Lampizator Horizon360 - Broadening Our Musical Horizons

[Sampajanna]

Sam, what is your room size if I may ask?

3.5 X 3.8 with 4ish ceiling

 

[Gregadd]

Overseas imports should be purchased now before the upcoming tariffs.

 

[Alrainbow]

Overseas imports should be purchased now before the upcoming tariffs.

Really bet you have been waiting to say something
Is there more we need to worry about ?

 

[Steve williams]

politics are taboo on WBF gents

 

[Gregadd]

Sorry. Just giving out consumer advice. If you want to talk poll tics PM me.

 

[Alrainbow]

Politics did not enter my mind sorry not my intention.
what I did mean is there is so much cost in shipping products and to even think to add more is scary
anything of above a certain weight becomes crazy.
I’ve bought some vintage amps Super heavy and what shipping is if not normal but freight it’s becoming cost preventive
Think buy a used amp for say 5k and this is high and shipping becomes 1/2 the cost of the amp on top. then add USA to eu conversion or even more in other countries.
to think a tariff on top is yet another nail in audio industry.

 

[Gregadd]

Not to mention WADAX is moving down line. Reasonable one box size and I assume more reasonably priced.

 

[Golum]

Can't really comment as it worked yesterday for several hours but I would say that initial impression mirrors what You wrote above. And I'm using my long time preferred tube set which I won't roll at all. As Marty said - "just enjoy the music" and he's 100% right

OK I think I figured it out in this last few/couple of weeks. As I said it seemed to me from the get go that 360 is better than H1 but never had that woow moment - until this afternoon. Great buddy of mine just told me - you need tubes for your system which are "rich" in tone like Mullard, Telefunken, etc and not the ones which bring dynamics and are kind of brighter sounding as your system is inherently fast and detailed. And these words made full sense.
What I did today before I turned the system on, I swapped Siemens c3gS with my second in a row favorite tube in H1 which was Mullard ecc32. And there it was - glorious beauty of amazing tone "color", palpability, dynamics, details, zero fatigue - I mean just everything snapped into place where I wanted it to be. Pentodes are still and will be TFK el156 while recti I'm expecting Stradi 5u4g to arrive in a few days as I have a guts feeling that this should be a killer one.
Overall logic would be - H360 is more dynamic and detailed among other positive things vs H1 so adding a same ballpark tube pudding on top is just too much in my case.
Now lets just sit down and enjoy...
Will come back with Stradi feeling once it gets properly cooked.

 

[morricab]

OK I think I figured it out in this last few/couple of weeks. As I said it seemed to me from the get go that 360 is better than H1 but never had that woow moment - until this afternoon. Great buddy of mine just told me - you need tubes for your system which are "rich" in tone like Mullard, Telefunken, etc and not the ones which bring dynamics and are kind of brighter sounding as your system is inherently fast and detailed. And these words made full sense.
What I did today before I turned the system on, I swapped Siemens c3gS with my second in a row favorite tube in H1 which was Mullard ecc32. And there it was - glorious beauty of amazing tone "color", palpability, dynamics, details, zero fatigue - I mean just everything snapped into place where I wanted it to be. Pentodes are still and will be TFK el156 while recti I'm expecting Stradi 5u4g to arrive in a few days as I have a guts feeling that this should be a killer one.
Overall logic would be - H360 is more dynamic and detailed among other positive things vs H1 so adding a same ballpark tube pudding on top is just too much in my case.
Now lets just sit down and enjoy...
Will come back with Stradi feeling once it gets properly cooked.

I have a couple of very interesting 5U4Gs if you are curious to try them (Marconi Italy, Marconi Canada, Winged C Svetlana). There might be other rectifier types that work as well (5R4GY for example) that I have as well.

 

[Golum]

..how important tube synergy remains as well as personal preference

hm as well...flat for sure is not, uninspiring neither - quite the contrary...but agree that it boils down to synergy and personal preference (and I'm not into flat and uninspiring )

 

[Sampajanna]

I agree that this is system dependent. I also have found that the initial “just use the same old H1 set” is faulty. The 360 is a very different sound from H1. It makes sense that some rolling may be in store for many of us. I am honing in. I dont think a full new set is necessary, but if you find the 360 different, why not try some other tubes you have on hand?

 

[John T]

In my very first post over a month ago I stated the 360 is a different animal than the H1. I told Fred and Lukasz this after 5-10 minutes of listening. Upper mid-range is less on the 360, then throw in more dynamic which accentuates this characteristic...

