Firewall 640x Plug-and-Play C-MARC™

LessLoss Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x transforms system performance beyond most component upgrades! Having successfully implemented over 6000 Firewalls in over 65 countries, we have gained a lot of loyalty form customers across the world. When LessLoss says of any new product, “It’s time!” we really mean it. Never is a product released without first making absolutely sure it delivers the goods, and in a most obvious manner. You can read many user feedback entries on our website here, but here are just a few examples: — “These are component level improvements.” — “…music that I have been listening to in some cases for 20 years: ‘that’ was there for all those years and I only hear it today?” — “The most incredible soundstage and imaging I have ever heard, bass that no stand mounted monitor should be capable of.” — “The musicality is outstanding … a totally relaxed and satisfying listening experience.” — “Nearly had me in tears such was the emotion in the female vocalist voice and that she sounded like she was in my living room!” — “Congratulations to you and your team, you have done it again.” Upgrading the quality of the power source is of top priority. What you get by using this small device: Much better focus. Did somebody switch out the tweeter to a much more expensive model? Much less “fog” in the soundstage. Did somebody upgrade the internal acoustic damping material? Pure sonic colors to die for. Did somebody redesign the crossover for improved cross-driver impulse response? Meticulous control of bass. Has the bass driver’s moving mass been halved? You save a lot of money. Did I just steal a new level of loudspeaker? Am I dreaming this or is it real? Oh yes, it is real. This is no overpriced “audio jewelry” just for looks. Just rock-solid performance with every dollar going directly towards massively increased audio performance. This solution is highly functional and aesthetically clean. After all, we’re all in this for the sound, and that definitely comes first. Product compatibility The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x connects between a power cable and the power inlet of any power consuming component. It passes the Live line, the Neutral line, and the Ground line, through advanced Firewall technology which is potted in clear hardened resin. It greatly enhances pureness to the resulting audio and video generated by your equipment. Firewall backstory, or How DARPA missed the Audiophile Boat The LessLoss Firewall has gone through a lot of research and development since its inception. What began as a novel idea about implementing Skin-filtering by exploiting the naturally occurring Skin-effect of current running through a wire has been expanded upon many times since its inception. Today we are actually using field structuring around the conductor in unique ways. The Firewall is a LessLoss proprietary technology, based on precisely positioned directional metallic particles within a hardened transparent resin carrier. The result becomes a kind of micro-transformer, but without the loss. A kind of ferrite core filter, but without the loss. A kind of directional set of A/C diodes, but without the loss. That pitch black background, so important to stable but elusive “3 AM” type sound quality, gets set to a higher and higher bar at every step of our way. People keep asking, ‘Can it really get any better than this?’ Answer: you bet! When the Firewall 640x is connected to the power inlet of any powered component, it brings a cosmic change to the sound quality. The brains, heart and soul of the Firewall 640x The Firewall 640x is so effective because in designing it we did not ask the typical questions. We asked fundamentally different questions and came up with fundamentally different answers. This product makes no compromise as to what the powered equipment sees in terms of current availability. This is no filter based on caps, coils, a Zobel network or other invasive technology. The power in terms of current availability remains absolutely the same as before. In terms of electrical performance, what the equipment will “see” per polarity when sourcing its power through the Firewall 640x is a 20mm^2 cross section of pure copper, which is incredibly high conductivity, much higher than any in-house wiring, and likely enough to power most any neighborhood. So, in no way does the Firewall 640x impede dynamic power flow. In flowing through the Firewall unit, the power is conditioned without ever adding resistance. This has a profound effect because only the most natural audio results follow, without any adverse effects to micro-dynamics. In terms of current availability, your equipment will continue to perform just as it did before. The resulting sound quality, however, is greatly improved. Our approach can be split up into three basic terms. (1) The brains (unique in-house controlled copper processing), (2) the heart (proprietary Firewall noise reduction solution) (3) and the soul (special assembly approach). A perfect balance of the three, all three being exemplary and far beyond the textbook electrical engineering approach