LampizatOr Golden Atlantic + TRP

[ihmeyers]

You are not the first to have communication difficulties with Lampi that led to post-delivery issues. And yes, their production logs must show what was done, since a copy is included in the box to end users. In any case, when I did the upgrade to the 53, LampiNA (Rob) said he preferred the R2R version's sound, but the whole point was to go with tubes and be able to roll, i.e., sound shaping. I suspect they are both really close, but I wouldn't necessarily judge on the basis of the supplied tubes. The ones that came with mine were not the greatest and definitely not the somewhat warm sound I desire.

First, for clarity, I had no communication issues with Lampi (Fred) or Lukasz. They had no idea I had purchased a TRP with the R2R engine. How could they. If I had given them serial # and they had looked it up they would have seen it before I sent it back, but that wouldn't have mattered at this point I already own it. The seller should have disclosed it was a non-standard unit (based upon what Lukasz current production standards were) before I bought it and let me decide. Lukasz has said going forward customers are not going to be able to order a non-standard unit. Upgraded, yes, but if say Lampi is on engine 54 you won't be able to order a Pacific with engine 53. The other way makes it hard on Lukaz, Fred and Rob.

As far as tube rolling goes, I have many, many tubes now: Gold Lion, Fivre, Brimar, GEC, PS Vanes, Tesla outputs, Takatsuki, RK, GZ rectis, etc. I will roll again once I get it back from the factory.

 

[leftside]

I suspect they are both really close

They sound quite different I had both in my living room sitting next to each other for an entire day. Also had a couple of friends visit my place to check out the new toy, and they too could hear the differences. Admittedly, my R2R GA Atlantic isn't exactly the same as what @ihmeyers has/had, but it does have the same R2R engine.

 

[ihmeyers]

They sound quite different I had both in my living room sitting next to each other for an entire day. Also had a couple of friends visit my place to check out the new toy, and they too could hear the differences. Admittedly, my R2R GA Atlantic isn't exactly the same as what @ihmeyers has/had, but it does have the same R2R engine.

After talking with Golum and doing some research I am going to stick with the r2r engine for now. I am a midrange freak. Most of what I listen to is vocalists and jazz with a mix of classical and some light rock (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, etc.) I haven't had a lot of DACs in my setup but I've had a few and the GA TRP is the least digital sounding one I've ever had. I think at least some of that is the r2r engine which BTW, Lukasz said he couldn't surpass when he introduced the Pacific. I know things change and I'm sure Lukasz finally got a delta sigma chip he likes better than his r2r engine but if this was good enough for GG2 and Pacific I'm sure it's more than good enough for my GA TRP.

Besides, I just bought a LDMS server and a custom shop 1961 Rickenbacker guitar copy so saving the 1000E is probably a good idea for now.

 

[christoph]

He told me it was current model. I look on this board and saw posts from April (before my DAC was built) that said Lukasz had switched over to Engine 53. My DAC was built 6/2019 so I assumed it had the current engine. Ultimately, my bad, but never occurred to me to ask.

Bummer is by the time I do the upgrades to bring it to current model I'll have more into it than if I walked in today and bought a new one.

What engine does your TRP have?

 

[christoph]

After talking with Golum and doing some research I am going to stick with the r2r engine for now. I am a midrange freak. Most of what I listen to is vocalists and jazz with a mix of classical and some light rock (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, etc.) I haven't had a lot of DACs in my setup but I've had a few and the GA TRP is the least digital sounding one I've ever had. I think at least some of that is the r2r engine which BTW, Lukasz said he couldn't surpass when he introduced the Pacific. I know things change and I'm sure Lukasz finally got a delta sigma chip he likes better than his r2r engine but if this was good enough for GG2 and Pacific I'm sure it's more than good enough for my GA TRP.

Besides, I just bought a LDMS server and a custom shop 1961 Rickenbacker guitar copy so saving the 1000E is probably a good idea for now.

Congrats on the LDMS
But your engine is NOT R2R

 

[ihmeyers]

Congrats on the LDMS
But your engine is NOT R2R

You could be right. It isn't a delta sigma chip though.

This is the quote from the factory that Fred sent to me:

"Your DAC was originally built with the old Altantic engine, specifically for someone with a prejudice for R2R. We've actually had about 5 customers who are prejudiced against delta sigma engines who have insisted on the older engine. We honored those requests in the past, but have decided against it to avoid any confusion."


If it's not an R2R then I really don't know what it is. Sounds good though.

