LampizatOR DSD Only DAC Generation 5

[wisnon]

I have not thought about tube rolling. I have done SO much of that in the past that I have hundreds of tubes in various boxes around my house and to be honest I hope those days are over. I will evaluate the unit based on whatever tubes it comes with and if it doesn't do what I need it to do, it will be returned.

I use a CAPS v3 server as it allows me to use JRemote (the most amazing app). That said, if there's a sonic advantage of using the Aurender over a windows box, I might consider it, but the app would have to be really good...

If you have a ready available tube stash, you owe it to yourslef to try. This is not like amp tube rolling as you can change the DHT really on the fly and turn down the volume and change the rectis (almost on the fly). This tubes will last forever as they are not stressed by mere Dcac fuynctionality, given they are built for POWER amp duties. Find what you like best and stick with it. YOU HAVE THE TUBES already.

 

[Mike]

Mike, I was having drinks with your ultimate Tune rolling source last night in Geneva (he is with a group doing watch factory tours). He gave me the whole story of how he tracked down BtB and found the easy supply for the Elrogs via Munich and even showed me your package as delivered. i bet you were sweating. That was a close call.

 

[FlexibleAudio]

I have been radio silent on this topic. It has been a journey - one where I was close to saying "not for me" with Lampizator. I was a critical listener and was not hearing what I needed to in order to commit. So I may now be the best testimonial for Lampizator on Planet Earth. I will share the longer story this weekend but cliff notes version is Lampizator folks were patient with me and I was with them, and just about the time I was going to punt the magic happened. Just as I was being offered a return label and refund, the DSD only unit (second one they sent) kicked into high gear and wiped the floor with digital sources in the $5-10k range. I was shocked. The initial sound of both units while pleasant wasn't impressive. Quite flat and homogenous. Then, wow, the DAC woke up in a brilliant manner. More dynamics and transparency than uber modded digital sources with thousands of dollars of nos tubes and fuses, but the Lampizator did that while not sounding as digital or constructed or artificial or facsimile in nature. It has a sweeping coherent analogue sounding rightness to it. I finally get it, right when I was ready to step away and send it back in. And that is comparing SACD on uber SACD player to dsd download on Lampizator with same vinyl playing on amg v12 with Benz. Compared via alo studio six with audeze LCD-x headphones and through main rig (air tight reference preamp into marantz reference monos driving magicos. Cabling all the same (Cardas Clear and Clear Beyond). So coming from doubting Thomas here, I hear the magic. I have no ties to Lampizator, no incentives to say good or bad.

I will also say, the customer orientation in the U.S. (Fred) and in Poland (the man himself) was unwavering, polite, responsive and accommodating. I shall be selling some digital sources shortly. Funny thing is, last email I received from Fred was him saying he was going to send a shipping label to me to initiate the return process and how he was bummed they had not nailed the sound for me. I hope he reads this and realizes that one of their most critical listeners is now a loyal lampizator-celebrator. Cheers

Ok, ok I am going to have to give the Lampi another listen sometime. Maybe the one I heard at Axpona wasn't broken in yet as I have been told. (Please no one tell Norman I admitted this. It's a secret.) :inconspicuous:

 

[madfloyd]

Ok, ok I am going to have to give the Lampi another listen sometime. Maybe the one I heard at Axpona wasn't broken in yet as I have been told. (Please no one tell Norman I admitted this. It's a secret.) :inconspicuous:

I was not impressed at Axpona either but it was in a system I wasn't familiar with. You just can't isolate one component at a show. You need to audition it in your home.

 

[Alpinist]

For what it's worth, I listed to the AVShowrooms video of the GG from Axpona and it didn't sound good at all. Could have been due to the room, the rest of the system, the music they were playing or that the DAC wasn't broken in yet. However, I listened to the AVShowrooms video of the Level 7 from the 2014 NY Audio Show and it sounded incredibly good. I really need to hear these DACs in person somewhere.

Ken

 

[Mike]

Guys - I can assure you, the GG is all the Big 7 is and more. I had the Big 7 here and now the GG. What I will tell you is that, to me, the Big 7 sounded best with 45's and the GG with 300b's. But both sound good with either. My friend Andy has both a Big 7 and a GG and he says exactly the same thing. They are both great, but they sound optimum with different output tubes. That being said, even now, we are learning that the Big 7 sounds incredible with Takasuki 300b's and the GG sounds incredible with Elrog 300b's - so it all depends.

I've also experimented with cables this week, and believe it or not, the little $50 Straight Wire cable with filtering sounded quieter than my WW Platinum USB. What exactly do I mean? Well, with my WW Platinum cable, it let through all the crackle, crackle, noise when switching between tracks. It sounds like the Lampi has some digital indigestion. [emoji6]. But with the Straight Wire USB (with filtering) it's dead dead quiet with NO loss of sound quality.

My old military RCA rectifier arrived today, so I need to try that soon.

 

[Alpinist]

Guys - I can assure you, the GG is all the Big 7 is and more. I had the Big 7 here and now the GG. What I will tell you is that, to me, the Big 7 sounded best with 45's and the GG with 300b's. But both sound good with either. My friend Andy has both a Big 7 and a GG and he says exactly the same thing. They are both great, but they sound optimum with different output tubes. That being said, even now, we are learning that the Big 7 sounds incredible with Takasuki 300b's and the GG sounds incredible with Elrog 300b's - so it all depends.

I've also experimented with cables this week, and believe it or not, the little $50 Straight Wire cable with filtering sounded quieter than my WW Platinum USB. What exactly do I mean? Well, with my WW Platinum cable, it let through all the crackle, crackle, noise when switching between tracks. It sounds like the Lampi has some digital indigestion. [emoji6]. But with the Straight Wire USB (with filtering) it's dead dead quiet with NO loss of sound quality.

