LampizatOr Golden Atlantic + TRP

Lee Henley

Well-Known Member
Feb 21, 2014
178
120
350
England, UK
One week in with the TRP

So last week my TRP arrived, it was a factory upgrade from my original Atlantic Plus Dac. Right from the off this is a very special Dac, very rich sounding, plenty of soundstage width and height and beautiful midrange.

I took it down to my friends at the weekend where we spent a good few hours doing some tube rolling experiments, which included changing the rectifier for the PS Vane ACME 274b, which in all honesty does transform the Dac to another level. The ACME valve removes any hint of grain and adds a wonderful rich texture to the music. I managed to buy one of these myself and currently running it in as it takes a fare few hours to reach its optimum.

Tubes we tried on the day were,

Russian 5C4S Rectifier – This was the tube the Dac shipped with, it’s not a bad tube and delivers the music however you can detect that it’s holding the performance of the Dac back somewhat.

Shuguang EL34 – These were the tubes that the the Dac shipped with, in all honesty they don’t do a bad job but can be bettered obviously for not a great deal of money.

GEC KT66 Original Smoked Glass – For me these were a tad thick sounding and made the music feel a bit too lush sounding

Mullard EL34 – I was expecting a similar presentation to the KT66 tube but in all honesty it was quite the opposite, very open, spacious and again wonderful texture

Telefunken EL34 – Very similar to the Mullard EL34

My friend up samples his PCM files from PCM to DSD 256 and we left it at that for the session. At home I play all my files native and have not felt the need to upsample any files yet.

As we all know its system dependant when tube rolling and what works in one system may or may not work in another system. When I returned home I installed the EH 6CA7 valves and have been running these since as they sound better than the EL34 Shuguang which the Dac shipped with.

Up next for me will be the Genelex KT77 re issue tubes, I feel that from what I have read on here this could be the tube for me. I may also try the Tungsol 5881 tube as recommended

A few pictures from the days session.

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr
 

Ed_K

Well-Known Member
Oct 27, 2019
70
81
83
Greer, SC USA
One week in with the TRP

So last week my TRP arrived, it was a factory upgrade from my original Atlantic Plus Dac. Right from the off this is a very special Dac, very rich sounding, plenty of soundstage width and height and beautiful midrange.

I took it down to my friends at the weekend where we spent a good few hours doing some tube rolling experiments, which included changing the rectifier for the PS Vane ACME 274b, which in all honesty does transform the Dac to another level. The ACME valve removes any hint of grain and adds a wonderful rich texture to the music. I managed to buy one of these myself and currently running it in as it takes a fare few hours to reach its optimum.

Tubes we tried on the day were,

Russian 5C4S Rectifier – This was the tube the Dac shipped with, it’s not a bad tube and delivers the music however you can detect that it’s holding the performance of the Dac back somewhat.

Shuguang EL34 – These were the tubes that the the Dac shipped with, in all honesty they don’t do a bad job but can be bettered obviously for not a great deal of money.

GEC KT66 Original Smoked Glass – For me these were a tad thick sounding and made the music feel a bit too lush sounding

Mullard EL34 – I was expecting a similar presentation to the KT66 tube but in all honesty it was quite the opposite, very open, spacious and again wonderful texture

Telefunken EL34 – Very similar to the Mullard EL34

My friend up samples his PCM files from PCM to DSD 256 and we left it at that for the session. At home I play all my files native and have not felt the need to upsample any files yet.

As we all know its system dependant when tube rolling and what works in one system may or may not work in another system. When I returned home I installed the EH 6CA7 valves and have been running these since as they sound better than the EL34 Shuguang which the Dac shipped with.

Up next for me will be the Genelex KT77 re issue tubes, I feel that from what I have read on here this could be the tube for me. I may also try the Tungsol 5881 tube as recommended

A few pictures from the days session.

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr

Untitled by henleymajor, on Flickr
Nice review, thx. I too agree with the KT77 perspectives here but do notice that it can be a bit shouty at times on certain tracks. A friend recommended some Herbies tube dampers placed at the getter areas. This cured that issue, one of the best $90 I’ve spent. Just as a side note, I do also enjoy the Gold Lion KT66 I tried. A bit warmer but do classic rock well. not my first choice in music but grew up with it and still like at times. Cheers
Ed
 

Zero000

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2014
2,985
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Tesla KT88 on eBay link

Just saying the sonics on these are amazing. I used to use them in an Air Tight ATM2.

Now marketed as EAT for way more money.

Reliability was not their forte. But this was and is of the best sounding KT88s ever made IMHO.

Just providing a hint these might be killer in a Lampi.
 
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Zero000

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Jul 28, 2014
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Kt88 is not a winner on trp...

There aren't many good sounding KT88s Norman. I know I tried loads.

