apanese companies have been at the forefront of technological avant-garde for several decades now. Several years ago they were joined by firms from South Korea, China and Taiwan, but in audio it is still the Japanese who lead the way, usually those representing big corporations. On the other hand, in the West, many interesting solutions in terms of design, make, finish, etc. presented for the first time by these concerns are today a result of the work of small companies, individual inventors / designers, who do their best to achieve perfection.

And yet it was not always the case. The history of high-quality audio is inseparable from large research companies, primarily American Bell Labs. Tubes designed to amplify signal, stereo and binaural recordings, stereo LPs, digital encoding, and even the dynamic driver concept - we owe all those inventions to the scientists. It still works this way in Japan. It's the Japanese universities that produce the most interesting developments - both "solid" ones that are fully accepted by the engineering community (in the field of applied science), but also things that raise disbelief among engineers, sometimes and even disgust, such as anti-vibration products proposed by Acoustic. Revive. Despite the fact that they are also supported by proper measurement results and have a solid scientific foundation.

I think that is precisely why Japan has been the source of studies or trends that have somewhat shaped the entire hi-fi industry for years - SET tube amplifiers are a great example, a comeback of the horn loudspeakers with a wide baffle, a renewed interest in mono recordings, etc. On the other hand new CD formats such as: XRCD, HQCD, Blu-spec, SHM-CD also come from there. One of the areas of audio industry that Japan still leads is the production of audio cables. This is just an example of a "hard" product requiring a great research department, a sufficiently large group of stubborn enthusiasts, and a powerful industry capable of putting these developments into practice.

Copper – not as simply as you might think

Just a year ago, it seemed that the Japanese audio cable industry would have to go through a painful conversion process - in 2013, Furukawa, which produced conductors and cables for most of domestic audio cabling manufacturers, ended production of the most popular variety of high quality conductors - PCOCC (Pure Cooper Ohno Continuous Casting). Individual manufacturers have found new types of conductors and started to use them for their cables. For example, Acoustic Revive has switched to PC-Triple C from Fine Chemicals & Materials (Furukawa branch), Zonotone and Ortofon started to use HiFC cabling, and some other bought a huge stock of PCOCC wire spools and for several years offered cables featuring this conductor. Manufacturers such as: Harmonix and Furutech belong to the latter group.

At the same time, Acrolink, also for OEM cables made for Esoteric boldly introduced new models of cable as if all this turmoil on the cable market didn't affect them at all. They had a power ally to "back" them, the Mitsubishi Corporation. Its history starts in 1870 when Mr. Yataro Iwasaki-san, using three old steamboats set up a shipping company. After the Second World War the company was closed. In 1952, along with foreign companies, new technologies began to flow to Japan. In 1954, based on the postwar Peace Agreement, 100 small companies were merged, forming the Mitsubishi Corporation. Today it is a powerful corporation with shipyards, transportation companies, car and motorcycle factories, working for the arms, medical and telecommunication industries, and many others.

One of its departments produces connection cables, including specialized audio cables. They use technologies developed in-house, such as D.U.C.C. (Dia Ultra Crystallized Copper). Other ultra pure copper cable types, for example OFC and PCOCC, are about maximizing the length of the crystals and improving the purity of the conductor to eliminate the so-called "diode distortion" generated during signal's transition between neighboring crystals. However, Mitsubishi's research has shown that impurities of this type also arise inside the crystals, not only at the contact areas. D.U.C.C. process involves re-crystallization of copper during which pollutants are released and removed. Interestingly, thanks to this process the resulting copper shows much less directivity effect.

DPS-4 Alpha OCC-DUCC

The DSP-4 power cable is the first Furutech product I have a chance to review featuring D.U.C.C. (to make it simple I will use the DUCC abbreviation) conductors manufactured by Mitsubishi Materials Industries,. What's more, it combines two different conductors, DUCC and Alpha- OCC, that is, one made using re-crystallization process (DUCC) and the other continuous copper casting and cooling under controlled conditions (OCC). Before the name OCC-DUCC here is one more letter, the Greek α, which refers to the previous cables of this company. Alpha, in Furutech's corporate nomenclature described as Pure Transmission, is a cryogenic material processing and demagnetization (Alpha Super Cryogenic and Demagnetizing). It's a copper of 7N purity.

