Furutech Monza : High-end performance LP stabilizer & dampener
The Furutech Monza LP stabilizer consists of a beautifully finished precision machined nonmagnetic stainless steel base and a top module that is girdled by a layer of damping carbon fiber.
The bottom surface is covered with 16 concentric cushioning grooves made of an extremely effective Piezo Electric damping material.
You can expect improved clarity and detail in sound from your LP’s, as well as extended bass and soundstage; and better musical coherency.
Furutech Monza : High-end performance LP stabilizer & dampener
Features:
La Grande Épreuve
Grand Prix racing‘s single focus: Testing the absolute limits of technology and performance for that final 10th of a second that makes the difference between victory and defeat. Furutech builds each and every cable in their line the same way; optimized engineering solutions applied to advanced materials and processes, backed by utterly meticulous build quality.
The beautifully finished precision machined nonmagnetic stainless steel base and top modules are girdled by a layer of damping carbon fiber. The bottom surface is covered with 16 concentric cushioning grooves made of an extremely effective Piezo Electric damping material.
The Piezo Effect and Your Valued LPs
Furutech’s Pure Transmission Piezo Ceramic Carbon series products–like the Innovations award-winning FI-50 connector series–feature a remarkable “active system” construction. We create a unique material with two “active” materials: Nano-sized ceramic particles and powdered carbon. Only nano-sized ceramic particles effectively couples with carbon powder for the piezo effect to occur.
Nylon and fiberglass are incorporated into the construction as well, and the whole forms an extremely effective mechanically and electrically damped material. That’s not a misprint; it’s electrically damped as well.
Piezoelectric effects are the key. Furutech’s employs these nano-sized polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramic particles exhibiting electro-generative properties (mechanical pressure creates an electrical charge) with carbon powder that exhibits thermal-conductive characteristics that interacts with the electrically charged ferro-ceramic particles converting their energy into heat that’s conducted away and released from the surface of the material and in doing so making the connection between electrical and mechanical oscillation. The mechanical and electrical damping effects occur while “interconverting” thermal, mechanical, and electrical energy acting as the perfect weighted surface for your LPs.
That’s how far Furutech goes to achieve Pure Transmission LP playback, and the Monza.
Specifications
• All metal parts treated with Furutech’s Two Step Cryogenic and Demagnetizing Alpha Process
• Non-magnetic stainless steel base and top modules.
• Bottom surface: 16 concentric cushioning grooves made of an extremely effective Piezo Electric damping material.
• Net weight: 350g
“Well, with the Monza I think we are getting pretty close. Plop it on a record and yeah, things clearly become heavier, weightier… meatier. There is more flesh or fat to them musical bones (one should not have just muscle or flesh, you do need some fat!), and more weight and oomph to the bottom-end. The music now has more tonal heft and fullness with none of those potential tradeoffs-that evil bloat and over-the-top richness that makes things appear to be less resolving or open than they really are in their absence. Cool.’ – Dave Clark
“It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Furutech around here. Their engineers leave nothing unexamined, nothing to chance. Every one of their accessories that I’ve had a chance to use has increased the performance of my system.” – Jeff Dorgay
“Pop it on a record and yeah, things become heavier, weightier….meatier. There is more flesh or fat to them musical bones; and more weight and oomph to the bottom-end.” – Dave Clark
“I’ll admit to being a bit sceptic when it comes to some of the more exotic audio accessories. But the Furutech Monza stabiliser makes an audible, positive difference, every time. Tauter low frequencies, improved detail, reduced noise floor the most obvious improvements.” – Deon Schoeman
Jeandre
Ek is ’n aanhanger van die “swart CD’s” – Veral op “midrange”( volgens my smaak en gehoor) het LP’s se klank nog altyd die van CD’s vêr geklop. Ek was altyd bewus van die belangrikheid daarvan om vibrasies uit te skakel, maar het tot onlangs net aan ekstern gegenereerde vibrasie gedink. Eers onlangs het ek gehoor watter verskil dit maak as jy ook van interne vibrasie binne toerusting kan ontslae raak!
Ek het twee probleme met klankgehalte van my Clearaudio Champion draaitafel en Kontrapunkt C cartridge gehad. Aan die een kant het die bas nie dieselfde “pace” as CD speler gehad nie terwyl hoë frekwensies klink asof die stylus nie behoorlik “track” nie. Verstellings aan tracking force, azimuth, anti skating and tracking angle kon dit nie uitsorteer nie.
Die “klamp” wat saam met die Clearaudio gekom het, was meer ’n verskoning as ernstige poging to ’n klamp. Ek was dus dadelik geïnteresseerd toe ek jou e-pos kry wat die Furutech Monza bekendstel. Ek werk altyd op die beginsel dat as ek iet nuuts in my Hi-Fi installeer en ek nie dadelik ’n verskil hoor nie, dit nie die moeite werd is nie. Jy moet nie die verskille “soek” nie. Met die installasie van die Monza het dinge skielik in plek begin val. Die hoë frekwensie “mis-tracking” was weg en die bas het “tightness en pace” gekry. Integrasie het ook verbeter, die klank vorm ’n beter geheel en dit klink nie meer of die “upper frequency band” bygelas is nie. Die eerste indrukke is gevorm deur ’n Mobile Fidelity Half Speed Master LP te speel. Die verbeterings is ook bevestig deur ander plate van verskillende gehalte. Selfs op ou MFP labels (die swakste van die swakste!) is die verbetering onmiskenbaar.
Baie mense sal dalk frons om die hoeveelheid geld op ’n “Stabilizer” of “Record Clamp” te spandeer. As jy egter reeds die belegging in ’n hoë resolusie klankstelsel gemaak het is dit nie ’n opsie nie, jy moet dit hê. Ek het ’n review op die Internet gelees waar die persoon die Monza direk kon vergelyk met die klamp van ’n Transrotor draaitafel (terloops waarvan die topmodel jou tussen R 1.5 – R 2 miljoen (afhangende van die wisselkoers) sal terugsit!) en gevind het dat die Monza beter resultate gee. Volgens wat ek kon vasstel is die Rand prys ’n direkte omskakeling van die Euro/US$ prys, wat nie die reël in die plaaslike industrie is nie. Ek het al pryse gesien waar die Rand prys meer as dubbeld dié van die US$ or Euro weergawe na wisselkoers omskakeling is!
Review notes from N Rossouw – October 2009