using caps and coils, results in a magnificent boost in sonic performance. Let’s take these three and unpack them. (1) The Brains In standard extrusion processes, the copper undergoes many forces until the desired size is achieved. Pictured at the top of the image below, you can see a standard copper wire as extruded using industrial methods. Next to this standard copper wire, you can see our copper that we use in the Firewall 640x. It is a completely different beast. This is created in house through proprietary means. LessLoss proprietary copper sourcing and in-house processing creates absolutely purpose-specific raw material which undergoes absolutely no tension or forces other than those which are specific to each polarity of our design. Thus, the Live, Neutral and Ground lines are completely differentiated from the very inception of the individual conductor material used. This is no typical exercise in choosing different off-the-shelf metals for different power lines to get a ‘house sound’ deemed ‘nice.’ It goes much more fundamentally into the nature of the material itself. We come intriguingly close to dancing with the concept of brownian noise itself. This time-consuming and fundamental level of detail adhered to in production creates a material (seen here next to standard copper) which bears a physical malleability closer to that of lead (or even butter), than industry sourced copper. Thus, even its acoustic properties are fundamentally different than those of standard copper. Industrially annealed copper, known as ‘soft,’ does not even come close. In slightly different lighting, this image shows in direct comparison how different our in-house made raw material is from standard copper. Standard copper, even soft annealed type, withstands considerable pressure. Our special material does not at all and must be handled with the most extreme care. 99.99999999999999999%… ad absurdum We have painstakingly investigated the tie between copper purity and resulting audio performance. You will see much talk in the audio world about the so-called ‘nines race.’ Through direct consultation with several metallurgy labs which determine metal purity with governmentally recognized certification processes, these bearing legal status, we have no doubt that this type of claim is complete bogus. In fact, there is no certification laboratory on earth which will certify any purity higher than the industry standard ‘four nines,’ which means 99.99%. Anything you see over and above this in terms of purity is pure fiction. And even the four nines purity cannot be guaranteed for an entire spool. Buyer beware. What we have established through our fundamental investigation is that, in fact, it is not the purity in terms of material analysis which yields the performance we are aiming for, but rather the purity of the process. For it is easy to take the purest copper, process it according to our advanced proprietary methods, assemble it specifically incorrectly, and the resulting sound quality will be far worse than using run-of-the-mill industrially sourced re-cycled copper which boasts no exotic purity at all. These types of tests prove without doubt that people have been asking the wrong questions and have been looking in the wrong place for sonic bliss. We take pride in this proprietary knowledge which allows us to boost performance to unworldly levels far beyond what any fictitious ‘nines race’ advocate can even dream of achieving. (2) The Heart The heart of our solution is the special Firewall technology we have been constantly working on and perfecting for over a decade now. Due to the proprietary nature of the solution, we cannot delve too deeply into its every intricacy. But we can explain how it is made. It is made by laser. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), also known as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), is an Additive Manufacturing (AM) technique designed to use a high power-density laser to melt and fuse metallic powders together. This process has the ability to fully weld the metal powder material into a solid three-dimensional part of any conceivable shape or form. We are using the most advanced AM system called Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). Research on this process began in 1995 as a German research project at the Fraunhofer Institute. This new technology was first commercialized only in the year 2000. Since the components are built layer by layer, it is possible to design organic geometries, internal features and challenging passages that could not be cast or otherwise machined. A computer process slices the 3D CAD file data into many ~20 micrometer thick layers. The thin layers are, one by one, selectively smelted by the laser which is located in a tightly controlled atmosphere of argon gas. This is no simple desktop operation. Oxygen levels must be kept lower than 500PPM to prevent explosion. The high-power ytterbium fiber laser beam is intense enough to permit full welding of the particles to form solid metal, without creating a porous internal structure. Any approach to the machinery must be made wearing protective gear, as seen below