Lampizator Golden Gate

wisnon said:
Eagerly awaiting DSD4x feedback here. Not much has been said online anywhere. As you are a DSD junkie like me, I am sure you will give a thorough run down of the experience. I have to find a way to upgrade...Bonzo did already and AL has it in his HeadDac.

Native DSD has a free album (Just Listen) where a few songs are availaible at different DSD rates including DSD4x (256). On top of that, they have the test Mendelssohn album on different ADCs at different rates here: https://justlisten.nativedsd.com/albums/mendelssohn-session
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Exasound was playing their Yarlung 'sponsored' 4X DSD recordings (done natively) with the Maggie 3.7i and PASS amps. The 4X DSD Yarlung are available online BTW. As I said, the sound was good in the Exasound room though in comparison to the tape, the 4X DSD was very closed in sounding. Was it the recording or the system or the room? Who knows right now?

These tapes are very good:

https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/suryodaya
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/janaki
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/smoke-mirrors
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/dialoghi
 
Good morning I own the carbons. The highs roll,off. This is why they do not sell them anymore. They may be good on a system that needs this. But not any of mine.
Regarding the dsd 256. I have 6 tracks in dsd 64/128/256. As I can tell dsd 64/128. But 256 I cannot. It may be there is more air around the music but with headphones this is where they lack the kind of ambient details that great speakers have. So the new digital board in the headac works fine. But the dsd 256 I am not sold on . Also for anyone who has or is getting it. It does real native dsd and dop dsd. Funny but it does both. Also KS up to dsd128 either way . But only Asio at dsd 256 native not dop. KS aways seems better to me on most any DAC not sure why . Hope this helps. Also yes the Elrogs are the best of the 300 b I have heard to,date. What it does better is in details. It hits hard as 300B do but maintains the brialance of a 45 tube. I hope I am explaining this right. Or that one can understand what I mean
better is not the right way to say things in this hobby as all is subjective to each of us . But as I said it's the tube for now on top. Also I have a friend who owns a GG And I loaned him my Elrogs he feels they do the same for him as me .
Just below them is the eml 45 globes. But they cannot be readily bought anymore so how much effect this has is up,for discussion too.
Al
 
Myles B. Astor said:
Exasound was playing their Yarlung 'sponsored' 4X DSD recordings (done natively) with the Maggie 3.7i and PASS amps. The 4X DSD Yarlung are available online BTW. As I said, the sound was good in the Exasound room though in comparison to the tape, the 4X DSD was very closed in sounding. Was it the recording or the system or the room? Who knows right now?

These tapes are very good:

https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/suryodaya
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/janaki
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/smoke-mirrors
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/dialoghi
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Sorry for being unclear Myles. I meant specifically on the Lampi, as their DSD256 board is new is there is a claim that it may sound better at all DSD rates.

Exa has had DSD4x capability for months now and iFi iDSd Micr has been able to play DSD8x from almost a year ago (I have one).
 
Thanks for the clarification AL. I take it you mean the EML ANNIVERSARY Globe 45s are 2nd favourite and not the standard EML 45.
 
wisnon said:
Sorry for being unclear Myles. I meant specifically on the Lampi, as their DSD256 board is new is there is a claim that it may sound better at all DSD rates.

Exa has had DSD4x capability for months now and iFi iDSd Micr has been able to play DSD8x from almost a year ago (I have one).
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Yes I have the iFi and might get the Exasound. I think Exasound was the first to have 4X DSD capability.
 
Yes, could be and the only one doing 4x for Mac that I know of. They have their own custom Steinberg Asio driver for Mac. If you do get one, maybe you will also want the Uptone Audio JS2 L-PSU circa $900. Testimonials say it beats all other LPSU on the Exa.
 
Myles B. Astor said:
Yes I have the iFi and might get the Exasound. I think Exasound was the first to have 4X DSD capability.
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Yes, exaSound was first to have 4X DSD capability for a home product. And they even support 4X DSD on the Mac in both Stereo and Multichannel (with their e28 DAC). exaSound continues to lead the parade when it comes to pushing the boundaries of DAC technology.
 
I do not owns exa sound
But I do owns ifi micro dsd. It's dsd is real dsd sound it's PCM is ok
But I do not care what sampling rate dsd is it's still about the quality of it.
And although it's real dsd sound it's way below the good dacs. And another universe from top tier stuff.
The dsd is better than my Hugo by a margin but it's PCM is not as good as the Hugo. Now all of this is subjective but it's all my stuff so it's how I feel.
Has anyone compared the exa sound to lampi in dsd ?
 
