Jumping into the Lampy Pond w Big 7 SE

Audiophile bill said:
I agree with the comments from others although I do feel that I personally wouldn't want tubes, tubes and more tubes - i.e. Lampi > tube pre > tube power. It is all a matter of taste but again as others have said you can tailor your Lampi as you can a vinyl rig.
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That's cause you have SS amps. I actually found all tubes smoother, though not all should be colored, I.e. I wouldn't want a Shindo, but neutral tubes make it flow more. Audio crack runs his lampi into his kondo m1000etc and then tidal

I have demoed Lampi with a Krell evo set up, msb 201 of Elberoth, my all valve set ups with Jadis and vac and NAT and audio research, the UK distributor is all valves, and in Bill's where he was using Krell FPB 750.

I don't like all SS set ups at all, and these SS set ups definitely had more harmonics and tone because of the lampi, but I found all valve-set ups to be the best. But then I would be partial to neutral, high speed valves either way.
 
Mike said:
Bill - I've often felt the same way - until now. My Avantgarde's are like a microscope and the minute I put something solid state in the system, you can tell. I'm going through this right now with the Air Tight phonostage vs the DSA SS phono.
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Ah - that makes a good deal of sense with the Avantgarde - when you insert anything ss, do you get a drier and harder presentation that is less lifelike?
 
bonzo said:
That's cause you have SS amps. I actually found all tubes smoother, though not all should be colored, I.e. I wouldn't want a Shindo, but neutral tubes make it flow more. Audio crack runs his lampi into his kondo m1000etc and then tidal

I have demoed them with a Krell evo set up, msb 201 of Elberoth, my all valve set ups with Jadis and vac and NAT and audio research, the UK distributor is all valves, and in Bill's where he was using Krell FPB 750.

I don't like all SS set ups at all, and these SS set ups definitely had more harmonics and tone because of the lampi, but I found all valve to be the best. But then I would be partial to neutral, high speed valves either way.
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I don't like all SS setups usually either Ked and I most definitely agree that they would likely benefit massively from the Lampi in tone and harmonics. It was my recent epiphany with the Analog Domain that has shaped my views somewhat - the resolution increased a lot and I felt that I was hearing as close to "nothing" between Lampi and my speakers (which of course is never true but as close as totally neutral that I recall hearing). The difference was that the tone was still there but the energy, grip, dynamics, and effortless were also there. Anyway - I am sure this is all very speaker dependent.
 
Audiophile bill said:
Ah - that makes a good deal of sense with the Avantgarde - when you insert anything ss, do you get a drier and harder presentation that is less lifelike?
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I have compared air tight 9w 300b integrated with the AG 150w SS pre power on the trios with the bass horns. AT had better tone, latter better bass control - whether that was because of more power or SS I do not know. Latter were also very good. Personally I would have biamped
 
Steve said:
Chord Dave and older brother Hugo also do not have any type of DAC chips but rather the analogue conversion is discrete using pulse array.
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This is actually not true. Hugo/Dave etc. are doing a delta sigma calculation similar to what sabre chips do. So they are closer to sabre than lampizator which is now using a r2r ladder for its Pcm and chip less solution for its DSD. One of key improvements with Hugo/Dave is the use of a custom WTA filter through their use of FPGAs. Theoretically the chord designer is arguing that a unlimited tap WTA filter would not approximate the signal. Hence more taps = better sound. More taps should result in better timing. Although with the differences they are talking about, there is no evidence that it is audible/comprehensible. Basically designer stated he realized that music sounded more natural and organic the more taps he put in.
 
Odyssey said:
After extensive discussions with Mike I am taking the plunge with the Big 7.

In fact Mike spec'd it out for me.

It is going to be single ended since this will allow more tube choices down the road. Of course it is DSD256 with the R2R PCM.

It will have the EML 45 Lampi Edition tubes and the EML 5u4g Rectifier.

All packaged together in the optional flight case.

I also purchased from Mike the Lumin U1 that will manage the music. The U1 is special as it takes the best from the S1 sans DAC. The U1 also has two USB outputs for using different DACS. Nice.

Three weeks until Lampy heaven!

Thank you Mike!
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WOW, SOUNDS LIKE A VERY SPECIAL SETUP. Bows.
 
bonzo said:
Congrats. I sold my EML 5u4g street listening to the KR 274b. Also, as Wisnon and audiophile Bill will tell you KR 242 are amazing on the big 7 (they don't work on the GG unless so customized) and take it to near GG levels. This is because that have a different gain to other valves like 300b, 101d etc. I haven't heard the lampi edition of the 45s
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ON FaceBook yesterday, Lukasz said his eml anniv globes will be ready next week!!!!
 
