User Reviews
Published LessLoss Reviews Now Number Over 697
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C-MARC™ RCA InterconnectsC-MARC™ XLR InterconnectsC-MARC™ Speaker CableC-MARC™ Prime Power CableC-MARC™ Classic Power CableC-MARC™ Stellar Power CableC-MARC™ Bulk Wire and CableC-MARC™ Digital CableFirewall ModuleEcho's EndGiant StepsBlackbodyPower distributorBlackGround DIYBlackGround 6x/10x Power BaseBlackGround 8x/10x Speaker Base
DFPC Original (legacy)DFPC Signature (legacy)DFPC Reference (legacy)DFPC Series (legacy) (all)Digital Cable (legacy)Firewall (legacy)Anchorwave (legacy)Homage to Time (legacy)Tunnelbridge (legacy)Laminar Streamer (legacy)Bindbreaker (legacy)
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DFPC Original (legacy)DFPC Signature (legacy)DFPC Reference (legacy)DFPC Series (legacy) (all)Digital Cable (legacy)Firewall (legacy)Anchorwave (legacy)Homage to Time (legacy)Tunnelbridge (legacy)Laminar Streamer (legacy)Bindbreaker (legacy)
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Because of the sheer number of reviews, you can sort them above to quickly find LessLoss products of interest.
Blackbody
Date Added: 01/13/2010 by Jörg Stanislawski, Dortmund, Germany
Blackbody (1st version)
New Adventures in Sound!
A few days ago I received the Blackbody, so I had some time of experience, and I had two additional critical ears from the apartment below. It is impressive to hold the Blackbody in your hands and notice the impressive weight of the device. You have seen the pictures, but it is different to see and feel the Blackbody in reality.
My rack made it possible to place the Blackbody on the left and right side of each platform, so I could try it on every piece of gear, except the bunch of cables behind and I haven't tried it on speakers yet.
I will not bore you with details what records or CDs we listened to, or what part of aspects of the sound improved here or there, as you probably read a thousand times in the usual suspect magazines.
Let me only approve this:
The Blackbody functions as stated by LessLoss.
Every piece of gear I tried it on benfits in nearly the same strength.
It even works on the turntable, and that was something I didn't expect.
The critical second pair of ears and I detected the biggest improvement with a not ideal placement. Directly on top of the poweramp, facing towards the transformer below.
Records and CDs that I thought sound nearly perfect get shockingly better with the Blackbody.
You may have tried the whole range of tweaks available, but the Blackbody adds a new astonishing quality of improvement. Only one Blackbody shifts the sound to a new level of realism. It is not a subtle change or possible hallucination. In the studio with the musicians? You are there.
Equal improvement in sound quality could be had only with expensive investments. You can live happily with the sound that you get with your existing gear by adding only one Blackbody for a long time. So at first sight the Blackbody doesn't seem cheap, but the price is definitely modest, when you realize what it is cappable of and that you get something totally unique, never available before. Bear in mind that worldwide shipping with UPS is included. In Europe the exchange rate from USD to EUR adds another benefit.
This is no voodoo mambo-jambo, just impressive science in physics and surely a lot-lot-lot of brainwork. Are there any other companies telling you in such extreme detail how their products function and the theoretical foundations? Well, until now I haven't read anything similar.
How can you go wrong? Try one without unpacking it and if you are not satisfied you can give it back. But be prepared that you won't go back to listening without the Blackbody.
Absolutely wonderful product... and way cool it looks, too.
CloseRead the reviewProduct details New Adventures in Sound!
A few days ago I received the Blackbody, so I had some time of experience, and I had two additional critical ears from the apartment below. It is impressive to hold the Blackbody in your hands and notice the impressive weight of the device. You have seen the pictures, but it is different to see and feel the Blackbody in reality.
My rack made it possible to place the Blackbody on the left and right side of each platform, so I could try it on every piece of gear, except the bunch of cables behind and I haven't tried it on speakers yet.
I will not bore you with details what records or CDs we listened to, or what part of aspects of the sound improved here or there, as you probably read a thousand times in the usual suspect magazines.
Let me only approve this:
The Blackbody functions as stated by LessLoss.
Every piece of gear I tried it on benfits in nearly the same strength.
It even works on the turntable, and that was something I didn't expect.
The critical second pair of ears and I detected the biggest improvement with a not ideal placement. Directly on top of the poweramp, facing towards the transformer below.
Records and CDs that I thought sound nearly perfect get shockingly better with the Blackbody.
