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LessLoss
Dynamic Filtering Power Cables
The
Real Deal AC Cords
Page 2
The
LessLoss Dynamic Filtering AC Power
Cord is constructed of three wires
braided together, each wire covered in an
attractive woven black material. While it's
true that braiding reduces inductance and
capacitance, these parameters are far less
important in a power cord that carries 60Hz
energy, than in an interconnect that carries
audio- (and, in the case of digital, radio-)
frequencies. According to Mr Motek, an
unbraided version of this AC power
cord sounds essentially the same, but
it has less flexibility, and power cord
flexibility is important not just in the
placement of equipment, but in the
vibrational isolation of equipment. The
LessLoss DFPCs are very large and robust,
but are indeed quite flexible. The wire used
in the manufacture of these cables receives
a proprietary metallurgical treatment called
FlowFluxTM which LessLoss claim yields
results superior to multiple cryogenic
treatment.
LessLoss auditioned numerous power plugs
before settling on the Oyaide model 079.
These plugs are quite expensive and are
beautifully constructed of translucent red
polycarbonate, with black polybutylene
terephtalate (carrying 30% glass particles)
forming the body that holds the metal pins
in place. PBT is a very hard (Rockwell 118)
crystalline material of remarkable strength
and rigidity and temperature stability. The
added glass enhances these characteristics.
The metal pins are machined from solid
deoxidized phosphorous bronze, which is then
twice hand-polished and directly plated with
two layers of gold. Just as important as the
materials and finish of the male plug is the
construction of the IEC connector. The
Oyaide IEC plug was tested by LessLoss for
hundreds of connect/disconnect operations
and maintained a firm – and sonically
excellent – grip. On my equipment rack the
wires hang out the back, and the weight of
the cord causes the Oyaide IEC plug to
“sag.” (This can of course be easily
remedied by supporting the plug and/or
wire.) But I tested the actual grip of these
plugs, and the Oyaide has a much
tighter grip than the OEM plug.
Unquestionably the finished product is
beautifully conceived and constructed.
As I said, it is the filtering
function of the LessLoss DFPC that is
responsible for much of the audible
improvement. The issue that gave birth to
these cables (and the soon-to-be-released
power filter) is how to deliver clean,
unimpeded, power. This goal required
rethinking traditional approaches.
It is not particularly difficult to deliver
clean AC power; even a simple series
inductor will roll off frequencies beyond
resonance at 6db per octave. But a simple
series inductor will also impede rapid
changes in current, and this will tend to
restrict dynamic range and, to some extent,
high audio frequencies. (Live music has a
very wide dynamic range, and a rapid change
in dynamics will encounter reactive
resistance just as a rapid change in
frequency will.) The greater the number of
reactive components there are in the power
circuit path, the greater this restriction.
Typical power filters and regenerators,
regardless of cost, use inductors,
capacitors and in many cases a large
transformer: they deliver clean energy, but
at a cost. As the LessLoss web site states,
“In the end we
admit that, although extreme filtering
[using massive transformers and so forth]
was producing the desired background
blackness, it was reducing true musical
dynamics.”
It is also not particularly difficult to
deliver instantaneous power, and hence to
approach the full dynamic range of which a
particular piece of equipment is capable. A
straight, direct run of heavy gauge, low
resistance wire, capable of conducting large
amounts of instantaneous current with
minimal impedance, should do the trick.
(There are of course other considerations:
the metallurgical properties and purity of
the wire – perhaps including crystal
structure; the “burning in” of the wire,
another vexed issue; the material(s) used
for insulation; the spacing and
configuration of the wire; the
cross-sectional shape of the wire, to name a
few. I have no experience with and little
understanding of these finer details of
cable design.)
What is difficult is to
simultaneously accomplish both goals. And
LessLoss claim to have done just this. They
have combined a AC power cord
with a filtering mechanism that does not
restrict 60Hz current flow.
“We want to avoid
any and all bottlenecking of the power
itself while at the same time attenuating
all the unwanted high frequency energy
before it even enters the destination
gear...The low frequencies must experience
no resistivity, and the high frequencies
must experience complete attenuation.“
Not surprisingly, this is proprietary
information and LessLoss are not forthcoming
on the theoretical details of the materials
used to accomplish it. The basic premise
revolves around the behavior of alternating
current in wire: the higher the frequency,
the more the current flow will migrate
toward the outer surface of the wire (skin
effect). This is due to eddy
(Foucault) current, secondary current
flow induced in the conductor itself by the
changing magnetic field of the primary
current flow. The stronger the applied field
or the greater the relative velocity of
motion – frequency – the greater the eddy
current and the greater the opposing field.
Consider this thought experiment: visualize
an enlarged cross-section of a single wire
in an AC power cord and imagine you can see
the electrons as they flow. (Let us ignore
the conclusion of quantum physics that
electrons don't actually exist as
such, like table forks and hot dogs.) Direct
current, because it has an infinitely low
frequency, will flow throughout the wire.
Fifty or sixty hertz energy, because it is
subject to relatively small skin effect,
will be seen to flow throughout almost the
entire wire. But high frequencies will be
seen to concentrate in the outer surface of
the wire, their concentric depths (skin
depth) inversely proportional to their
frequency. If you can figure out a way of
impeding current flow only on the outer
surface of the wire, the RFI and noise
that have been pushed there will be
suppressed. The LessLoss web site offers
this tantalizing clue:
“...a porous conductive material [is]
mated to the skin of the cable...”
It would be fascinating to understand the
physics of this porous, conductive material!
(Does the high frequency energy “see” it as
a much longer and circuitous – a more
reactive - path than the rest of the wire?)
But we must be content to hear its effect.
