Must Haves: Accessories

FutureShop is an authorised dealer for Oehlbach, AudioQuest, Entreq, and Nordost. All accessories listed below are available from stock.

Must-Have Hi-Fi Accessories

Accessories are often the forgotten and unknown aspects of improving your audiovisual experience. Sometimes the biggest improvements come from the smallest of objects: isolation products for your amplifiers, for example, can effectively prevent excess static and vibration from degrading the performance of your equipment. With many upgrades available, here are four of our recommendations to show you the possibilities.

1. Oehlbach Isolation

Oehlbach is a well-established German brand with over 45 years of development in high-quality audio and video accessories. Their isolation range is one of the most practically accessible in the market, offering feet and pads made from different materials at different price points. Each material transfers unwanted vibration and interference at a different rate, and finding the right product for your equipment and surface type is straightforward.

Oehlbach's isolation products lower the background noise floor by reducing the mechanical energy reaching your equipment from its supporting surface, enabling a clearer, more open, and more dynamic performance. They are also among the easiest wins in the accessory category: self-adhesive pads require no tools or rack modification, and the improvement is immediately reversible if you want to compare.

Browse the Oehlbach isolation range at FutureShop.

2. AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ USB Data and Power Noise Filter

The AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ is the current generation of AudioQuest's dual-function USB noise filter, upgraded from the original JitterBug with a Full Metal Jacket housing and an integrated carbon-based RF-absorbing cover on the output. Its dual discrete noise-dissipation circuits measurably reduce unwanted noise currents and parasitic resonances on both the USB data and power lines, reducing jitter and packet errors at source.

The JitterBug FMJ can be used in series (between computer and DAC) or in parallel (plugged into a spare USB port alongside another JitterBug). It is compatible with any USB-connected device: computers, laptops, streamers, network storage devices, and cars. It works particularly well in series with AudioQuest DragonFly Black and Red DACs, which benefit from the upstream noise reduction. The FMJ's metal jacket also addresses environmental RF noise entering through the USB port, which the original plastic-bodied JitterBug did not address as comprehensively.

View the AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ at FutureShop.

3. Entreq Grounding Boxes

Entreq's approach to system noise is based on a simple principle: a clean and effective ground point is one of the most important factors in achieving the best possible sonic platform for any hi-fi system. Their grounding boxes connect to the chassis ground of your equipment via a cable, providing a dedicated noise drain that pulls electrical interference away from the component and into the box's proprietary mineral mixture, where it is absorbed rather than reflected back into the circuit.

The current Entreq range is structured into two main tiers: the Micro Kit (entry level, supplied with cable and RCA adaptor as standard, with a choice of USB, RJ45, XLR, spade, or mains adaptors at no extra cost) and the Macro Kit (mid level, with a longer cable and the same adaptor options). Above these sit the Olympus Ten T and Olympus Infinity T for reference-level systems. Each tier uses Entreq's characteristic wooden housing, cotton insulation, and specific mineral and metallic mineral mixtures, chosen for their ability to absorb noise without re-radiating it.

Browse the Entreq grounding box range at FutureShop.

Honourable Mention: Nordost Sort Kones

The Nordost Sort Kone takes a different approach to isolation from the Oehlbach range. Where Oehlbach products decouple equipment from its surface by absorbing vibration, the Sort Kone directly couples the equipment to its surface, creating a mechanical ground path that allows internal energy to drain out of the component into the supporting structure rather than building up and affecting the circuit. The coupling ball at the base of each cone minimises the contact surface area while maintaining physical stability.

Four material tiers are available, each offering progressively better resonance control: AS (Aluminium with Steel), AC (Aluminium with Ceramic), BC (Bronze with Ceramic), and TC (Titanium with Ceramic). Sort Kones can be used in sets of three or four and work best placed directly under components on a quality equipment rack. They upgrade the performance of existing racks without modification, and can be moved between components as your system develops.

View the Nordost Sort Kones at FutureShop.

Where to Start: Matching the Accessory to the Problem

All four products above address different types of noise or interference. The table below maps each to the specific problem it solves, to help you decide where your first pound goes furthest.

Problem	Cause	Solution	Starting point
System sounds slightly closed-in or lacks dynamic contrast. Equipment sits on furniture or a budget rack.	Vibration from the supporting surface coupling back into equipment and adding mechanical noise to the circuit.	Isolation feet under all components. Start with the most sensitive component (turntable, DAC, or CD player).	Oehlbach isolation pads or feet
Streaming from a computer or laptop sounds flat compared to a dedicated streamer or CD player.	RF noise and parasitic resonances generated by the computer entering the audio signal via the USB port.	USB noise filter in series between the computer and DAC. A second unit in parallel on a spare USB port adds further benefit.	AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ
System performs well technically but sounds slightly artificial or lacks musical naturalness.	Ground-path noise circulating within equipment via the shared electrical ground, adding low-level contamination to the signal.	A dedicated grounding box connected to the chassis ground of the most sensitive component. Start with the DAC or phono stage.	Entreq Micro Kit
System is on a quality rack. Isolation already in place but a further step in mechanical resonance control is wanted.	Internal component energy building up within the chassis and re-entering the circuit as mechanical noise.	Directly-coupled isolation cones that provide a controlled drain path for internal energy. Used under power amplifiers, DACs, or CD players.	Nordost Sort Kone AS (entry tier)

For additional approaches to noise reduction in the power and signal chain, our QSA Jitters review covers treated power plug and IEC adaptors that address noise at the power connection point. And for the broader context of equipment support and how rack choice interacts with isolation, our Quadraspire rack review covers how a quality equipment rack contributes to isolation performance.

Browse the full isolation accessories range at FutureShop, or view Entreq grounding boxes and the AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ directly. Not sure which accessory suits your system? Get in touch with our team for free expert advice.