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Our conclusion will be short but sweet: the Boosters worked and obviously so. Especially when the space heaters are on, when humidity is low, when static is abundant and our floor boards repurposed from a previous Swedish church have shrunk, our floor does add itself to the loudspeakers' cable signal. We now know this because with the Boosters in place, the musical picture gained in overall transparency. This helped lower the listening strain even more and make long sessions more refreshing than before. There was less clutter to be listened through.
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With the amplifiers, the setup was a little different. Comparing without and with Booster supporting the power cable at the IEC end, the combination sat on spring-loaded footers and then a passive anti-vibration board from Franck Tchang's Acoustic Systems International. However, the heavy power cable with massive Furutech carbon connectors ran across the floor to be potentially exposed to floor-born vibrations.
With neither amps was the power connection perfectly solid. There was room for movement on a micro scale. Why do only XLR connectors feature a locking mechanism? Anyway, introducing the Booster on both amplifiers had a noticeable effect for the better. Again, the noise floor seemed to drop and listening become more enjoyable. Did we just get a dopamine hit?
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We sure did. The effect on the speaker cables was more pronounced. The effect on the power cables was more subtle. A combination beyond the six units we had on hand would have been the most efficient but also come at a price. Are there alternatives to the NCF Booster? Yes, of course. For just elevation off the floor, one could use styrofoam or paper coffee cups. We have seen that at shows but think it only worsens the problem. The upside-down cups become resonators to excite the cable. If they're styrofoam, they add static. Then there are the likes of Acoustic Revive's wooden supports, the Dark Field carbon-based supports and Gregitek's RG1. All are far more stable than cups but lack the adjustability thus versatility of the Furutechs. Especially the height adjustment is unique. It makes it possible to build actual cable crossings like highways when that becomes necessary; and allows for very precise strain relief of power cords, interconnects and speaker cables where they enter or exit components and wall sockets. This can improve their contact quality.
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Is this kind of accessory the first thing one should turn to when upgrading a system? Not necessarily. It does depend on circumstances of course. Heavy carpeting underneath your gear (especially synthetic carpet) might be statically charged. In such a situation, a set of NCF Boosters seems almost mandatory right off the bat. In less static environments, a set of Boosters might become the final cherry on the sound-quality cake instead. For their results and flexibility of use, the asking price for these Furutech solutions seems fair. For a set of 10 to cover most areas of a typical system, the total cost should be equal to or less than a normal cable loom. And you get a free dopamine boost, too.
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