Blackbody v.2 as reviewed independently by 6moons

Dear esteemed Customers,

6moons just published independent impressions on the "unusual sensory experience" of using the Blackbody v.2.

"The concept isn't as outré as it might first read."

"Subtle stuff? If the Firewall for Loudspeakers was anything to go by, far from it."

"Hearing differences isn't that hard. Explaining it when it's so unfamiliar is."

"Imagine air getting more humid. Decays linger longer. All tones seem bathed in a subtly golden glow. The overall sound gets softer, creamier, heavier and a bit slower. Strangest of all, the air—as much as we're usually entirely oblivious to it by virtue of its being invisible and tasteless—feels more involved in the business of conducting sound waves. As bizarre as it reads to certainly not be taken literal, it's a considered attempt at translating an unusual sensory experience into words. In general, the sonic gestalt expressed the now familiar LessLoss house sound. In particular, it added an unfamiliar viscosity which had me more aware of the airy medium as the transmitter of sound all around me. I'd not come across anything else that did this, exactly."

"Again tone/texture grew more honeyed. Pace mellowed, timing gained elasticity. Again contrast made me conscious of a peculiar action whereby sounds didn't just passively rise between and behind the speakers but rushed toward me. Physically I sensed the BBs' radiating effect in my belly as a slight warmth. Once they'd become the new normal, I expected that sensation and the 'more active air' perception to recede from awareness. Right after the switch, their otherness still registered."

"Are you sensitive to energies which prayers over many centuries even millennia install in cathedrals, mosques, temples and other places of mass worship? Then such perception is a bridge. It relates to the Blackbody effect in your understanding without yet having had its experience."

"Or, you must be familiar with silence so deep that it has its own sound. It's simply not heard with the ears, just felt elsewhere in the body. Once music commences, the LessLoss parts are very much heard by the ears. The feedback mechanism of critical listening clocks their effect in that arena. Might they affect other areas as well? It'd be strange if they didn't."

"It'll shift emphasis from leading to trailing edge. It's as though a pianist's use of the sustain pedal increased; or your room enlarged for lengthier reverb. Tone richness fluffs up like shaking out a feathery pillow. It changes compactness to plumptuousness. Its textural give creates the sensation of slightly lazier timing. Quantitatively it's a subtle thing. Qualitatively it shifts gestalt. Having a suspicion, I deliberately drained the Soundaware D300Ref's ultracaps overnight. Next morning I recharged them under full BB-imprinted power. The next listening session did suggest that the effect had increased again. This connected to why the very first upstairs session had been most potent. There I'd used a reclocker and DAC both on pure battery power; plus an autoformer volume control on ultracaps. Apparently such DC reservoirs magnify the BB effect."

"Either way syndicates the Firewall for Loudspeakers flavor; that of the Firewall'd Echo's End DAC; of Louis Motek's C-MARC cables. It's why I earlier called the Blackbody another example of the LessLoss house sound. If you've come across it already, you'll recognize it."

"That shows design consistency at a high level and by very different means: with cables, electronics and tweaks."

"The colors on the TV seemed more saturated; fine detail of a fleeting landscape shot from inside a fast-moving train clearer and less blurred. The main draw of course was the omnipolar sound. That bloomed in the now familiar ways."

"I'll be curious to see how other listeners relate to then describe their effect."

Here's the entire review.

Here's the Blackbody V.2 web page.

Blackbody v.2 launch coming up soon!

Now we are almost ready to launch the Blackbody v.2 for public purchase. Here are some obvious questions and their answers to help you prepare.

What is the price of the Blackbody v.2?

The price is established at 836 USD. This price includes your customized organic glass stand, tailored to the specific latitude where your system resides.

You will enjoy a 5% price discount for orders of two units, and a 10% discount for orders of three or more when purchased in a single order with a single shipment.

How do I establish what custom angle I need for my specific location?

We will soon set up a simple automated user interface on our Blackbody v.2 page. All you'll have to do is type in your address and then locate your building on the interactive map. Once you click on your building, the interface will automatically calculate the angle which you should order to ensure you reap the greatest benefit from the Blackbody v.2.

How many Blackbodies are recommended?

The effect is cumulative, so the more of these there are in a system, the more profound the result. We recommend as many Blackbodies as your system has components. In this count of components we recommend including the number of loudspeakers. It is not crucial exactly where you place the Blackbodies. Far more influential is their position in terms of angle and direction.

How do I determine the placement direction once I have the custom stands on location?

Simply use an orienteering compass. These cost only a few dollars and are available worldwide. When using the magnetic compass, please ensure you are far away from any magnetic materials and/or magnets (like in your loudspeakers or in equipment feet which contain magnets). You also want to be far away from any ferrous stands or your building's iron or steel structural materials. Then simply place all Blackbodies on their stands facing the North. If you are in the Southern hemisphere, aim them towards the South. If you are on the equator, try placing half of them towards the North and half of them towards the South.

Do the Blackbodies need to be grounded?

Best results are had when the Blackbodies are grounded. We offer C-MARC™ grounding cables right here. Regardless of the number of Blackbodies you purchase, you only need one grounding cable which has a grounded wall plug. The rest of the grounding cables can connect one Blackbody directly to another in a chain, so that all of them are grounded as a result. Ground only one end of the chain of Blackbodies.