You may have tried the whole range of tweaks available, but the Blackbody adds a new astonishing quality of improvement. Only one Blackbody shifts the sound to a new level of realism. It is not a subtle change or possible hallucination. In the studio with the musicians? You are there.
Equal improvement in sound quality could be had only with expensive investments. You can live happily with the sound that you get with your existing gear by adding only one Blackbody for a long time. So at first sight the Blackbody doesn't seem cheap, but the price is definitely modest, when you realize what it is cappable of and that you get something totally unique, never available before. Bear in mind that worldwide shipping with UPS is included. In Europe the exchange rate from USD to EUR adds another benefit.
This is no voodoo mambo-jambo, just impressive science in physics and surely a lot-lot-lot of brainwork. Are there any other companies telling you in such extreme detail how their products function and the theoretical foundations? Well, until now I haven't read anything similar.
How can you go wrong? Try one without unpacking it and if you are not satisfied you can give it back. But be prepared that you won't go back to listening without the Blackbody.
Absolutely wonderful product... and way cool it looks, too.
DFPC Series [Original]
Date Added: 01/22/2010 by Dmitry, St. Petersburg, Russia
Some time ago I decided to deal with my power issues. You see, I have very dirty mains. Not only it is dirty because it is a big apartment block, but I have about 10 switching power supplies for everything including my laptops, printer, server, wi-fi, and so on, and I have my audio connected to the same outlet... This is a real spider's nest, and it stinks (in a sense of EMI pollution) like a horse, er... you know what I mean.
I tried various filters, all to no avail. I decided to deal with it at the source and purchased Monarchy Audio AC regenerator - it really improved everything, finally there was almost silence in my headphones when I turn the volume up. There was still some veil present and some slight noise residue which I suppose was airborne, so my not-so-expensive (but I thought good) DIY power cord might attract like an antenna.
Reading on the Internet, I have several times come across articles where people write about great experience they had with Monarchy Audio AC regenerator and LessLoss DFPC cords. It is supposed they make a great synergy together. I decided to purchase the LessLoss Mini and see for myself.
Louis Motek was not only kind enough to help me with a tricky shipping issue, but he actually offered me a great deal on upgrading the DFPC Mini to the DFPC Original. I could not resist and we had a deal.
Within a week my cord arrived - wow, that was a real thing. In the past, I used to have a "big" serious audiophile system, and I used to have some pretty expensive cords costing up to $1500. Besides, I have excellent experience building my own, sometimes extremely exotic, cords and cables. So, I know quality when I see it. In the DFPC, everything speaks quality.
Finally I had everything in place and installed as planned - I connected the DFPC to the Monarchy AC regenerator and then to my trusty extremely resolving SPL Phonitor headphone amplifier, feeding my Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones. Well, what can I say? I am speechless.
Clarity, depth, definition, bass, top, musicality... It's all there. Music is so much more LIVE and RIGHT. Connecting my previous cord, it almost made me laugh - it was just no competition. DFPC is better than anything I have ever "heard" regarding power cords. I really don't know what to improve in my sound now - it sounds so damn good that I just can not stop listening.
I have been using DFPC for something like 3 weeks before I decided to write this testimonial. Just to make the "original wow" go away and see if I was not over-enthusiastic - nope! It is still there - music living, breathing, singing.
I would like to sincerely thank Louis Motek for making this cable available, at not so big a price. Dealing with Louis was a sheer pleasure - there are very few people in hi-fi you can get better service from. And no, I am not getting any discounts for writing this. When I say something, I REALLY mean it. :)
Sincerely,
Dmitry
St. Petersburg, Russia
CloseRead the reviewProduct details I tried various filters, all to no avail. I decided to deal with it at the source and purchased Monarchy Audio AC regenerator - it really improved everything, finally there was almost silence in my headphones when I turn the volume up. There was still some veil present and some slight noise residue which I suppose was airborne, so my not-so-expensive (but I thought good) DIY power cord might attract like an antenna.
Reading on the Internet, I have several times come across articles where people write about great experience they had with Monarchy Audio AC regenerator and LessLoss DFPC cords. It is supposed they make a great synergy together. I decided to purchase the LessLoss Mini and see for myself.
Louis Motek was not only kind enough to help me with a tricky shipping issue, but he actually offered me a great deal on upgrading the DFPC Mini to the DFPC Original. I could not resist and we had a deal.
Within a week my cord arrived - wow, that was a real thing. In the past, I used to have a "big" serious audiophile system, and I used to have some pretty expensive cords costing up to $1500. Besides, I have excellent experience building my own, sometimes extremely exotic, cords and cables. So, I know quality when I see it. In the DFPC, everything speaks quality.
