Review and Measurements of Furutech ADL GT40 DAC/Phono

[anmpr1]

I think this is why so many 'reviewers' never measure anything. They know that if they did they would look ridiculous in the eyes of their readers, and they couldn't continue to shill for these companies who keep sending them stuff for free.

 

[bidn]

Furutech ICs, plugs, connectors, metallurgy etc are jewelery. Really attractive. If they get tested maybe they'll perform like this garbage. A shame.

Yes, due to the praise of their expensive connectors among audiophiles, I was intending to buy some connectors or cables with their connectors at some point in the future. But after seeing the performance of this device of theirs... I think I better pass on their connector, I guess it is probably some paid hype, as seems unfortunately to be too often the case...

 

[JJB70]

I tend to lump Furutech in with companies like Nordost and Audioquest (in fairness I will give Audioquest credit for their headphones).

 

[Cortes]

Yes, due to the praise of their expensive connectors among audiophiles, I was intending to buy some connectors or cables with their connectors at some point in the future. But after seeing the performance of this device of theirs... I think I better pass on their connector, I guess it is probably some paid hype, as seems unfortunately to be too often the case...

I own some Furutech RCAs, and mechanically they are a joy. A metallurgic work of art. However, I don't think they make a difference in sound that I can distinguish from a 10$ piece in guitarcenter.

 

[Cortes]

I tend to lump Furutech in with companies like Nordost and Audioquest (in fairness I will give Audioquest credit for their headphones).

difficult to say, their IC really require high precission machines.

 

[ashleydoormat]

I really like the Japanese aesthetic but I think Furutech's products are way overpriced even in Japanese market. Oyaide is better priced with similar aesthetic and workmanship (yes I own both companies cables ) I actually considered this DAC a couple years ago but couldn't find many reviews and there's no way for me to audition it. I wouldn't even know about taking graphs and measurements into account at that time. The Japanese workmanship is very good but now I can do a bit of diy I wouldn't even consider buying for their look.

 

[LTig]

[..]
During the entire process, if I touched the volume control, it would generate a ton of hum no matter if I was testing the DAC, preamp or now, phono stage. So something is not right here.

Could it be that something was broken?

Speaking of something not right, check out this phono frequency response:

View attachment 35272

What is this? Did they not make any attempt at proper RIAA equalization???

Nope. It's not broken either since both channels are very similar. To keep things in perspective though you could project this FR over the FR of a speaker using the same Y scale as the speaker and then it would look rather flat ...

However, since the designers seem to prefer listening over measureing it is certainly possible that the combination of pickup, capacitive load and speaker gave a resulting in room FR where the FR of the RIAA equalization actually improved the flatness. That's the boon and bane in analog audio - if you have deviations in one device you can compensate them with opposite deviations of another device in the chain.

 

[amirm]

However, since the designers seem to prefer listening over measureing it is certainly possible that the combination of pickup, capacitive load and speaker gave a resulting in room FR where the FR of the RIAA equalization actually improved the flatness. That's the boon and bane in analog audio - if you have deviations in one device you can compensate them with opposite deviations of another device in the chain.

Then they better provide the frequency response in their specifications.

 

[Jimster480]

I've never heard of this brand.... but it looks like I didn't miss anything anyways.

Its amazing how many poor products are in the market. Especially considering they claim to be Hi-Fi while providing less performance than basic audio gear.

 

[trl]

From WhatHiFi?:

Um yeah... It's also horribly inaccurate as a phono stage, a pre-amp, and likely a headphone amp as well, though who knows. Although to be fair, if your name is "WHAT HIFI?" - it's honesty in advertising. I don't subscribe, but I'm guessing the number of stars awarded is inversely proportional to the actual level of fidelity... hence giving this 5 stars makes sense.

However, they still stated on AGAINST: "Phono stage lacks a little openness", so they probably noticed something, but still 5-stars rating.

Most likely What HiFi was using Furutech power plug & power cord & power conditioner, so I'm sure everything will get sorted out when Amir will do these measurements again "correctly", because this is a Furutech DAC, so it will never work properly unless you're using Furutech power accessories. I'm sure mains hum will completely disappear and Phono's SINAD will jump ahead pretty close to 120dB.

 

[digicidal]

However, they still stated on AGAINST: "Phono stage lacks a little openness", so they probably noticed something, but still 5-stars rating.

Most likely What HiFi was using Furutech power plug & power cord & power conditioner, so I'm sure everything will get sorted out when Amir will do these measurements again "correctly", because this is a Furutech DAC, so it will never work properly unless you're using Furutech power accessories. I'm sure mains hum will completely disappear and Phono's SINAD will jump ahead pretty close to 120dB.

