Lampizator Vinyl Phono stage arrived

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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It took only 20 days between my customized order to Lampizator and the arrival at my home.
Much faster than expected my

- Lampizator MC 1

is integrated in my Artesania Rack.

https://www.lampizatorpoland.com/vinylphono1

The Turntable is a

- J Sikora reference

https://positive-feedback.com/high-fidelity/sikora-reference-turntable/

Currently mounted Tonearm is Fidelity Research FR64s, Cartridge currently an Audio Technica OC9.
(planning to get an ART 1000 in near future)


The MC1 is huge (and heavy) , so I am happy, that the original Artesania platform has nearly exactly the same size.

I ordered the MC with 50, 100, 200 and 500ohm. With this values the most Cartridges will be happy.

One spare value can be addressed/ added according to any exotic need.

Designwise I am conservative, so I ordered silver front with black chassis, but nearly everything is possible :)

After arrival, I had to open the MC1 immediately and what I saw looked very impressive. The MC 1 is (at least for me) the best looking Lampizator inside I am aware of .

Giving around 10h continues playing, I started my first listening session.

Compared to my Boulder 2008 the sound is like listening to a "Golden Gate MkI " performance instead.

I like the early Golden Gates ( serial No around #1000) with their very natural and a little darker timbre.

So the MC1.

Not challenging the Boulder 2008 in the terms of Resolution, Precision and all that sonic values at all,
but just playing "Music" in the best way, so I started immediately to listen to complete records instead of comparing my typical tracks.

My comparison with the Boulder 2008 is not "exact" as I have to use different cables (MC1 is single ended for in & out, Boulder is Symmetric in&out),
But the character of the 2 different Phonostages gets transported.

As I am listing to music in the way, that I like to feel the Music and not to take a bath in all the details of the reproduction the MC1 will become my "first" phono stage.
Now I am waiting , that the first 100h will pass , that the MC gets a proper burn in time and I will do the comparison with the Boulder 2008 again.

From my experience with Step Up burn in effects, the MC1 will become more open and will show more details without loosing or changing the character of the tonal balance.

Same for the tubes.

Starting from Todays performance the next 100hours will be full of pleasure :)
(which is during component burn in not always the case)


My listening "story" will be continued after 100h or even longer listening time.
IMG_2432.jpg IMG_2429.jpg IMG_2427.jpg IMG_2428.jpg IMG_2426.jpg IMG_2425.jpg
 

Ron Resnick

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Jan 24, 2015
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Congratulations, Juergen! Enjoy it!
 
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sujay

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Fabulous, Juergen! The fact that the MC1 stands upto the 2008 is testimony enough. Does anyone have an idea whether a balanced version is on the anvil? Both input and output......
 

bonzo75

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There is a DHT one on the anvil. There are extremely few DHT phonos on the market, like Allnic 5/8000, phasemation EA 1000, Mayer
 
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Reinhard

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Mar 24, 2012
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Fabulous, Juergen! The fact that the MC1 stands upto the 2008 is testimony enough. Does anyone have an idea whether a balanced version is on the anvil? Both input and output......
Single ended and balanced circuits have different structures. So there is no balanced Version of a SE Circuit and vice/versa.
 

sujay

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Single ended and balanced circuits have different structures. So there is no balanced Version of a SE Circuit and vice/versa.
Thanks! I agree and mean the true balanced not SE with XLR connectors. My chain is currently running true balanced.
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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24h burn in and listening later, I can star some more impressions about the MC1.

The heavy Chassis is less sensible to placement on different feels and cones than I am used from the Lampi GG series.

The MC1 is still very responsive to a good placement , but it is not the question about all or nothing, the different placing methods are just giving a different flavor to the overall sonic signature of the MC1.

I flipped some powerchords, as expected, the they all sound different according to their brand signature. In general I can say, that all of my powerchords with Silver lead and Silver/copper hybrids inside does not satisfy me powering up the MC 1.

The sound is becoming lean, the sibilants are getting sharp. Even having a sharper and more focussed staging of instruments, the overall performance does not feel like seeing in balance. (at least in my personal set up)

So I am listening now with good copper based Powercables, giving to me the best and harmonic blend for the MC1

I have some bigger MIT powerchords somewhere, so I will give them a try, when I find them :)

Than I changed the Cartridge to an Ortofon SPU Meister, as the performance of SPU Cartridges are very step up dependent.