You might be right but until someone tries that one I'd keep an open mind on it. It is a stunning sounding valve.
 

wisnon

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2011
3,525
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There aren't many good sounding KT88s Norman. I know I tried loads.

You might be right but until someone tries that one I'd keep an open mind on it. It is a stunning sounding valve.
I have tried the vintage and new one...I think its the tube that doesn't like the TRP, INSPITE OF THE BRAND. I would not refuse to try if if lent one, but no appeal to go buy it.
 

Zero000

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2014
2,985
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I have tried the vintage and new one...I think its the tube that doesn't like the TRP, INSPITE OF THE BRAND. I would not refuse to try if if lent one, but no appeal to go buy it.

When I used them they cost £80 each from a Finnish supplier. Now EAT wants a fortune.
 

Alrainbow

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2013
3,189
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So the rumor is tugsol 5881 are the next white meat to try
I have three pairs to try
2 nos and 1 pair new
New have been burned in over night after 1 hour on and 1 off. Going up to 5 on then left them on over night. It’s fun to hear tubes change so much from new to burned in. I’ll be posting today
 

Monsterzero

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2019
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76
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58
Can anyone provide opinions yet on the GL KT77s vs. Tung Sol 5881s? If so are you using NOS or new production?
 

Alrainbow

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Dec 11, 2013
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Ok ok tonight I’ll do it. I’ll post comments and pics of tubes
Is this new or nos 5881 ?
 
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highstream

VIP/Donor
Nov 16, 2013
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My TRP just came back from Taras with one or two boards replaced. Now I'm using it with a preamp for the first time, a PrimaLuna Dialogue temporarily. For those of you with a volume control on yours (or other Lampi's), what volume level for the Lampi have you found works best in conjunction with a preamp? In the interim, I was using a DirectStream dac, and with that 85-90/100 ended up sounding best, which is what many others found too. Thanks,
 
Last edited:

Alrainbow

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Dec 11, 2013
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There are two methods to try
One is a combination of software and vol control. The concept is two fold
This gives you a way to use the sweet spot of your pre amp
All preamps have one a varying of 10 to 2 as in a clock
This also stops piano ringing on pcm. The software is backed off till it stops.
A guide is 18 to 8 dB cut
Dac volume varies from 18 to 8 dB

Next is perhaps a better mouse trap idea.
As we lower software vol many scream there loosing bits lol or dynamics. The fact is depending on the player software cutting back to 20 or 22 only starts to loose anything
so the second method is this. run software maxed out and just use the dac volume to adjust for tone and weight

I hope I’m making sense here
But the game is this.
If you run software wide open and the dac it’s just bright
To me not good but it maybe good on a setup that needs a high end boost
so if you run software wide open this yields a very dynamic sound but it may ring on loud piano. If you then lower or just enough to make or stop. Music is there. Key strike inflection is there.
Now on dac volume if you lower it in combo or alone this adds weight to the sound
More weight adds a deeper tone. So in effect you can control the tone of your setup.
You can use this method to help thin tracks or albums or add a better high end on bad music lacking highs.
I hope some here follow this. It works I stand by it. And will help all here understand this and me lol.
 

highstream

VIP/Donor
Nov 16, 2013
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No software. Modified Oppo 203 to TRP to PL to active ATC speakers.

Lampi NA had said to turn the dac dial all the way up, but that dial just turns so I've used the remote. I started at 0 dB, but didn't like that, so went to -7 dB with the preamp at 9 o'clock. Then -27 dB with the pre at 12 o'clock. The latter sounds a little better. The TRP has two or three weeks of re-burnin ahead, since as I understand it the dac and analogue boards were replaced. Thanks,
 
Last edited:

wisnon

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2011
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Run TRP at -15db at the start and preamp set to taste but certainly above unity gain, ie 12 oclock on the volume dial. TRP range should be between -18 and -12db.
 
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Alrainbow

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2013
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I want to clarify my comments
It’s not that a wide Open dac is bad in fact I also have a trp non volume with a two position gain SW. It sounds best on high and a roll back on software side. My over all point is simple use the volume controls in both software and on the dac. Pay close attention to the changes as you is this over tine it becomes much more obvious. This is where you need to be for this is how you dial your setup in. Preamps
Sweet spots and unity gain. not all preamps use a cut and boost meaning below or above unity gain. So a sweet spot is not about gain per say it’s more about the pre amp being more linear in freq and dynamics. If your pre amp has a passive and gain option as you turn up your lee amp vol knkw usually above 0 where - is passive and after 0 it’s now a gain stage take carful note of the sound here. A passive preamp May steal dynamics and may require the dac and or software to be adjusted closer or at wide Open. what most don’t get is all volume controls effect the tone at some point. The trick is to use this effect to tailor your setup into a bal tone over all.
 

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