Golden Gate DAC arrives.
- Thread starter Blue58
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Bruce B
WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Hi Fellow Audiophiles,
I have written a review of the Golden Gate that you might be interested in. It is fairly lengthy and has images and so I uploaded it onto a blog - I hope that you find this of interest.
https://audiophilebill.wordpress.com/2015/10/15/lampizator-golden-gate/
Best regards,
Bill
I have written a review of the Golden Gate that you might be interested in. It is fairly lengthy and has images and so I uploaded it onto a blog - I hope that you find this of interest.
https://audiophilebill.wordpress.com/2015/10/15/lampizator-golden-gate/
Best regards,
Bill
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Hi, excellent read. I wish more people reviewed from a classical music emphasis like you did, because I personally find that putting 50 instruments instead of 4 through electronic components actually "separates the wheat from the chaff", to quote Peter B. Not to mention that I believe there is a more right and wrong to acoustic tone than to miked tone. So great to read of that emphasis from a first trombonist who was brought up listening to his Dad's piano (toughest instrument to replicate). You could see that classical passage flow, something I have not read in other reviews
That friend you mention is probably the
est guy around. I bet he would have introduced you to a few other tweaks too.Very nice read Bill. You are apparently a music lover and in the end that is all what our hobby should be about.
In my system - using the Lampizator dedicated computer, Taralabs Grandmaster evolution ic, Shun Mook ultra feet, a Tripoint Thor se connected to a Tripoint Troy signature to which the grounding cable of the Taralabs ic is directly connected as well, a rack that is magnetically declouped through Halcyonics/Accurion vario devices and finally the most transparent speakers I have heard sofar in my life (Tidal La Assoluta's) the GG dac is imo capable of extracting also micro details very well.
Bruce B
WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Thanks Audiocrack. I am operating on a much lower scale to your phenomenal system - I can only imagine what your kit must sound like! The audiophile server route must be an important step for me. I am Mook'd elsewhere - about to try the ultra diamond resonators on the GG - will also compare to ultra 5s.
Very interesting review. Can we assume you preferred PCM transcribed to 4xDSD to the PCM mode? What were the main differences?
I do indeed prefer transcribed PCM to quad DSD to regular PCM mode.
> I find the out and out resolution (irrespective of genre) to be higher using the PCM to DSD upsampling method. You can hear finer details of vocals and instruments to the point of spooky resolution.
> Upsampled PCM to DSD is not quite as romantic in tone - contrary to my expectations! Upsampled DSD on the oppo was smoother than PCM mode but this is the opposite.
> Upsampled PCM to DSD has a more precisely defined soundstage compared to a slightly less focussed sound in PCM mode.
For upsampling you need a modded server. Then upsampling will improve. To upsample using HQP needs a good PC. Also, upsampling with jriver will not be as good. For those not familiar with the lampi, it's not the dac that upsamples, you upsamples outside and play native through the Lampi, so how you upsample matters
I concur Ked - my laptop despite an AMD A10 / 16gb RAM can't manage quad upsampling in hqplayer hence why foobar quad DSD upsampling is what I use at present. Need to get that Xeon powered PC...
Very interesting observation. I started upsampling everything to dsd 128 (my dsd 256 application is not working; this will be repaired next week as Lukasz will pick up my GG next Sunday). But experimenting showed me that I preferred to play the files in their native mode. Is the possible explanation that I am using jriver?
Jriver is not as good an upsampler.
Now I am not saying you will prefer upsampling even with HQP, but it will sound better for sure. Native DSD will sound better. Thing is unless you get a GG with PCM you will never know if you prefer the native PCM as compared to upsampled PCM
What a great review , Audiophile Bill, thank you.
Talking numbers I calculated the advantage you granted to GG over Big 7- it's 7,4 %
The question is whether this difference worth to pay around 12 k euro more for GG?
I am in favour of playing files as they are registered, in native way.
I am a big fan of native dsd played with my big 7 but for pcm I use La Fontaine which I consider better than big 7 pcm playback.
I think every single manipulation of files influence the quality, I am not in favour of pcm converted to dsd.
For me the top notch pcm are HRx recordings of classcial music by Reference Recordings and native dsd from Fone, CC or Caro Mitis.
Dynamics and resolution are better in pcm and timbre and palpability of music with dsd, as always IMHO.
The sound stage is deeper with dsd but more focused with pcm, again for my ears.
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I think your upgraded server will have Bughead Emperor (rave reviews, but not an upsampler) and Foobar (upsampling too) too choose from as well. You can also buy HQ Player, which is the best upsampling software out there.
Edit: I just heard that the latest solution is to use JRiver upsampler to 256 which hands off to BE as the playback engine and it sounds spectacular! All this in AO core mode with functionality retained (tablet/Komputer wifi hotspot, etc).
In Linux mode, playback engine is with Dafile, but no upsampling option and Linux is limited to DSD128.
Finally, it all comes with the full 12v battery operation option.
From Facebook:We are flying higher than Baumgartner. In rare thin air of digital computer playback. Using Lampizator Komputer machine with Audiophile optimizer, fidelizer, 2012 core mode and the Bughead Emperor soft. This is as far as I dare to push digital playback to the limit. Pedal to the metal. Wooooowww...
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