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Audience Au24 SE power cord Upgrade

Has anyone tried Furutech FI-28(R) connectors on this amazing power cord?

Well, prepare yourself to be blown away!!!!!!

In my humble opinion, I heard higher resolution, smoother midrange and a very tight bass. And yes, I have tried the SE Cardas upgrade as well. While they are certainly better than the mediocre wattgate connectors, Cardas 'sound' was nowhere near the grand soundstage presented by Furutech. And how about Furutech's superb craftsmanship, fit and finish.

To put things in perspective, think about the leap you experienced when you upgraded from aR6-TS to aR6-TSSD. Reluctant at first, I got sold on IC's SE upgrade instantly. Both RCA and XLR's greatly benefits from the new connectors. I have not tried SE upgrade on speaker cables yet. I honestly feel, Cardas power connectors leaves room for further improvement.

My system consist of Classe Delta series, B&W 800 series, Raysonic, Marantz, Core Audio, REL B1's, Audience Au24 power cords, IC's, and a pair of aR2-TSSD's / aR6-TSSD.

The A/B comparison was conducted with 6 power cords between pre-amp, CD player, amp, subs and aR6-TSSD.

PS: No offense Mr. McDonald. You will always enjoy my utmost respect and appreciation. I hope to enjoy Audience superb products for many more years until my hearing totally gives up!
128x128lalitk
raks
468 posts
 
I'm also a fan of the Audience Au24 power cords. IMHO what you hearing is a direct result of the fact that the Furutech FI-28(R) plugs cost twice as much as the subject Cardas plugs.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk OP
5,055 posts
 
Hi Raks,

Thanks for your reply. I agree, they are expensive, but you gain whole lot of more then settling for Cardas. Furutech's are currently on sale for $223.00 a pair. So the upgrade cost is the same as Audience. If you're a DIY kind a guy, you can perform this upgrade in less than 30 minutes in your very home :)
raks
468 posts
 
What Audience charges for the SE upgrade includes both the plugs and a reasonable upcharge for Audience to re-terminate the cables.

I do agree with you that if I was of the mind to spend $200 to upgrade the terminations, I'd go the Furutech DIY route.
jafant
18,798 posts
 
Thanks! for sharing- Lalitk-

this is very interesting. Cardas is ok at best. You put a new spin on an already excellent cable. Perhaps, Mr McDonald will try to strike a deal w/ Furutech plugs on his cables/cords? Keep me posted & Happy Listening!
lalitk's avatar
lalitk OP
5,055 posts
 
Just want to reiterate, there is no denying that $220 SE upgrade through Audience is a heck of a deal. The whole point of bringing this conversation is about achieving sonic nirvana and best bang for our bucks. If you're considering SE upgrade for powercord, even at $280.00 retail Furutech's plugs begs for your consideration.

For the record, I got no special consideration for promoting Furutech's :)

In my system, Furutech upgrade delivered the top-end with a beautiful balance. They were open, a bit relaxed in their presentation and totally lacking any harshness or grain. I can best describe their sound as silky smooth and very musical.

Audience deserve big props on continue improving their products at reasonable prices. That's one of the reason they are my No. 1 preference for cables and power conditioners.

Let the music flow!!!
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