Finally I had everything in place and installed as planned - I connected the DFPC to the Monarchy AC regenerator and then to my trusty extremely resolving SPL Phonitor headphone amplifier, feeding my Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones. Well, what can I say? I am speechless.
Clarity, depth, definition, bass, top, musicality... It's all there. Music is so much more LIVE and RIGHT. Connecting my previous cord, it almost made me laugh - it was just no competition. DFPC is better than anything I have ever "heard" regarding power cords. I really don't know what to improve in my sound now - it sounds so damn good that I just can not stop listening.
I have been using DFPC for something like 3 weeks before I decided to write this testimonial. Just to make the "original wow" go away and see if I was not over-enthusiastic - nope! It is still there - music living, breathing, singing.
I would like to sincerely thank Louis Motek for making this cable available, at not so big a price. Dealing with Louis was a sheer pleasure - there are very few people in hi-fi you can get better service from. And no, I am not getting any discounts for writing this. When I say something, I REALLY mean it. :)
Sincerely,
Dmitry
St. Petersburg, Russia
DFPC Series [Original]
Date Added: 01/22/2010 by Ken, Canada
With the LessLoss, music has snap and detail without sounding harsh. Delineation around all of the performers also increases making music easier to follow. All of this without the soundstage being pushed back (which is what my PS Audio cable does) or forward (which is what Virtual Dynamics cables do). I used to run all Virtual Dynamics cables until I heard the DFPC Original.
Listening to LessLoss cables is a very positive experience; dealing with LessLoss is just as positive if not more so. I had already been spreading the word about your cables after got my first one. Now I have more to tell my friends!
Ken, Canada
CloseRead the reviewProduct details Listening to LessLoss cables is a very positive experience; dealing with LessLoss is just as positive if not more so. I had already been spreading the word about your cables after got my first one. Now I have more to tell my friends!
Ken, Canada
Blackbody
Date Added: 01/28/2010 by Pedro Nunes (Portugal)
Blackbody (1st version)
Congratulations! I didn't want to believe in the Blackbodys but they do work.
The sound becomes more clear/clean, more profound and tridimensional. I now can very easily pinpoint the places where the voices and instruments are placed, even in depth.
I have a couple of Blackbodys around my source and pre and another near my conditioner (which made a huge difference). This combination really works.
I wish I had some more right now to put on my amplifiers and perhaps my speakers.
Keep up the good work.
Pedro Nunes
Portugal
CloseRead the reviewProduct details Congratulations! I didn't want to believe in the Blackbodys but they do work.
The sound becomes more clear/clean, more profound and tridimensional. I now can very easily pinpoint the places where the voices and instruments are placed, even in depth.
I have a couple of Blackbodys around my source and pre and another near my conditioner (which made a huge difference). This combination really works.
I wish I had some more right now to put on my amplifiers and perhaps my speakers.
Keep up the good work.
Pedro Nunes
Portugal
DFPC Series [Signature]
Date Added: 02/05/2010 by dave smith...usa
...as a cable junky I have had the opportunity to try many cables over the last 20+ years in this hobby/addiction...until very recently I held on to a belief that 'more expensive had to be better'..!!..then I took Mr. Motek up on his offer to try one of his lessloss DFPC 'signature' pcs...so much for my previously held beliefs....prior to my asking for a sample I had read a great deal about other audiophiles experiences with this pc and..as I think about it now..do not believe I read a single negative review or comment.if Mr. Motek was willing to send me a demo 'signature' pc..free of charge.. then who was I to turn down this opportunity to possibly increase the enjoyment I derive from my system...the first cable arrived and I quickly cooked it for 2 days on my audiodharma pro cable cooker. this after very briefly replacing the crystal cable 'ultra' pc on my meitner cdsa-se where I thought I might get the most benefit from the new cable...the only track I listened to was the first movement of beethoven's 5th symphony..vanska..and could immediately tell that something good was happening..but I needed to wait the 48 hrs to hear what the 'signature' could really sound like...long story short...the next time I inserted it in the same position what I heard amazed me..it was now multiple levels better. transparency improved. (much blacker background)...soundstage widened and deepened...the bass was fast and tight..better then before..vocal articulations and instrumental tonality improved....and complex musical passages,whether classical symphonic or rock, were now not instrumentally blurred but individually apparent...to say I was surprised would be an understatement...what I was hearing destroyed my previous theory regarding price/performance ratio...the rest of the story.....I have now replaced 2 other pcs..1 other cc 'ultra' and 1- jps 'aluminata' with the same ..additive findings...each addition building on the last...I will be demoing 2 more 'signature' pcs in the near future on my preamp..my guess is that they,too, will increase my enjoyment of the music I so love......my system is comprised of piega c-40 speakers...goldmund 29m amp....first sound paramount mkII series-3 preamp...meitner cdsa-sc player...worldpower 'powerwing' conditioner...and argento smr speaker and i/c cables...I might also add that Mr. Motek is in a very small group of owner-designers that I consider to be truely individually passionate about his products...he treats everyone as if he/she were his only customer...
