FI-28 (R) IEC Connector Bad Buy?


Hi all, I have a question again, regarding the FI-28 Connector Rhodium variant. My system is a hybrid tube system from Unison Resarch with green Sylvania NOS tubes and the new Dali Opticon MK2 as speakers which are also already Burned in, as tuning I have a fine fuse from Alan Maher Fourier Audiophile Fuse. Until now I had an enormously good power cord on it that was already equipped with Furutech F11 Gold.

It sounded really everything already excellent but as they say, it always goes better. So I was once again faced with a decision, Furutech FI 28 gold or rhodium?

I must admit earlier I always wanted to have only an analytical system ... but since I have this F11 Gold power cord, I feel the music so extreme that it makes me addicted.

Important to mention I come from Switzerland, which is why my Schuko plug is not a real Schuko respectively consists of gold, there are only about 2 high-end plugs the market is really small there and this gold plug but does a very good job.

Since I got carried away by the people who prefer the rhodium, I decided to go that way.

I am aware that it will take quite a while until the new plugs are in place...but I wonder at the moment if I have not made a big mistake.

The music, unlike the F11, plays more spatial and tactful and analytical but the treble is enormous and almost tiring. The bass has gained in power is even more precise but still everything sounds a bit artificial ... In total, I have the FI 28 Connector now played 20 hours.
Of course I know that with time everything will stabilize a bit... but I wonder if this is possibly also the character of rhodium.
Or can it be that rhodium plug and gold Schuko not fit together?

What do you think, should I save the time and directly get the FI-28 Gold or should I get
give the Rhodium a chance?


audiophil2020

Showing 3 responses by auxinput

Furutech Rhodium is excellent.  However, it does take a long time to burn in.  It can be extremely harsh and painful to listen to during this process (and you are definitely in that area with 20 hours of use).

I would take that power cord and connect it to something non-critical for 2-3 weeks straight.  You shouldn't waste your hours of burn in on that tube equipment!  The Rhodium really needs 300-500 hours to sound good (depending on system).  Just connect it to some application or gear that is always powered on (anything that uses that IEC connector).
I don't know why steakster thinks the FI-28 is so bad.  I have used the entire range of Furutech rhodium plugs (FI-28, FI-50 NCF, FI-15 Plus, FI-11R).  They are all very excellent.  The low cost FI-15 Plus is actually a very good deal and sounds excellent.  It uses the same exact rhodium plated conductors and clamping mechanism that you find in FI-28 and FI-50.  The only different is a plastic folding case.  Even the case screws are still grounded on the FI-15 Plus.
In my opinion, rhodium plated is the end game.  However, I have found that it can be the great revealer - including revealing flaws in your electronics.  It can make sterile or bright sounding equipment sound even worse.  In this case, the Furutech gold-plated stuff is the better option.  If you find that it is too warm/slow sounding for you, the Neotech gold-plated is actually a bit faster.  Furutech loves to put a very heavy plating on their stuff and it definitely influences the sound.