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Published LessLoss Reviews Now Number Over 698

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Firewall Module

Date Added: 10/08/2019 by Jörg Stanislawski
Today I received the loudspeaker Firewalls. They look fascinating and totally unique.

I haven’t got the time today for extensive listening, so I took four discs with different material, listened to four tracks without the Speaker Firewalls installed and thought to myself, wow it sounds so good.

From the start I didn’t know what to expect with this totally unusual passive device. And it comes with two more connections, where every HiFi-Pope tells you that it is poison to the sound quality.

I installed the Firewalls and listened to the same tracks again. Maybe not optimal to post a comment right after unboxing without burn in. But do the Firewalls need any?

What did I get with first listening?

More of everything! More details, bass, ambience, clarity, better separation of instruments, wider frequency response, dynamic improvement, musicality, and did I mention details?

The discs sounded completely different! I never thought that a passive device like this can come with such a gigantic improvement.

I sat there stunned and couldn’t believe what I heard.

The speaker Firewall makes the biggest improvement of sound quality ever. This is simply a fantastic device and I would run out of superlatives to describe it. It’s marvelous! A revolution at a bargain price.

Thank you for creating this wonderful product that outshines anything comparable.

Wow, you have surpassed any thinkable expectation. Great!
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C-MARC Classic loudspeaker cable, stereo pair; C-MARC bulk wire and cable

Date Added: 09/17/2019 by Jonathan Popan
Thanks for the bulk LessLoss C-MARC coaxial cables. I'm using them as speaker cables (two individual coaxial cables per speaker, all Litz strands of each coax attached at both ends) and at this point I have the full loom of LessLoss speaker wires (even internal) for 2 of my speakers. Before this, using C-MARC for power and interconnects, as well as for internal hook-up wire on the speakers, it most certainly sounded phenomenal, pleasant, beautiful, colorful, smooth, liquid and organic. Now, after using these C-MARC coaxial cables as loudspeaker cables between the amps and the speakers, it's absurd! The sound effortlessly flows out of the speakers like water! The tonality is heart tuggingly rich, beautiful and organic! It sounds as if the fog in the soundstage is completely gone! Lol, I just can't believe that the new Firewall for Loudspeakers will make it sound even better than it already does.

Louis, I have to say, I keep thinking about the fact that you truly are a cable scientist, not some conventional company that plays the 9's game and slaps an astronomical price tag like various companies do. Lol, admittedly you're products aren't the cheapest but when I think about the R&D, time and effort that goes into everything and of course the breathtaking results I realize that your prices are very fair and even generous. When I go to websites like audioquest and nordost, just based on the short description I can tell it's all just a big scam, they definitely don't put as much effort into their products and then they have the audacity to charge tens of thousands of dollars???. Doing business with you was audio system changing and I would even say life changing. I'm just simply amazed at the drastic change of sound in my system and also the drastic increase of knowledge of sound by talking to you. I can most certainly say that based on my experience I am most certainly a lessloss fanatic! I'm thankful that you enjoy doing business with me, the feeling is mutual and I'll most certainly be on the lookout for new products that you will come up with. I'm sure I'll also ask for certain custom jobs in the future when I'll have the funds. Louis, lol I don't want to sound like I'm just trying to gain your favor or anything like that, but please continue to do what you're doing for the rest of your life, you really are doing the world a favor, or at least you've done me a great favor and improved my life by creating such marvelous products at a decent price. Keep up the super job that you and your team are doing!
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C-MARC Classic Power Cable

Date Added: 09/15/2019 by Robert-Jan Kamsma
Listening notes after 52 hours: beautiful; open, clean and clear high notes, no brittle hard digital sound and sometimes it sounds stunningly alive. Unfortunately that includes all the coughing of the public during live concerts.

After approximately 8 hours the sound was chaotic and rough. I was hoping this was a matter of aging / burning in. And so it was.

Most important for me now is the beautiful sheen on strings and wind instruments. Another nice improvement is the audibility of the acoustical environment; I hear more of the hall of the performances.

