Lampizator, Stereophile, Direcstream and which one

Echos

Well-Known Member
Jul 14, 2019
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Hi All,

I have a few questions. I see a lot of love for the Lampi dacs on this forum and so am coming around to audition one at home. However i have a few questions.

1. How much of a sonic diff is there between the Atlantic+TRP vs the GA+TRP ? Is the value of the price diff warranted by that much better sq
2. I have not seen the lamp appearing on stereophile either as a recommended dac or for a review. Anything i should read into that?
3. how does the directsream senior dac compare to the atlantic+trp. and with GA+trp
4. I use usb and toslink onthe directstream - i am guessing this wont be an issue on the lampi ?

Thanks heaps for your help
 

Crashem

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2015
92
38
148
1) can’t comment on this specifically, I have a pacific. But generally speaking, it will be very system dependent and personal value. The differences are there I am sure, worth it to you? One other thing is lampi has been generous with trade ins in the past. If you are getting this new, talk to lampi distributor about that. Might effect your decision one way or another

2) they have never submitted any lampi that I know of to stereophile for review.

3) I have directstream and lampi Pacific. I started with lampi big5 and really never looked back. still have my directstream and haven’t done a comparison with latest firmware in a while, but lampi was step ahead and lampi’s now just several steps ahead

4) toslink needs to be requested. USB, coaxial, etc are standard
 

sbnx

Well-Known Member
Mar 28, 2017
1,180
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A Stereophile review would be fun. I am sure the reviewer would love and rave about it. Then JA will measure it and claim the measurements are horrible and that the reviewer must be confused. Then he will give the DAC to another reviewer who will also love it even though he has been told that the measurements are bad.

Honestly, Lampi doesn't need a Stereophile review to sell their DAC's. Plenty of word of mouth marketing and once you hear one you buy it. I still have my MSB DAC which is one of the best measuring DAC's on the market, but I only listen to the Pacific.

See the review(s) of the Border Patrol DAC and the lengthy write up by "part time audiophile" for a fun time.
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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A Stereophile review would be fun. I am sure the reviewer would love and rave about it. Then JA will measure it and claim the measurements are horrible and that the reviewer must be confused. Then he will give the DAC to another reviewer who will also love it even though he has been told that the measurements are bad.

Honestly, Lampi doesn't need a Stereophile review to sell their DAC's. Plenty of word of mouth marketing and once you hear one you buy it. I still have my MSB DAC which is one of the best measuring DAC's on the market, but I only listen to the Pacific.

See the review(s) of the Border Patrol DAC and the lengthy write up by "part time audiophile" for a fun time.

Which MSB dac do you have
 

sbnx

Well-Known Member
Mar 28, 2017
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Diamond V with galaxy 77 clock and diamond PS
 
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Joe Whip

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2014
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Once you hear one you buy it? Not always. DACs like speakers are a very personal thing. The only auditioning of a Lampi I have done in a system I was very familiar with was a Big 7. I didn’t care for it at all. A member of our group was trying to sell it. None of us there at the session bought it. So I would suggest that you audition one in your system before buying any DAC. Obviously way harder these days. I know people who love Lampis. All good. Just audition anything if you can. Companies that give money back guarantees are where I would go.
 
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Golum

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Jun 7, 2018
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bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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Alrainbow

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2013
3,189
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I recommend buying a 2nd hand unit and relying on non-Lampzator servicing for upgrades.

You will save a truck load of cash this way.

Get an early hardwired unit if this appeals.

This will give you an idea of what can be done:

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?url=http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/5616/&share_tid=5616&share_fid=151685&share_type=t&link_source=app
Wow I’ll say this you don’t quit. can you help the dem ran cities with the violence too. as I live in one come here first lol.
 

DeMarko

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2020
28
12
68
Hi All,

I have a few questions. I see a lot of love for the Lampi dacs on this forum and so am coming around to audition one at home. However i have a few questions.

1. How much of a sonic diff is there between the Atlantic+TRP vs the GA+TRP ? Is the value of the price diff warranted by that much better sq
2. I have not seen the lamp appearing on stereophile either as a recommended dac or for a review. Anything i should read into that?
3. how does the directsream senior dac compare to the atlantic+trp. and with GA+trp
4. I use usb and toslink onthe directstream - i am guessing this wont be an issue on the lampi ?

Thanks heaps for your help

I owned several Lampizator DACs since 2012 and heard / tested even more.
What I can say is that even a 200 euro upgrade in Lampi world makes a striking improvement, IF recommended and done by Lampi themselves. Every time I did upgrades, I got more than I expected (relative to my experience with other gear).

BUT ! At certain level I'd invest in a better transport (or in my case audiophile server and renderer) so that you can hear all those improvements.
I did that after I made experiments. I tried an entry level server and a bunch of mid level CD transports with both a mid level And a top level Lampi DACs at the time (Atlantic and Golden Gate), and realized that I'd rather live with a better source and a mid level Lampi DAC than a top DAC and an inferior source. I made more experiments and this is how I ended up with a top source. Lampi has its own excellent server, try to get an audition / home trial if at all possible.

So in the case of Atlantic vs Golden Atlantic, yes this is a worthwhile upgrade, I am sure based on my experience with Lampi gear and their upgrades, and the better your source is the better it would be heard. If the source is no good, the difference will be less heard.
Go for the Atlantic and improve the source for the price difference? Or go with GA knowing that you will hear more once your source is improved some day?

4. If you mean the quality of USB and Toslink, then it's not an issue, both are excellent on Lampi. USB comes as standard, Toslink can be chosen as one of inputs.
 
Last edited:

DeMarko

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2020
28
12
68
BTW, I wouldn't go for older Lampi DACs instead of the new ones. Lampizator has come too long a way and did an enormous effort to improve again and again.
And I definitely wouldn't let anyone inside my Lampi DACs that I owned. I had DACs before Lampi, I compared DACs after. Nah. Let Lampi improve his own DACs.
 

Alrainbow

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2013
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Define what is in Your system that you like and dislike. Do you play any analog ? I own a few Lampi dacs all perfect too. Never had a bad one in many Lampi dacs too. Makes me wonder how one person keeps claiming there are so many bad ones.
Anyway if you define as above I maybe able to guide you. And of course then explain what each model does and so on.
 

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