Jazzhead said:
Lukasz is against offering the copper chassis on the Big 7 as an option, wants to keep it as a specific identity for the GG .
I believe it's plus €2000 for the balanced Big7 , €3000 for the balanced GG .
From first reports the balanced Big7 is quiter , more dynamic with a larger soundstage .
There might be , just might be in the coming months a rework of the chassis . Outfitting it with heat sinks and other methods to control the heat dissipation , that would allow tube rolling .
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Makes sense. When you see the copper chassis, you know it's a GG.
 
Alpinist said:
Hi Mike,

Congratulations!!! She is a beauty. I love the copper chassis. I'm looking forward to another Lampi review. I'm really curious how much of an increase in sound quality the GG gives you over the B7. The DSD must be sublime.

Enjoy,
Ken
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I'm wondering that as well. Will keep an eye out for Mike's GG report.
 
I've had the Golden Gate for a few weeks.

To cut it short I spent 10 hours doing white-noise burn-in with the OSX program "Audio Test" and the character of the GG changed a lot! Before the burn-in I felt the B7 was 'lighter touch' and 'more realistic' than the GG, but after the burn-in I'd say the GG has really transformed. Night and day. 2x+ better IMO.

My GG is balanced output, and goes -> Audio Research Ref250's -> Acapella High Violoncello II Mk II. OCC Silver cable. HRS Racks + Nordost isolation.

I have problems with high rate DSD on the Mac, so I need to try a PC.

Attached image is Lukasz in my kitchen adding an AES/EBU to the unit. That's service!
 

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Nice to see you here Dok.
AudioCircle is your normal hangout.

Yes, Mac OSX is speed limited to DSD128. You need PC to play the full potential of 256.
CAPs server or even a basic Intel7 PC running preferably Win10. it can be tweaked later on.
 
As much i am DSd pro supporter I could not hear the change from DSd 128 to 256. And this was on several setups and one is 12K headphone rig. If could be my hearing or my systems. The staging was the same and no change in details or impact. It could have more air around the music meaning greater ambience and headphones will not show this well. I have no operating speaker rigs at this time to test. And please do not put this on lampi I just feel it's just not there for me to observe. Both of my lampi out do dacs costing much more . I would like someone to depict just what is improved. I can easily hear DSd 64/128 of the same music it's more dynamic and has overall a more natural tone and weight . But I must admit I have some DSd from analog that is 64 and I cannot obtain the same in 128 and it's great. . I do feel DSd is just more natural to the brain but only on the right stuff. And lampi is that for sure. Of all the dacs I own or have had only a small handful have the correct balance needed to give me that sound. Ironically a simple ifi DSd micro does and the DS did not until pike and a 6 K server worh AO AND JPLAY. That's a lot of hardware tweeking to get near it. And a 500 ifi does without all the bells. For the Hugo it does not do dsd as it should be but some do disagree big time. I think they need to hear a lampi and then go from there. AMR does DSd but it's overall a bit to warm for me amd the PCM is all,over the place as in good and bad at will.
Al
 
Has anyone had the opportunity to do a direct comparison of the single-ended GG and the balanced GG yet?

Best,
Ken
 
Alrainbow said:
As much i am DSd pro supporter I could not hear the change from DSd 128 to 256. And this was on several setups and one is 12K headphone rig. If could be my hearing or my systems. The staging was the same and no change in details or impact. It could have more air around the music meaning greater ambience and headphones will not show this well. I have no operating speaker rigs at this time to test. And please do not put this on lampi I just feel it's just not there for me to observe. Both of my lampi out do dacs costing much more . I would like someone to depict just what is improved. I can easily hear DSd 64/128 of the same music it's more dynamic and has overall a more natural tone and weight . But I must admit I have some DSd from analog that is 64 and I cannot obtain the same in 128 and it's great. . I do feel DSd is just more natural to the brain but only on the right stuff. And lampi is that for sure. Of all the dacs I own or have had only a small handful have the correct balance needed to give me that sound. Ironically a simple ifi DSd micro does and the DS did not until pike and a 6 K server worh AO AND JPLAY. That's a lot of hardware tweeking to get near it. And a 500 ifi does without all the bells. For the Hugo it does not do dsd as it should be but some do disagree big time. I think they need to hear a lampi and then go from there. AMR does DSd but it's overall a bit to warm for me amd the PCM is all,over the place as in good and bad at will.
Al
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Al, you're not alone on that.