Have not listened to analogue records yet, so no comment on this. Before I had a mixture of Shunyata and Synergistic Research power cables. Not bad, but I was never really satisfied because of a certain amount of hardness.
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Bindbreaker Vibration Control Equipment Foot

Date Added: 09/01/2019 by Joerg Meinhardt
The Bindbreaker liveliness came to my house

After a recent purchase of an amazing LessLoss custom made firewall power distributor, Louis recommended to put the Bindbreakers underneath. So I rearranged my rack to get more space above the distributor and finally was ready for the Bindbreaker experience.
Another big surprise happened with these, which should have been taken for granted, if Louis recommends explicitly :)
I had small plain birch tree multiplex pieces under the distributor before, which I thought, should do at least an 80% job. I use such 4 cm high sheets in the entire rack and it is quite neutral and better than anything I tried before.
So, about the surprise ... No, those were not 80% at all, after I exchanged my birch wood against the Bindbreakers!! A new world of liveliness entered my living room.
- Soundstage deeper
- Better separation of instruments
- Airy open highs
- Cleaner but even more colorful midrange
- More punch, especially in the bass
- More, deeper, and better controlled bass
- Voices especially from a deeper stage position sound more realistic with less distortion
- Less resonances in mid and low range.
Used to have trouble especially with overlapping sounds, almost completely gone now ... without room treatment or adjusting the speakers' position.
This new liveliness does not lead to any listening fatigue, rather reduces it more.

With the Bindbreakers I got a lot of "bang" for the price, and a big smile on my face while listening to my stereo!!
And I will put it under my electronics as well. Have to replace my 4 cm birch wood with something lower (maybe Panzerholz) to fit it into my rack. Hard to imagine how much more liveliness this will bring ... is there any end??

Thanks Louis, for another wonderful product!!
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C-MARC RCA unbalanced signal cable, stereo pair; Firewall Module; Echo's End; Bindbreaker; C-MARC XLR balanced signal cable, stereo pair; C-MARC Classic Loudspeaker Cable, stereo pair; C-MARC Classic Power Cable; C-MARC bulk wire and cable

Date Added: 08/27/2019 by Arthur Ross, Westport, CT
TO MY MIND, USING THE ART WORLD AS AN EXAMPLE, LESSLOSS TO THE AUDIO CABLE BUSINESS IS AKIN TO COMPARING THE WORLD OF MONET, DA VINCI AND VAN GOGH TO COMIC BOOK ART.
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Firewall Module; C-MARC bulk wire and cable

Date Added: 08/26/2019 by Joseph LG
I finally finished the power conditioner/distributor. I could have finished it a long time ago, but other projects took priority. With the FW module and cables you provided, it was not difficult to assemble. Pics of the completed project are attached. I also attached a photo of the LessLoss-provided parts.

Specs as follow:

- LessLoss custom FW module (custom 4-unit long 64X)
- LessLoss C-MARC cabling throughout
- Oyaide R0 receptacles
- Oyaide WPC-Z aluminum mounting frames with carbon fiber plates
- Box construction: 1.1" thick cherry wood, glue assembled, rounded corners and clear lacquer finish
- Outside box dimensions: 12.6" long x 7" wide x 7" tall

The box is just long enough to accommodate the 4-64X module, power inlet and cable bends.

The box could have been a couple of inches shorter in height and a tad narrower, but I wanted it to have some extra clearance inside for cable bends and potential future modifications, and I wanted the box to have some extra mass for vibration absorption and stability.The bottom of the box has a 1.1" thick removable panel that also solidly supports the FW module.

Thank you for all your advice and for providing the custom four-unit-long FW and pre-attached C-MARC cabling. It will take a while to burn-in. I look forward to its utility in my system.

