DCS Or LAMPIZATOR- YOUR CONSIDERATIONS.

[Alrainbow]

It had been along while without my IRS v pLaying . So RS 1B and a variety of flagship hesadphones and Amps was what I was doing.
I now have it down to two dacs one is a loaded msb plat stack . I have both setup in my system . I am using the msb as a passive preamp wit it's analog input so I cAn go back and forth . I am using a custom caps I built . Hatred DC psu m pauls pangs main board with modded clock , ver 3 USB card , his Ram , SS drives separate OS and music . The msb has its own server a UMT plus . The msb has the new USB update as well. As good as the msb sounds the lampi b7 head DAC is better . More musical just more real . Elton john tumbleweed connection love song , taking solders is amazing on either combo . As most here know piano is very hard to sound right . While the msb does this well the lampi with 101 D a very linear sounding tube just dies it better. My headac has the latest dsd 512 and new PCM ladder as well. Also who hear has the dsd no cap option. It's a must have for the very best in recordings of dsd . While most hesr praise speakers alone I have both . Headphones give me more details in aye not even my IRS v can get close too. While speakers do globe the room sound no headphone gives us. My point is having both I can judge any DAC in many sytems at once . As I have a few flagships with matching Amps. For the IRS v with a upgraded cross over designed by mr N and ps audio these speakers now have soind that is on par wpth the best out there . Still headphones just show a level of detail no speaker I ever had can. A B7 or golden gate is a greet DAC and can go up against any DAC at any price with tube rolling that makes its sold signature seem to change to match genre and system like no other. Regarding ups sampling. For me dsd is great but great PCM is too. The last thing I want is all,the music I love and know well to and different then what I have known for many years . i do get why some do this but for me up sampled is not dsd it's just something else . I have never heard dcs but I have heard many others . While some dacs do sound good to the ear very few sound real lie a lampi or my msb . I Auvergne not heard lampis new server but Iam sure its on par with a lampi . Hope,this helps a little

 

[sujay]

It had been along while without my IRS v pLaying . So RS 1B and a variety of flagship hesadphones and Amps was what I was doing.
I now have it down to two dacs one is a loaded msb plat stack . I have both setup in my system . I am using the msb as a passive preamp wit it's analog input so I cAn go back and forth . I am using a custom caps I built . Hatred DC psu m pauls pangs main board with modded clock , ver 3 USB card , his Ram , SS drives separate OS and music . The msb has its own server a UMT plus . The msb has the new USB update as well. As good as the msb sounds the lampi b7 head DAC is better . More musical just more real . Elton john tumbleweed connection love song , taking solders is amazing on either combo . As most here know piano is very hard to sound right . While the msb does this well the lampi with 101 D a very linear sounding tube just dies it better. My headac has the latest dsd 512 and new PCM ladder as well. Also who hear has the dsd no cap option. It's a must have for the very best in recordings of dsd . While most hesr praise speakers alone I have both . Headphones give me more details in aye not even my IRS v can get close too. While speakers do globe the room sound no headphone gives us. My point is having both I can judge any DAC in many sytems at once . As I have a few flagships with matching Amps. For the IRS v with a upgraded cross over designed by mr N and ps audio these speakers now have soind that is on par wpth the best out there . Still headphones just show a level of detail no speaker I ever had can. A B7 or golden gate is a greet DAC and can go up against any DAC at any price with tube rolling that makes its sold signature seem to change to match genre and system like no other. Regarding ups sampling. For me dsd is great but great PCM is too. The last thing I want is all,the music I love and know well to and different then what I have known for many years . i do get why some do this but for me up sampled is not dsd it's just something else . I have never heard dcs but I have heard many others . While some dacs do sound good to the ear very few sound real lie a lampi or my msb . I Auvergne not heard lampis new server but Iam sure its on par with a lampi . Hope,this helps a little

Hi,

I was recently back home (in Singapore) and, amongst others, had the good fortune of listening to the Big 7 - one of the earliest versions, with the 'normal' chip based PCM board and stock 45 tubes. In a direct comaprison, it beat the bricasti m1 hands down, especially on account of soundstage width, depth, tone and just sheer gestalt! - playing PCM by the way.
I happened to listen to this demo at the local distributor's. the interesting part is that and he mentioned, in passing, the following:
- one of his clients took the big 7 home for a demo and after a week, retuned with his full Vivaldi stack, up for sale!
- another has traded his brand new Ayon 3sx for the GG - fwiw, I actually saw it lying at the distributor's place
- yet another 2 clients have come to him for replacing their Total Dac with the big 7

While the above is quite telling that the lampi is indeed special, I think ( entirely my opinion) the key differences that set the lampi apart are soundstage width and depth and tone which results in a sense of realism which rivals good vinyl. It has all the other attributes like resolution, detail retrieval, etc but so do the others....

