Lampizator Valve / Tube Rolling Review Thread
- Thread starter Zero000
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Also the preamp Marslo...I think that is the biggest impact.
Did you directly compare the two versions?
If yes, can you elaborate on your findings?
All I can add is the first time I heard only the RK, I thought I would prefer it to KR PX25, only after comparing we preferred the KR more. However point is that it was close and can easily change in another system. The best I heard Lampi KR PX25 combo was with Martin Logans in UK Paul's system. With concert fidelity electronics.
Essencially rectifiers are a very simple device - an heated emitting cathode and an anode in vacuum. Electrons are emitted by the cathode and reach the anode - nothing magic here. They do not have the switching noise of solid state devices, a good point. However each rectifier has a characteristic curve of voltage versus current and noise. These characteristics are easily measurable and can influence sound quality only in a simple mode, these devices are not in the signal path. They will however measurably change the DC high voltage of the device, something that affects significantly the distortion spectra of tubes as it changes their operation point. But IMHO there is little place for miraculous properties in this device - if you tap the rectifier and listen to noise in the speakers it is not due to rectifier microphony, it is due to pick up in the amplifying tubes!
IMHO it is very hard to conclude anything definitive on brands or models. I have seen large variation between samples of the same brand and considering that modern tubes are made almost artisanally we can expect high variations in their properties between batches. We can't forget that people swap tubes in these amplifying stages and each user will operate the device at different currents.
Just to tell I am not astonished that different people have very different opinions on the sound qualities of rectifiers.
BTW1 Nothing new here, all this has been said many times elsewhere.
BTW2 If equipment manufacturers wanted us to play with "rectifier sound" easily they would just connect rectifiers in parallel, allowing us to switch the number in use or simply change the high voltage supply.
Thanks Kedar
It was very close, then.
Maybe so close that also another pair of RKs could differ?
Or another pair of regular PX25?
From my experience and from what I read, especially the 242 seem to have quite a variation from one pair to another...
Thanks Kedar
It was very close, then.
Maybe so close that also another pair of RKs could differ?
Or another pair of regular PX25?
From my experience and from what I read, especially the 242 seem to have quite a variation from one pair to another...
Yes I have tried mine against 3 others. We preferred mine but it did not work in yours like my first pair (which didn't sound as good in others as the one that didn't sound good in yours).
I think the RK seems to be a bit calmer than the KR PX25. It sounded great in the Pac at heihei where we did not compare to KR PX25, but then the 242 was just a few levels up. In fact giving up SETs horns, going full Lampi with 242, audionet Heisenberg, audionet stern and a compatible speaker of preference (say YG) with subs (because when the 242 is right it does its magic in subs too) is a great option, though expensive
At least in the Lampi DACs, you can easily hot swap recties if you are reasonably fast (within about 10 seconds or so) doing it
Btw a friend is selling his KR PX4 quads. If anyone wants to swap 242 quads, or buy this in pairs or as a quad, please contact Sujay on this forum.
He is using the Lampi 45s in his big 7 mk2 which is keeping up, and at times preferable, to his AMG with zyx omega ultimate and vdh master signature strad into the burmester phono (I haven't heard).
He is using the Lampi 45s in his big 7 mk2 which is keeping up, and at times preferable, to his AMG with zyx omega ultimate and vdh master signature strad into the burmester phono (I haven't heard).
At least in the Lampi DACs, you can easily hot swap recties if you are reasonably fast (within about 10 seconds or so) doing it
Unfortunately the stabilization time of tubes in equipment is much longer than that. I have not measured noise in rectifiers, but in some triodes noise only reaches the minimum after a quarter an hour.
I found this is a real problem when selecting tubes for noise in an analyzer - if we are not patient enough we risk discarding the best of the lot!
Thanks Ked! Happy to answer any questions anyone may have. And indeed sometimes I do prefer the drive of the lampi, at least where it is now after the upgrade to Mk2.
How are you finding the MK2 after the MK1 and what chip or R2R did you have originally ?
May i ask why? Not your flavour? I like mine a lot although i admit i have not compared them to the 242 or 300Bs
the mk2 upgrade is worth more than I had originally thought. The DAC is quieter, the soundstage is better, the dynamics are better and more importantly, the drive is phenomenal. I have the R2R. Apparently, Lukasz thinks the R2R is really special and he didn’t want me to change that to the newer chip/engine.
need adapters?Hey Adam i just got those
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