CloseRead the reviewProduct details Blackbody
Date Added: 02/09/2010 by Roger, USA
Blackbody (1st version)
I'm fully satisfied with the Blackbodys. I've kept most them in their boxes because they're easy to place and I don't worry about them getting damaged.
One interesting point I discovered was that I could remove the vibration feet I had under my sources that made it more difficult to cover everything with the Blackbodys and I noticed that I didn't miss them at all.
The Blackbodys are also great for movies with a lot of sound effects, adding more realism. The only downside is you never know when enough is enough.
CloseRead the reviewProduct details I'm fully satisfied with the Blackbodys. I've kept most them in their boxes because they're easy to place and I don't worry about them getting damaged.
One interesting point I discovered was that I could remove the vibration feet I had under my sources that made it more difficult to cover everything with the Blackbodys and I noticed that I didn't miss them at all.
The Blackbodys are also great for movies with a lot of sound effects, adding more realism. The only downside is you never know when enough is enough.
Blackbody
Date Added: 02/09/2010 by Rainer Weber, Regensburg, Germany
Blackbody (1st version)
The Blackbodys are extremely good. I've now got the best sound I've ever heard. Listening has become a pure pleasure and joy, and I insist on setting up with the Blackbodys at all future audio shows featuring the Kaweros.
Rainer Weber
Technical Director
Kaiser Acoustics, Germany
CloseRead the reviewProduct details The Blackbodys are extremely good. I've now got the best sound I've ever heard. Listening has become a pure pleasure and joy, and I insist on setting up with the Blackbodys at all future audio shows featuring the Kaweros.
Rainer Weber
Technical Director
Kaiser Acoustics, Germany
DFPC Series [Original]
Date Added: 02/19/2010 by Val, Poland
One hour ago I received my DFPC Original cables from LessLoss. -- Thank you very much.
I have unpacked one cable immediately and exchanged the pc cable Nordost Vishnu / very expensive one - and the result was, straight from the beginning, on my little office hifi system, consisting of:
-- DENSEN DM 10 amp
-- THORENS CD PLAYER 2000
-- PHASE TECHNOLOGY CI IV Wall Speakers
The sound is unbelievably spread and open, bass is deeper and more controlled, midrange is fruitty, rich, with proportion weight, high freequency silk without unwanted sharpness or edgy. The overal sound is very ralaxing and MUSICAL.
Louis, my big big congratulation with the LessLoss DFPC Original power cable. Everything sounds like new, never heard before.
In a blind test I would say that one of components was exchanged to another - amps, speakers or cd player, but I never would have thought it's the power cable ONLY. It seems some brands like Nordost are absolutely overpriced compared to the LessLoss original. One more amazing thing is that the pc cable has only just played aprx. 45 minutes and it is not burnt in yet.
Wishing you a very nice weekend from frozen and snowy Poland. Thank you once again.
Val
CloseRead the reviewProduct details I have unpacked one cable immediately and exchanged the pc cable Nordost Vishnu / very expensive one - and the result was, straight from the beginning, on my little office hifi system, consisting of:
-- DENSEN DM 10 amp
-- THORENS CD PLAYER 2000
-- PHASE TECHNOLOGY CI IV Wall Speakers
The sound is unbelievably spread and open, bass is deeper and more controlled, midrange is fruitty, rich, with proportion weight, high freequency silk without unwanted sharpness or edgy. The overal sound is very ralaxing and MUSICAL.
Louis, my big big congratulation with the LessLoss DFPC Original power cable. Everything sounds like new, never heard before.
In a blind test I would say that one of components was exchanged to another - amps, speakers or cd player, but I never would have thought it's the power cable ONLY. It seems some brands like Nordost are absolutely overpriced compared to the LessLoss original. One more amazing thing is that the pc cable has only just played aprx. 45 minutes and it is not burnt in yet.
Wishing you a very nice weekend from frozen and snowy Poland. Thank you once again.
