Golden Gate DAC arrives.

[dctom]

Thank you very much Yeang, for all the info on flashing the Am board.
My GG was not being picked up by any of my computers, followed all the procedures from Lukasz with no success.

Have now taken lampi to Lukasz's tech in the U.K.
Tested the board and it was completely dead

Have put in temp standard board need to get a replacement for the original updated board with external clocks.
Dave

 

[seatrope]

Hi Dave,

Interesting and worrisome that you can kill the Amanero while flashing or erasing it. What do you think killed the board? Did you get to the flashing stage or was it just the erasing stage?

Yeang

Thank you very much Yeang, for all the info on flashing the Am board.
My GG was not being picked up by any of my computers, followed all the procedures from Lukasz with no success.

Have now taken lampi to Lukasz's tech in the U.K.
Tested the board and it was completely dead

Have put in temp standard board need to get a replacement for the original updated board with external clocks.
Dave

 

[seatrope]

If you guys have been following the github thread about amanero that I posted earlier, you'll see that Domenico of Amanero pushed out another version, 2003_be71A. Here, 2003 refers to the version, be refers to the input format (big endian - google it), and 71A refers to the PID that identifies the unique board type.

So far, still getting weird high pitched noise in Linux native DSD playback about 5 seconds after I stop playback. it's like the mute command got lazy and turned off after 5 seconds or something. But music itself sounds good and plays without much hiccups now. So progress, but still not perfect on the Lampi....

Yeang

 

[bonzo75]

Hi, have you tried a non 242 valve with this? What's the difference?

 

[dctom]

Hi Dave,

Interesting and worrisome that you can kill the Amanero while flashing or erasing it. What do you think killed the board? Did you get to the flashing stage or was it just the erasing stage?

Yeang

Yeang, the board just went down. Lampi was switched on prior to use, went to listen an hour or so later and the server could not pick it up. Had been working perfectly the day before.

Could not get beyond erasure stage - kept getting message to erase board before flashing. Chatting to Lukasz, he said one could not damage board through flashing process, I was only re-flashing as Greg/ Lukasz suggested it as a means to get board working again after playback problem arose.

The board that was removed had been re-flashed for Linux 4xDSD at Lampi during the R2R, power supply rebuild (for 242) and super clocks update. Linux DSD worked perfectly with Jriver before the problem appeared.

The current board will not output DSD at all! Fine on all PCM up-sampling.

 

[seatrope]

Hi Dave,

I see. I thought that the board died during flashing, but the flash was an attempt to save it! Makes me feel better about flashing my board.

Good to know, and hoping that you'll get your superclocked amanero back soon!
Yeang

Yeang, the board just went down. Lampi was switched on prior to use, went to listen an hour or so later and the server could not pick it up. Had been working perfectly the day before.

Could not get beyond erasure stage - kept getting message to erase board before flashing. Chatting to Lukasz, he said one could not damage board through flashing process, I was only re-flashing as Greg/ Lukasz suggested it as a means to get board working again after playback problem arose.

The board that was removed had been re-flashed for Linux 4xDSD at Lampi during the R2R, power supply rebuild (for 242) and super clocks update. Linux DSD worked perfectly with Jriver before the problem appeared.

The current board will not output DSD at all! Fine on all PCM up-sampling.

 

[seatrope]

Hi Ked,

No I have not yet tested a non-242 tube with it yet so far. I am not really a tube roller, but the only other tube i have on hand is the EML 45 mesh and a sort of semi-defective microphonic PX4 (waiting to be mailed back to Eunice Kron).

I guess I will test them today and let you know what I find!

The only niggling issue I still have so far is a issue with signal to noise on the DSD512 engine. It seems that the output on the DSD512 engine is slightly lower than R2R DSD, which in turn is -6dB or so lower than PCM (as we all know).
Weirdly, even with the +6dB box checked in HQPlayer, I still have to turn the volume up enough that I can hear background hum (faintly) for some very low level recorded classical tracks (e.g. Yuja Wang's Deutche Grammophon recording of Ravel Piano Concerto in G).

PCM has no such issues. I will try lifting grounds and see if it is a ground loop problem. Any other suggestions? It also may be interference - I will break out the tube cages. I have yet to remake my homemade copper mesh Faraday cage for the wider spacing of the GG.

Yeang

Hi, have you tried a non 242 valve with this? What's the difference?