Crashem said:
This is actually not true. Hugo/Dave etc. are doing a delta sigma calculation similar to what sabre chips do. So they are closer to sabre than lampizator which is now using a r2r ladder for its Pcm and chip less solution for its DSD. One of key improvements with Hugo/Dave is the use of a custom WTA filter through their use of FPGAs. Theoretically the chord designer is arguing that a unlimited tap WTA filter would not approximate the signal. Hence more taps = better sound. More taps should result in better timing. Although with the differences they are talking about, there is no evidence that it is audible/comprehensible. Basically designer stated he realized that music sounded more natural and organic the more taps he put in.
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Dave sounds like the real deal. I think the Hugo is crap. Had a 7 hour compare with Al who owns 2 B7s, a Hugo, an ifi iDSD, a Directstream and an MSB platinum stack. The B7, first generation, now refurbed and upgraded to Ladder PCM and DSD256, along with the MSB crushed the DS and the Hugo.

I heard the Dave at the Warsaw show and gave it 2 thumbs up. It is what the Hugo promised to be.
 
Winson... How did the iFi compare to that shootout? I'm curious just how close the iDSD went to those other top shelf. It can decode anything up sampled you can throw at it.
 
AL bought the ifi AFTER the session on my recommendation. I have an iNano and a iDSD myself, as well as a Chord Qute EX. According to AL, the Hugo is better for most PCM than the iFi, but worse on DSD.

For me the EX is quite good, but lost in a shootout to the Dartzeel LHC-208 in a direct shootout...unanimous opinion of the 3 people there. It did respectably though. I use the iDSD as my computer Dac for listening while on the Net.

You can't expect the iDSD to go toe to toe with the big boys. Just look at the power supply in the Golden Gate or the outboard PSU on an MSB platinum stack or the Dart! That alone speaks volumes when you realize that a Dac is basically modulating the power supply.
 
Odyssey said:
I hope to have the Big 7 in a couple of weeks!
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Great news, Le Roy! You must be so excited. When do you expect to have the Lumin U1? If you're planning on making the connection between the two via a USB cable, might I recommend the Totaldac D1 USB cable. It's organic sound is the perfect match with Lampi DACs.

Best,
Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Great news, Le Roy! You must be so excited. When do you expect to have the Lumin U1? If you're planning on making the connection between the two via a USB cable, might I recommend the Totaldac D1 USB cable. It's organic sound is the perfect match with Lampi DACs.

Best,
Ken
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Good recommendation Ken. The BMC USB is a cheaper alternative and also good. For a livelier presentation and more dynamics and resolution try the Sablon out.
 
I am excited for you as well, Le Roy!

I think you are going to love what the Lampi injects into that world class system of yours.
 
Alpinist said:
Great news, Le Roy! You must be so excited. When do you expect to have the Lumin U1? If you're planning on making the connection between the two via a USB cable, might I recommend the Totaldac D1 USB cable. It's organic sound is the perfect match with Lampi DACs.

Best,
Ken
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Hi Ken, the U1 is in the house. I'm having a NAS combed and curated with several T worth of my music by Ari Margolis of Golden Ear Digital out of Denver. Ari comes highly recommended by others that have used him. When he is done working his magic all of the missing album covers and metadata will be restored. He also professionally rips your SACD's and CD's via the best methods available.

I should be getting the NAS back around the same time that the Lampi Big 7 is scheduled to arrive.

Ari advised me to get the TS-451 QNAP NAS that he is working on loading presently. One of the advantages is being able to run JRiver on top of the NAS. This will enable me to take advantage of the Ethernet input that the Soulution 541\560 Network streamer has. Finally!

But as for the Lampi I have two USB cables to try. The WW Platinum 7 and the Curious Cable. I would like to give the Totaldac USB a go but I was floored by something else I heard earlier this week.

I was at an audiophile friends house earlier in the week and he was running the Pacific Microphonics DAC via a custom made attenuator direct in the the Soulution 701's feeding the Magico Q7 MkII's. A real step up in performance was noted when he replaced the Curious USB (and yanking out a galvanic isolator) and replacing it with the Lightspeed Harmonic USB cable. Wow. I've heard it at shows but never A/B'd with anything else. If I buy a third USB cable it will probably be this one.

And now my heart is beating faster for the Soulution 701's! But I'll probably stick with the 711's unless a screaming deal came up on the 701's.

Anyway I hope to be up and running in a couple of weeks.
 
Odyssey said:
I was at an audiophile friends house earlier in the week and he was running the Pacific Microphonics DAC via a custom made attenuator direct in the the Soulution 701's feeding the Magico Q7 MkII's. A real step up in performance was noted when he replaced the Curious USB (and yanking out a galvanic isolator) and replacing it with the Lightspeed Harmonic USB cable. Wow. I've heard it at shows but never A/B'd with anything else. If I buy a third USB cable it will probably be this one.
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Hi Le Roy,

Interesting!

I replaced my split LS with the Curious.

Best,

Jim
 
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