Aqua La Scala MKII Optologic Dac Owner Testimonial

Designsfx said:

I found the sound I was looking for in the NOS Telefunken (see post #34 in this thread). This tube pulled things together for me with the La Scala. While I still own the La Scala I rarely use it anymore, now putting my focus into the Lampizator Golden Atlantic TRP3.

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JohnP said:

Thanks! That definitely helps.
John

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Synaxis said:

What do you like about your Lampi vs the La Scala?

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Designsfx said:

There are many things I like about the TRP3 over the La Scala but of course it would be very difficult to list all of the nuances. Overall the TRP3 produces a much larger more pronounced presentation with fairly more detail.
The La Scala provides a great presentation but I’ve found that things sometimes become too congested if there is a lot going on in the music. The TRP3 provides better separation, clarity and depth in these situations. While the stage is generally somewhat larger I would say that the La Scala is close to equal when it comes to imaging but the TRP3 exceeds that with regard to stage depth.
The wide array of tubes that can be used with the TRP allows one to push past what the La Scala can offer and though frustrating in the beginning one can quickly learn which tube pairings offer the best results based upon specific genres of music or just their system in whole.
The TRP3 digs deeper in bass reproduction and produces high frequency information with a little more extension than that of the La Scala. It’s also possible to tweak the TRP to create more focus in the midrange or to accentuate more low end with tube rolling. It’s a versatile piece of gear!

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JohnP said:

I bought the La Scala DAC to go along with the La Diva transport. The sound from this combination is amazing. I compared the SPDIF connection to the I2S connection. No contest! The I2S connection is much better.
I also tried different types of Ethernet cables using the I2S connection. This also made a huge difference. I settled on an Audioquest Diamond Ethernet cable. I ordered an Ethernet cable from Aqua thinking Aqua would know how to make an excellent Ethernet cable. It’s been about a month and I haven’t received it yet. When I do receive it, I’ll post again about what I hear.
I also did some tube swapping. I listened to about a dozen different ECC81/12AT7 tubes. My two favorites by a large margin were the JJ ECC81 and the Mullard 10M. I slightly preferred the JJ ECC81. It was just a bit more nuanced. I also tried the Telefunken ECC801S. It was lush but not as nuanced as the JJ and the 10M. I think it is interesting to note that the JJ had a completely different plate structure from all the others.

John

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