atelier 13 audio
LESSLOSS ECHO'S END DAC
Echo's End represents a new performance proposition, completely unique in this world. We are way beyond hearing new notes in chords, new subtly revealed accents and minute gestures of expression.
We are now listening to and easily comprehending intent, ambient reality, a clear record of past events, to the actual meaning conveyed to the audience. A single historical performance can be described by a thousand critics' reviews, but now we can actually experience what they meant.
Meet Echo's End
Our new discrete precision resistor R-2R DAC with multiple integrated Firewall technology
Do you feel let down by the promises of modern digital audio? In the early 90’s, Sony and Philips were advertising “perfect sound forever,” yet today, don’t you feel cold, empty, and tired from the mechanical sound of digital?
Does your direct experience lead you to question the “numbers race?”
Isn't it suspicious that, under proper conditions, standard resolution can actually sound better than high-res?
If so, Echo’s End is for you.
Imagine ...
Imagine a sound so smooth, so liquid and organic, that you’d no longer even know, or even care, whether it is digital or analog.
Sampling rates mean nothing.
Imagine feeling the intricate emotional stimulus of every performance, regardless of digital source.
There’s an audiophile saying that goes, “never blame the source material.”
Echo’s End is the DAC that lives up to it!
About LessLoss Digital - a Different Story
LessLoss has been perfecting the art of digital conversion for over 18 years. We never take part in the corporate rat-race of chasing popular fashion. We always know that sonic performance has primarily to do with Jitter reduction, and that Jitter is always going to be contended, since it is impossible to measure with authority.
We work by ear where the lab equipment can’t follow. As a result, today we have over 5000 satisfied customers in 65 countries, and counting. This is only because of confirmed experience in real-world systems by real-world people. We hardly advertise.
We don’t really have to.
Echo’s End is the perfect DAC when you want music to flow just as it does in nature. You don’t get harshness or masking by digital “same-ness.”
What you do get is an easy-to-use, fully automatic digital-to-analogue converter whose sole purpose is to provide the best possible audio quality.
You won’t find external buttons, nor lights, nor animated display screens. Echo’s End is fully automatic. Just connect a digital source such as USB, S/PDIF, or AES/EBU, and Echo’s End will automatically find the signal and convert it to beautiful analog sound.
At the outputs you have directly converted analog signal, with absolutely no components in the signal path. No chips, no op-amp buffers, no caps, no transformers, nor any tubes.
What you get
The sound quality is fantastic
We’ve incorporated on-board Firewall modules, a special technology for conditioning power developed and manufactured exclusively by LessLoss.
This raises the sonic performance to unbelievable levels.
All parts in the Echo’s End, both mechanical and electrical, are fixed directly to wood, and point-to-point soldering allows for the smoothest possible signal flow ...
Ensuring the most liquid audio reproduction imaginable.
With Echo’s End, you get four digital inputs and two types of analogue outputs. You can play any PCM audio up to 192 kHz, and even DSD.
Echo’s End is a great tool for those who want to simply “set it and forget it.” You don’t have to play around with menus, settings, or remotes. You get top performance and peace of mind knowing there are no unnecessary features.
Echo’s End is pure and simple ... and this is part of what makes it sound so good.
ECHO'S END
The Original DAC
-
Cryogenically treated, solid copper, gold plated power inlet
-
Most precise resistors available (we only ever use the very best ones with the very best specs available)
-
Three Firewall modules onboard
-
DSD (2x) ready over USB
-
Plays up to 192 kHz sampling rate PCM data
-
Solid European Oak Enclosure
-
Ships in a LessLoss branded water-tight flight case
MAP
$ 5,324
Specifications
The Original DAC
Digital inputs
The unit supports USB, S/PDIF, and AES/EBU digital inputs
Analogue Outputs
-
2 Channels Unbalanced (RCA), straight off of the Ladder DAC resistor network at 1.4V RMS. You can even drive many headphones directly
-
2 Channels Balanced (XLR), at ~2V RMS. You can drive most any headphone through this output.
Digital formats converted to analogue
-
PCM up to 24/192 kHz
-
DSD 1x and 2x on USB input
Dimensions
-
Width 375 mm
-
Depth 230 mm (add a few mm for the connectors at the back)
-
Height 55 mm (add 38 mm to the height if you use the Bindbreaker equipment feet
ECHO'S END
Reference DAC
Our two all-out executions of the already superb Echo's End Original.
