Furutech Acoustic panel room Diffuser?

Have you tried them? In terms of the relative value it depends to some degree on how much you've spent on your equipment, it's not uncommon to spend $3k on a cartridge. I use a pair and find them invaluable, not to mention very attractive.

An email exchange with Furutech…

Me: I bought a pair of RWL-1 tuning panels five years ago and have the original boxes/packing. Over time the silk material has wrinkled and sagged (I suppose gravity is doing it’s thing). Can you repair this cosmetic flaw somehow or replace the panels for me? They're unusable as is, I'd be happy to email you pictures.

Furutech:

I am sorry to hear of the problem you are experiencing with the room tuning panels. If possible, please email us and image of the sagging silk cover, so we can have a better understanding of the problem.

Me: Thanks for the quick reply, attached please find a picture..

Furutech:

I am afraid not much can be done about these wrinkles. It is a special silk, so applying water would only make it worse. However the effectiveness of the panel with not be diminished by the wrinkles in the silk.

Me: I agree with you, I wouldn’t try to use water or steam on them. The panels obviously add value in my sound, however looking the way they do now I cannot use them. Given the price of these panels, and Furutech’s reputation for first class products I thought you would repair them, or if that’s not possible, replace them. Please advise, and thank you.

Furutech:

The wall panels are a discontinued item and Furutech no longer carries stock, but it may be possible to repair the two panels. Unfortunately, as the product is no longer covered by Furutech’s one year manufacturer’s warranty, they would need to be returned to Tokyo at your expense and repair costs charged. Shipping costs for 1 set (2pcs) would be JPY59,450≒USD735 from Oregon USA to Tokyo and repair cost would be advised after the repair is complete. Please let me know if you would like to proceed

Me: That is certainly not what I expected from a premium manufacturer such as Furutech. The only practical solution at this point is to fix them myself; can you provide some instructions/guidance on how to go about repairing the panels?

No response from Furutech…

I did not contact Elite since I bought the panels from the Canadian distributor, I've since moved to the U.S. It wouldn't be fair to drag Scot into this, but I have followed up directly with the distributor I bought the panels from in Canada, and Furutech directly.

An analogy that comes to mind is if I bought a Mercedes or Lexus and the leather seats looked like this after five years I know they would repair or replace them. At the price Furutech sells their stuff the comparison is valid. And yes, I'm pretty sure if the material was tightened up it would be fine, that's why I asked them for tips & tricks. No response. They suck.