Update Sept. 1, 2019:

Today after checking all the receptacles with a plug checker and getting a green light on all, I connected the distributor to the wall receptacle with a C-MARC Power Cable and plugged in my audio gear. When I turned everything on the first thing I noticed was that I could no longer hear the slight hiss that I used to hear standing a few inches in front of my loudspeakers. It wasn't bad before, but I didn't expect such silence. I had to look at my amplifier to be sure the tubes were glowing. From the listening position the sound seems a tad cleaner and the bass a little stronger than before. Those are my first impressions on first listen without any burn-in. I believe the reduction in audible noise at the speaker driver face is evidence that the 4-64X FW module is doing something positive in my system. I already had standalone 64X FW modules at each component power inlet (and still do), so the added quadruple 64X power distributor with its high-grade components, made a discernible difference in my system.

Joseph LG
Los Angeles, CA
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C-MARC Classic Power Cable; Bindbreaker; C-MARC RCA unbalanced signal cable, stereo pair; C-MARC Classic Loudspeaker Cable, stereo pair

Date Added: 08/20/2019 by Matthew
I’ve spent the last two decades building up a small-room, small-ensemble stereo system for listening to piano, guitar, folk, country, and chamber music. I had settled on the boxes that suited me at my price point: a Lumin S1 server and L1 hard drive, Coincident Technology monoblocks with Takatsuki 300b’s, two Placette volume controls — one for each amp, to serve as balance controls, and Taksim speakers. Power is supplied by a Wattgate wall outlet feeding a Torus transformer.

I wanted the best-sounding cables I could afford, and I wanted to stick with one manufacturer. I decided to try LessLoss’s C-Marc cables because they were priced sensibly, a US dealer had strongly recommended them, the online reviews were positive, and they were easy to handle (i.e., highly flexible). The actual technology is beyond me, but the LessLoss website is exhaustive, for those who want or need to know about those things.

I’ve been following a series of steps:

Step one: new signal cables.

This meant two 1-metre C-Marc interconnects (RCA) and a pair of 2-metre C-Marc speaker cables.The improvement I got from the C-Marc’s was what Louis, and the reviews, told me to expect — more relaxed, liquid, with less grain than I’d been hearing before and also less congestion between notes. Changes in a stereo system tend to show up most obviously in the bass, and regarding that, bass went lower and cleaner, which is what I wanted and hoped for. Overall, C-Marcs were an obvious though not huge improvement.

Step two: Two C-Marc power cords.

I plugged these into my monoblocks. What I heard, after break-in, was the same as what I heard from the signal cables, but much more of it. I mean MUCH more. My system had already been doing well at filling in between the speakers. Now, between the speakers, the blackness between the notes was even blacker. That erased almost all cloudiness and made for much improved separation between instruments and between instrumental lines. All the while, the sound stayed relaxed. When I played rock’n’roll, the system kept up with it — drums sounded explosive, bass went deeper and cleaner but also was rich in overtones. Treble was highly detailed but never shrill. Louis had told me to expect this — that good sound starts at the wall, which means that the power cables are the foundation of his product line.

Step three: LessLoss Bindbreakers.

I was impressed enough by the cables that I thought I would try his Bindbreaker isolation devices. The obvious place to start with them was under the Placette RVCs, which still rested on the sorbothane nubs that they had come with. They made an immediate and huge improvement. Basically, they added more of what the cables had added but also expanded the soundstage into the corners of the room behind the speakers. There was correspondingly more space between the notes and each note has more weight to it. Pace, rhythm, and timing all improved. The expansion of the soundstage behind the speakers was the biggest shock so far when using LessLoss products. Even my wife noticed — “Matthew, what did you just do!?!?!?” Around here, that’s the ultimate test.

Step four: More Bindbreakers.

This time I placed them under the amps and server. I got more of what step three got me, which is what I’d hoped. Again, the improvement was obvious, and along the lines of step three had done, but more of it, though really, the jaw-dropping moment had been when I first put them under the Placettes.

Step five: Still more Bindbreakers.

I wondered what they would do under my speakers, so, two more sets of Bindbreakers. This is where things got fraught for a while. With them under the speakers, the soundstage expanded well out toward the listening chair, which was wonderful. BUT ... the sound also grew more congested, as if all the notes had got wrapped in fog. The expanded soundstage was a definite plus, but unless I could eliminate the fog, I couldn’t leave these in the system.

