Hi-Fi Essentials
Hardware and treatment for a system you already own: headphones, DACs, amplifiers, streamers, isolation, racks and grounding. The next purchase after the system exists.
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This is the upgrade section rather than the starting point. It assumes you have a system, know roughly what it does well, and want to work out what to change next.
The order that usually works starts with the mechanical foundation. A rack that resonates undermines everything sitting on it, so proper support and isolation come first. Then the source, because nothing downstream can recover what a poor source has already lost. Then the electronics, and last the treatments that sit around the edges of a system, such as grounding.
Some of what is here is uncontested. Speaker stands, isolation feet and a rigid rack do measurable and audible things. Other categories, grounding in particular, divide opinion sharply, and we say so on the pages where that applies. What we will not do is recommend something we have not heard, or call a component essential when your system does not need it. Tell us what you are running and what you want to improve, and we will give you a straight answer.
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NEW£37.50Ex. VATThe Furutech FP-Mono-63L (G) is the right-angle version of Furutech's 6.3mm mono plug, built around a one-piece gold-plated copper alloy conductor with PBT insulation and a non-magnetic stainless steel housing. It accepts wire insulation up to 7.5mm, solders rather than crimps, and weighs approximately 25.1g. Furutech have discontinued this part. -
NEW£29.17Ex. VATThe Furutech FP-705M (R) is the male half of Furutech's 4-pin balanced XLR connector pair, the standard termination for balanced headphone cable. It uses rhodium-plated Alpha copper alloy conductors in PBT and fibreglass resin insulation, with a non-magnetic zinc and aluminium alloy housing in a black painted finish. It accepts cable up to 9mm and solders.
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NEW£30.83Ex. VATThe Furutech FP-706F (R) is the female half of Furutech's 4-pin balanced XLR connector pair, used where a balanced headphone cable terminates in a socket rather than a plug. It uses rhodium-plated Alpha copper alloy conductors in PBT and fibreglass resin insulation, with a non-magnetic zinc and aluminium alloy housing in a black painted finish.
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NEW£45.00Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-7445 (R) is a high end 4.4mm TRRRS balanced connector, the five-pole standard used by Sony's Signature Series and now across portable audio. It uses a one-piece rhodium-plated Alpha copper alloy conductor with audio grade POM insulation and a non-magnetic stainless steel housing. It accepts core insulation up to 6.0mm and weighs 11.8g. -
NEW£62.50Ex. VATThe Furutech CF-7445 (R) is the carbon fibre version of Furutech's 4.4mm TRRRS balanced connector, the five-pole standard used by Sony's Signature Series. It shares the one-piece rhodium-plated Alpha copper alloy conductor and audio grade POM insulation of the FT-7445, in a stainless steel housing with a carbon fibre finish, and weighs 8.8g. -
NEW£29.17Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-735SM (R) is a high performance 3.5mm stereo connector built around a one-piece rhodium-plated Alpha pure copper conductor, insulated in a special grade nylon glass fibre resin and housed in stainless steel. It accepts core insulation up to 5.0mm, solders rather than crimps, and measures 43.0mm overall. -
NEW£44.17Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-735SM (R) is a high performance 3.5mm stereo connector built around a one-piece rhodium-plated Alpha pure copper conductor, insulated in a special grade nylon glass fibre resin and housed in stainless steel. It accepts core insulation up to 5.0mm, solders rather than crimps, and measures 43.0mm overall. -
NEW£46.67Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-763SM (R) is a high performance 6.3mm stereo connector built around a one-piece rhodium-plated Alpha pure copper conductor, insulated in a special grade nylon glass fibre resin and housed in stainless steel. It accepts core insulation up to 8.0mm, terminates by soldering, and measures 70.5mm overall. -
NEW£58.33Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-763SM (R) is a high performance 6.3mm stereo connector built around a one-piece rhodium-plated Alpha pure copper conductor, insulated in a special grade nylon glass fibre resin and housed in stainless steel. It accepts core insulation up to 8.0mm, terminates by soldering, and measures 70.5mm overall. -
NEW£20.83Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-608mF (R) is a mini XLR female connector for terminating headphone cable, built with a rhodium-plated Alpha phosphor bronze conductor, super heat resistant PPS insulation and a stainless steel housing. It accepts core insulation up to 5.0mm, solders rather than crimps, and measures 34.7mm overall. -
NEW£20.83Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-610mF (R) is the black finish version of Furutech's mini XLR female connector, built with a rhodium-plated Alpha phosphor bronze conductor, super heat resistant PPS insulation and a black finished stainless steel housing. It accepts core insulation up to 5.0mm and measures 34.7mm overall. -
NEW£44.17Ex. VATThe Furutech FT-2PS-F (R) is a 2-pin headphone connector for Sennheiser HD545, HD565, HD580, HD600, HD650 and HD-25SP, and for newer Fostex models. It uses non-magnetic rhodium-plated Alpha phosphor bronze conductors in an LCP-injected insulation body, with a matte black nylon and fibreglass housing containing piezo ceramic resin for damping. It accepts core insulation up to 3.5mm.
