Country of Origin
This review first appeared in July 2024 on HifiKnights.com. By request of the manufacturer and permission of the author, it is hereby syndicated to reach a broader audience. All images contained in this piece are the property of HifiKnights or the manufacturer – Ed.
Reviewer: Dawid Grzyb
Transport: Innuos Statement, fidata HFAS1-S10U
DAC: LampizatOr Pacific (KR Audio T-100 / Living Voice 300B + KR Audio 5U4G Ltd. Ed.)
USB components: iFi audio Mercury3.0
Network: Fidelizer EtherStream, Linksys WRT160N
Preamplifier: Trilogy 915R, Thöress DFP
Amplifier: Trilogy 995R, FirstWatt F7, Enleum AMP-23R
Speakers: Boenicke Audio W11 SE+, sound|kaos Vox 3afw
Headphones: HifiMan Susvara
Interconnects: LessLoss Entropic Process C-MARC, Boenicke Audio IC3 CG
Speaker cables: Boenicke Audio S3, LessLoss C-MARC
Speaker signal conditioning: LessLoss Firewall for Loudspeakers, Boenicke ComDev
Anti-vibration conditioning: 12x Carbide Audio Carbide Base under DAC, preamp and speakers
Power delivery: Gigawatt PC-3 SE EVO+/LC-3 EVO, LessLoss C-MARC, LessLoss Entropic Process C-MARC, Boenicke Audio Power Gate, ISOL-8 Prometheus
Equipment rack: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Rack 1+3
Music: NativeDSD
Retail price of reviewed component in EU (incl. VAT): $4'918
These days we know a fair bit about the harmful impact of noise on sound quality. The more extraneous stuff that's not the recorded signal we can trim off the actual signal, the better. This makes noise rejection a powerful and desirable thing. The awareness of this action as an effective route to better sound is the common ground where many manufacturers and their clients meet. Some brands specialize in passive means to combat noise, others go active. Some put more effort into it than others, a handful are outright obsessed with the job. Here Lithuanian company LessLoss are a notable standout. Nearly all products in their catalogue are designed specifically with noise attenuation in mind. Over the years I had the pleasure of sampling quite a few of their solutions; all with excellent results. That's why my current system features a small army of LessLoss C-MARC cables and Firewall modules.
C-MARC wiring comprises a geometry of two counter-polarized then fractally replicated coils of identical diameter and step, one turned clockwise, the other twisted in the opposite direction. They superimpose mutually to form a bucking-coil connection originally developed in the 1930s. Noise induced on hundreds of these balanced strands cancels due to counter polarity and geometry. Hello high S/N ratio. In my system RCA/XLR links, power cords and speaker veins are exclusively C-MARC. The Firewall meanwhile is a specialist fully passive signal conditioner that goes about its business without any caps or coils. Upon connecting a single such module to an amp, it essentially only sees 20mm² of highly conductive solid-core copper; and that's it. This cross section is substantial enough to not impact signal flow, resistance or load impedance. Not only this, Firewalls also work their magic inside power distributors and speaker crossovers.
Four copper rods inside each Firewall's translucent resin body undergo the company's in-house Entropic processing which drastically ages these parts to result in their unique matte look. This treatment also changes the conductor's molecular makeup so it becomes directional and far less susceptible to micro vibrations thus quieter. That's not the best part. Entropy stands for gradual decline into unavoidable decay. This copper gains new properties at the cost of becoming so aged and soft that it easily deforms. Think far older than a human lifetime of constant use that's been compressed into several days of extensive processing which renders the conductive rods nearly limp when unsupported. Crystalline resin cylinders lock these delicate bits in place so their integrity remains intact and the entire module robust. Each copper rod pair is surrounded by crucial finned parts as the latest LessLoss Firewall additions. This in-house developed noise-killing tech underwent many iterations over the years. Now it incorporates Direct Metal Laser Sintering with high-power Ytterbium fibre lasers which can weld 3D objects from alloy particles as small as 10 nanometers. The finned cylinders aren't physically connected with the copper conductors inside them. Their interaction involves magnetic fields and that's all we know. The rest is LessLoss' sweet secret. But it tells us that these ingredients must align perfectly to maximize their noise-trimming effect. In their modular form, Firewalls have long since been installed inside both my speaker sets and AC outlet multipliers. I also use an external Firewall set for the speakers I currently listen to.
The LessLoss roster lists finished C-MARC and Firewall products next to their core DIY ingredients sold by the meter or module. It offers one three-legged Firewall 640x ($320/ea) for AC-related applications while the remaining three loudspeaker versions take the form of single/dual/quad sets of four runs priced at $800/1'600/3'200 respectively. This tech already proved great for power lines and speakers so seeing it applied elsewhere was just a matter of time; which is now. Upon learning of the latest Firewall, I looked forward to a box groomed for small-signal jobs between a DAC and preamp. Team LessLoss detoured towards a box indeed but for headphones. It's large, heavy and packed with more Firewalls than I thought it would be. An interconnect version is right around the corner. When I think about a headphone accessory, I envision a portable dongle like iFi's iEMatch that mounts to a headphone cable and becomes its extension. The latest Firewall is anything but. It measures 23 x 11 x 4cm and weighs a stout 2.1kg to clearly demand stationary use. Priced at $4'918, it is also very expensive. That kind of money easily gets us excellent cans, an amp or a DAC. But that misses the point. This new LessLoss is for headfi high rollers who already have their hardware done, dusted and irreplaceable. Ditto power tweaks, cables and isolation footers. That audience is always on the lookout for means to improve their already very fancy setups. As a unique design which doesn't have a real sparring partner as far as I can tell, this story's unique signal cleanser promises improvements in systems with no more wiggle room for standard tweaks. It's costly also for very good reason.