The cable looks completely different from whole the rest of the “serious” products available on the market. The color chosen for the outer sleeving is called by Furutech: Rose Red. However, it is impossible not to notice that it is simply pink and it is this kind of pink that will dominate any system. But the Japanese are masters of this type of games – have a look, for example, at the Sushi Cats concept. This can be seen either as pure madness or extravagance. There is no third choice.

DPS-4 Alpha OCC-DUCC is the most expensive power cable from this company sold on a spool (40 m). Cable to the test was made by Polish distributor. The RCM, the Polish representative of Furutech made an interesting choice of connectors for this cable: I-E50 NCF (R) and FI-50 NCF (R). Furutech in both used the Nano Crystal² Formula (NCF), a solution reducing vibration.

They use a special crystalline material with some "active" properties. First of all, it generates negative ions, eliminating the static charges from the material. Secondly, it converts kinetic energy into infrared radiation. Hence it is a piezoelectric material that directly converts the vibration into heat. Let me remind you that already some time ago this type of anti-vibration elements was offered by Acoustic Revive as a small pads called CE-4.

The metal contact elements are made of non-magnetic, rhodium-plated materials (OCC) Alpha processed (demagnetization and cryogenic processing). It features a multi-layer body: it combines non-magnetic stainless steel and silver-plated carbon fiber and a layer of acetate co-polymer. Thanks to silver-plating these plugs differ from older black carbon fiber ones. The IEC FI-50 NCF (R) power socket features a similar construction.

The Furutech DPS-4 Alpha OCC-DUCC power cable was tested using two components: the Ancient Audio AIR V-edition Compact Disc player and Kondo Overture II integrated amplifier. It was compared to two power cables of different design featuring different types of copper: Acoustic Revive Power Reference Triple-C and Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 (DUCC Mexcel) using A / B / A comparisons with A and B known. It was plugged into the Acoustic Revive RTP-4EU Ultimate power strip. A separate comparison was made with the Harmonix X-DC350M2R Improved-Version featuring PCOCC conductors.

Recordings used for the test (a selec-
tion)

• Carmen McRae, Torchy!, Decca/Universal Music Group (Japan) UCCU-9633, SHM-CD (1955/2008)
• Diorama, Child Of Entertainment, Accession Records A 119, SP CD (2010)
• Dominic Miller & Neil Stacey, New Dawn, Naim naimcd066, CD (2002)
• Fausto Mesolella, Live ad Alcatraz, Fonè/Master Music NT017, XRCD24 (2014/2016)
• Röyksopp, The Inevitable End, Dog Triumph DOG013CD, 2 x CD (2014)
• Suzanne Vega, Nine Objects of Desire, A&M Records 540 583 2, CD (1996)
• Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden, Parlophone/EMI PCSDX 105, 180 g LP + DVD WAV 24/96 (1988/2012)
• Tangerine Dream, Zeit, Cherry Red Records/Belle 121943-4, SHM-CD + CD (1972/2011)
• Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, Live at the Misty, Three Blind Mice/Sony Music Direct (Japan) MHCP-10038, SACD/CD (1974/2006)

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Japanese issues available at

It is clear, at least I think it is, that every element of an audio system "performs". In the case of cables, the main part is played by materials used - conductors and dielectrics - their geometry, also connectors they are terminated with. I was particularly curious about comparison of different types of copper. I am not able to separate the conductors' material from the way the cables are terminated or their configuration/geometry, but from experience I know that the hierarchy in this case looks like this: material is the most important factor, than geometry and finally connectors.

Furutech cable offers its own sound and this is the first time I encountered this particular combination of sonic features. However, it is difficult to point out the "horizontal" similarities and differences between this model and other cables - here they go across. Its sound is full and to a large extent warm. I have no doubt about it - the color and the way the attack is shaped reminded me of what I had heard in the past with new TARA Labs cables from the Muse line. It's about delivering sound in an unforced, amazingly natural way

When we listen this way to vocals, such as Carmen McRea's, it is re-created before us in the same way as good recordings played from a vinyl or high quality SACD or DSD files do that. There is a common DNA which results in this refined, organic sound combining all of its elements in an amazingly smooth way. Also guitars sounded this way – ones played by Dominic Miller and Nel Stancey on New Dawn as well as a quite different one, recorded from a larger distance, played by Fausto Mesolella, produced by Mr. Kazuo Kiuchi (Combak Corporation) and released as the XRCD24.