<EDIT> From review of original Atlantic DAC

Conversion by means of Discrete Resistor Ladder DAC (R2R) – probably the best implementation in the known Universe

Atlantic DAC SE: New DAC that combines R2R Discrete ladder conversion, PCM and DSD capability, DHP directly heated pentode tubes in triode mode, exposed tubes, Level 4 chassis style, solid state rectifier, Single Ended outputs only, RCA SPDIF and USB on board. copper caps .

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/09/03/review-lampizator-atlantic-dac/

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

You could be right. It isn't a delta sigma chip though.

This is the quote from the factory that Fred sent to me:

"Your DAC was originally built with the old Altantic engine, specifically for someone with a prejudice for R2R. We've actually had about 5 customers who are prejudiced against delta sigma engines who have insisted on the older engine. We honored those requests in the past, but have decided against it to avoid any confusion."


If it's not an R2R then I really don't know what it is. Sounds good though.

<EDIT> From review of original Atlantic DAC

Conversion by means of Discrete Resistor Ladder DAC (R2R) – probably the best implementation in the known Universe

Atlantic DAC SE: New DAC that combines R2R Discrete ladder conversion, PCM and DSD capability, DHP directly heated pentode tubes in triode mode, exposed tubes, Level 4 chassis style, solid state rectifier, Single Ended outputs only, RCA SPDIF and USB on board. copper caps .

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/09/03/review-lampizator-atlantic-dac/

When do you expect you could give it a try?

 

[ihmeyers]

When do you expect you could give it a try?

I've been using it for about 60 days in my second system. It sounded great. I would never had known anything. The genesis of this is that I ordered a LDMS server and after Lucas D spoke to Fred from Lampi NA he suggested to me to have the new USB board installed (in Poland). I asked Fred to have them check it out at the factory and let me know if they had any other upgrade suggestions. When Lukasz F from Lampi opened it he saw it didn't have engine 53 like it should have had given when the DAC was built (7/2019). It didn't have the Lampi caps either, rather the older TDK caps. When Lukasz looked in the files at his production notes he saw that the original buyer specifically requested it to be built without the delta sigma engine 53. He wanted the TDK caps too. Lukasz demonstrated the new TRP this way at last year's Axpona because the engine 53 board was not 100% complete. It sounds like 4 or 5 buyers including the person I bought the DAC from told Fred/Lukasz they wanted it with the build demonstrated at Axpona. The Lampi factory complied and built the five units this way even though it would not be a current production model TRP that way. The buyer never told me that, I thought I bought a current model GA TRP and I paid current market prices (about $8k with volume control). After all of this, Lukasz on advice of some smart current Lampi customers including @Golum stopped building these 'not on the menu' configurations. You buy a Lampi product now, you get whatever Lukasz' current iteration is at the time. This makes sense to me.

No one has told me for sure what engine is in my DAC. Correspondence to me from Fred led me to believe it was r2r. @christoph who knows a lot more than I do, doesn't think it is. I ultimately decided since I liked the sonic signature I would just replace the USB board and the caps before dropping almost $1200 on the engine 53 board. Combination of cost, and my fear that knowing my luck I would have ended up liking it better the way I had it. I am hoping to get it back this week. Shipping to/from Poland from U.S. is remarkably fast. My DAC made it to Lukasz in just 2 days.

Ian

 

[christoph]

I've been using it for about 60 days in my second system. It sounded great. I would never had known anything. The genesis of this is that I ordered a LDMS server and after Lucas D spoke to Fred from Lampi NA he suggested to me to have the new USB board installed (in Poland). I asked Fred to have them check it out at the factory and let me know if they had any other upgrade suggestions. When Lukasz F from Lampi opened it he saw it didn't have engine 53 like it should have had given when the DAC was built (7/2019). It didn't have the Lampi caps either, rather the older TDK caps. When Lukasz looked in the files at his production notes he saw that the original buyer specifically requested it to be built without the delta sigma engine 53. He wanted the TDK caps too. Lukasz demonstrated the new TRP this way at last year's Axpona because the engine 53 board was not 100% complete. It sounds like 4 or 5 buyers including the person I bought the DAC from told Fred/Lukasz they wanted it with the build demonstrated at Axpona. The Lampi factory complied and built the five units this way even though it would not be a current production model TRP that way. The buyer never told me that, I thought I bought a current model GA TRP and I paid current market prices (about $8k with volume control). After all of this, Lukasz on advice of some smart current Lampi customers including @Golum stopped building these 'not on the menu' configurations. You buy a Lampi product now, you get whatever Lukasz' current iteration is at the time. This makes sense to me.