My old military RCA rectifier arrived today, so I need to try that soon.

Mike,

I'd like to hear the single-ended Big 7 with Elrog 300b's. When they put an aluminum chassis all the way around that baby, there will be no keeping me away! Are you using the USB Regen with your GG?

Ken

 

[Mike]

Ken - you may get your wish.

Hot off the presses....

Anodized brushed aluminum with honeycomb vents, identical like Golden Gate, now available for Big 7.

 

[FlexibleAudio]

I was not impressed at Axpona either but it was in a system I wasn't familiar with. You just can't isolate one component at a show. You need to audition it in your home.

Yes, there is no substitute for at home listening but I still think shows have value. If it sounds good it's good if it sounds bad you haven't necessarily learned anything.

 

[Alpinist]

Ken - you may get your wish.

Hot off the presses....

Anodized brushed aluminum with honeycomb vents, identical like Golden Gate, now available for Big 7.

Oh no!!!!! :exciting: Trouble Trouble Trouble Trouble.

 

[Alpinist]

Interesting that this B7 has only two output tubes and balanced outputs. Dual DHT's?

Ken

 

[Mike]

Interesting that this B7 has only two output tubes and balanced outputs. Dual DHT's?

Ken

Interesting. Good spotting Ken. I don't know.

 

[FlexibleAudio]

Interesting that this B7 has only two output tubes and balanced outputs. Dual DHT's?

Ken

I don't think it can be true balanced.

 

[wisnon]

Guys - I can assure you, the GG is all the Big 7 is and more. I had the Big 7 here and now the GG. What I will tell you is that, to me, the Big 7 sounded best with 45's and the GG with 300b's. But both sound good with either. My friend Andy has both a Big 7 and a GG and he says exactly the same thing. They are both great, but they sound optimum with different output tubes. That being said, even now, we are learning that the Big 7 sounds incredible with Takasuki 300b's and the GG sounds incredible with Elrog 300b's - so it all depends.

I've also experimented with cables this week, and believe it or not, the little $50 Straight Wire cable with filtering sounded quieter than my WW Platinum USB. What exactly do I mean? Well, with my WW Platinum cable, it let through all the crackle, crackle, noise when switching between tracks. It sounds like the Lampi has some digital indigestion. [emoji6]. But with the Straight Wire USB (with filtering) it's dead dead quiet with NO loss of sound quality.

My old military RCA rectifier arrived today, so I need to try that soon.

Andy told me the same thing 2 nights ago in Gva. He is loving the Elrog 300b, but didnt mention the Takasuki for the B7. I am getting an EML mesh plate set for the B7 to compare to the Solids I have.

 

[wisnon]

For what it's worth, I listed to the AVShowrooms video of the GG from Axpona and it didn't sound good at all. Could have been due to the room, the rest of the system, the music they were playing or that the DAC wasn't broken in yet. However, I listened to the AVShowrooms video of the Level 7 from the 2014 NY Audio Show and it sounded incredibly good. I really need to hear these DACs in person somewhere.

Ken

Perfect storm speakers were new ( I mean finished AT the show in Axpona) and missing some XO adjusments that were not mae till Sat night. Likely the vid was taken before that. Nothing could be evaluated under those circumstances. It happens at shows…rush and obstacles…bad combo).

 

[wisnon]

Interesting that this B7 has only two output tubes and balanced outputs. Dual DHT's?

Ken

Probably the owner asked for XLR outputs? Not fully internally balanced, as that requires 4 matched tubes.

 

[wisnon]

Mike,

I'd like to hear the single-ended Big 7 with Elrog 300b's. When they put an aluminum chassis all the way around that baby, there will be no keeping me away! Are you using the USB Regen with your GG?

Ken

You must be telepathic. The B7 has moved to an ALU chassis, cut like the copper one used in the GG. That plan was in the works for a while now, as I heard about itmonths ago. Surprised it took so long, but I guess he is swamped.

I have been using the Regen with Corning for 5 weeks now. Wink, wink! Its like a Swiss army knife, run go order one and you will find a use for it!

 

[wisnon]

Yes, there is no substitute for at home listening but I still think shows have value. If it sounds good it's good if it sounds bad you haven't necessarily learned anything.

That is how I approach shows too.

I hated the Blade run with Soulution electronic a few years back in Zurich, as it failed the cricket test for reslution while the cheaper LS50 setup did not.

The following year the Kef Ref 3 sounded great in a smaller room and when I told the British guy about my previous experience, he was appalled and recalled that he was not there for the setup and declared they must have botched it (he seemed genuinely angry). He guaranteed that if it came back another year (Blade 2 now), he would be there to make sure its done right and I should come back for another listen. Based on the quality of the Ref 3 demo, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Alpinist]

Probably the owner asked for XLR outputs? Not fully internally balanced, as that requires 4 matched tubes.

Hi Norman,

Not a bad idea as I've always preferred the XLR connection to the RCA.

Ken

 

[Alpinist]

You must be telepathic. The B7 has moved to an ALU chassis, cut like the copper one used in the GG. That plan was in the works for a while now, as I heard about itmonths ago. Surprised it took so long, but I guess he is swamped.

I have been using the Regen with Corning for 5 weeks now. Wink, wink! Its like a Swiss army knife, run go order one and you will find a use for it!

Norman,

The aluminum chassis is a big selling point for me on the Big 7. What improvements have you experienced with the Regen? Have you found the Corning optical USB cable to be superior to other high-end USBs such as the WW Platinum 7 USB, which I own? Lastly, is your Big 7 DSD 128 or mono 256?

Thanks so much,
Ken