 

[Sampajanna]

In my very first post over a month ago I stated the 360 is a different animal than the H1. I told Fred and Lukasz this after 5-10 minutes of listening. Upper mid-range is less on the 360, then throw in more dynamic which accentuates this characteristic...

Did you find a way to resolve this issue? I think I hear that too.
I wonder if this is why one is for sale on this site….
This may be what Gollum is resolving with the Ecc32 tubes

 

[rau]

As I have been patiently awaiting the arrival of my Olympus and IO my mind has been somewhat preoccupied on the LampizatOr side of my network. Suffice it to say I am totally enamored with my Horizon XDMI and being able to listen to native XDMI vs the Taiko analogue card. But as we wait patiently I have had several recent mind boggling conversations with Lukasz with the knowledge that his creative mind never stops thinking ahead and what can be done better. Well I’ve just had permission to make the announcement …..,,,,.,

Little drum roll please……..

I am pleased to make the first announcement here of the next generation



View attachment 135473

Mine arrives very soon and will be debuted along with the Olympus/IO planned sometime in the near future pending Emile’s schedule and that of Lukasz. Should schedules be difficult to coordinate I have told Lukasz that I am happy to have a second long weekend open house at a time when is able to fly in. My sense is Lukasz is available sooner rather than later so once I get notice of shipment of mine Lukasz and I and Emile will arrange one long weekend for sure and quite possibly a second. Lukasz has told me he has spent the last two years dreaming of ways to make the Horizon better and after an extensive world search for a better chip he has found the answer and he is beaming ear to ear. Tge “360” term is used because of the immersive sound of this new DAC

I enclose for reader review Lukasz comments to me that will elucidate what he has done and what one can expect to hear. So with all of this in mind I am completely excited to get my Horizon 360 and to share it with everyone and to have Lukasz here for an in depth demonstration



"Horizon360 is our first ever improvement of our flagship Horizon DAC since its creation 3 years ago.This move is mainly enforced by the chip availability limitations. When our “magic” chip got almost depleted and also we started working on Taiko Olympus XDMI interface - we had to decide to make major changes and eventually find a different chip. After searching the whole world for it and after endless experiments and prototyping that took 2 years - we arrived at a design that sounds better than the original Horizon with the same sound signature that we are famous for. We decided to give the project a green light and we considered it worthy of calling it the new name - Horizon360.
Business-wise, the original plan was just to overcome the parts shortage but as the Taiko Olympus story evolved, we saw a huge opportunity there. Since the Olympus is challenging the status quo of the digital music industry, we joined that process by adopting the Olympus XDMI as the first DAC manufacturer in the world. That is nice, but the market for Olympus is a limited one, by both factors of price as well as their supply output. Therefore we wanted to give to all the people who will NOT HAVE the Taiko Olympus a nice boost in sound quality when the Horizon is used with whatever server / streamer people might have. That means effectively that we put a 2 year research and development effort into improving USB and i2S and S/PDIF or AES/EBU inputs.
The new conversion chip required a completely new, “blank sheet” PCB design, with new inputs, new receiver, new power supply, new grounding, new multiplexing, new firmware and software that controls the conversion process. The main differences (except increased sound quality) are: i2S via HDMI doesn’t need master clock and will work off 3-wire connection - versus typical 4-wire before. That in turns may lead to offering an optional 3xBNC/i2S connection - BY FAR the best digital audio signal connection of the whole hi-fi industry. Better than RJ45, AES/EBU, HDMI, SPDIF, TOSLINK and any other you can name.

DSD now can be configured as 1024x versus 512x before (some of you will be thrilled) however for our internal reasons we decided to keep the maximum at 512x for the foreseeable future. The same goes for

PCM1536kHz sampling rate - the fastest in the industry.
PCM is now set at 768 kHz.
Taiko XDMI interface is now built-in and embedded in the design. Ev

For Taiko Extreme - the sound quality of USB difference will be magnificent. (as well as for the other non-Taiko sources)
The name Horizon360 was suggested by our experience with the first prototype sound: someone commented - WOW, this is like old Horizon only it is a 360 degrees now - meaning - the experience is much more immersive and three-dimensional. It is sort of like the actual horizon when you are on the ocean.
We decided to handle our precious flagship DAC with extreme care and not risk any unnecessary changes just for changes. We left the same tubes, same output circuits, same chassis and display. We wanted to make sure that Horizon remains Horizon and when we are asked - we will answer with confidence that the new one is BETTER not just different and if you liked the H1 - you will love the H360 changes undeniably !