Val
Blackbody
Date Added: 02/22/2010 by Das Laurin
Blackbody (1st version)
Regarding the star rating for the Blackbody, I don't know how to rate it with the star system as there is nothing to measure it against - except perhaps for perceived value for money - which is highly subjective. I trust the review will speak for itself.
Source : AMR CD-77 with 77.1 upgrade
Pre-Amp : Modwright 9.0 SE Signature
Amplifier : Nu Force 9.0 V2 SE monoblocs
Speakers : Salk Veracity HT3's
Cables : Solitone Model X interconnects with bi-wire run of Anti-Cable - double, twisted pair on mid/tweeter, single parallel pair on woofer
AC Cabling : Four Oyaide Tunami power cords terminated with Oyaide P004/C004 connectors. FIM 302 IEC's ( gold plated copper ) preferred on Nu Force.
Accessories : Hi Fi Tuning fuse ( Modwright ) Furutech fuses ( Nu Force ) NOS Mullard 5AR4 & RCA 5687's (Modwright ) Eichmann Toppers on Salks.
Powerline : Four dedicated 20 amp lines with four Oyaide R1 receptacles fitted with WPC-Z (aluminium/carbon fibre ) faceplates
Stand : Grand Prix Audio Monaco spiked to custom sandbox 840cm x 750cm x 140cm filled with 400-1000um high silica sand with 18mm hardwood formply used as spike interface. Formula One Kevlar composite shelf under source.
Powerline conditioning : Currently trialing Alan Mahers Quantum Studio, various Infinity CBF in/near power box, Infinity Shields on amp receptacles. 2 Enacoms permanently fitted.
Room : 18ft x 12.5ft x 8ft opening into kitchen and hallway at narrow listening end. Salk HT3's spiked to weight calibrated Equa Rack footers on suspended wooden floor. DIY cylindrical bass traps in room corners, set of Cathedral Sound panels front and rear at ceiling level, custom panel traps at first reflection points, wool carpet in front of speakers.
System Strengths : Dynamic, fast, detailed, transparent, large 3 dimensional soundstage - no subwoofer needed.
System Weaknesses : Slight glassiness present in upper midrange, may be due to mild high frequency tilt of Nu Force (measured stats) plus Modwright tends to a bright, solid state presentation.
History : 10 years of serious tweaking and auditioning of components/cabling/footers/racks. I have come to realise that the devil is in the details. Cabling, resonance control, AC power issues, room treatments, each have to be thoroughly attended to. This is no place for the faint hearted. Without such attention to detail, at best, hi-fi mediocrity is achieved.
Back in 1979 I had a beautiful analogue system ( the classic Linn Sondek/Grace/Supex/ Naim amplification/ Gale GS401A speaker combination ). After several years I onsold the system due to the rarity of decent recordings available in North Queensland (land of Oz) at the time. A brief flirtation with car audio culminated in a tri-amped Nakamichi split system. In 2000 the home audiophile bug bit again and this time it was the CD challenge. I still own four CD players with the Meridian 508 (a classic) currently outclassed by the valved AMR CD-77. As a member of the South East Queensland Audio Club, I have heard many different types of systems including several in the $100,000 + range, so I am familiar with good, different and indifferent sound.
The LessLoss purchase experience :
Louis Motek was a pleasure to deal with and it seemed the same professionalism and attention to detail was evident when organising shipment and even packaging ( clearly a perfectionist ) as went into the design of his Blackbody. The unit arrived within days of being posted, fortified with tight-fitting high density black (of course) foam in a black box, superimposed with the Blackbody design on the outside, to mirror the Blackbody on the inside. I believe this was designed so one can test the unit first without removing it from the sealed box, a pre-condition if the item is returned.
My first knowledge about Lessloss audio products came a few years ago when I first read about their power cords on Audiogon. Out of audiophile curiosity, I tuned into their website and was attracted to the level of investigatory detail Louis Motek displayed in the technological ( and yet to be realised ) pursuit of his Blackbody, as well as his established product line. The Blackbody was then previewed in an esoteric sense as Louis had an obvious predisposition to explore theoretical physics and apply it to audio. I approached this with interest but a healthy degree of scepticism - how could one prove or disprove any of this. It was his obvious passion and sincerity that continued to maintain my curiosity and interest. When the Blackbody materialised a few years later, I was going to wait for the professional reviews to roll in before committing to an audition. However the pre-order special roped me in and I thought I'd give it a go, carefully going over with Louis the requirement for returning the Blackbody for a maximal refund, which I secretly expected. After all, this was not a power cord but an intangible black box - a completely passive device located some distance away from the componentry. I suspected it did something but exactly what. I have to this day rejected many well reviewed audio tweaks and accessories as neutrality was more often than not compromised to an unacceptable degree, even though performance in some areas was as claimed.