I hope this is all making some sense and also answers your question, in part.

Cheers

Sujay

 

[marslo]

As a happy owner of B7 SE for over one year already equipped with the new pcm R2R board I would like to recommend my last tweak from Lossless audio - a firewall Module with their proprietary skin filtering technology .
This relatively inexpensive device made my analog rig to sound less impressive in comparison. The firewall module reduce high frequencies distortions due to electrical grid.
As a result we obtain a new level of naturalness of the sound.
Highly recommended.
http://www.lessloss.com/firewall-module-p-216.html

 

[Ron Resnick]

Really! I thought you were all for NAT audio. . . .

off-topic: Harlequin, I thought that too for a while. But bonzo moves quickly!

on-topic: Is there a consensus view as to the best way to use a Lampizator DAC to play physical Redbook CDs (I hate computers, so please do not tell me to "rip" or "stream")?

What would be a recommended, high-quality transport for this application?

 

[bonzo75]

Hi,

I was recently back home (in Singapore) and, amongst others, had the good fortune of listening to the Big 7 - one of the earliest versions, with the 'normal' chip based PCM board and stock 45 tubes. In a direct comaprison, it beat the bricasti m1 hands down, especially on account of soundstage width, depth, tone and just sheer gestalt! - playing PCM by the way.
I happened to listen to this demo at the local distributor's. the interesting part is that and he mentioned, in passing, the following:
- one of his clients took the big 7 home for a demo and after a week, retuned with his full Vivaldi stack, up for sale!
- another has traded his brand new Ayon 3sx for the GG - fwiw, I actually saw it lying at the distributor's place
- yet another 2 clients have come to him for replacing their Total Dac with the big 7

While the above is quite telling that the lampi is indeed special, I think ( entirely my opinion) the key differences that set the lampi apart are soundstage width and depth and tone which results in a sense of realism which rivals good vinyl. It has all the other attributes like resolution, detail retrieval, etc but so do the others....

I hope this is all making some sense and also answers your question, in part.

Cheers

Sujay

The vivaldi to lampi upgrade (upgrade SQ wise, not price wise) does not surprise me at all.

 

[bonzo75]

off-topic: Harlequin, I thought that too for a while. But bonzo moves quickly!

on-topic: Is there a consensus view as to the best way to use a Lampizator DAC to play physical Redbook CDs (I hate computers, so please do not tell me to "rip" or "stream")?

What would be a recommended, high-quality transport for this application?

I still love the Nat. The power amps are just too hot and dangerous for my living room - so it's not a sonic reason. The pre I will still look at depending on what power I go for. But I find pre and power the least of my worries, really, if you have a good source (read Lampi or a good TT set up) and speaker there are many good pre and power to make your system sound good

 

[sujay]

off-topic: Harlequin, I thought that too for a while. But bonzo moves quickly!

on-topic: Is there a consensus view as to the best way to use a Lampizator DAC to play physical Redbook CDs (I hate computers, so please do not tell me to "rip" or "stream")?

What would be a recommended, high-quality transport for this application?

Ron,

I must admit, I am pretty much in the same camp as you are.......I have an aversion for computer based streaming, with 3rd party software like J River, etc though the demo I heard in Singapore was almost entirely computer based running through J River......and it was brilliant!
While I don't have enough info to answer your question, I can tell you what I have in mind - I am going to continue using my bryston BDP-2 server with its built in sound card, which by the way, completely trumped my computer based streamer using Ammara software and the BADA USB converter. I have almost made up my mind to acquire the big 7. The question is when......

Cheers

Sujay

 

[bonzo75]

off-topic: Harlequin, I thought that too for a while. But bonzo moves quickly!

on-topic: Is there a consensus view as to the best way to use a Lampizator DAC to play physical Redbook CDs (I hate computers, so please do not tell me to "rip" or "stream")?

What would be a recommended, high-quality transport for this application?

The CEC TLO belt drive CD transport or an Esoteric CD/SACD Player as transport played into the Lampi.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, bonzo. That CEC is an impressive-looking piece of equipment!

 

[BruceD]

The CEC TLO belt drive CD transport or an Esoteric CD/SACD Player as transport played into the Lampi.

Just to say B-- my TLO didn't like CD-R's--I had a new Laser fitted but made no difference--Don't know if David experienced same

Great Drive though

BruceD

 

[Argonaut]

Sujay....I would be grateful if you could PM me with any contact details pertaining to the Distributer that you referenced in your post #62.

