Lampizator DSD DAC

[Alrainbow]

While all tubes have good sound on the lampi the anti genre is the 45 globes weather it's the solid or mesh. They have the weight that I like and the details of a 101d. But overall the 101 d does have a little more detail and does play large classical and complex musi a tad better. Now feed them some poor recordings and play or on my IRS v and it's time to lower the volume. I played my whole onterauge of Sophia tubes. And for what it's worth they are just not for me. I'll be listing them on is audio mart tonight
For Anyone who is on the fence to pick a dac try a lampi with at least two pairs of different tubes. The decision will be lol.

 

[bonzo75]

The KR 242 are way superior to 101d on similar lines

 

[Alrainbow]

Is that the tube winson says is the 101 d on steroids ? If it is I am getting a pair from luk.

 

[bonzo75]

Is that the tube winson says is the 101 d on steroids ? If it is I am getting a pair from luk.

Yes, but it is cleaner, more dynamic, better soundstage and 3d. 101d replicas seem leaner and cheaper in comparison

 

[Alrainbow]

You nailed it and it's why I like the 45 globes better
Most it is weight with presence being second. Besides my speakers are nearly 8 feet tall so imaging is no much of an issue
I have the metal ps vane replicas and I am glad you agree. A 300 be is too much weight and cuts back on subtle details. So a 45 is my sweet spot. Now as luk and now you say this new tube is both a 101d and 45 weight that's great. You have to wonder why other dac makers do not make a tube dac to roll. There is so much in voicing a product that makes it only in one direction with this dac it's in many directions. Thanks for you input

 

[bonzo75]

You nailed it and it's why I like the 45 globes better
Most it is weight with presence being second. Besides my speakers are nearly 8 feet tall so imaging is no much of an issue
I have the metal ps vane replicas and I am glad you agree. A 300 be is too much weight and cuts back on subtle details. So a 45 is my sweet spot. Now as luk and now you say this new tube is both a 101d and 45 weight that's great. You have to wonder why other dac makers do not make a tube dac to roll. There is so much in voicing a product that makes it only in one direction with this dac it's in many directions. Thanks for you input

That is the crux. The reason Lampi sounds good is that he copied amps (DHT, best of the valves) and not dacs, who seem to not be progressing except on the numbers game

 

[bonzo75]

You nailed it and it's why I like the 45 globes better
Most it is weight with presence being second. Besides my speakers are nearly 8 feet tall so imaging is no much of an issue
I have the metal ps vane replicas and I am glad you agree. A 300 be is too much weight and cuts back on subtle details. So a 45 is my sweet spot. Now as luk and now you say this new tube is both a 101d and 45 weight that's great. You have to wonder why other dac makers do not make a tube dac to roll. There is so much in voicing a product that makes it only in one direction with this dac it's in many directions. Thanks for you input

101D were my favorite valves before too, especially for orchestral. Until I heard these.

 

[wisnon]

Ked, you need to try PX25 as well! Thank me later...

 

[bonzo75]

Ked, you need to try PX25 as well! Thank me later...

On my radar.

 

[bonzo75]

I want to go analog but the Lampi keeps dragging me back in

 

[Alrainbow]

So true. There is hype in digital audio then in the rest of the chain together. I swear my Msb sound great until
I put on the lampi then of I go back it sounds good but me mechanical.
I am using it now as a preamp to convert SE to balance out to my external crossover it needs this with interconnects being 50 feet.
Gary of genesis audio recommended a transformer converter I am going to buy. It's 2000 but he feels it's the pit there. And if he says it I shut up and listen. The guy is audio God for sure.

 

[bonzo75]

So true. There is hype in digital audio then in the rest of the chain together. I swear my Msb sound great until
I put on the lampi then of I go back it sounds good but me mechanical.
I am using it now as a preamp to convert SE to balance out to my external crossover it needs this with interconnects being 50 feet.
Gary of genesis audio recommended a transformer converter I am going to buy. It's 2000 but he feels it's the pit there. And if he says it I shut up and listen. The guy is audio God for sure.