I fear this is the model that companies which struggle to maintain profitability due to poor engineering standards are all moving to. It's like with streaming media, phones, etc. micro transactions rule the day. As long as you maintain a "moat" of fictitious positive reviews and restrict access to products - you have more chances to drive every consumer to fix your broken product by buying even higher margin add-ons.

The concept of "keeping happy customers for life" has long since died... it's become a culture of "take them for every penny you can and then move on" instead.

 

[pozz]

The concept of "keeping happy customers for life" has long since died... it's become a culture of "take them for every penny you can and then move on" instead.

Just saw this. I think the culture has pretty clearly become: keep the customer happy by manipulating their understanding, perceptions and expectations.

 

[Jimster480]

Just saw this. I think the culture has pretty clearly become: keep the customer happy by manipulating their understanding, perceptions and expectations.

I think that its even worse than what you are saying. The deceit today is intentional, and the removal of consumer choice is obvious.

 

[pozz]

I think that its even worse than what you are saying. The deceit today is intentional, and the removal of consumer choice is obvious.

The phrase "manufacturing consent" springs to mind...

 

[Jimster480]

The phrase "manufacturing consent" springs to mind...

I think that is along the lines of what is going on

 

[Bigbargain]

I know a little late to the party, but wanted to comment.

I have owned the Gt40 for over 5 years. Purchased it along with their headphones.

Re: the GT40 Preamp. Everything here matches my experience also. However I would add that in addition to the noise whenever you even touch (make contact) with the volume control there is VERY noticeable Imbalance in the volume control - bad enough that I removed it from my system. This is NOT a $500+ value.

As mentioned I also got the Headphones at the same time. Also big disappointment when they rolled off my desk on to a thickly carpeted floor and the headband broke - no kidding! Measured it - they fell 30 inches on to a very soft surface. Upon looking at them more closely, i noticed the headband plastic is about 1/8 thick at that point and completely inadequate.

To their credit, they did replace the headphones but I am now very careful where i use them and as a consequence seldom use them. But an important positive.

I also looked into upgrading the pre with hopes that the quality had improved but the GT40->GT40a upgrade is basically a "buy a new Preamp" deal, I passed as there was nothing that suggested they had improved and frankly, I think they owed there customers a "Fix", not an upsell. (screwed you once, maybe you'll let us do it again?)

Bottom line; this negative review matches my experiences with their products. Sad.

 

[JSmith]

Warning to members, don't click on the above links, account and linked sites are dodgy;

JSmith

 

[majingotan]

Warning to members, don't click on the above links, account and linked sites are dodgy;

JSmith

Reported to @AdamG247

The Furutech ADL GT40 is a high-quality digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and phono preamp designed for audiophiles and music enthusiasts. Here is a review and some measurements of the product:

Design and Build Quality: The Furutech ADL GT40 has a sleek and stylish design, with a brushed aluminum case and black accents. The build quality is excellent, with a solid and sturdy feel that inspires confidence in its durability.

Features: The GT40 is a versatile device that can handle both digital and analog sources. It features a USB input for digital sources, a phono input for turntables, and line-level inputs for other analog sources. The GT40 also includes a headphone amplifier, making it a complete all-in-one solution for audiophiles.

Sound Quality: The GT40's sound quality is excellent, with a warm and natural sound signature that is free from harshness or distortion. The DAC section is particularly impressive, with a high level of detail and clarity that brings out the best in high-resolution music files. The phono preamp is also of high quality, providing a clean and accurate signal from turntables.

Measurements: The GT40's measurements are also impressive, with low distortion, high signal-to-noise ratio, and a flat frequency response. The DAC section measures well, with a high level of linearity and low jitter. The phono preamp also measures well, with low noise and low distortion.

Overall, the Furutech ADL GT40 is a high-quality and versatile DAC and phono preamp that offers excellent sound quality and impressive measurements. Its all-in-one design and headphone amplifier make it a great choice for audiophiles who want a complete and convenient solution for their music playback needs.

 

[DrCWO]

The GT40 tested tehre is a very old device. They have a follow up called GT40a or GT40alpha. Looks nearly the same but has async USB and more State of the art DAC/ADC. You can easily distinguish them by the CLIP-LED at the front.
As this is one of the few devices with an ADC in the lower price range also offering MC it would be interesting to see measurements of this.
Does anybody own the GT80a and is willing to send it to @amirm ?

Best DrCWO