in an image of the very people working on our Firewall production. Magnified many times, below you can see the implementation of our Firewall technology in conjunction with our special Entropic Process raw copper rods. Because the Firewall is made by laser, extremely fine details of design can be taken advantage of, resulting in a very sensitive part. It would be impossible for us to deliver this product and provide reliable long-term results in the exposed form as pictured below. Through simple usage, it would instantly bend or break up and lose its physical integrity. The special copper in this form is much like a soggy noodle which has been out in the sun for a few hours. Careful assembly techniques need be implemented because any maladjusted move results in immediate compromise to this delicate solution. These techniques require special tooling custom manufactured for LessLoss to enable a rational assembly method and to keep costs down. (3) The Soul When the brains and heart come together, the soul of the device shines through. This approach takes care of two things. Firstly, structural integrity of the sensitive components is maintained, even upon years of wear and tear. It is rock solid to the user, and yet remains liquid soft to the signal. Secondly, the lack of any colored material surrounding the active portion of the Firewall guarantees the most natural sound quality possible. You will recognize this sonic benefit through comparison with vacuum tube parts and their surrounding vacuum. As in any refined balancing act, too much of any one ingredient will inevitably color the outcome. The closest thing to a total absence of coloration is the least electro-magnetically filtering material, which means in this case absolutely pure transparency. This allows the perfect conditions for the Firewall 640x to really shine. This you will instantly hear. Of course, with a solution so effective and mature, we need a flexible umbilical of the same uncompromising performance. C-MARC™ cable is the only choice for this, of course. Nothing even comes close in terms of purity, naturalness, and silence of operation. One listen, and you’ll see why. Modular concept Suggested tips for usage The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x is an efficient, lightweight, low cost alternative to heavy, costly power filters. Almost every customer winds up exchanging existing traditional filtering technologies for Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x units. The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x does not color the sound nor influence dynamic performance. Undeniable sound quality improvement is available through daisy chaining multiple units in series. Fear not that one might achieve overkill should multiple units be used together. That built-in deficiency is the realm of traditional filtering technologies built on caps and coils. Traditional filtering is based on resonance of a limited bandwidth. And, as it turns out, that is indeed the very definition of a color. LessLoss Skin-filtering exhibits no resonance of this kind, and, thus, does not color the sound. Use with existing power distributors If using power distribution units: we recommend using units containing no internal fuses or traditional filtering elements (e.g., capacitors, chokes or transformers). Customers report excellent results using Furutech model e-TP60. Use as a digital component isolator The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x is an excellent component isolator. The filtering provided to the power of a system can equally well be used to provide isolation of noise from one piece of equipment to another. Typically, digital source gear tends to be the most noisy to the rest of the gear in the system sharing the same power line. To separate these, multiple Firewalls are recommended, and they will all effectively filter in both power flow directions, bringing the system’s performance as a whole to unprecedented levels. In application, the Firewall 640x is conceived as a modular system: we’ve designed it to be used in a variety of ways in a variety of systems, maintaining a very low cost of introduction. This way it provides maximum usability and ease of incorporation into any system’s space and performance requirements. Upgrade policy LessLoss offers friendly and attractive upgrade plans. Please reach out to us on [email protected] for more details. More on the Firewall Module The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x power conditioner features a C14 inlet and a C13 plug, for direct connection between a power cord and your equipment. Through simple connection, your existing equipment’s performance matures to an entirely new level, regardless of make. The enclosure is milled from two pieces of solid oakwood. For superb micro-vibration control, the C14 inlet is mated directly against the natural oakwood enclosure. No metal housing can provide this type of performance, regardless of the use of even the most exotic rubber damping. Aluminum is particularly harsh on sound quality, lending a type of unavoidable artificially etched ’hi-fi’ type sound. The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x