My system is fairly well tweaked and highly transparent. It walks a very fine line and the slightest change can upset the musical equilibrium with hi-fi heaven quickly descending into musical hi-fi hell. I first located the Blackbody under the Nu Force amps, on top of my sandbox ( I preferred the sandbox to the premium GPA Apex footer upgrade ). I figured if the Blackbody was going to clear up electronic garbage, then the switch mode power supplies of the Nu Force amps was a good place to start. In this location, the presentation changed, but for the worse. A sort of sonic smearing took place, rather than enhancement of any kind. To be fair, the Blackbody was located about 15cm from the amps - a little too close to give the proper 30 degree coverage to both amps. Next I tried it behind the Modwright pre-amp, sitting on the Monaco shelf. Again, only 15 cm from the back of the component on the edge of the shelf. Again the presentation changed, this time more favourably than with the Nu Force. There was some improved ambience and detail but with a trade-off. A shift in the frequency balance towards the highs exacerbated an existing system weakness.
On reflection at this point, I realised that anything that I had ever put on the Monaco stand other than the component ( I had tried many different component footers that had worked with my previous Spider Rack and custom granite shelving ) had upset the balance of this finely tuned stand. Even sandbags on top of the sandbox were detrimental to the overall balance while fine-tuning, creating frequency shifts that were clearly audible. So the Blackbody in these locations was imparting a resonant signature of its own by virtue of its mass - which was interfering with its intended passive function.
Next I tried a Blackbody facing down on top of the left Salk speaker. Again, a noticeable change with some apparent enhancement of the sound coming from the left speaker - but difficult to say whether this was better overall as it was no longer quite matched to the right. Trying it the other way around yielded the same result. I drew the conclusion that the only way to really tell here was to have a pair of Blackbody's. This would also reveal if the mass of the Blackbody was changing the resonant signature of the speaker enclosure or influencing the performance of the weight calibrated Equa Rack footers ( the Salks weigh 56kg each ). However, it was apparent the Blackbody was doing something positive here and I would have liked to have an extra Blackbody on hand to determine if the sonic result represented value for money.
Finally, I located the Blackbody on a CD rack fixed to the wall about 25cm behind the AMR CD-77. By this time I had begun to think it was not going to work in my system. Sitting back in my listening chair, it was as if a switch had been suddenly flicked. There was an immediate, unmistakable improvement in the sonics - an expansion of the soundstage accompanied by improved clarity and detail. On careful listening, the frequency balance was unchanged - the expansion of the soundstage was real and had occurred on its own merits, not due to a tipping of frequencies but an extension in both directions. I immediately removed the Blackbody to confirm this - the difference was black and white. The improvement in clarity and detail was consistent throughout the frequency range and bass fundamentals were more present. The only way I could think to explain this was that some sort of layer of ' grunge ' had been removed that had been previously hidden. Vocal nuances were enhanced and a relative subliminal aspect to the music emerged that made the music sound more like music. There was a realisation that there was no going back. This was not a subtle change but a significant one and rare in its total neutrality. The Blackbody was clearly acting as some sort of grunge filter, as surprisingly, that's exactly what you comparitively hear with it removed.
On the question of value for money, this would depend on the heights your system has scaled and which you aspire to. Unless there is some other way of getting rid of the sonic garbage, I now consider it indispensable. Louis tells me this is just the tip of the iceberg and that three located around the source give profound results. My stand doesn't lend itself to this but I am now considering the practicality of suspending a couple from the ceiling, just to satisfy my audiophile curiosity. However, I can say that just one properly located Blackbody is a worthwhile upgrade, without the presence of any downside. I can't say if this has expanded the known boundaries of audio by removing a hitherto unknown contaminant and that it cannot be duplicated by other means - that would have to be determined by those with more resolved and highly tweaked systems than mine.
CloseRead the reviewProduct details Regarding the star rating for the Blackbody, I don't know how to rate it with the star system as there is nothing to measure it against - except perhaps for perceived value for money - which is highly subjective. I trust the review will speak for itself.
Source : AMR CD-77 with 77.1 upgrade
Pre-Amp : Modwright 9.0 SE Signature
Amplifier : Nu Force 9.0 V2 SE monoblocs
Speakers : Salk Veracity HT3's
Cables : Solitone Model X interconnects with bi-wire run of Anti-Cable - double, twisted pair on mid/tweeter, single parallel pair on woofer
AC Cabling : Four Oyaide Tunami power cords terminated with Oyaide P004/C004 connectors. FIM 302 IEC's ( gold plated copper ) preferred on Nu Force.
