic Revive and Audio Replas, focusing on reducing resonance and EMI/RFI. Eventually I settled on the Furutech 104-D cover with carbon fiber over stainless steel as my reference. Now Furutech has created a next generation state-of-the-art cover using their new NCF technology and Neo Damper material called the 105-D NCF Outlet Cover. This new cover is amazing and my new reference. I'll stick my neck out and suggest it is a significant power tweak for 2017!



Someone at the WB forum asked how the new 105-D NCF compared to the 104-D and I said:

****************
The new Furutech 105-D NCF covers are really awesome. They are my new reference.

The new 105-D NCF cover makes contact with the raised perimeter of the GTX Wall Plate and is now coupled to it allowing a direct path for resonance/vibration to travel and then damped. The coupling of the GTX-D NCF outlet at the mounting screw also allows resonance/vibration to travel into the cover. See how the screw is connected at the Damping Clamp at the outlet http://www.kosmic.us/furutech-gtx-dr-ncf.html

The combination of NCF technology and the Neo Damper is excellent. I suspect the cover is also providing a clamping force similar to Furutech's Axial Locking System. See http://www.kosmic.us/furutech-e-tp309-ncf.html
****************

OK, they are expensive and look like audio jewelry. Cannon fodder for snake oil comments, but should provide a real performance increase disproportionate to cost. For more information see my web page: http://www.kosmic.us/furutech-105-d-...let-cover.html

This is a truly functional outlet cover which may improve many existing systems. It's easy to try, just replace your existing cover. If you have tried this or other covers, please comment. Thanks.

[Rob]

what if you just left the covers off althogether, wouldn't that open up the sound? i'm just playing with you

[Joe Pittman]

Yes, you can leave the covers off but this allows cold air into your room which is not a "green solution". However, those with lots of tubes could reduce their air conditioning costs. So many design issues and trade-offs in this high end audio quest (a wink is as good a nod to a blind horse).

[mep]

I would say that by the time we are down to worrying/obsessing about the type of cover we have on our wall outlets, we have pretty much exhausted our audiophile worry list. Next on the worry list will be worrying about the type of elastic band you have in your underwear and concern that it's transmitting vibrations from the SPLs in your room down into your butt crack which is making your listening chair vibrate which in turn is causing an out of phase cancellation with the air molecules in your room. Maybe we should sell some audiophile approved Worry Beads.

Seriously, they look cool and will announce to everyone that you are either nuts or a serious audiophile.

[Joe Pittman]

I disagree. They will announce you are a serious audiophile AND nuts.

[cpp]

How about serious crazy audiophile. I prefer high grade made in the USA 100% Lexan

[MylesBAstor]

[1morerecord2clean]

So these need to be used throughout the house on every outlet regardless of where your audio equipment is used or just where audio equipment is plugged into the wall?

"If it makes an obvious positive difference..." Presumably an actually heard difference, supported with specific recorded tracks.

[1morerecord2clean]

Just so happens I need one and I have been lazy about getting a new wall plate.

[cpp]

Joe, it might be brand new to that manufacturer but Furutech and Oyaide have been making them for a while now.

[MylesBAstor]

Joe I have a dumb question. I have two dedicated lines in my room. Each line has three outlets that are ganged up in one box per line. I know that Furutech did make a cover for two outlets but not three. Can you take three covers made for single outlets and put them next to each other?

[Joe Pittman]

I've never seen a triple duplex box before. Please provide a picture if you can. Furutech does not make a double duplex cover. Oyaide makes a double duplex wall plate/cover WPC-Z2 see my web page http://www.kosmic.us/power-receptacles.html . Typically receptacles are spaced too close together in the outlet boxes in order for standard covers to be used for each outlet. The width of the new 105-D NSF cover is 74mm or 2.92" wide...

[MylesBAstor]

I may eventually have an electrician come in and separate each of the outlets. What might be confusing you is the electrician put the receptacles in a box on the outside of rather than in the wall.

[Guest]

Doesn't this forum have a For Sale section where these types of "informational advertisements" (and they advertisements) belong? Is the For Sale section just for individuals, and the entire forum available to merchants?

[mep]

Joe has posted this on another forum and he is currently working on figuring out the perfect amount of torque to apply to the plate screws. And no, I'm not kidding. Too little torque causes sonic issues and too much torque causes sonic issues. Joe said he is currently working on finding the Golidilocks torque value.

[Guest]

Joe has posted this on another forum and he is currently working on figuring out the perfect amount of torque to apply to the plate screws. And no, I'm not kidding. Too little torque causes sonic issues and too much torque causes sonic issues. Joe said he is currently working on finding the Golidilocks torque value.

Can you supply specific passages and torque values with the sonic issue differences you hear?

[Joe Pittman]

I'll record my torque settings and listening notes. If they are interesting, I'll let you guys know. I may hold off till I check them out at MikeL's place.

Hopefully we'll hear from mep. Input from users without hyper exotic systems makes a better case.

[mep]

Tima-I don't own any of the Furtech or other fancy outlets and wall plates so I can't comment.

[Mike Lavigne]

last night Joe Pittman installed -7- of the Furutech 105-D NCF outlet covers on my outlets replacing the previous metal covers.. it took him about 30-35 minutes. he torqued them to a spec he has found is best so far in his experience.

I did expect them to be an improvement. but this was bigger than I expected.

-a layer of greyness was removed. it's more vivid and open.
-I get more a sense of weight and tonal sparkle. more alive and micro dynamic.
-slightly greater soundstage, mostly decays go on farther.
-greater sense of focus.....vocals are spooky good. (Joe and I both thought 'vinyl' good).

I suspect that my recent addition of the Aqua Formula dac and SMG server, which lowered noise floors and increased detail and focus already made this change more profound.

anyway it's a killer addition......I would caution that while I expect they would make a positive audible difference in most systems, the degree of benefit will likely vary from system to system. so I'm not proclaiming universal rave level here. but......anyone who has already done the rest of the Furutech NCF program likely will get a significant boost.

enjoy.

added note; I did a no-no. I made 2 changes at once. when Joe switched out the cover plates, I switched power cords between my dart pre and SMG server. the one that had been on the server was a decent Tel Wire I've had for awhile. I had one of my Absolute Fidelity power cords with the new Furutech NCF plugs on my dart pre. I figured the NCF plugged PC on the dart pre is only powering the battery charger and has no effect on performance. so why not put it where it can do some good?

anyway.....likely there is a muddying of the water on degree of cover plate switching cause and effect. wanted to do full disclosure. I'm guessing some of the extra vividness, microdynamics and additional decays are the PC change.

[mep]

Mike-Didn't you have Furutech carbon fiber outlet covers previously?

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike-Didn't you have Furutech carbon fiber outlet covers previously?

Joe might comment more completely, but the old 104-D covers were carbon fiber over stainless steel. the new 105-D NCF is the NCF technology and Neo-damping material.

they look different and feel different. the old ones 'clang' a little bit when I set it on the table. the new one's go 'thud' without any ringing.....as well as the NCF 'effect' getting activated by the A/C current through the outlet.

[mep]

Thanks for the explanation.