I think it is worth noting a particular
aspect of reviewing a AC power cord :
It never sees the actual audio signals that
are the meat and potatoes of CD players,
digital converters, tonearms and turntables,
interconnects, preamps, amps and
loudspeakers. It is not “warm” or
“articulate” or “rolled off” or “bright” or
“extended.” It simply mediates the quality
of the electrical energy and therefore how
closely existing audio equipment approaches
the maximum performance of which it is
capable.
 I
listen to a lot of piano music and I found
that every CD I played sounded better with
the DFPCs; all of them had enhanced dynamics
and detail. However, the Stuart & Sons piano
used in Gerard Willems' recording of The
Complete Beethoven Sonatas (ABC 465
264-2) is ideal for testing purposes; its
unique ranges of voicing, rich, sustained
overtones, and ringing tone provide immense
amounts of detailed information. One of the
most obvious improvements is in the lower
register. The bass notes seem more “gutsy”
and have greater harmonic richness. It's no
substitute for a full-range loudspeaker or a
good subwoofer (my loudspeakers roll off at
40Hz), but it is some compensation, and I
found myself missing that lowest octave
less. Something I especially enjoy is the
physicalness of the piano, the fact of
metal strings being struck by mechanical
hammers seems more palpable. I seem to hear
more going on when a note sounds, the
attack, sustain, the damping of the
vibrating string, all wonderfully tactile
and obvious. I have even heard sounds,
mechanism and sympathetic vibrations, I will
swear I never heard before.
 Beethoven:
String Quartet Opus 74 (Chandos 10191).
I've had occasion in the past to refer to
this supreme work of Beethoven's so-called
“Middle Period.” I have heard this
particular disc dozens and dozens of times
over concentrated months, I feel confident
that I know most of its nuances. A string
quartet is not a particularly demanding
ensemble as far as dynamic range is
concerned, though the violoncello does have
a great authority and heft with the DFPCs .
What mostly strikes me though is a wonderful
clarity, and a noticeably richer retrieval
of ambient detail. Switching back to the OEM
cords something goes missing, something I
find difficult to describe. Not precisely as
if cotton wool were inserted in my ears, or
as if I'd moved my head outside the
dispersion pattern of the ribbon tweeters,
more a sort of fuzziness, perhaps analogous
to looking at an image through very slightly
frosted glass, a loss of clearly defined
edges. I experience the return to the DFPCs
as an added dimension of instrumental and
dynamic excitement.
 Our
Man in Jazz: Sonny Rollins (RCA Victor
Gold74321851602). This is a new addition to
my library. What an introduction to the
artistry of Sonny Rollins! The first cut is
called Oleo, with Rollins on tenor sax, Don
Cherry on trumpet, Billy Higgins on drums,
and Bob Cranshaw on bass (what a lineup!),
It's a long cut – 25 minutes and 25 seconds
– and is one of the coolest, most exciting
and awesome excursions into jazz in my
experience. Like a number of jazz recordings
I've heard, the microphones were placed to
feature Rollins and Cherry, with little
thought for authenticity of stereo imaging.
But the sound, the sheer presence of
the instruments is thrilling. In no music is
the razor sharp presentation enabled by the
DFPCs more evident or more valuable than in
such highly improvisational jazz. You can
really sense the energy that carries these
musicians along in perfect sync with one
another.
Reviewing the LessLoss Dynamic Filtering AC
Power Cords has been a real pleasure. It's
been a pleasure having my eyes opened as to
just what a “mere” AC power cord
can do. It's been a pleasure knowing that
human ingenuity is still at work approaching
the ideal of perfect sound, and that as good
as sound reproduction has gotten, it
continues getting better. Most of all, it's
been a pleasure to hear music in all its
glory, a giant step closer to that ideal.
Manufactures
response: I would like to
personally thank both Clement Perry of
Stereo Times for such a welcoming press
review of the LessLoss Dynamic Filtering
Power Cable. It was a pleasure personally
meeting Clement Perry at Munich High End in
2008, and, having had the chance to exchange
but a couple of short phrases with him, it
was a pure pleasure to have received his
invitation to review the LessLoss Dynamic
Filtering Power Cable just a short time
thereafter. I am no less grateful to Russell
Lichter for the speed and quality of
formulation in his review.
It is
very heartwarming that the joy of creating
and offering this product is felt with the
same joy of appreciation by members of the
press, who write thoughtfully and clearly,
and do the necessary research to be fully
informed before sharing their final opinions
with the public. I was impressed with
Russell's keen questioning (we did quite
some emailing back and forth) and true
interest in what LessLoss is doing, where we
come from, and where we are going. We thank
Stereo Times very sincerely for your support
by publishing your positive impressions of
our achievement to further the fine art of
audiophile playback.
Specifications:
* Standard lengths: 1, 1.5, and 2 meters
* Custom lengths: 2.5 meters and 3 meters
* Cross sectional conductive area is 6 mm2
per conductor.
* Total cross sectional conductive area is
18 mm2 (between 5 and 4 AWG)
* Very flexible design. Bend radius 6 inches
* Oyaide model 079 double hand polished
double gold plated power plugs on both IEC
and wall socket ends.
* Oyaide model C-279 20A IEC plug available
upon request.
* Hand made quality and attention to detail.
* Generous rebates offered for orders above
one single unit.
Price:
DFPC standard up to 2m price ranges from
$432 to $569 depending on quantity.
Longer lengths (2.5m) add $59 and (3m) add
$149.
Manufacturers Note:
ALL PRICING ALREADY INCLUDES SHIPPING FEES.
LessLoss Audio
Devices
P.D. 1231
46005 Kaunas
Lithuania
Tel.: +370 698 48706
email:
info@lessloss.com
web info and store:
www.LessLoss.com
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