Accessories : Hi Fi Tuning fuse ( Modwright ) Furutech fuses ( Nu Force ) NOS Mullard 5AR4 & RCA 5687's (Modwright ) Eichmann Toppers on Salks.
Powerline : Four dedicated 20 amp lines with four Oyaide R1 receptacles fitted with WPC-Z (aluminium/carbon fibre ) faceplates
Stand : Grand Prix Audio Monaco spiked to custom sandbox 840cm x 750cm x 140cm filled with 400-1000um high silica sand with 18mm hardwood formply used as spike interface. Formula One Kevlar composite shelf under source.
Powerline conditioning : Currently trialing Alan Mahers Quantum Studio, various Infinity CBF in/near power box, Infinity Shields on amp receptacles. 2 Enacoms permanently fitted.
Room : 18ft x 12.5ft x 8ft opening into kitchen and hallway at narrow listening end. Salk HT3's spiked to weight calibrated Equa Rack footers on suspended wooden floor. DIY cylindrical bass traps in room corners, set of Cathedral Sound panels front and rear at ceiling level, custom panel traps at first reflection points, wool carpet in front of speakers.
System Strengths : Dynamic, fast, detailed, transparent, large 3 dimensional soundstage - no subwoofer needed.
System Weaknesses : Slight glassiness present in upper midrange, may be due to mild high frequency tilt of Nu Force (measured stats) plus Modwright tends to a bright, solid state presentation.
History : 10 years of serious tweaking and auditioning of components/cabling/footers/racks. I have come to realise that the devil is in the details. Cabling, resonance control, AC power issues, room treatments, each have to be thoroughly attended to. This is no place for the faint hearted. Without such attention to detail, at best, hi-fi mediocrity is achieved.
Back in 1979 I had a beautiful analogue system ( the classic Linn Sondek/Grace/Supex/ Naim amplification/ Gale GS401A speaker combination ). After several years I onsold the system due to the rarity of decent recordings available in North Queensland (land of Oz) at the time. A brief flirtation with car audio culminated in a tri-amped Nakamichi split system. In 2000 the home audiophile bug bit again and this time it was the CD challenge. I still own four CD players with the Meridian 508 (a classic) currently outclassed by the valved AMR CD-77. As a member of the South East Queensland Audio Club, I have heard many different types of systems including several in the $100,000 + range, so I am familiar with good, different and indifferent sound.
The LessLoss purchase experience :
Louis Motek was a pleasure to deal with and it seemed the same professionalism and attention to detail was evident when organising shipment and even packaging ( clearly a perfectionist ) as went into the design of his Blackbody. The unit arrived within days of being posted, fortified with tight-fitting high density black (of course) foam in a black box, superimposed with the Blackbody design on the outside, to mirror the Blackbody on the inside. I believe this was designed so one can test the unit first without removing it from the sealed box, a pre-condition if the item is returned.
THE BLACKBODY STORY
My first knowledge about Lessloss audio products came a few years ago when I first read about their power cords on Audiogon. Out of audiophile curiosity, I tuned into their website and was attracted to the level of investigatory detail Louis Motek displayed in the technological ( and yet to be realised ) pursuit of his Blackbody, as well as his established product line. The Blackbody was then previewed in an esoteric sense as Louis had an obvious predisposition to explore theoretical physics and apply it to audio. I approached this with interest but a healthy degree of scepticism - how could one prove or disprove any of this. It was his obvious passion and sincerity that continued to maintain my curiosity and interest. When the Blackbody materialised a few years later, I was going to wait for the professional reviews to roll in before committing to an audition. However the pre-order special roped me in and I thought I'd give it a go, carefully going over with Louis the requirement for returning the Blackbody for a maximal refund, which I secretly expected. After all, this was not a power cord but an intangible black box - a completely passive device located some distance away from the componentry. I suspected it did something but exactly what. I have to this day rejected many well reviewed audio tweaks and accessories as neutrality was more often than not compromised to an unacceptable degree, even though performance in some areas was as claimed.
