With that lay of the land, we can now move onto how the Kraftwerk-10 loaner fared against this LessLoss. Unsurprisingly, the two were quite similar on the mandatory stuff. As a product designed to strip noise off the mains, the LampizatOr injected the same unmistakable blackness that all images and tiny particles call the ideal background. This observation sufficed to appreciate the 10's filter efficiency and was a nice forecast for things to come but I expected no less. This virtue is the primary upshot even when moving from a generic $5 power strip to a decent audio equivalent priced way below today's. Backdrop inkiness that easily registers isn't difficult to execute. The challenge is securing it without stealing from shove, tone, resolution, openness and agility. And there are degrees to this sensual darkness. When applied generously, it allows other traits to shine. As ace as it is in this regard, the LessLoss makes my system sound very effortless, liquid, spatially grand and tonally intense. As such, it represents a fully ripe apple that combines sweetness with just a touch of acidity. In this context, the Kraftwerk-10 offered a more acidic harder bite still very sweet. It traded in some high-tiered eloquence, elegance, colour, anchoring and fanciness for a more mechanical drive that manifested as lesser pigment, a shinier treble and more radiant overall perspective followed by imaging closer to the seat for extra pop and directness. All in, the LampizatOr voicing struck me as somewhat spicier and younger than the LessLoss elder. The difference wasn't large but noticeable.
DC blocking caps.
While the Kraftwerk-10 very quickly emerged as a nicely sorted performer, its showing off in the spatial department was an impressive trait. If the LessLoss extracted the best from my system while keeping its own personality untouched, the LampizatOr largely followed suit on all relevant fronts but didn't hold back with adding that extra spiciness on top. Come to think of it, all my previous LampizatOr DACs including the latest had that communicative, direct and intense attitude. In a way the Kraftwerk-10's tuning was somewhat similar. To be clear, that didn't diminish what it does for the sound and how. This is a highly competent design that delivers what we'd expect. While I initially assumed that it'd steer my sound towards additional fluffiness, warmth, density, copperish hues and relaxation at the steep cost explained earlier, nothing of the sort happened. That was a major win in its own right. Most importantly, in my system the Kraftwerk-10 behaved as advertised on dynamics, speed and spatial scale, yet another very pleasant surprise.
It proved as gifted as the LessLoss on aggressive electronica packed with wicked bass jabs and passages in demand of speed. It secured tight bass, proper momentum, crack, snap and reach without a hint of bloat, fuzz or laziness. I call this well done though am clueless how Lukasz pulled this off with parts widely considered as pace breakers. But I couldn't care less. Lastly, this was the case when my amps connected to the unfiltered outlets while the DAC, streamer and preamp saw the non-DC-blocked filtered sockets. The linear PSU was the only device that connected to the DC-blocked output. My mono amps fed from an outlet other than the unfiltered type produced slower sound as predicted and the digital kit and preamp with the DC blocker netted less articulation. The linear PSU didn't mind but the difference was in its transformer being either quiet or not. This was my ideal use scenario. Yours may differ. Kraftwerk-10 generously allows for quite a few experiments. That's an important aspect. Let's wrap.
Newcomers to the power distributor breed may see LampizatOr's Kraftwerk-10 as too expensive to bother with while veterans in pursuit of ultimate performance already spent their money on minimalist passive solutions like my LessLoss and Boenicke. This LampizatOr won't change their minds. It doesn't have to. Fans of the brand who enjoy the idea of protecting and powering 10 devices at once without penalizing their sonic performance are the target audience. If that's you, trying out Kraftwerk-10 in your system and finding out what it does sounds like a solid plan to me. Considering all the utilities this power box packs and how impressive it is where it matters, I don't see why you shouldn't.
