Lampizator Valve / Tube Rolling Review Thread

[LampiNA]

Any reason to leave the Pacific on 24/7? I shut down mine at night and turn it on the next day, which is what Lukasz recommends. I haven’t tried the Sophia’s on my Pacific, which currently has a much pricier WE 274B.

Regarding leaving the Pacific on 24/7 it was my tendency to always do so. The DAC is quite gentle on the output tubes and I would rather them be run gently than have the wear and tear of being turned on and off.

The small active triode tubes will fade faster, but they are inexpensive to replace anyway.

If you're looking for a reason NOT to, I suppose I should mention the rectifier tube will be run pretty much "full blast" and will die quicker. If you have an expensive or rare rectifier tube, this may be a concern for you.

In my personal life, I'm extremely busy and have limited time to listen and often find myself only able to steal an twenty minutes here, forty there, often unplanned--I tend to like having things warmed up and optimal for this times I can sneak some listening in and find value in this approach.

 

[Fridays]

Thanks for the repose LF
I’ve had some really bad luck with tubs only lasting 1 year, yes Relatively cheap at $400 a pair, makes me want to stay away from those $1500 tubes

 

[Lukasz "Lampizator" Fikus]

Lukasz,
Thanks. But aside from tubes, don’t how off-on cycles are handled affect the longevity of other parts, like capacitors? I thought that beyond convenience that was a primary purpose of standby mode, which is common to many types of electronics.

No, I am sorry, but life of capacitors is not affected by on-off. In DC circuits (and DAC or amp are a DC circuit) caps charge/discharge only once per on-off cycle. But in AC circuits the caps charge/discicarge thousands times per second and they can do it 20 years non stop, trillions of cycles. A capacitor is a rolled piece of metal. Nothing to break. I recapped CD players that were 30 years old and their electroilytes measured better than the new ones I installed. like plus/minus 3% where 20% is an allowed norm.

 

[Miki70]

In my experience 3 to 4 days maximum.

Thanks for the feedback Lukasz !

 

[highstream]

In my experience 3 to 4 days maximum.

It's been a bit of head scratcher...In my 10 years back in high end audio, after a dozen years off, every single developer but two of all types of products I've asked, probably close to three dozen, have replied (or marked) ~100-150 hours of burnin at most is all that's needed. One exception was Morrow Audio, which to prevent premature returns has written instructions laying out what the user should expect to hear from their cables by ~50 hour segments, up to 300-400 hours. The other was Lampi's tech, who told me that the Engine 11 upgrade needs at least 150 up to 200 hours to achieve it's potential.

In my experience, there are some products, including some tubes, one can get the general sense of quickly and know that they are unlikely to ever please. In most cases, however, depending on previous use, I've found 200-250 hours is typical with unused tubes before they finally settle down and one can really tell what they have (I have a pair of Philips E88CC Holland Miniwatts that didn't blossom until around 280). One just has to patiently suffer through the changes that occur, which never seem to come in a linear fashion.

 

[Lukasz "Lampizator" Fikus]

It's been a bit of head scratcher...In my 10 years back in high end audio, after a dozen years off, every single developer but two of all types of products I've asked, probably close to three dozen, have replied (or marked) ~100-150 hours of burnin at most is all that's needed. One exception was Morrow Audio, which to prevent premature returns has written instructions laying out what the user should expect to hear from their cables by ~50 hour segments, up to 300-400 hours. The other was Lampi's tech, who told me that the Engine 11 upgrade needs at least 150 up to 200 hours to achieve it's potential.

In my experience, there are some products, including some tubes, one can get the general sense of quickly and know that they are unlikely to ever please. In most cases, however, depending on previous use, I've found 200-250 hours is typical with unused tubes before they finally settle down and one can really tell what they have (I have a pair of Philips E88CC Holland Miniwatts that didn't blossom until around 280). One just has to patiently suffer through the changes that occur, which never seem to come in a linear fashion.

4 days is 100 hours, so I am on track here. Besides, with new gear you really dont know what is settling - electrolytes, foil caps, wires, solder points, PCB traces, transformer, chokes, diodes or maybe tubes.

 

[Zero000]

4 days is 100 hours, so I am on track here. Besides, with new gear you really dont know what is settling - electrolytes, foil caps, wires, solder points, PCB traces, transformer, chokes, diodes or maybe tubes.