My system is fairly well tweaked and highly transparent. It walks a very fine line and the slightest change can upset the musical equilibrium with hi-fi heaven quickly descending into musical hi-fi hell. I first located the Blackbody under the Nu Force amps, on top of my sandbox ( I preferred the sandbox to the premium GPA Apex footer upgrade ). I figured if the Blackbody was going to clear up electronic garbage, then the switch mode power supplies of the Nu Force amps was a good place to start. In this location, the presentation changed, but for the worse. A sort of sonic smearing took place, rather than enhancement of any kind. To be fair, the Blackbody was located about 15cm from the amps - a little too close to give the proper 30 degree coverage to both amps. Next I tried it behind the Modwright pre-amp, sitting on the Monaco shelf. Again, only 15 cm from the back of the component on the edge of the shelf. Again the presentation changed, this time more favourably than with the Nu Force. There was some improved ambience and detail but with a trade-off. A shift in the frequency balance towards the highs exacerbated an existing system weakness.
On reflection at this point, I realised that anything that I had ever put on the Monaco stand other than the component ( I had tried many different component footers that had worked with my previous Spider Rack and custom granite shelving ) had upset the balance of this finely tuned stand. Even sandbags on top of the sandbox were detrimental to the overall balance while fine-tuning, creating frequency shifts that were clearly audible. So the Blackbody in these locations was imparting a resonant signature of its own by virtue of its mass - which was interfering with its intended passive function.
Next I tried a Blackbody facing down on top of the left Salk speaker. Again, a noticeable change with some apparent enhancement of the sound coming from the left speaker - but difficult to say whether this was better overall as it was no longer quite matched to the right. Trying it the other way around yielded the same result. I drew the conclusion that the only way to really tell here was to have a pair of Blackbody's. This would also reveal if the mass of the Blackbody was changing the resonant signature of the speaker enclosure or influencing the performance of the weight calibrated Equa Rack footers ( the Salks weigh 56kg each ). However, it was apparent the Blackbody was doing something positive here and I would have liked to have an extra Blackbody on hand to determine if the sonic result represented value for money.
Finally, I located the Blackbody on a CD rack fixed to the wall about 25cm behind the AMR CD-77. By this time I had begun to think it was not going to work in my system. Sitting back in my listening chair, it was as if a switch had been suddenly flicked. There was an immediate, unmistakable improvement in the sonics - an expansion of the soundstage accompanied by improved clarity and detail. On careful listening, the frequency balance was unchanged - the expansion of the soundstage was real and had occurred on its own merits, not due to a tipping of frequencies but an extension in both directions. I immediately removed the Blackbody to confirm this - the difference was black and white. The improvement in clarity and detail was consistent throughout the frequency range and bass fundamentals were more present. The only way I could think to explain this was that some sort of layer of ' grunge ' had been removed that had been previously hidden. Vocal nuances were enhanced and a relative subliminal aspect to the music emerged that made the music sound more like music. There was a realisation that there was no going back. This was not a subtle change but a significant one and rare in its total neutrality. The Blackbody was clearly acting as some sort of grunge filter, as surprisingly, that's exactly what you comparitively hear with it removed.
On the question of value for money, this would depend on the heights your system has scaled and which you aspire to. Unless there is some other way of getting rid of the sonic garbage, I now consider it indispensable. Louis tells me this is just the tip of the iceberg and that three located around the source give profound results. My stand doesn't lend itself to this but I am now considering the practicality of suspending a couple from the ceiling, just to satisfy my audiophile curiosity. However, I can say that just one properly located Blackbody is a worthwhile upgrade, without the presence of any downside. I can't say if this has expanded the known boundaries of audio by removing a hitherto unknown contaminant and that it cannot be duplicated by other means - that would have to be determined by those with more resolved and highly tweaked systems than mine.
DFPC Series [Signature]
Date Added: 03/01/2010 by JohnnyHiFi
I bought my first DFPC back in November 2009 and the person I got it from warned me that I would end up wanting to purchase more DFPC's for my system - he was right! I soon ordered up a second DFPC which I later traded up for a Signature. The LessLoss PC's are a very neutral sounding cable as they neither push the soundstage back nor forward nor are they dark or bright sounding. They also increase the silence 'heard' around performers which makes the music easier to follow and greatly contributes to the holographic presentation of sound reproduction. What is most surprising though is how much these cables contribute to the dynamic content of music. I was using a PS Audio Duet power conditioner which is not supposed to limit dynamics but when I plugged my cables straight into the wall, all of a sudden I started hearing dynamics in some of my CD's that I'd never heard before.
Both the Signature and Original DFPC's will be staying in my system for a long time and I can't recommend them highly enough!
Ken
CloseRead the reviewProduct details Both the Signature and Original DFPC's will be staying in my system for a long time and I can't recommend them highly enough!
Ken
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