 

[Argonaut]

off-topic: Harlequin, I thought that too for a while. But bonzo moves quickly!

on-topic: Is there a consensus view as to the best way to use a Lampizator DAC to play physical Redbook CDs (I hate computers, so please do not tell me to "rip" or "stream")?

What would be a recommended, high-quality transport for this application?

Indeed it would seem that he does Ron, tho perhaps " Becomes easily confused" might pertain

I have been ruminating upon the very same conundrum as yourself, were I to head down the DAC only route, and have been looking at ex demo / Used pricing on legacy Esoteric machines sporting the higher models of VRDS transports, one would acquire SACD playback functionality into the bargain.

 

[Steve Williams]

Just to say B-- my TLO didn't like CD-R's--I had a new Laser fitted but made no difference--Don't know if David experienced same

Great Drive though

BruceD

I can tell you David had the same problem as his too didn't like CDR's when I was there

 

[marslo]

Let me share my experience with DCS and Lampizator dacs.
Before I was attracted by the polish dac I intented to buy the best available. I started my journey with files in 2012 with La Fontaine player/dac and Asus notebook with Jplay.
Next step was an audiophile server/transport- Aurender S10 . Then I compared Vivaldi Dac, Kaliope from Gryphon and Metronome C8 , all of them being fed from S10 and when it was introduce to the market- I immediately tried also Aurender W20.
After extensive listenning sessions at home I came to the conclusion that Aurender W20 was more valuable upgrade than one of those DAC's.
So I decided to buy W20 but was still anxious that my dac was not the top notch one. When Audio Aero closed I asked the polish DCS dealer to send me Vivaldi DAC once more. As a result I was about to have Vivaldi instead of La Fontaine but something stopped me . It was the fatigue caused by long listenning sessions with Vivaldi Dac in my setup. La Fontaine was - and still is - on the warmer side of the presentation .
When Lukasz introduced dsd only dac I decided to check it and bought one immediately after the audition at home. Finally I have changed DSD dac for Big7 with new R2R pcm circuit. Still keep La Fontaine mainly as a sacd player with VRDS neo mechanism.
And last year during Audio Show in Warsaw I listended to Rossini with clock and had the opportunity to speak with Raaven Bawa.
I was really impressed by the presentation of the new DCS baby and probably will try it later this year.
For time being I am really happy with my B7 with Duelund capacitors and 101D WE replicas and taking in consideration the difference in price it will be a difficult task for Rossini to beat my Lampi.

 

[Argonaut]

Thank you for your considerations marslo, most interesting, it is my understanding that it was in part the R&D involved in the development of the Rossini DAC that led to the recent V2.0 re-written firmware, amongst other upgrades, to Vivaldi. Perhaps these changes might allow you to feel more comfortable with its latest sonic profile?

 

[murphys33]

Hi,

I was recently back home (in Singapore) and, amongst others, had the good fortune of listening to the Big 7 - one of the earliest versions, with the 'normal' chip based PCM board and stock 45 tubes. In a direct comaprison, it beat the bricasti m1 hands down, especially on account of soundstage width, depth, tone and just sheer gestalt! - playing PCM by the way.
I happened to listen to this demo at the local distributor's. the interesting part is that and he mentioned, in passing, the following:
- one of his clients took the big 7 home for a demo and after a week, retuned with his full Vivaldi stack, up for sale!
- another has traded his brand new Ayon 3sx for the GG - fwiw, I actually saw it lying at the distributor's place
- yet another 2 clients have come to him for replacing their Total Dac with the big 7

While the above is quite telling that the lampi is indeed special, I think ( entirely my opinion) the key differences that set the lampi apart are soundstage width and depth and tone which results in a sense of realism which rivals good vinyl. It has all the other attributes like resolution, detail retrieval, etc but so do the others....

I hope this is all making some sense and also answers your question, in part.

Cheers

Sujay

Like yourself, I am based in Singapore. I came across a reference to the Lampizator in a local forum when i was asking for opinions for a DAC - then the PS Audio directstream was the focus of the forum. I auditioned it along with the DCS Vivaldi and Rossini as the dealer represented both brands but found my Emm Labs edging both if musicality is used as the criteria. I thought that the emm labs lost out interms of "hifi" attributes. I then explored MSB as 2 of mmy friends bought the MSB analogue and Select DAC. All in all, most Dacs sounded very good but i thought on a relative value basis, there was no compelling need to upgrade from my emm labs.... not until i started reading about the rave around the Golden gate and Big 7. I then auditioned it locally and was about to commit to buying a Big 7 when an offer for a full balanced GG came along at a nice price tag. I bought that unit and cannot be more happy now. The setup came with Psvane 101 and i am contemplating rolling some Elrog 300Bs or EML 45s.