The first or the these two, the Reference, incorporates a more radical and extensive signal and power filtering intervention, as well as our ultra-low resonance applications :
The Panzerholz chassis and our carbon-fiber component enclosures
MAP
$ 19,600
Specifications & Features
Reference DAC
-
Digital inputs -- The unit supports USB, S/PDIF, and AES/EBU digital inputs
-
Analogue Outputs
-
2 Channels Unbalanced (RCA), straight off of the Ladder DAC resistor network at 1.4V RMS
-
You can even drive many headphones directly
-
-
2 Channels Balanced (XLR), at ~2V RMS
-
You can drive most any headphone through this output
-
-
-
Digital formats converted to analogue
-
PCM up to 24/192 kHz
-
DSD 1x and 2x on USB input
-
-
Solid Panzerholz enclosure -- it does the same thing for sensitive gear that it does for natural sound used for speakers
-
Grounded custom hand made carbon fiber transformer shroud -- really lowers the noise floor down to incredible stability at very high frequencies, important for Jitter reduction
-
Cryogenically treated, solid copper, gold plated power inlet -- Sound is smooth and dynamic as a result
-
Most precise resistors available -- we only ever use the very best ones with the very best specs available
-
Dual power supplies, dual Soekris boards, reprogrammed by LessLoss for dual mono configuration -- this provides amazing stereo separation and a whole lot of nuance in terms of spacial presentation. Everything becomes more 3D and liquid. It is really nice when compared to a single board in normal stereo mode
-
XLR output derived from four mono channels of resistor ladders -- output buffering schematics completely bypassed. This is possible because one board's Right channel converts the signal in phase and the Left channel converts the same digital signal out-of-phase. The phase reversal is done still in the digital realm, so the balanced signal is digitally perfect, without noise from an output buffer. This provides amazing clarity, transparency; a holographic sound and a super low noise floor
-
LessLoss special custom S/PDIF - I2S conversion schematic -- developed and manufactured by LessLoss, it is much better than Soekris onboard solution
-
LessLoss controlled automatic digital input selection -- Soekris boards receive only I2S from LessLoss board
-
LessLoss unique 3.3V generation for internal I2S -- The USB 5V supply is discarded; and the 3.3V is made with our own power stabilizer and Firewall 64X technology. It is super smooth and stable. Makes you forget you are listening to a computer USB source!
-
All floating bolts point-to-point star grounded -- you can see this in the picture as silver looking wires coming from bolt to bolt throughout. This lowers the internal noise reflections and makes it dead silent inside
-
New integrated Firewall 64X technology -- 6 units implemented here. This is brand new technology, the best we ever made
-
C-MARC™ internal hook-up wire -- All power and analogue signal leads are C-MARC™. This takes a lot of labor to prepare but we feel the results are so organic and natural with great speed but never getting tiring to the ear. Well worth the extra effort
-
Hand polished 100% natural beeswax impregnated -- Looks very beautiful in real life, even smells really good, too, though never overpowering
-
Will have a precision engraved brass placard -- on the front of the unit, with model name engraved by laser on top
-
Ships in a LessLoss branded water-tight flight case
-
Dimensions
-
Width 375 mm
-
Depth 230 mm -- add a few mm for the connectors at the back
-
Height 55 mm -- add 38 mm to the height if you use the Bindbreaker equipment feet
-
ECHO'S END
Reference Supreme DAC
Our two all-out executions of the already superb Echo's End Original.
The second of the these two, the Reference Supreme, incorporates the most radical and extensive signal and power filtering solutions, and goes further yet as regards our ultra-low resonance applications :
The Dual - Panzerholz chassis and our carbon-fiber component enclosures
MAP
$ 34,000
Specifications & Features
Reference Supreme DAC
-
Digital inputs -- The unit supports USB, S/PDIF, and AES/EBU digital inputs
-
Analogue Outputs
-
2 Channels Unbalanced (RCA), straight off of the Ladder DAC resistor network at 1.4V RMS
-
You can even drive many headphones directly
-
-
2 Channels Balanced (XLR), at ~2V RMS
-
You can drive most any headphone through this output
-
-
-
Digital formats converted to analogue
-
PCM up to 24/192 kHz
-
DSD 1x and 2x on USB input
-
-
Two separate Panzerholz enclosures, one for power supply, one to house the DAC process and additional Firewall modules. -- Panzeholz does the same thing for sensitive gear that it does for natural sound used for speakers
-
Two transformers -- one for digital input schematic separately
-
Potting of transformers -- in LessLoss special high negative ion content epoxy compound
-
Additional power stabilizer schematics -- for digital input schematics with 30X dynamic headroom
-
Two grounded custom hand made carbon fiber transformer shrouds -- really lowers the noise floor down to incredible stability at very high frequencies, important for Jitter reduction
-
Cryogenically treated, solid copper, gold plated power inlet -- Sound is smooth and dynamic as a result
-
Three separate LessLoss C-MARC™ XLR DC cables -- based on Triaxial cable, length 1.5m each, to connect the two units
-
Most precise resistors available -- we only ever use the very best ones with the very best specs available
-
Dual power supplies, dual Soekris boards, reprogrammed by LessLoss for dual mono configuration -- this provides amazing stereo separation and a whole lot of nuance in terms of spacial presentation. Everything becomes more 3D and liquid. It is really nice when compared to a single board in normal stereo mode
-
XLR output derived from four mono channels of resistor ladders -- output buffering schematics completely bypassed. This is possible because one board's Right channel converts the signal in phase and the Left channel converts the same digital signal out-of-phase. The phase reversal is done still in the digital realm, so the balanced signal is digitally perfect, without noise from an output buffer. This provides amazing clarity, transparency; a holographic sound and a super low noise floor
-
LessLoss special custom S/PDIF - I2S conversion schematic -- developed and manufactured by LessLoss, it is much better than Soekris onboard solution
-
LessLoss controlled automatic digital input selection -- Soekris boards receive only I2S from LessLoss board
-
LessLoss unique 3.3V generation for internal I2S -- The USB 5V supply is discarded; and the 3.3V is made with our own power stabilizer and Firewall 64X technology. It is super smooth and stable. Makes you forget you are listening to a computer USB source!
