i don't think a direct compare is needed nor best . i have compared some high end dacs as well as lampi models , while all is different it takes time to define better. Lampi said its yet another milestone that's good enough for me . i look forward to hearing it in person .
Lampizator announcement: launch of our all new TOTL HORIZON DAC
- Thread starter Lukasz "Lampizator" Fikus
- Start date
This isn’t a matter of better or not. This is a matter of which sound you prefer. More to the point, most people have never heard Steve’s system so by playing a DAC that they are familiar with it creates a relatable baseline to compare to the Horizon. Otherwise you have no idea what is making the sound you are hearing.
If people want to hear the Pac v Hor, why not just put the Pac on top of the Taiko temporarily? The Taiko won't care at all and you'll have pretty good space between units from using 4 x 1.5 CSM footers to support the Pac sitting on the Taiko top plate. It's not perfect, but it's a pretty easy way of doing a decent compare.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
You can’t because the total weight will be greater than the load limit of tge CMS platform and secondly the footprint of the Pacific is bigger than that of the Extreme. We will figure something out. That’s why I haven’t packed up the Pacific yet
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Steve, you made me really intrigued with your initial impressions on Horizon. It is really a pity I can’t join next week at your place - it will be for sure a great event.
At this top level one expects different DACs to be a matter of flavor/ preference, however from your write up it seems Horizon is in a completely different league than Pacific. Is that really true? Amazing…
Guys - please make sure to share your impressions in abundance when visiting Steve next week. Going all the way to reach beyond the horizon… and discover Horizon.
At this top level one expects different DACs to be a matter of flavor/ preference, however from your write up it seems Horizon is in a completely different league than Pacific. Is that really true? Amazing…
Guys - please make sure to share your impressions in abundance when visiting Steve next week. Going all the way to reach beyond the horizon… and discover Horizon.
I believe there are a goodly number of Pacific owners that would appreciate "head to head" comparison impressions from the bevy of Pacific owners that are attending. I know I'm one!
Just hearing the Horizon in an unfamiliar system and setting is not nearly as informative, I believe.
Given how variable a triode based DAC actually is, and it is really variable IME, making cross comparisons with another highly tunable pentode based DAC has to be almost pointless.
I believe it would take months of owning both before coming up with a real personal preference. If not a year+ if concentrating on a lot of different tube/valve combinations.
The comments made by those attending may disprove this assertion. Pentodes were the successor of triodes after all. They should be better.
I believe all attending should just have a good time talking audiophile rubbish to each other. And go easy on Steve as he's put a lot of effort into this event.
In the UK we call events like this a bake off. I have held a couple whose scope was far broader than this one.
As a host I must admit I have largely good memories of holding them. My goal at the time was trying to find decent power amps. And largely learning that design suitability for the application in hand has far more to do with good results than the price of the components tried.
Whatever. Have fun chaps!
I believe it would take months of owning both before coming up with a real personal preference. If not a year+ if concentrating on a lot of different tube/valve combinations.
The comments made by those attending may disprove this assertion. Pentodes were the successor of triodes after all. They should be better.
I believe all attending should just have a good time talking audiophile rubbish to each other. And go easy on Steve as he's put a lot of effort into this event.
In the UK we call events like this a bake off. I have held a couple whose scope was far broader than this one.
As a host I must admit I have largely good memories of holding them. My goal at the time was trying to find decent power amps. And largely learning that design suitability for the application in hand has far more to do with good results than the price of the components tried.
Whatever. Have fun chaps!
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But then again, who would have thought it would be possible to better the Pacific
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I've talked to Fred and Lukasz and we are going to make it happen. Issue is the Pacific will likely be on a platform of sorts on the floor so we need a 2.0 meter set of SE IC's and a 2.0 meter USB cable as I am concerned that 1.5 meter lengths will come up short so if you're an attendee reading and have such cables feel free to bring them along with you
I've talked to Fred and Lukasz and we are going to make it happen. Issue is the Pacific will likely be on a platform of sorts on the floor so we need a 2.0 meter set of SE IC's and a 2.0 meter USB cable as I am concerned that 1.5 meter lengths will come up short so if you're an attendee reading and have such cables feel free to bring them along with you
Steve, great news. That comparison will be great for the attendees to hear.
Thanks Steve and Team Lampizator for brainstorming this. Going to be an amazing weekend I can only imagine. I am sure many of us will be watching this thread from the bleachers over that weekend for any thoughts or observations, and of course the following week too.
Listening to the Pacific now just wondering how such a sonic leap is possible and the sum of its attributes.
Listening to the Pacific now just wondering how such a sonic leap is possible and the sum of its attributes.
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Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I asked Fred about that myself many times over the past year as I’ve been loving my Pacific and wondering how Lukasz could make anything better. But not only is it better it can easily become ones last DAC.
Today was an interesting day as I’m not only trying to run the DAC constantly to get some hours on the tubes but I’m up against the classic day 2 use of new Center stage footers. The sound early this morning showed some top end roll off and loss of bsss. So I queued up all of my Mahler symphonies and switched to batch player and had over 2 days of music so I am giving the system a day two work out to help settle the footers. By late this afternoon the midrange was reappearing and I was having glimpses of what I heard yesterday. I anticipate over the next two days there will be significant improvement as the footers settle.
Thank you so much for figuring out a way to demo Pacific and Horizon.
If a Pre-amp does not have a remote, is this going to be a problem with the Horizon remote? I do not want to have to get up and manually adjust the sound level of my Pre-Amp every time I want to increase or decrease the volume. I was planning on setting the Pre to a certain sound level and then going up or down with the Horizon remote. I am currently looking at a very good Pre amp to buy but it does not have remote capabilities. Maybe Lampi has a good Pre?
If a Pre-amp does not have a remote, is this going to be a problem with the Horizon remote? I do not want to have to get up and manually adjust the sound level of my Pre-Amp every time I want to increase or decrease the volume. I was planning on setting the Pre to a certain sound level and then going up or down with the Horizon remote. I am currently looking at a very good Pre amp to buy but it does not have remote capabilities. Maybe Lampi has a good Pre?
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
The manual is very specific that if you use a preamp in the chain, the VC on there Horizon should be set to max at 63 and then use preamp to control the volume.
I prefer to use my Lamm Preamp LL1 Signature with with my Lamm ML 3 Signature amp as they were designed for one another. I have heard that there could be issues if there is imedenve issues. There are none when I use my preamp. Lamm does not believe I remotes so I get what your saying however if I need to change the preamp gain it's a few feet from me so not an issue for me
The output level of the Horizon is a bit lower than the Pacific, which in suspect more pre-amplifiers will prefer. With the higher output Pacific, especially using high gain tubes like the 242, cutting the volume was likely a way to help keep preamp in it's sweet spot(also impacted resulting output impedance) and that probably won't be as necessary with the Horizon
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
The VC on the Horizon is exceptionally good. I toyed with the idea of going direct to amp with only the DAC however my preamp uses other sources as well so it would be a PITA to move my long IC's from the preamp to the DAC each time I wanted to listen to digital. I have phono and tape inputs as well to my preamp so I prefer to use a preamp
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