 

[Alrainbow]

That is a tough one. Reasoning is simple any cheap CD player with an optical
Output may sound ok and a better choice due compete electrical isolation. But in the end it's still will be loaded with noise of all
Kinds from it . My suggestion is try what ever you have now to play your CDs and let us know how it sounds. Good CD players are most times also a server and expensive. Also do not buy an expensive optical cable at first do it simple and cheap. Stay away from spidif it will add noise as its not isolated. Lastly if you intend to buy a CD player buy a used ps audio memory player
It has many outputs and does up to 24/192 with all outputs. Google a used one I just sold my pwt and Ds dac sorry.
The memory player uses a chip to show you album art a cool thing. And it has internal memory the loads the cd ahead for a few seconds this process improves the sound. Good luck

 

[marty]

I have pretty much deduced my short list for a new digital front end down to - DCS Vivaldi Transport and DAC / DCS Rossini and Clock or an Lampizator Balanced GG.

I was faced with a similar decision a few months ago. It turned out the decision was an easy one for me. I went with the Metiner DA2 and TX2. I've just never cottoned up to the DCS sound; with a single exception, I always found it to be somewhat sterile and unmoving. I finally heard the big stack with all MIT cabling a few months ago on a Wilson Alexandria system and it did indeed sound good, but that was a 150K rig and i would never go there even if I did have the funds as it violates my senses of audio value so completely. I know there are tons of Lampi fans out there, but I just wasn't looking forward to tube rolling and choosing my flavor of sound accordingly, especially since the best tubes seem to be rare as hen's teeth and priced accordingly. I've done the tube-rolling exercise in my sleep for years and just don't want to be encumbered with the headache or the pain at this point in a DAC. The Meitner combo has left me wanting for nothing. It is always musical sounding and the analog sounding top end is truly a delight on the ears. The level of articulation and resolution is truly impressive regardless of source, the internal upsampling is flawless, and when combined with Audirvana for streaming or downloaded material, the enjoyment factor meets or exceeds my level of what sounds good, at least to me. In short, the Meitner gear is hardly my weakest link but rather, one of considerable strength that allows me to listen less to the equipment, and more to the music that passes through it.

 

[sujay]

Like yourself, I am based in Singapore. I came across a reference to the Lampizator in a local forum when i was asking for opinions for a DAC - then the PS Audio directstream was the focus of the forum. I auditioned it along with the DCS Vivaldi and Rossini as the dealer represented both brands but found my Emm Labs edging both if musicality is used as the criteria. I thought that the emm labs lost out interms of "hifi" attributes. I then explored MSB as 2 of mmy friends bought the MSB analogue and Select DAC. All in all, most Dacs sounded very good but i thought on a relative value basis, there was no compelling need to upgrade from my emm labs.... not until i started reading about the rave around the Golden gate and Big 7. I then auditioned it locally and was about to commit to buying a Big 7 when an offer for a full balanced GG came along at a nice price tag. I bought that unit and cannot be more happy now. The setup came with Psvane 101 and i am contemplating rolling some Elrog 300Bs or EML 45s.

Quite amazing......in fact, I had been resisting the itch to change DACs too, for a long time, up until now when i auditioned the 'humble' Bryston BDA-3, which actually beat the DAC section of my current CDP ( purchased in 2008) and costing upwards of USD 10,000 hands down - in every audible term including resolution, slam, etc, etc.
I currently reside in South Africa and have limited access to auditioning equipment. Which is why when I got the opportunity to audition the Lampi in Singapore, I tried to make the most of it. In fact, currently, 100% of my music is 16/44 PCM. So almost all my listening was on native PCM. And each time, the Big 7 came out on top against the bricasti. I have to agree that Lampi's price point makes it extremely compelling, besides certain unique attributes like soundatage and slam!

Cheers

Sujay

 

[bonzo75]

...All in all, most Dacs sounded very good but i thought on a relative value basis, there was no compelling need to upgrade from my emm labs.... not until i started reading about the rave around the Golden gate and Big 7...

This is very true. Most dacs I have heard all have minor variations which provide no reason to upgrade from existing digital. Apart from price differences, I have heard no differences for anyone to get their thong into a tangle (I have quoted Mark Twain before so now quoting Harlequin). Only Lampi and TTs have made me sit up and realize the value of a source shift - in fact they are more important to the sonics than amps, as the fungibility between pre and power amps is greater.