FURUTECH LAN-8 NCF ETHERNET CABLE

A Category 8 S/FTP twisted pair cable for Ethernet, Paul Rigby looks to tackle noise in the digital realm

We know how analogue cables can enhance and improve the sound of your turntable, amplifiers and more. This is also true of your digital equipment. We also know – well some of us, at any rate – that outside influences give this so-called “perfect” carrier signal a jab, a push and a tweak. This parasitic noise can affect the final sound. Jitter, crosstalk, EMI, RF and the rest can damage the quality from digital equipment. 

This cable does what all cables hope to do, lower high-frequency noise and reject external vibration to hopefully reveal what’s underneath. That is, information, detail and more. This cable adds ceramic particles and carbon powder to reduce static as well as provide electrical and mechanical damping.

Oh and Category 8? More commonly known as Cat8? What’s that? Apparently, it is backward compatible with Categories 7 and 6. It also features improved specifications for crosstalk and system noise than Category 7 with added shielding for each individual wire pair and the cable as a whole. Category 8 cable reportedly allows 40 Gigabit Ethernet and frequencies of up to 2000 MHz (Category 7 X 3.3). Besides the additional shielding, the LAN-8 NCF design also adds twisted pairs with the number of twists per unit length increasing RF shielding and further protecting from crosstalk. 

In this cable, you’re looking at silver-played copper wiring with a gold-plated copper alloy body termination with minimal magnetic properties. Isolation includes aluminium foil, copper braiding, PVC and a high-quality nylon yarn braided sleeve to prevent internal resonance and, says the company,  enhanced damping.

This cable is available at the following lengths: 0.6M, 1.2M, 1.8M, 2.5M, 3.6M, 5M and 7.5M/10M by request.

So does it work? Does it do the job of isolating, damping, shielding and all that good stuff? Let’s check the sound quality tests and find out.

SOUND QUALITY

I began by firing up my Benchmark DAC and Melco N50-S38 music server and connected that to my Twonky server via my MacBook and played Bob Marley’s Jamming at 24bit/96kHz.

I started by comparing the Furutech with a standard, off the shelf, cheap and chips Cat5 Ethernet cable. 

VS CAT5 STANDARD

The result of inserting the Furutech cable? First question? Where did all that bass come from? And there was a lot. A lot. Bass drum was almost completely new while the bass guitar decided to wake up and become part of the mix. Just this single frequency change completely changed the dynamic of the song because it provided a new sense of swing off the beat, a real hip shaker you might say. It not only grounded the sound but the firm bass floor gave the music a tonal balance that just wasn’t there before. 

Next? The low noise. High-frequency noise took a dive which mean that the upper mids and treble were now occupied by air and space that provided a sense of reverb to the lead and backing vocals. 

More than that, the upper mid and treble edge that previously hung around secondary percussion and rhythm guitar was now gone. A blessed relief to my ears at higher volumes, I must say.

VS CAT8 STANDARD

So I changed to the very bright and pinched Grand National indie rock album and the CD rip of Talk Amongst Yourself at 16bit/44.1kHz and then switched to basic, bog standard Cat8 cabling as a comparative referenece. 

This album sounds nasty with its excessive peak limiting on CD and worse via the Cat8 Ethernet cable. Via the Furutech? Well, you can’t hide the egregious high frequencies but there was far more clarity and midrange insight with added bass that softened the high-end attack and that terrible listening fatigue. At least I could listen to this track now and not run from the room crying my eyes out.

WITH SMOOTHLAN

It was when I inserted the Stack SmoothLAN Ethernet filtering device between the Melco and the Furutech that the Furutech really sprang into action.

Given a little bit of help from the Stack, so now it didn’t have to bear the brunt of the performance effort, as it where, the cable pushed the quality of the sound skyward. The Furutech cable helped the SmoothLAN to reach new sonic heights. Bass had real character now with both focus and precise while the normally ear-ripping rhythm guitar was now a rich source of detail and information. 

Finally, hopping onto the eclectic noise train, I played Sigmund Groven & Iver Kleive and Undring (24bit/96kHz) and bizarre combination of harmonica and…church organ. Quite the combo in terms of tone and dynamics but the newly found air and space produced by this cable enabled the ear to really pick up the close mic positioning of the harmonica and the grand, rather distant yet powerful presentation from the organ but especially the transition where the organ power backs off to allow the harmonica to get a word in. 

CONCLUSION

What I was waiting for when listening to the Furutech Ethernet cable was what I always listen for when I compare any audiophile cable with a basic, cheapo piece of cabling, a reduction of noise. I certainly got that here. The new sense of both clarity and transparency from the Furutech was quite the relief on some of the test tracks here. But it was the infusion of bass that took me by surprise here. That new found stability and rock-solid foundation provided a welcome sense of tonal balance that completely changed how I listed to many of the tracks on during this test. 

The Furutech Ethernet cable is an effective accessory for all digital set ups. An important part of the noise-lowering basket of accessories that includes isolation feet, shelving, grounding accessories and more.

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FURUTECH LAN-8 NCF ETHERNET CABLE

Prices:
Furutech’s LAN-8 NCF Ethernet cable is available now in the following lengths, priced as follows (including VAT)
0.6m  £120
1.2m  £140
1.8m  £160
2.5m  £180
3.6m  £215
5.0m  £260
Also 7.5m & 10m on request.

Website: www.furutech.com or www.soundfowndations.co.uk 

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GOOD: low noise, midrange clarity, airy treble, bass performance 

BAD: nothing

Rating: 8

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