The Empire電源線
(Alpha) PC-Triple C 導體採用

Furutech The Empire power cords
If you’re a musician or a recording professional, ask yourself the following question: Do your current power cords make sense?
They might make sense to your budget or in the context of your recording and playback equipment, but are they making sense to your brain? Does the music you create in the studio sound like the music in your head, natural and inviting and emotional? Or do you listen to your music with an imaginary clipboard in your lap, checking off what’s right about the sound you’re getting—and what isn’t so right?
The new Furutech Astoria and Empire power cords were designed for demanding professionals just like you. Developed in Tokyo with extensive feedback from musicians and recording professionals, the Astoria and Empire power cords have been specifically tuned and balanced to deliver greater punch and dynamics to your sound—more of what you’re hearing in your head and in your heart.
In fact, choosing between the Astoria and the Empire provides you with even greater control over the type of sound you’re trying to achieve. Pick the Astoria if you’re aiming for quick response and natural speed, mated with deep and powerful bass. The Empire, on the other hand, offers a well-balanced sound with incredible resolution so that you hear every detail and nuance. It’s up to you.
Just replace the existing power cords for your amplifiers, mixing consoles, microphone preamps and even your entire recording and playback system, and you’ll immediately hear more top-to-bottom coherence in the sound. Dynamic range will be greater than ever before, and the music will sound effortless and expansive instead of congested, edgy or muddy.
Your music will start to make more sense where it counts—in your brain.
The legendary design team at Furutech are experts when it comes to preserving the signal path and delivering an end result that’s accurate, honest and uncompromised. Our innovative (Alpha) PC-Triple C power cable, used in both the Astoria and the Empire, is the result of a proprietary forging process that involved repeated rounds of metal folding—the same method used to create the katana, the sword used by Samurai warriors!
We’ve taken that art of sword-making to new levels, however, by applying variable high pressures to high-purity oxygen-free copper. This creates a forging process that is identical to folding the steel of a katana tens of thousands of times. This ensures that the crystal grain boundaries deep inside the copper are rearranged so that electrical current travels through the signal path more smoothly than ever before.
Add our renowned gold-plated connectors, our noise-reducing (Alpha) conductor shielding, our vibration-controlling RoHS-compliant flexible PVC sheath and our patented Floating Field Damper grounding system and you’ll have a razor-sharp tool for extracting the finest results-- both in the studio and on the stage.
Use Furutech’s Astoria and Empire power cords for all your recording and playback needs and the end result will not be subtle.
Furutech最近推出了兩款電源線,代理商迅速送到MY-HiEND試聽室來讓我們體驗,新的電源線系列稱為Studio Power Series,走的是較為平價的路線,首先發表的兩款分別為The Astoria和The Empire,後者比前者要再高階一些。兩條全新電源線皆採用了Furutech Alpha PC-Triple C導體,並且經過超低溫(Cryogenic)和消磁處理(Demagnetizing),品質不因為價格較平而打折扣。 平價系列鎖定新用家 Studio Power Series鎖定在對聲音有要求的發燒友以及專業錄音用家,定位並非是極高價產品,但同樣能夠帶給用家非常好的體驗和聲音,假使過去不曾注重過電源線材,或是正要開始進階所使用的電源線材用家就很適合這Studio Power Series的定位。

PC-Triple C是為主力新星 古河電工在2013年底停產了其最著名的PC-OCC導體,當時讓許多採用PC-OCC的線材廠以及用家都感到相當焦慮,當初停產的原因為音響市場萎縮,製作成本過高,但這個擔憂並未持續多久,在2014年初古河電工便推出了PC-Triple C,用以取代PC-OCC的位置。而PC-Triple C採用特殊的「定角連續移送鍛造法」製作,同樣是由開發PC-OCC的設計團隊研發而來,在推出後今年才正要邁入第三個年頭,已有不少線材廠選擇了PC-Triple C導體製作線材,這也包括了Furutech。

定角連續移送鍛造法 PC-Triple C在製造過程中採用日本相當獨特的工法,以如同製造日本另一特色”武士刀”的相同鍛造方式,稱為「定角連續移送鍛造法」,千錘百鍊地連續敲擊純度大於99.99%的銅導體,大幅減少銅結晶之間的空隙,讓電流訊號通過時更加快速與順暢。PC-Triple C的原料是使用古河電工”高純度”的無氧銅(OFC, oxygen-free copper),一般OFC在抽線時最小直徑頂多達到0.05mm,而古河電工的OFC可達到0.015mm,能抽線的線徑越小,代表其雜質越少,純度越高。

Furutech Alpha Process Furutech製作線材上所用到的所有金屬部件都經過兩階段的特殊加工程序,稱為Alpha Process。第一階段為超低溫處理(Cryogenic),採用高端的製冷劑液態氮(N2)或氦(He)將金屬部件降至極低溫-196~-250度,經過這道程序使得部件的內部分子結構重新排列,緩解內應力。會使得整體結構更加穩定,提高導電性以及功率和信號傳輸速度。第二階段則是退磁處理(Demagnetizing),將經過超低溫處理的部件使用環形退磁(Ring Demagnetization),去除部件上所有磁性能夠進一步加強導電性,得到更生動多彩的聲音,這個處理程序專利屬於日本Sekiguchi Machine Sale. Co,Furutech為技術許可廠商。

