I have just read that furutech is marketing an acive optical HDMI cable ( HF-A-NCF). Seems to be reasonable priced. Is it for video only? If not, has anyone tried this particular cable with the DSD HDMI inputs? If so, how is it’s sound in comparison with normal HDMI cables?
Here is a link for info on this interesting HDMI cable:
Interesting cable and it looks like it will work with the PST/DSD combo, unlike another optical HDMI I tried. But. . . I have a Furutech NCF Clearline that I find too bright and thin in use with this system. . . makes me hesitant to try this.
Here’s a diagram of the cable innards:
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I haven’t tried my new Wireworld optical HDMI cable yet. I will some day, but not this day.
I’m waiting on this cable to become available in the UK.
Planning to use it to link my Sony X800M2 4k blu-ray player to my Arcam processor.
I’m mainly doing this for the audio aspect.
I’m currently updating all my UK mains plugs and IEC connectors to the Furutech NCF connectors.
I’m a big fan of the NCF plugs / iec connectors and this looks like another good step up from the bog standard 8K hdmi cable I’m currently using on the blu-ray player.
The cable was announced in the UK on March 25th. but still waiting on my dealer getting some in.
As it’s aimed at longer runs, (due to the active variant), it would be intriguing to try a 15 metre run from my processor to my projector. I may give this a shot at some time in the future?
I’ve been pretty happy with the non-optical version that was also recently released, the HF-X NCF, though I’ve only compared it to DH Labs and Belden FE cables.
I may also try one later this year just for grins to see how it compares to my current WWPS7 HDMI. I previously purchased Furutech Speaker Reference III cables when I had my 2 channel room system. I liked its presentation very much. Very smooth, yet a detailed sound, but with impact and great dynamics. Bottom end was as good as any other cables I had tried before then. They really sang when I used them with my Harbeth SHL5+ speakers, JBL subs and CR-1 crossover. So I have a good opinion of Furutech based on that experience. Maybe the HF-A-NCF will also be a great cable. It seems they have put a lot of design thought into it. And they do provide a great deal of understandable technicals details on their cable designs on their website. Unlike so many other “high end” cable sellers who provide very little in the way of design concepts, materials of construction and/or relevant specs.
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Has anyone tried this cable yet between PST or DMP and DSD?
I want to try optical HDMI to my projector. From what I’ve seen the optical HDMI is marketed towards long runs of 15’ or more.
Yes, you usually need an active hdmi cable for long runs.
The ‘active’ part amplifies the signal and this makes it usable over long run.
The ‘A’ in the product name HF-A-NCF stands for active.
I’m hoping to order a short run of this cable next week.
It seems to be just becoming available in the UK.