TBH Lukasz, there are people better than you out there charging way less money for better results.

Get off my thread.

 

[Zero000]

That said, your product did inspire it in the first place.

 

[christoph]

TBH Lukasz, there are people better than you out there charging way less money for better results.

Get off my thread.

I find your tone very inappropriate

 

[Ron Resnick]

TBH Lukasz, there are people better than you out there charging way less money for better results.

Get off my thread.

From the approximately 8 hours I have listened to my friend Jim Yager’s Baltic 3, I truly cannot understand how Lukasz delivers so much emotionally-engaging, analog-like sound for so (relatively) little money. And there is an even less expensive model below the Baltic 3 — the Amber 4.

I actually think we should honor Lukasz for making this kind of sound quality from digital available at such entry-level prices.

 

[Trab]

TBH Lukasz, there are people better than you out there charging way less money for better results.

Get off my thread.

I jumped into this thread happy to read new posts, and found yours.

You must have been frustrated and angry for Lukasz and really wanted some kind of revenge. Hope those feelings are not alive in you anymore, and if you are calmer you might see different perspective.

You started thread, that’s great. You own your posts, but not posts of others, not the discussion between us. It is uncomfortable to feel like I‘m your employ, having a boss/teacher who incorporates the right to decide. Decide who can say, when, and what.

A lot of valuable content is here, especially Lukasz posts are among those informative and valuable. For me. But, I am as important, as you. As anyone else here. Let me decide the posts and people I like, the gear I buy or the discussion I’m in.


I jumped into this thread happy to read new posts, and found yours...

 

[Sablon Audio]

Changing the subject back to tube rolling, I would like to try a Shuguang GZ480. Does anyone have one surplus to requirements which they would like to sell me?

 

[ronfint]

Changing the subject back to tube rolling, I would like to try a Shuguang GZ480. Does anyone have one surplus to requirements which they would like to sell me?

Hi Mark,
I have a GZ 480 that you can have for the price of postage (nontrivial these days). In the TRP the GZ 480 was a lock with EL51s. I switched to F2a tubes quite a while ago, and I am enjoying Spanish Marconi triple getter U50/80 with those. Give a nod and I’ll mail the GZ 480 to you. I might wait until after the Xmas rush to do it, though.
Ron

 

[Sablon Audio]

Hey Ron, that’s really kind of you! I will however reciprocate your generosity by sending you a bendix 6106 and a brimar 5z4 in return for your inventory. Will flip you an email to arrange

 

[marty]

TBH Lukasz, there are people better than you out there charging way less money for better results.

Get off my thread.

Less honesty and more collegiality would be a preferred approach.
But as long as we're on the subject, could you please give some concrete examples of "less money for better results"?

 

[bozebuttons]

As a new owner of a balanced Pacific 'I have been following this thread >there is a lot of info to absorb.
Looking for a quad of 242s,
I have a gen4 balanced B7 for the past 6 years I really enjoyed.

 

[christoph]

As a new owner of a balanced Pacific 'I have been following this thread >there is a lot of info to absorb.
Looking for a quad of 242s,
I have a gen4 balanced B7 for the past 6 years I really enjoyed.

Congrats on the Pacific.
It's a wonderful DAC, especially with the KR 242 tubes.
Good luck finding a quad, though

 

[jbrrp1]

Congrats on the Pacific.
It's a wonderful DAC, especially with the KR 242 tubes.
Good luck finding a quad, though

I may have a gently used pair to sell soon, once my new Horizon settles in and I can happily send the Pacific back to Lampi with its original tubes... They are the clear best in my Pac, once I found a preamp that could handle them.

 

[bozebuttons]

I may have a gently used pair to sell soon, once my new Horizon settles in and I can happily send the Pacific back to Lampi with its original tubes... They are the clear best in my Pac, once I found a preamp that could handle them.

I bought a pair of RK anniversary tubes from 2ndLiner and I am looking for another pair .If yours are Rk KR anniversary I am interested

 

[JSA]

I may have a gently used pair to sell soon, once my new Horizon settles in and I can happily send the Pacific back to Lampi with its original tubes... They are the clear best in my Pac, once I found a preamp that could handle them.

If yours are narrow ones (regular KR 242) and not RK version, then I am interested. Please PM me.