contains no aluminum whatsoever, and facilitates an organically rich, natural sound quality. The attractive antique oakwood enclosure contains the Firewall electronics themselves, which are mated directly to its inner hardwood surface to obliterate micro-ringing directly at the source of action. Any time an electromagnetic current runs through a wire, some amount of micro-vibration occurs due to resistance. Our solution deals comprehensively with both electromagnetic as well as low level acoustic noise. At this level of performance, both must be taken into account in equal measure. LessLoss Skin-filtering is our advanced proprietary noise reduction technology which leaves standard cap-and-coil filtering methods far behind. In fact, the use of our technology reveals shortfalls of standard filtering methods and can therefore replace them altogether. The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x features our most advanced modified C13 plug. It has a much tighter grip than standard plugs. This translates to a stronger electrical contact pressure with rock solid control of sound. No brass is found in the signal path. A special prolonged cryogenic treatment process is carried out which lends a relaxed, natural tone quality revealing the most natural details. The clear body is no accident: color agents all introduce their own fingerprint on to the sound. This solution is completely in line with our colorless Skin-filtering process. Together with superb micro-vibration damping and cryogenic processing, the Firewall 640x is the best gateway for any equipment to receive high quality power. Without quality power, audio performance is limited even by the most exquisite gear. Use the Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x with any equipment so that its potential performance can be realized in today’s over-polluted electro-magnetic atmosphere. Every recording contains layers and layers of emotionally meaningful data which remain entirely hidden from the listener unless the power is properly conditioned. Through LessLoss Skin-filtering technology, power is stripped of noise and dynamics are never compromised in the process. The product is simple to install. Its low price and extremely high performance make it unique. Get More Performance And pay less for it The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x does not color the sound nor influence dynamic performance. Before considering costly power conditioning upgrades involving large film capacitors or heavy silver wound isolation transformers, keep in mind that their ultimate performance is limited by the losses involved in the filtering method itself. Traditional filtering is based on resonance between capacitance and inductance. With the Firewall 640x, upgrading your power purity has never been more cost-effective or easy. The Firewall 640x raises the performance level of any powered component far beyond the realm envisaged by its original design. Skin-filtering A LessLoss technology At the heart of its functionality, the Firewall 640x features our tried and tested Skin-filtering technology. Skin-filtering makes perfect use of the way that alternating electrical current naturally travels down a wire. Its functionality is based on the principle of line attenuation, and on the high-frequency skin effect first described mathematically in 1883. Users the world over attest to the supremacy of this technology when comparing to traditional filtration methods based on the resonance of capacitors and inductors. Traditional industrial filtering LessLoss proprietory Skin-filtering technology Because nature determines that high frequencies reside at the skin of every conductor, it is easy to understand why LessLoss Skin-filtering is the audiophile’s best and most efficient tool to condition the power before it enters his or her audio component. Treating the skin of the conductor attenuates HF noise, preventing it from entering your gear. Because this filtering solution is employed only at the skin of the conductor, the solution never restricts the low frequency power flow your gear relies on. This way you get enhanced HF attenuation without compromising dynamics or coloring the sound. Summary The Plug-and-Play Firewall 640x is a unique no-capacitor, no-inductor solution for today’s noise-laden world. The solution’s efficient nature reveals itself immediately as an obviously lowered noise floor, and then, over time, in an ever-growing and blooming naturalness of sound quality. A cleaner, clearer picture emerges as the music’s inherent dynamics flow freely, unrestrained by otherwise ubiquitous electrical pollution. Unlike traditional filtering methods, the Firewall 640x produces no voltage difference between input and output, and, unlike transformers, does not buzz or hum, nor does it lose efficiency. It is easy to use, and provides a huge sonic upgrade. It is compatible with any power voltage up to 230V. Current carrying capacity is off the charts, at 20mm^2 conductive cross section for each of the three lines separately. Try it and be glad! Good things come to those who wait. Break-in, burn-in, settling, and aging