No one has told me for sure what engine is in my DAC. Correspondence to me from Fred led me to believe it was r2r. @christoph who knows a lot more than I do, doesn't think it is. I ultimately decided since I liked the sonic signature I would just replace the USB board and the caps before dropping almost $1200 on the engine 53 board. Combination of cost, and my fear that knowing my luck I would have ended up liking it better the way I had it. I am hoping to get it back this week. Shipping to/from Poland from U.S. is remarkably fast. My DAC made it to Lukasz in just 2 days.

Ian

According to your back plate, you have the 5942 digital engine in your TRP.

 

[ihmeyers]

According to your back plate, you have the 5942 digital engine in your TRP.

Thanks. I guess that isn't a delta sigma chip because Fred specifically said these five people didn't want a delta sigma DAC.

 

[leftside]

Just a few of the tubes that can be used in this DAC....

 

[Zero000]

Just a few of the tubes that can be used in this DAC....
View attachment 70463

Great stuff. True junkie. Respect!

 

[leftside]

The photos at the top of the page look similar to the first GA with the recessed tube sockets. Did the TRP have a small design change? My sockets are slightly above the copper case - and make the tube rolling experience much better than with the original GA. Tubes have a firmer base when inserting.

 

[HungarianPal]

The photos at the top of the page look similar to the first GA with the recessed tube sockets. Did the TRP have a small design change? My sockets are slightly above the copper case - and make the tube rolling experience much better than with the original GA. Tubes have a firmer base when inserting.


View attachment 70474 View attachment 70475

I think it's just another kind of socket base installed on the board.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

I've been using it for about 60 days in my second system. It sounded great. I would never had known anything. The genesis of this is that I ordered a LDMS server and after Lucas D spoke to Fred from Lampi NA he suggested to me to have the new USB board installed (in Poland). I asked Fred to have them check it out at the factory and let me know if they had any other upgrade suggestions. When Lukasz F from Lampi opened it he saw it didn't have engine 53 like it should have had given when the DAC was built (7/2019). It didn't have the Lampi caps either, rather the older TDK caps. When Lukasz looked in the files at his production notes he saw that the original buyer specifically requested it to be built without the delta sigma engine 53. He wanted the TDK caps too. Lukasz demonstrated the new TRP this way at last year's Axpona because the engine 53 board was not 100% complete. It sounds like 4 or 5 buyers including the person I bought the DAC from told Fred/Lukasz they wanted it with the build demonstrated at Axpona. The Lampi factory complied and built the five units this way even though it would not be a current production model TRP that way. The buyer never told me that, I thought I bought a current model GA TRP and I paid current market prices (about $8k with volume control). After all of this, Lukasz on advice of some smart current Lampi customers including @Golum stopped building these 'not on the menu' configurations. You buy a Lampi product now, you get whatever Lukasz' current iteration is at the time. This makes sense to me.

No one has told me for sure what engine is in my DAC. Correspondence to me from Fred led me to believe it was r2r. @christoph who knows a lot more than I do, doesn't think it is. I ultimately decided since I liked the sonic signature I would just replace the USB board and the caps before dropping almost $1200 on the engine 53 board. Combination of cost, and my fear that knowing my luck I would have ended up liking it better the way I had it. I am hoping to get it back this week. Shipping to/from Poland from U.S. is remarkably fast. My DAC made it to Lukasz in just 2 days.

Ian

Thanks for the explanation Ian. I can see it clearly now. Overall I am a big proponent of the customisation, but I also see where it can go wrong.

Two days from the US to Poland? Quite impressive given the current climate. I wonder if it is also going to take two days on the way back.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

Just a few of the tubes that can be used in this DAC....
View attachment 70463

Quite a collection!

 

[christoph]

The photos at the top of the page look similar to the first GA with the recessed tube sockets. Did the TRP have a small design change? My sockets are slightly above the copper case - and make the tube rolling experience much better than with the original GA. Tubes have a firmer base when inserting.


View attachment 70474 View attachment 70475

My sockets look like the ones in the first posting and the (red) PCB is very thin and wobbly
Mine are also quite deeply reccessed

The latest TRPs I have seen have a thick and very robust blue PCB and the nice ceramic sockets like you have
This is a big advantage for serious tube rollers

 

[christoph]

Just a few of the tubes that can be used in this DAC....
View attachment 70463

Wow.
Very impressive!
Have you already tried them all?

 

[leftside]

Wow.
Very impressive!
Have you already tried them all?

I've tried most of them. I have quite a few that are not in that picture...

 

[christoph]

I've tried most of them. I have quite a few that are not in that picture...

...and your favorites are?