-
All floating bolts point-to-point star grounded -- you can see this in the picture as silver looking wires coming from bolt to bolt throughout. This lowers the internal noise reflections and makes it dead silent inside
-
New integrated Firewall 64X technology -- 14 units implemented here. This is brand new technology, the best we ever made
-
C-MARC™ internal hook-up wire -- All power and analogue signal leads are C-MARC™. This takes a lot of labor to prepare but we feel the results are so organic and natural with great speed but never getting tiring to the ear. Well worth the extra effort
-
Hand polished 100% natural beeswax impregnated -- Looks very beautiful in real life, even smells really good, too, though never overpowering
-
Will have a precision engraved brass placard -- on the front of the unit, with model name engraved by laser on top
-
Ships in two LessLoss branded water-tight flight cases
-
Dimensions -- per enclosure
-
Width 375 mm
-
Depth 230 mm -- add a few mm for the connectors at the back
-
Height 55 mm -- add 38 mm to the height if you use the Bindbreaker equipment feet
-
ECHO'S END
Packaging
Echo's End is shipped in a hard reinforced weather-tight plastic flight case to ensure nothing will go wrong during transit.
Our prices are all shipping included, via fully trackable courier service to your doorstep, and also include this robust and secure flight case.
ECHO'S END
Reviews
Read the independent reviews, and see what impact Echo’s End has had on others. Then come back and order yourself one fantastic audio machine. We’re in it for the sound, and we really mean it. Join us. You won’t be disappointed.
Order your Echo’s End DAC today.
ECHO'S END VUMETRE MAGAZINE REVIEW
June, 2020, author: Pierre Fontaine
Echo's End will take you beyond the audiophile aspect of music
"The LessLoss Echo's End converter turns out to be a superb musical companion."
"The final positive impression comes from the naturalness of a liquid restitution combined with great precision."
"The top of the spectrum, silky and modulated, gives a lot of presence to voice thanks to its nice clarity of the high-medium range."
"We are delighted with a very pleasant open sound and the presence of a lot of air around the interpreters."
"The perfectly homogeneous medium-low register also reveals a lot to hear, especially with bass that goes down very low, without exaggeration, even on the first octaves."
"The dynamics are surprising not because they are expressed dramatically, but because of their fine revelation of the ringing and vigorousness of percussion and plucked string instruments."
"Here is a device that has a sense of rhythm and that will take you beyond the audiophile aspect of music."
"The sound image overflows the speakers to make them disappear, with an ease worthy of what you'd expect from a high end product range."
"Width, depth and even height, everything is there, and the very precise focus confirms a sound aesthetic with character."
"You really feel like you're in the middle of the orchestra, without the need to resort to intellectualization."
"But above all, and this is perhaps the highest quality of this converter, we remain very pleasantly impressed by the naturalness that emerges from this device like no other. It has proved surprisingly tolerant of all the files or discs that we have given it to transcribe."
"The LessLoss Echo's End is undoubtedly one of the most musical devices, offering nuances and expressiveness that will charm the music lover looking for an opportunity to listen for a long time without suffering ear fatigue."
"Furiously attractive, as much by its aesthetics as by its singing and musical character, the LessLoss is a well-designed device that deserves to be listened to without preconceptions of its origins, thus demonstrating that we are dealing with some of today's most creative designers."
"This converter's sound reproduction is particularly pleasant and relatively addictive."
"This softness, this fluidity, and this ability to immerse yourself very deeply into the heart of recorded music creates its own category."
"This will obviously not be the choice of the general populous, but rather of the already seasoned music lover who is looking for a product capable of transcribing the heart of digital files as faithfully as possible, revealing the substantial marrow."