 

[Shredder]

Hey Seatrope. I have a Lampi Atlantic (balanced, tube recti, dsd only w/512). I also use a MR and am waiting impatiently to be able to play 512. Any idea when the firmware will be out of beta and formally released?

BTW, how do you "flash" the firmware? I am not too techy, so go easy on me.

Thanks much.

 

[seatrope]

Hi Shredder,

The firmware is currently still having a few issues if you follow the Github thread. But to flash the firmware, you have to open the case. I'm not sure if that will void your warranty - you'll have to ask your dealer as I have special dispensation to open the case.

If not it might be a ship back to closest dealer to flash sort of thing - I don't want to speak for Fred or your local dealer. I'd wait until a truly final firmware comes out though!

Yeang

Hey Seatrope. I have a Lampi Atlantic (balanced, tube recti, dsd only w/512). I also use a MR and am waiting impatiently to be able to play 512. Any idea when the firmware will be out of beta and formally released?

BTW, how do you "flash" the firmware? I am not too techy, so go easy on me.

Thanks much.

 

[seatrope]

I've been speaking with Audiophile Bill regarding signal to noise. He too is experiencing some S/N issues with the DSD512 engine with low level classical tracks, where the output of the DSD512 engine is quite below the level of the R2R engine even when correcting for it with the +6dB switch in Hqplayer or Roon.

Does anyone else have the same finding, where with quietly recorded tracks you get noise intrusion if you set the volume high enough for realistic levels? You can test this if you have Tidal, try Yuja Wang's Ravel Piano Cto album from DG, set the volume so that the piano sounds like it's about 12 ft in front of you.

I've been trying to find ways to either increase the signal or lower the noise. I have yet to replace the 260Kohm resistors with the max recommended value by Lukasz, 470kOhm. Apparently that will net me another 3%.

I tried lifting the grounds of everything except the amp in my system. No luck. Tried solid state recti, no luck - noise was lower but output was WAY lower. Tried my JAN CDR1641 recti that I used with my Big 7 - now we're talking! I have higher signal levels. But now I'm getting microphonic feedback in my 242 tubes. So not ideal.

Kedar and others, what's the most powerful recti that we can use with the GG? One that results in the highest volumes/signal?

Regardless, I'm still stunned at how amazing this DAC has been every time I sit down. All complaints aside, once the music starts playing it's very hard to keep analyzing - I just want to listen. Today, I put on "Elis & Tom", the 24/96 reissue. I had preferred the original album in the past but Elis' voice, burrs and all has never been so real in my listening room. Listened with my mouth open for half an hour before I remember I was supposed to be testing....

 

[bonzo75]

The recti that worked best was the KR 5u4g, and for some who have tried (I haven't) like the Takatsuki 274b.

However all this might differ for your dac as it has new udpates

 

[dctom]

I have only tried the EML 5u4g mesh in my Lampi and have had no signal to noise issues, in fact the DAC is quieter since power supply rebuild. I can turn up the volume on pre to max, no music, and only get a low hiss, quiet classical passage playing at around 65% vol( 90db+ crescendos) not a problem. However, I did not get the DSD 512 chip when I upgraded as I run Linux and it was limited to 256 at the time. The R2R on DSD was producing excellent results until recent problem with amanero board, can only get PCM at mo.
Talking to Mark (tech person) at Malvern audio - he reckoned replacing rectifier can usually cure noise problems.

 

[Shredder]

Thanks seatrope.

Where is this Github thread?

 

[seatrope]

Hi Shredder,

I posted the link a few pages back but you can also easily find it by googling "github Amanero DSD". Let me know if you still cannot find it.

 

[christoph]

Hi seatrope

Is the newest version (1099c?) able to do DSD512 for Linux AND for Windows equally?
If I got it right, earlier versions only could do one or the other...

Atm I have the problem that my GG is recognized by my roon ROCK (roon Linux os) but I get no sound out of the GG, while it works with Windows
Now I wonder if a reflash could cure the inability under Linux...

 

[seatrope]

Hi Christoph,

The newest version right now, and the best working one that I have tested, is 2003_be71A or something like that. The only bugs left is that there is a high pitched whine sometimes about 5 seconds after music stops, that then itself stops after ~10 seconds. Occasionally there is a split second of this sound when you switch tracks too. not too intrusive.
Now this version is supposed to work well with windows, but a new driver is needed on Windows (not available yet).

