High Fidelity September 2006 Issue Furutech DeMag Review
Translated from the text appearing in Greece High Fidelity Magazine

Furutech is a company renowned for the outstanding quality plugs, connectors, as well as cables it has
been offering for quite a few years, and all that at quite reasonable prices. This time, the Japanese firm isfeaturing something far more “ambitious” and exotic as well. Something, nevertheless, addressed at avery specific group. DeMag is a demagnetizing device for records, discs, cables and any component that
could be influenced by certain static magnetic phenomena. Fact is the sound is negatively influenced bymagnetic fields, as all appliances are sensitive and prone to such phenomena. Especially discs, andprimarily vinyl records fall victims to magnetism and all those problems it causes-problems that haveshown a proven liking to them. But how can this possibly happen, and to what extent can it influence oursound quality? Let’s have a look.

Fact or Fiction?
Almost all optical discs bear some kind of printing on the back, that is a coating containing certain
chemical elements based on metals like iron, nickel and cobalt, which enjoy significantly strong magnetic
characteristics, but are also prone to get demagnetized, though not by themselves. The reflective surface
bearing the data of a disc consists of 99% aluminum, but also of 1% (according to Furutech’s claims)
other materials, which are intensely magnetic. Even aluminum-as they characteristically mention- canpossess certain magnetic properties, due to added elements. Fact is that optical discs do tend to getmagnetized as they play. The magnetic field is created as they spin. According to measurements,
invariable magnetic fields have a direct effect on data acquisition.
As to our LPs, the culprit is the pigment added to the vinyl during the manufacturing process. Theminimal, but existent ferrous material present in the pigment, causes the magnetization of LPs. According
to measurements conducted by the Tokyo Nanotechnology Centre on behalf of Furutech on an HI Gaussbasis, the magnetic field of an LP was reduced from 620-630 nT to 572-562 nT, following the applicationof DeMag. Evidently, according to these measurements, the results are impressive. Especially in the caseof vinyl records, where the slightest parasitic magnetic field causes disturbances in the very sensitive
fields of the cartridge magnets, things are far more serious and dangerous for the final acoustic result. Thesame thing applies, though to a lower extent, to power cables, which develop the problem as a result of
the magnetic field created as the current flows through a conductor. Thus, the magnetic substances within
the materials themselves get magnetized, introducing in turn further magnetic distortion. That’s what
DeMag promises to solve.

But let us have a closer look…
The anti-magnetic silver disc.
Visually, DeMag is a quite impressive and handsome device. A large, hefty “disc”, built to excellence,
mounted on three needlepoint pegs. DeMag comes with a top quality Furutech power cable in thepackage. Up to 5 CDs or DVDs can be accommodated simultaneously with absolute ease anddemagnetized on the quite large diameter stable platter. One can also quite easily put their power cables,or an LP, of course, on the ample platter.

As soon as the object to be demagnetized is accommodated on the platter, the device is turned on at thepush of the left hand button, while pushing the other one, the “erasure” is initiated, which normally takes
no longer than 20 seconds. In the case of power cables, however, this might take slightly longer. Next, weremove the object and everything is OK. That simple.

Is actually anything heard?
That any kind of magnetism has a negative effect on sound quality is common knowledge. However, towhat extent this is audible, is a rather debatable issue, at least until today. In the last few years I haveexperimented with such devices, supposed to demagnetize optical discs, but with completelydisappointing results, not to say completely negative. Especially in the case of one such device
employing helicoidal demagnetizers, from the moment the disc stopped the part of it that remained
exposed to the fixed magnet underneath it, was further magnetized instead of getting demagnetized.
Of course, Furutech are well aware of this. Therefore, they have developed a technology of their own,
called Furutech’s DeMag Ring Magnet Technology, according to which the power fluctuates initiallyupwards and and consecutively downwards, so that all magnetism is totally removed. So, on getting
my hands on DeMag, my curiosity was at its peak. I started with vinyl records. Well, there is adifference, and it is indeed, intensely audible. And, the older and more used the record is, the bigger
the difference is, located basically towards both ends of the acoustical spectrum, especially the lower
end, with the bass gaining extent, plasticity and momentum, whereas treble gains in both extent andanalysis.
Nuances are enlivened, and dynamic contrast is significantly enhanced, donning the musical work amuch more impressive nature. Differences, though much more difficult to discern, existed even in thecase of records played for less than 10 times. The same things apply to CDs, but to a much lesser
extent. I would say that in vinyl records the improvement in the aforementioned fields exceeds 5-10%,
whereas in CDs at no time does it exceed 5%. At least that applies to my system. As for cables, indefiance of my efforts, I was not able to discern a difference, however hard I tried. Their acoustic
characteristics remained unaltered, with no trace of change. Another interesting point: Oncedemagnetized, a record should be played several times (more than 6), before it starts showing certain
magnetization phenomena, thus saving one the trouble of the continuous repetition of the process.
DeMag is excellent in its kind, easy, ultimately functional and simple to use. All procedures are swiftly
performed and are more of a game than some boring chore one is obliged to perform. As for audible
improvement, it certainly exists, especially in vinyl records.
The question is to what extent one seeks absolute perfection. DeMag is not cheap. But in the hands ofthe perfectionist audiophile, one who wants to get the most of his system and records, it can become
an indispensable “weapon”, in which case I strongly recommend it.