To date, I find that the difference between DSD 128 and DSD 256 can be pretty subtle on my system. But I am looking forward to hearing the new Lampizator DSD 256 board since it's said to improve DSD performance at all bit rates (DSD 64, DSD 128) as well as adding DSD 256. How can you go wrong there? :)

And I'd love to hear the Lampizator playing those free DSD 256 downloads from Just Listen and and some of the Yarlung DSD 256 releases from Native DSD.Com. Definitely something to look forward to.
 
Alpinist said:
Has anyone had the opportunity to do a direct comparison of the single-ended GG and the balanced GG yet?

Best,
Ken
Click to expand...
I think only Lukasz has so far. The issue is that you need 2 rigs to do that comparo right. You need a SE amp chain and a fully balanced amp chain to connect to the corresponding Lampi Dac. Mixing SE and Bal is the worst of all worlds...ie compromise from the get go.

From what Lukasz says the all Balanced chain (Lampi Dac + 211 bal amps) will have a much larger soundstage (he said MUCH, not 10%, but more like 300% or more) and will be quieter, due to the synergy with the amps and the summator circuit at the end that cancels the noise. No phase splitter to compromise SQ. He said its like SE SQ with Balanaced dynamics/soundstage and even lower noise floor.

Never heard it, so can only relay the opinion I got.
 
bmoura said:
Al, you're not alone on that.

To date, I find that the difference between DSD 128 and DSD 256 can be pretty subtle on my system. But I am looking forward to hearing the new Lampizator DSD 256 board since it's said to improve DSD performance at all bit rates (DSD 64, DSD 128) as well as adding DSD 256. How can you go wrong there? :)

And I'd love to hear the Lampizator playing those free DSD 256 downloads from Just Listen and and some of the Yarlung DSD 256 releases from Native DSD.Com. Definitely something to look forward to.
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Me too.

Especially compelling is the purported improvement at lower DSD rates.
 
wisnon said:
Me too.

Especially compelling is the purported improvement at lower DSD rates.
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I'm looking forward to all of the above. But I'm guessing I will get the most benefit from the improved DSD 64 and DSD 128 enhancements. I have some DSD 256 music here from Just Listen and Yarlung, so I will give that a spin as well. Some interesting listening possibilities. :)
 
wisnon said:
I think only Lukasz has so far. The issue is that you need 2 rigs to do that comparo right. You need a SE amp chain and a fully balanced amp chain to connect to the corresponding Lampi Dac. Mixing SE and Bal is the worst of all worlds...ie compromise from the get go.

From what Lukasz says the all Balanced chain (Lampi Dac + 211 bal amps) will have a much larger soundstage (he said MUCH, not 10%, but more like 300% or more) and will be quieter, due to the synergy with the amps and the summator circuit at the end that cancels the noise. No phase splitter to compromise SQ. He said its like SE SQ with Balanaced dynamics/soundstage and even lower noise floor.

Never heard it, so can only relay the opinion I got.
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Norman, It is not entirely clear to me what some of your points mean here. May I ask for a couple of clarifications?

First, I completely agree with both of your comments in the first paragraph. In the second paragraph you say:

"the all Balanced chain (Lampi Dac + 211 bal amps) will have a much larger soundstage (he said MUCH, not 10%, but more like 300% or more) and will be quieter, due to the synergy with the amps and the summator circuit at the end that cancels the noise."

Are you making this statement compared to an all balanced chain running an original unbalanced Lampi or to what is the comparison made?

Also you say:

"its like SE SQ with Balanaced dynamics/soundstage and even lower noise floor."

In this statement it sounds to me that you are implying balanced in general has dynamics and sound stage that are superior to unbalanced. This has never been my experience and I can think of no scientific reason why it would be the case. A possibly lower noise floor, I agree with due to common mode noise rejection in balanced systems (if and only if the runs are exposed to emi/rfi and long enough to make a difference), but what are you referring to with regard to dynamics and sound stage? If anything, in a low emi/rfi environment or with short runs, SE is always superior to balanced due to the elimination of phase splitting (all else held constant). I have seen people mistake the inherent 6db of gain in balanced systems as dynamics, but I presume that is not what you are referring to given it is not relevant to these issues or SQ.
 
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