So I tried two things: (1) Review the speaker placement. That helped, even moving them an inch did that, but not enough. Some of the cloudiness dissipated, but not enough, and bass still sounded muffled. So, (2) I adjusted the settings on my Lumin server. Specifically, after a few tries, I ended up turning off all upsampling/resampling, switching everything to Native, and then turned on DSD. Doing that basically solved the problems that the speakers had first encountered with the BB’s (cloudiness), without weakening the strengths (a much expanded soundstage, a very natural, liquid sound, a wonderful combination of weight and air).

Good cables make a difference, and C-Marc’s are emphatically good ones. In the same vein, the Bindbreakers are the best isolation devices I’ve ever had in my system (and previous to this, I’d been using a series of highly regarded ones).

LessLoss builds some amazing gear. And I haven’t even tried their Firewall technology yet. Will be saving for that.



Some general notes:

The cables take a long time to break in, and even once they’re broken in, they react more to the weather and to time-of-day issues than most cables. Live with it ... when they’re at their best, which is almost always, they’re amazing.

I demagnetize my system more than I used to with these cables. Specifically, I do it every four or five days instead of every three weeks. These cables seem to benefit from that.

Once you’ve installed these cables, don’t move them or even touch them. They’re sensitive to that. So are all cables, to a degree, but these more than most.

Good audio starts at the wall. Get a high-end receptacle, if you want to do justice to these cables. Even the very best ones don’t cost that much.

The Bindbreakers require break-in as well – a few days, at least. Strange but true. Perhaps because they are partly made of wood.

When you change your cables, you’re changing the signal the speakers are receiving, so adjust your speaker placement once the C-Marc cables have broken in. It always helps.
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C-MARC Classic Power Cable; Firewall Module; C-MARC RCA unbalanced signal cable, stereo pair; C-MARC XLR balanced signal cable, stereo pair; C-MARC Classic Loudspeaker Cable, stereo pair; C-MARC Digital Cable

Date Added: 08/20/2019 by H, New York
The Less Loss C-MARC range is the most appealing and effective cabling and power treatment I have ever found at its price point and at those 2x or 3x above. To get to the punchline, a complete set — interconnects, speaker cables, digital coax, power cords, and C-MARC Firewall 64x for each component — delivered in my system created (1) more focus and coherence around vocals and instrumentation along with a larger soundstage (2) less harshness around some highs; and (3) rich but controlled and tighter bass. The biggest improvement, however, is in the overall musicality and listening engagement which is MUCH higher with the C-MARC cable set for every genre of music I tried. The cabling allows the listener to shift focus from the cerebral aspects of critical listening in which each part of the musical performance is considered in a piecemeal manner to simply enjoying the music. For any one who values their system and is open to improvement, an audition of the full C-MARC kit is highly recommended and I would say should be nearly a requirement for anyone starting a system from scratch.

For those for whom some more detail might be of interest — I currently have three high end systems, each with a different character. Over the years, I have seriously listened to a dozen different brands of cabling and power conditioning at a range of price points commensurate with the level of investment in each overall system. Virtually all sets of cables were above the price of a full C-MARC set -- at times many multiples above. Each set of cables had pros and cons and some stayed in each system and when they did, it would be the full set of cables for coherence. Often moving from one set cables to another in each system usually changed one or two aspects of the presentation of the music. At times, while there was shift, the "net" result was not an improvement in my judgement. Other times, there was a "net" improvement but there remained a weakness in some aspect. The "best" cabling in my judgement lowers the noise floor of the system and "stays out" of the way as much as possible.

In many circumstances, the specific character of a set of cables can be used to compensate for the opposite characteristics the components possess. For example, "bright" cabling can compensate for a "dark" set of components. In my experience, this approach always leaves a sub-optimal net result but may be the most practical approach given the components in question. C-MARC’s character is neutral and I could not discern any particular emphasis the cables brought — they were not brighter or darker; they didn’t accentuate one part of the recording over the others; they did not appear to be faster or slower than other cables etc. Their main effect was to increase the effortlessness and fluidity of the music while improving the coherence and size of the soundstage. Imagine a sort of haze around the band or orchestra members that other cables impart or allow — C-MARC simply eliminated the haze (and occasional harness around some highs). In this sense, I believe C-MARC is likely eliminating various types of noise and interference present within and among the components of the system, letting each play its role in the music delivery with minimal negative artifacts introduced. The net result was a notable increase in musicality and engagement with the music.