The list of differences versus Horizon-1:
1. New digital engine with new circuit and new parts
2. DSD 1024x vs 512x (not yet enabled)
3. Pcm 1520 vs 760 kHz (not yet enabled)
4. Two i2s ports: HDMI and RJ45 plus a possibility of an optional third “3xBNC” i2S port
5. No need for external clocks signal - a 3-way i2S is all we need now 6. Taiko XDMI link input port built in
7. Improved power transformers - 4 versus 3 before
8. Open path for next 20 years of upgrades
Horizon 1 in its original form will be phased out during the month of August 2024 and the remaining parts will be shelved for the future service needs.
The upgrade service will be offered starting from September 1 and only through the Dealer network.
You can distinguish visually the new version by the front panel logo containing 360 element as well as the rear panel description"

Lukasz Fikus

Does I2S do DSD now ? because H1 did not

 

[Steve williams]

Maybe I got lucky as my tube set with the H1 performed even better with the H360. I’m betting XDMI is a big factor in my system

 

[John T]

Did you find a way to resolve this issue? I think I hear that too.
I wonder if this is why one is for sale on this site….
This may be what Gollum is resolving with the Ecc32 tubes

I don't believe the one for sale had anything to do with sonic characteristics. I wouldn't call it an issue per say, more of a different sonic profile. I never used the Siemens c3gs configuration. Just from an outsider looking in, with my rig, I couldn't imagine that working with the new 360 in my system. Never tried that with the H1. Like Goran @Golum suggested Ecc 32, 6SN7GT, something with a little more meat on the bone might add a little more lushness (for lack of a better word). I'm slowly playing around. Currently My Tube Set is; Telefunken AZ12 Mesh Plate, OS1, TS6NS7GT Round Plates. Need to go back with P17c, and experiment more with Rectifiers. I also added the Solution 727 (throw in the neutral nature of Gryphon Mephisto) and you hear the recording the way it was intended...For better or for worse!

 

[Golum]

Does I2S do DSD now ? because H1 did not

Why don't you try and report back?

 

[Sampajanna]

I am thinking of ordering an adapter for the 2004. I have the plate and mesh versions but no adapter anymore. I think the mesh version might bring back some of the midrange. Also going to try the Ecc32 and 31 (have both) and may throw in the good Ol’ Frankie for giggles.

 

[godofwealth]

OK I think I figured it out in this last few/couple of weeks. As I said it seemed to me from the get go that 360 is better than H1 but never had that woow moment - until this afternoon. Great buddy of mine just told me - you need tubes for your system which are "rich" in tone like Mullard, Telefunken, etc and not the ones which bring dynamics and are kind of brighter sounding as your system is inherently fast and detailed. And these words made full sense.
What I did today before I turned the system on, I swapped Siemens c3gS with my second in a row favorite tube in H1 which was Mullard ecc32. And there it was - glorious beauty of amazing tone "color", palpability, dynamics, details, zero fatigue - I mean just everything snapped into place where I wanted it to be. Pentodes are still and will be TFK el156 while recti I'm expecting Stradi 5u4g to arrive in a few days as I have a guts feeling that this should be a killer one.
Overall logic would be - H360 is more dynamic and detailed among other positive things vs H1 so adding a same ballpark tube pudding on top is just too much in my case.
Now lets just sit down and enjoy...
Will come back with Stradi feeling once it gets properly cooked.

All this teeth gnashing over tube choices for each new Lampi DAC is precisely why I’m a curmudgeon stubbornly sticking with my Pacific 1 DAC, soon to enter the hallowed halls of certifiable vintage equipment! As it stands, I’ve been taking a long-term break from tube DACs worrying that they color the sound too much. I’ve been primarily listening to my Mola Mola MAKUA preamp with its built in DAC that’s an improved version of the standalone Tambaqui. Occasionally I fire up my Pacific to revel a bit in its DHT tube glow. But the last 6 weeks or so have been primarily in solid state land, made much easier by my ginormous Soundlab G9-7c that seems to produce tube like warmth from the Mola Mola’s without the added colorations. But I’m sure I’ll get back to listening with more tubes in the signal path now that the Bay Area has become a lot cooler. It’s great to walk away from tubes periodically to see what they’re adding to the sound.

 

[Steve williams]

I am thinking of ordering an adapter for the 2004. I have the plate and mesh versions but no adapter anymore. I think the mesh version might bring back some of the midrange. Also going to try the Ecc32 and 31 (have both) and may throw in the good Ol’ Frankie for giggles.

Here’s my preference
MESH for RGN 2004
Plate for G2504.