The Empire給予更精準的聲音 The Empire雖然屬於同系列,在導體及內部結構上相似,但導體的數量以及電源公母頭上不太相同,等級更高,售價約一萬出頭。
The Empire使用的電源公母頭為Furutech FI-11M(G)以及FI-11(G) IEC接頭,與The Astoria不同的地方在於採用24K鍍金端子,公母頭材質有尼龍、玻璃纖維及聚碳酸酯外殼。線身採用Alpha導體屏蔽阻隔外界無線雜訊,符合RoHS標準的音響等級彈性PVC護套提高避震效果,特殊音響等級PVC絕緣減少電容,搭配浮動磁場阻尼(Floating Field Damper™ )技術,將電流通過公母頭時產生的磁場透過精確設計的金屬彈簧引導至接地排出,免除了磁場產生,得到更乾淨及穩定的電流。

空間感開闊,速度迅捷流暢 播放<2016 TAA 國際音響展>紀念專輯,聆聽第二軌的”韋瓦第: 魯特琴協奏曲與三重奏,RV93-1″,小提琴的演奏俐落迅捷,聲響劃破空間卻又在魯特琴獨奏之處迅速收拾,空間感極佳。魯特琴的撥彈清晰彈性,強弱分明,隨音符起伏流暢,音樂性滿足無比。兩者一同演奏時不同段落互有主副之分,但都能同時聽聞兩者清晰的樂音,不會有蓋過對方的情況,均衡度及清晰度相當好。第13軌”Zapateado, Op.23 No.2,查巴泰多舞曲”是由小提琴家夏漢所演奏,演奏技巧迅速豐富,在快速演奏炫技中清晰度佳,聲音乾淨,琴聲剔透,流暢平穩。可以見得Furutech對於聲音的解析力有不錯水準,而聲音穩定度特別好,而且兼顧了音樂性和流暢度。

聲音順暢飽滿,清晰平衡 播放<2015 原音精選>香港音響展紀念專輯,聆聽第三軌Eva Cassidy演唱的”Fileds Of Gold”,歌曲開頭Eva便以一聲由弱迅速轉強的you展現出了他的魅力,這一聲弱轉強非常強勢,顯出了十足的聲音飽滿度但變化又非常順暢絲毫沒有突兀,聲音不會太衝,Furutech展現了聲音的穩定度和流暢性。Eva的演唱在空間較深處但飽滿的聲線和十足的力道讓他在高音域極具穿透力,仔細聆聽能夠聞得她演唱時的情感起伏和聲音細節。接著播放第15軌”Rimsky-Korsakov: Dance of the Tumblers”,音場是相當開闊有深度,面對複雜的段落時聲音井然有序地此起彼落,在相對單純的段落則有漆黑靜謐的背景,無論演奏樂器是大鳴大放的管樂或是大鼓,還是點綴遠處的金屬敲擊樂器,都能清晰平衡地傳達到聆聽者的耳中。

下盤穩重,人聲溫厚有肉 播放玉置浩二的<ワインレッドの心>中第一軌的”To me”,在Furutech的伺候下玉置浩二的聲音溫厚飽滿,聽起來非常舒服,音樂性非常好,突顯出了玉置浩二歌聲令人感到安穩溫順的特質。伴奏中的鋼琴琴弦殘響十分適切充足,吉他撥弦雖然不是明亮路線,但是顯得特別有彈性,大鼓採下則是十足穩重,替歌曲打下良好節奏基礎。顯出了Furutech在步調較為緩慢的歌曲中,聲音穩定性的重要以及不平淡的音樂性。

誠意十足、貨真價實平價系列 Furutech是日本成名已久的線材大廠,使用過的發燒友不計其數,就算沒買過Furutech的線材,也能在其他廠家的線材中看見Furutech的身影,從其製作的內部導體到電源接頭,都能在許多不同廠牌線材上見到,沒人會拿自己產品開玩笑,同行不斷採用就是對Furutech最大的肯定。Furutech的產品一向真材實料,而且不高價販售,人對於喜好是很主觀的,但對於產品是否貨真價實卻是客觀的,這次Furutech推出了這兩款線材雖然較為平價,但聲音卻沒有打了折扣,以最新的導體和專利技術帶給更多發燒友體會Furutech以及發燒電源線的機會,真的是誠意十足。

原文出處---MY-HiEND
•Fitted with Gold-plated Furutech FI-11M (G) and FI-11(G) IEC connector
•α (Alpha) conductor shield for protection against radiated noise
•RoHS-compliant Audio grade flexible PVC sheath improves vibration isolation
•Special Audio grade flexible PVC Insulation contributes to reduced capacitance
•Floating Field Damper™ (Earth/Ground Jumper System) with US Patent No.: 6,669,491/ European Patent (EP1445837)
•Conductors: 45-strand PC Triple C 0.32mm x 3 cores
•Insulation: Audio grade Flexible PVC (Brown, Light Blue, Green with Yellow striping) OD: 5.0mm diameter approx.
•Inner Sheath: Audio grade Flexible PVC (Black)
• Shielding: 0.12mm OFC Wire Braid
• Sheath: RoHS-compliant Audio grade flexible PVC (Dark Green), 16.0mm diameter approx.
• Outer Sleeve: Nylon yarn braid
• Length: 150cm approx.