There is also the Music First preamp from the UK which is supposed to do an excellent job of converting SE in to balanced out. Never heard it myself. And it is not expensive.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

So true. There is hype in digital audio then in the rest of the chain together. I swear my Msb sound great until
I put on the lampi then of I go back it sounds good but me mechanical.
I am using it now as a preamp to convert SE to balance out to my external crossover it needs this with interconnects being 50 feet.
Gary of genesis audio recommended a transformer converter I am going to buy. It's 2000 but he feels it's the pit there. And if he says it I shut up and listen. The guy is audio God for sure.

He is right - you just need really good transformer to do that for you without a volume control.

 

[sujay]

Hi,

So I finally did the deed.... My lampizator big7 arrived 10 days ago and I am still coming to terms with what hit me. Here are my initial impressions

Brief look at key specs:
- Lampizator big7 balanced
-KR Audio Px4 output tubes
- KR Audio 274B recti
- Dueland caps
- new R2R board for both DSD and PCM

Notes
- the drive is off charts. My speakers have never been controlled like this before. Neither has room fill been so good. It's like a giant headphone experience
- dynamics, speed world class and better than anything I have heard
- soundstage width and depth best in class and equally lit throughout which is the biggest difference
- attack and sustain better than anything else I have heard.
- completely transparent. I think I can hear all the way down to the hiss.
- clarity and headroom especially evident on dense passages like rock and classical
- I am playing at least 10 points down on my volume control ( which goes up to 60) I fear sometimes that I will find the woofers on my lap.
- to sum up, the experience is as raw as it gets and as raw as I like it

Whilst this may sound a bit unfair, I am, nevertheless, compelled to draw comparisons with BADA alpha ( not the reference) and Bryaton BDA -3 which have been in my system. Both the Berkeley and Bryston were well run in and stayed in my system for well over a month each. Furthermore, fwiw, my comparisons are based on lampizator via USB and both Berkeley and Bryston via AES/EBU and all music was PCM only (16/44). Furthermore, I have only had 50 hours on the lampizator. So it's not fully run in.

Soundstage: in terms of width, the lampizator wins by a mile. In terms of depth, the Berkeley is a reasonably close second followed by the Bryston which is relatively 2-dimensional though I found the Bryston better than the Berkeley in terms of width

Drive and dynamics (PRAT): no contest at all... Not even close. The lampizator trounces both of them. Music is that much more raw and has more life. Especially when playing brass, my speakers transformed to almost horn speaker levels in terms of conveying the brashness.

Tone: once again, the lampizator wins easily although the Bryston is quite amazing for its price. I think the Berkeley is a third here. I am guessing the DHT output stage is what makes a big difference.

Transparency: The lampizator wins but not by so much of a margin as in the other parameters. The balanced lampizator is very quiet though and let's you hear more. Though I think the BADA reference is a fairer comparison but I haven't heard it extensively to offer any comparisons.

In short, I can't get enough......I will continue to post impressions as the lampizator breaks in.

Cheers

Sujay

 

[Alrainbow]

Very nice read. With the new R2R board do you still have to switch from dsd to PCM ?

 

[egidius]

Audio Consulting Silver Rock?

..it must be. The best TVC I have heard by a long shot.

 

[sujay]

Very nice read. With the new R2R board do you still have to switch from dsd to PCM ?

Thanks! No. It plays DSD and PCM, native, straight. No toggle switch...nothing!

 

[Alrainbow]

Very cool to read

 

[sujay]

Very cool to read

Thanks. And DSD is surreal. I could swear I was sitting watching the performance live. The only thing I can't comment on is different tubes set ups as I don't have a reference point other than my current set of tubes and recti.

 

[Alrainbow]

Mine arrives today.
SE but all the rest like you. Also my tubes are kron px25 and kron 5u4. I have never been a fan of the 5u4. But luk says the combo is very good and since I have to trust his judgement.
I have so many tubes to try as well. Glad you love the combo. I just did not want to spend the extra money on a bal B7 and the additional cost of tubes I have effectively doubling almost all I have .
Can you still just the two rear tubes in SE mode ?