For anyone considering C-MARC one step at a time, my suggestion would be to start with either speaker cables or power cords. If it is possible to audition the whole set, even if finances may preclude the purchase of a whole set at once, I would recommend doing so, so that the full potential of the system in question can be heard with comprehensive C-MARC cabling.

For any skeptics reading this, I had no interest in changing the cabling in any of my systems which were all performing well. Konstantin at Atelier 13 in Nashville offered to send me a C-MARC set at his expense just to see what I thought. In the end, the overall effect was so profound I purchased the full set — they were that good. At the C-MARC price level, and at many price levels above, I have not found a better set of cabling that works equally well with tubes and solid-state, high efficiency horns and low efficiency two-way etc. C-MARC lets the inherent quality of whatever you have shine through to its fullest.
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Firewall Module

Date Added: 07/31/2019 by Frank47
It's always after adding to or changing something in your audiosystem that you realise it was not perfect before.
So when for the first time (oct. '18) I added a Firewall 64X to my C.E.C. transport I was astonished that there could be such an improvement in 3D performance, quietness around voices and instruments, an even more tightened expression of the mid-lows and lows etc etc. Because spaciousness, clear definition and separation of instruments in highend reproduction is what I like I thought I had reached that already quite well in my system. But indeed.... it did become better with the Firewall 64X. Immediately I regretted not to have ordered more Firewalls for this attractive earlybird price.

However half a year later there was this upgrade version of the Firewall: the C-Marc Firewall 64X and indeed again with earlybird special prices. So in june '19 I received a package with 5 of the new Firewalls. Systematically I
-first replaced the CD-transport Firewall for the new one: no doubt about it, still more improvement in the qualities I described before.
-then I daisy-chained 3 of the new Firewalls before the power distribution as advised in some reviews. I was not happy with that solution: although very airy I experienced the overall sound as "lost in control", "disorderly".
-then succesively I added a new Firewall to my tube DAC, the tube pre-amp, both the tube monoblocks and everyone of these steps meant a further improvement in highend quality of my system, the 2nd to 5th step maybe not as overwhelming as the first one, but clearly observable.

Now about 6 weeks after first implementation of the new Firewalls it's still getting better especially in definition and quiteness which for some probably sounds odd but which means that there is no "smearing" of other noises around the instruments/voices you like to hear.
Non-audiophiles will probably say: but it's about the music. We audiophiles know that perfect reproduction of this same music let you enjoy this same music so much more. These Firewalls mean a large step into the direction to the perfect sound.


P.S.: In recent years I sometimes thought about changing my powercables. You can understand I stopped thinking about that now....
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Firewall Module

Date Added: 07/30/2019 by George Volinsky
My Firewall 64x is working miracles in my system.

Put simply, giant speakers in a tiny room completely disappear and I am in the music, a part of the music.

Thanks for all you do.
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LessLoss History From the Very Beginnings

LessLoss started its business on Audiogon in late 2007. Within the first couple of month, word about LessLoss spread like wildfire among Audiogon members. Here is the feedback received from our clients during our first year of operation. This is from even before we had our own website.

Louis is one of the best in the business, truly professional and very fast production and delivery. I am very satisfied by your superb service. Many thanks.

Positive by Buyer Sebastian (135) on 07-29-2008

Excellent transaction with Lessloss on dynamic filtering power cord. Good communications & fast shipping. A+++++

Positive by Buyer Sennett (45) on 07-03-08

Bought 3 pc's from Liudas in Jan/08. Outstanding product as advertised. Performance is everything and more than I expected. Kudos to Lessloss cable for a great product. Very highly recommended...A+++

Positive by Buyer Phillykid (33) on 06-19-08

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