The first time I listened to the full loom, the shift was at once subtle, unmistakable and frankly, intoxicating. Subtle because my previous cables were not broken or even basic to deal in nuanced shifts, not any "the skies opened and angels started singing" hyperbole; unmistakable because something had clearly changed. I did hear more nuances so more realism. It was intoxicating because I absolutely loved what I heard. The shift wasn't lateral but a delightful step forward. I started with the full loom/set as I wanted to establish what Furutech´s sound signature is. To do so, I felt it best to combine all elements as Furutech intend rather than attempt to decipher small shifts one cable at a time. From experience I also knew that identifying the impact of a given component is usually easier by subtraction than addition. I often find it easier to detect what you lose by removing a component than what you gain by adding it.

As I connected the full loom, I felt as though sonic layers became clearer, more precise and coherent. Instrumental tone colours became more intense without warming up or thickening. Bass notes deepened and tightened not in a forced artificial sense but in a naturally controlled manner that revealed more bass textures than I ever experienced in my system. The treble was extended but especially more refined, lively and sparkling, with a sense that all distortion had vanished. Another quality that distinguished the NCF loom was its ability to enhance soundstaging though enhance is probably the wrong word. I don't believe cables can deliver more in that regard than what's recorded but by allowing the finest decays to not disappear in the noise floor, the Furutech loom allowed me to hear more deeply into the music. This let my brain build more vivid and expanded visual images. Those images didn't just position with greater precision, they took on three-dimensionality, a sense of space that felt vast without being exaggerated. Instruments breathed within their own defined space while maintaining a palpable connection to the whole, creating a listening experience that was immersive. It drew me in rather than keep me at an observer's arm's length.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Furutech's NCF lot was its ability to achieve all this without me consciously parsing the changes unless I turned on full reviewer mode. There was no showy boost in any frequency, no exaggerated sonic signature. Instead, these cables simply let my music sound more like itself for more persuasive realism than I thought possible. The more I listened, the more I realize that these changes weren't overt but subtle, working behind the scenes to improve every aspect of the performance. It's like using a pair of high-end binoculars for the first time. Things don't get louder, just clearer. Notes are sharper, textures more vivid, the overall sense of timing is more rhythmic as though this tech sync'd the flow of music as it passed through the system. The main side effect of this disappearing act was hearing more without fatigue. I never felt forced into unrealistic hyped territory and as a result could turn down the volume a notch or two without losing any insight into my recordings.

However, where the NCF loom truly shone wasn't ultimately its technical chops though certainly impressive, it was in my emotional response to the music; why I used the word intoxicating earlier. There's a sense of presence and immediacy that transcends the typical hifi experience. You're not just listening to a system. You're engaged, absorbed, moved. The music feels more like a conversation, each note and phrase an active part of an unfolding dialogue between you and a performance. A full Furutech NCF loom isn't just a costly system's tweak. These cables and noise filters shift how we experience sound. With a remarkable combination of technical innovation and emotional resonance, they define the role that cables should and can play in a high-end audio setup. They may seem like a subtle upgrade at first listen but once lived with, reveal themselves to be an essential part of the audio chain; an indispensable means of unlocking the full potential of our system and in turn, our tunes.

Returning to the initial premise of this review, a $20'000 system upgrade isn't in everyone's cards although where it is, I can say with certainty that it is money better spent than going from a $5'000 to a $25'000 server. The good news is that after experimenting with all my care-package bits in various combinations, I found that it's possible to get a good helping of the Furutech NCF magic without selling off a kidney. In my system, treating the digital front end proved the most impactful way to step into NCF goodness. If you can only afford one, look no further than the USB cable. I never thought I'd say so but its ability to clean up the treble and remove digital distortion is quite special. I've tried probably a dozen USB cables over the years, from generics to over $1'000, and at ~$200 the Furutech simply outclassed them all. If you do I²S, the same can be said about the HDMI cable. It easily eclipsed my Audioquest ThunderBird reference for (cough) a quarter of the price. You'll instantly notice more air, finer treble detail but also a greater sense of relaxation due to an absence of hash. These cables are flexible, easy to route and a no-brainer. Next on my list of universal value is the GTO-D2 R NCF power distributor which easily bested my long-time Isotek Nova active filter and far pricier reference. I must simply note that the GTO-D2 needs a power cord and doesn't provide surge protection so its price and value might be relative to your needs and priorities. When alternating between the two AC distributors, the Furutech always yielded a deeper, broader and better defined soundstage. Most importantly, it seemed to unleash more microdynamics as though I'd previously driven with my handbrake not fully disengaged. Finally my wheels were free of any friction. I'd selected the Isotek years ago because I felt it least impacted dynamics compared to other filters at the time. I never reinvestigated the category, leaving what I thought good enough alone. I was wrong. The passive GTO-D2 R NCF is sonically better, freer and less intrusive.

My next pick is more optional. Depending on your system config, the NCF Clear Line LAN optimizer will either be a modest refinement or money very well spent. As I run an optical connection between a Lumin P1 Mini streamer and LHY network switch which serves as a de facto noise killer between WiFi and streamer, the effect of the LAN optimizer was modest – the kind of refinement you look for when you've tackled everything else in your system so not an investment I'd prioritize upfront. But I had a nagging suspicion so reverted back to a copper LAN connection with/out the galvanically isolated port of the LHY switch. Plugging Furutech's optimizer into one of the switch's open ports had an unmistakably positive effect on soundstage, textures and resolution, very similar in fact to what I hear when going from an electric to optical connection into the Lumin just of lesser magnitude. The effect was most beneficial with the LHY's isolated port as both seemed quite additive but still not quite as potent as fibre optics. Nonetheless, for the price and if you cannot convert to optical, this is the next best thing which I highly recommend to tackle noise gremlins in a digital system. As a side note, I didn't use the LAN port of the Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC as I don't run Roon which is the only application for it. Instead I plugged an extra Clear Line into it which had a small effect. This subtle shift reminded me that unused ports in electronics can be a source of airborne interference. It's not something I'd consider a priority investment but absolutely valid when looking for the last level of refinement. So for less than $2K if you need both digital cables, you're well on your way to experience Furutech's NCF benefits. For most systems, the effect will be material enough to never consider more. Should you occupy the more obsessive category, keep on reading. True greatness awaits, albeit at increasingly fiscal pain.