So no, 1099c is quite an old version in terms of beta firmwares

Hi seatrope

Is the newest version (1099c?) able to do DSD512 for Linux AND for Windows equally?
If I got it right, earlier versions only could do one or the other...

Atm I have the problem that my GG is recognized by my roon ROCK (roon Linux os) but I get no sound out of the GG, while it works with Windows
Now I wonder if a reflash could cure the inability under Linux...

 

[Alrainbow]

Hey guys I don't know what I have in my dac
It is dead silent always. It feeds SE to my Msb analog input to balanced out to cross overs.
I do have micro noise if no preamp.
Tak recti is a must have it and the western electric nos are best over all
But not all outlput tubes benifit from all recti
My new fav tube is an eml mesh 2A3 it does not sound best with the tak recti.
My head dac is new compared to my big 7 and blows it away in neutrality and it's perfect for me.
At some point after the dust settles a bit I'll send the big 7 for a hallway pacific update lol.
But for now the head dac and my new server is the best digital I ever heard in my room as yet.
Glad it's working so well
For you.

 

[Trab]

Hey guys I don't know what I have in my dac
It is dead silent always. It feeds SE to my Msb analog input to balanced out to cross overs.
I do have micro noise if no preamp.
Tak recti is a must have it and the western electric nos are best over all
But not all outlput tubes benifit from all recti
My new fav tube is an eml mesh 2A3 it does not sound best with the tak recti.
My head dac is new compared to my big 7 and blows it away in neutrality and it's perfect for me.
At some point after the dust settles a bit I'll send the big 7 for a hallway pacific update lol.
But for now the head dac and my new server is the best digital I ever heard in my room as yet.
Glad it's working so well
For you.

Hi Alrainbow.
You have a lot of experience with tubes in Lampi dacs. No doubt about it. I thought you might help me make a decision.
I'm using standard 101d white plate in my balanced Lampi. Maybe for me now it's time to buy a second set of tubes. Did you had the chance to try PX4 Mesh ? Can you point out the sonic differences between 101d replica and 2A3 Mesh ? At the moment I use 5U4G Mesh recti and slightly prefer it to nos RCA 5U4GB. I try to achive more analog, rich presentation with deeper bas. As one might guess I’m not ready to sacrifice high treble or lose resolution too much. Mayby other Lampi users can give me some suggestions ?

 

[bonzo75]

Hi Trab, I have the EML Mesh PX4 with me right now which I tried with dctom. It is nowhere as good as the KR PX4.

What is better than PX4 is the PX25, but you cannot use that for balanced.

Sujay, who has a balanced and both PX4 and the special EML mesh globe anniversary 45s (made specifically for the Lampi) will tell you that the 45s are better, and so will I and so will many Lampi users.

By far my favorites are 242s, same with Audiophile Bill and dctom and a couple of others I know.

The special 45s are second, and then are the PX4s (for balanced, PX25 otherwise).

The problem is that there is a gain and impedance match that happens in every system, so it is possible that the 242s distort or sound wrong, unless you have a Big 7 (instead of a GG), and/or can get it configured for 242. I have heard many systems where 242 does not necessarily sound good.

I would first try the special 45s. If they don’t sound right in your system, sell them off and buy the PX4 from KR. If they sound right, then buy the 242s.

I do know that Al’s favorites are the KR mesh 2a3, I haven’t heard those.


http://zero-distortion.org/tubes-px4-px25-300bs-we-101d-104-etc/

The best rectis seem to be the special KR 5u4g (both Bill and I sold our EML mesh after listening to this) and the Takatsuki 5u4g (which I haven't heard, but is more expensive)

Btw, what pre, power, and speakers do you use?

 

[Trab]

Hi bonzo75.

Thak you for shearing your experience with me.
To make things more precise: I use Pass INT150 with Dynaudio Special 25SE. Rather dynamic and rich presentation, and Lampi is the only tube gear in the system. My Lampi is Lite 7 model with rectifier (so almost BIG7).
But since I use ground conditioning for all the stuff I obtain beautiful resolution, 3D image, precision, but some thinness too.
I use monitor speakers (Dynaudio Special 25SE). They are big with exeptionally deep bas, but ... still monitors, so bas is something I don't want to loose.
My source is SMS 200 powered by LPS-1 and a Stavessence USB cable.