Are existing Blackbodies (v.1 which is black and square shaped) compatible with the new Blackbody v.2?

Yes. If you are currently enjoying our original Blackbodies in your system, there is no need to discontinue their use. They will remain as effective as they are now, and will simply enhance the overall results when you add the new Blackody v.2 to your system. It is recommended to point the original Blackbody in the Northern direction (or Southern if you are located in the Southern hemisphere).

Is there an Early Bird offer I can take advantage of?

Yes. We will shortly announce a time-limited Early Bird Offer in which a free Blackbody with accompanying customized stand shall be provided to those who's order consists of four Blackbodies. If your order consists of eight Blackbodies, we will grant you two free Blackbodies with accompanying customized stands.

Can we combine the Early Bird offer with quantity discounts?

Yes. Everyone will enjoy the quantity discounts irrespective of whether they are eligible for the free Blackbodies or not.

How long will the offer for free Blackbodies be valid?

Once announced via Newsletter, we will set a timer for 14 days. During that period, we will be granting the free Blackbodies to anyone who chooses to participate. The timer will show exactly how much time is left at all times when you reload the Blackbody page. We will also be sending out periodic reminders via email during the Early Bird Launch period.

Although it is interesting to read what others have to say, what do YOU, as designer and developer of this product, have to say about the effect on audio performance?

This is my experience with the Blackbody v.2 as used with the custom stands and the grounding cables. Firstly, I would say this about all LessLoss products. The most fundamental tool for improving any audio system performance is definitely power. Once this is taken care of, I would turn my attention to the source component and consider the Echo's End DAC, which contains a number of our most advanced Firewall modules onboard. A custom power distributor by LessLoss is also highly recommended, or else the use of Plug-and-play Firewall 64X modules on every component. Next I would get C-MARC™ loudspeaker cables, the Firewall for Loudspeakers, and C-MARC™ interconnects. Bindbreaker equipment feet should likely follow, unless you are happy with the specific configuration you have already established over the years. At this point the introduction of the Blackbody v.2 will be nothing less than a profound experience.

The 6moons article put an interesting emphasis on sensations of general well-being instead of speaking only in the typical audiophile terms of sonic parameters. This makes total sense. As is often the case with audio art, there is likely nothing substantial to easily measure. I find myself easily turning up the volume several notches and not thinking twice about it. With friends over, if music is playing, we never have the sensation of harmful loudness, but what is remarkable is how, when we start talking over the music, we suddenly find ourselves needing to really raise our voices in order even to be heard. So this shows how creamy and smooth the sound is perceived, simply pouring forth and enveloping us without our normal critical "harshness reaction" leading us to cringe. If the sound is more pleasant, we want to hear more of it so we feel the natural urge to turn it up. Thus one can only say the speakers must be distorting less. I'd go so far as to say that the speaker materials themselves are influencing the sonics less and less, because upon removal of the Blackbodies, it becomes simply impossible to listen comfortably at the same levels as before. The cringe factor starts at much lower levels than we could enjoy before.

Another approach at an explanation of the effect is summed up in the word: natural. Imagine that sigh of relief you get when after several years in the big city you go out of town and enjoy an apple plucked by yourself straight from a rural orchard tree which has never known the sound of a tractor or even remotely been exposed to traffic or commerce. No pesticides. No competition. The sweet taste of just being... natural. This is the sound I get. Peace, relaxation, enjoyment. A more direct tie to the related message involved in musicianship as perhaps the most spiritual of the communicative arts. Whatever deep well the musicians are sourcing their water of inspiration from, it is as though I also have direct access to that same reservoir, with no commerce, exaggerated pride, competition, or stress getting in the way. "I see what you mean" is a thought that often pops up, as if you are speaking to one you have known for years. This striving for oneness with expression is really what all musicianship is about, and I would go so far as to say that pretty much all existing audio tweaks generally converge onto the effect the Blackbody v.2 has, though each in its own way and to different extents. Some are off by an obvious degree so these are dismissed quite quickly. Others you can live with for quite a while until changes to the rest of the system eventually mature it to the level of finally demasking the twekas as having been a 'nice coloration' for a time long past. The Blackbody v.2 is beyond all that and seems to tear a much deeper and more profound curtain of coloration from the music.

Once the Blackbody v.2 has been gotten used to, using the system without them gives the impression that it is just broken. We lose the notion or feeling that it is even special. It just seems bland, dead, lifeless, uninteresting, even cold and calculated. So the volume knob just goes down automatically, if not the On/Off switch as well. Somehow with the Blackbody v.2 you get to listen to music with the exact same peace of mind you had before any sound has sounded. And that is just a great feeling. A continuous feeling of 'this is so special and these musicians are so special.'

We look forward to serving you soon with this special result.

Click below for more pictures of the Blackbody v.2 in use in various places and in various systems:

Thanks for your interest! Our next Newsletter will announce the launch. We are currently in stock and will be shipping without any delay as long as stock lasts. We have more in production as I write this, too.