This cable does not enlarge the forefront of the stage, although the density and slight emphasis in the lower midrange could lead to this. This is a more neutral performance than one of the "warm" products made a few years ago. The performance has the same sonic signature when electronic music is played. All the irritation imperfections in the reproduction of the attack phase of the sound are removed, and at the same time all elements are played in a perfect harmony.

Even in the case of recordings of questionable quality Furutech will deliver a similar performance. With expressive recordings, ones that nicely convey an atmosphere, the Japanese cable will emphasize these elements. That's why the Röyksopp's album The Inevitable End, a farewell from the band for their fans, sounded so well. A melancholia, even the sadness that accompanies almost every track was perfectly obvious and I felt it even stronger than with other also warm sounding cables.

A comparison with Acoustic Revive cable featuring Triple-C copper cable was particularly informative. The AR has a more contoured sound, i.e. there is more of the upper treble and lower bass. Where the Furutech gently retreats, the Triple-C is moving forward. At the bottom of the band Furutech does not differentiate nor focus the bass as well as AR and Acrolink do. Yet I think these two aspects are still better than with Harmonix. When I played Suzanne Vega's Nine Objects of Desire it became clear that Furutech was not as precised or focused.

The difference is not significant enough to make it a bigger problem. This is a characteristic feature of high-end products - even if they are not perfect in every aspect, if they let go a bit in some aspects, it is “for the greater good” and instead of complaining about it we tend to shake our heads in delight. The wonderful Kondo OnGaku, and Overture II behaved similarly in this respect. This is a “deviation” from linearity and you have to check it out in your own system to see whether this is what you're looking for.

What should surprise even experienced music lovers, I truly believe that, is not only a wonderful tone, but also the quality of the soundstage and holography of the presentation. All the cables I compared Furutech to, delivered a wider soundstage. But only Acrolink did it in a way that made sense, I.e. it did not “inflate” the space, but rather by enlarging the volume of sounds it "expanded" it from within. Furutech, in turn, delivered the greatest depth. It was a great experience "to see" so far back into the stage, as if the wall behind the system did not exist. And additionally it fantastically extracted information from the recording forming a sphere around the listener - if only, of course, such information was available in the said track.

Summary

This is a unique cable. It combines richness, warmth and insight into recording. In my system its sonic character was similar to that of Harmonix X-DC350M2R Improved-Version and Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500. It delivered clearer, better differentiated performance than the former, while Acrolink was more resolving and it differentiated recordings even better. Its bass was also a bit more extended. On the other hand in terms of smoothness, fluidity of the soundstage and its depth, Furutech offered more than any other cable I had at my disposal at the time. The only power cable offering even better performance from all of those cables was the Harmonix X-DC Studio Master Million Maestro (Polish), that cost five times more. RED (Rose) Fingerprint.

The Furutech cable features an interesting design. Although it surprises with this original color from the outside, it seems to be just another ordinary cable based on a twisted pair of conductors – but it is not. Each of its three cores is constructed of three layers of conductors - wires, differing in number, direction of winding and material they are made of. The inner bundle consists of 79 Alpha-OCC wires with a 0.18 mm² gauge each, twisted to the right. The next layer is wound onto it, made of 37 DUCC (7N) wires twisted left, and finally on top of these two there is another core with 42 DUCC (7N) copper wires twisted to the right; The bundle has a diameter of 2.75 mm².

A combination of materials was selected for the insulation: there is the fluoropolymer layer inside and polyethylene on the outside. The cables are stabilized with cotton fibers and wrapped in cotton fabric. The layered shielding features a PVC spacer filled with nanoparticles of ceramics and carbon. The inner layer of the shield is a copper foil and the outer layer is an OFC copper braid. The whole cable has a diameter of 17 mm².