To my positive surprise, the character of this classic SPU is fully transported from the MC1, which means, that the step ups are from a high quality.

(on some other tube phono stages I mostly bypass the internal step ups and use external "better" step ups on the MM input)

Listening to "high end" solid state phono stages, they are mostly neutral and very open, so the Boulder 2008.

If you listen to them with a Cartridge like the Ortofon Anna, the Audio Technica ART7 / ART9 and so on, the total performance start tp become neutral in a way, that it is close to boring (for me).

If you listen than to a Ortofon SPU or a Koetsu Cartridge, it sounds colored in comparison and in my case the Boulder 2008 is showing the coloration on every record, so that the first enjoyment of the warmer tonal balance gets compromised....

Connecting the SPU Meister to the MC1 is different. The character of the SPU compared to the former Audio Technica Cartridge is clear and easy to hear. But it is different from the Boulder 2008. The Character of the SPU gets fully supported, it is not sounding like a colored version of an AT Cartridge, it is playing like a natural match for the MC1, means, I really like this combination :)

To have a similar effect on the Boulder 2008, I had to carefully choose a step up and had to use the MM input.

But still not the same inner harmony.

Maybe I have to rethink my next Cartridge. Instead of getting the ART 1000, I should consider a SPU Century as well :)


More to come !
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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Thanks! I agree and mean the true balanced not SE with XLR connectors. My chain is currently running true balanced.
True for me, all of my connections are XLR.

But fortunately my current Preamp (JRDG Criterion) has 2 x RCA inputs as well, doing the symmetrical job with Lundahl transformers inside, my former Preamp, the Grandinote Genesi had only XLR inputs , so no chance to connect SET at all.

My Audia Flight Phono has XLR and RCA output, so I compared both connections on the Criterion.

Very minor difference, so I decided to give the Lampizator Phono a try, could not wait longer to wait for a XLR version :)
 
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Reinhard

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True for me, all of my connections are XLR.

But fortunately my current Preamp (JRDG Criterion) has 2 x RCA inputs as well, doing the symmetrical job with Lundahl transformers inside, my former Preamp, the Grandinote Genesi had only XLR inputs , so no chance to connect SET at all.

To connect SE to the Grandinote you neede only RCA/XLR Adapters. Pin 1 and 3 shorted.
 

shakti

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This is the Theory. In practical terms the result was noch satisfying, even using the best Cardas Adapters.
Spoke to Max from Grandinote about the situation, he recommends the usage from XLR only.
 

Reinhard

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Mar 24, 2012
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Ok, maybe the preamp is not balanced.
Looks more like a 4 channel device.
2 gain stages per channel and 2 Emitter followers.
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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Some more hours with the Lampizator MC1 have passed and the MC1 is still opening up. The steps are getting smaller, but still audible.
(using the Clearaudio Cartridge burn in record over night)

So time enough to open the next Lampizator Box.

As I like my high output Soundsmith The Voice cartridge a lot, it was obvious, that I need the MC1 Phono Stage as MM1 Version.
It would not be Lukasz, if this would be impossible.

So I got the

- Lampizator MM1 Phonostage,

which is basically the same as MC1 without step ups. The Front is more simple, as you do not need a knob to change the impedance. 47kohm is the standard for MM. The MM1 has basically a chassis of the size like the DAC 7 series without the top tubes.
The optional EL 34 tube is in flat position.


Step ups do need mostly a really long time to burn in (as Jeff Rowland owners about their burn in hours....), but MM1 has no step up, should be much faster playing on the spot (I am expecting around 100h for the caps and tubes), but already the first hour of music, right out of the box, were surprisingly good.

The signal comes from:
- TechDAS AF3P
- Tonearm SME 3012R
- Headshell Yamamoto HS3 with Titan Ty-1 Finger and Titan screws
(basically the same as the Soundsmith headshell)
- vdh Platinum Headshell leads
- Soundsmith The Voice Cartridge,
- SME 3012r original Tonearmcable

cable from MM1 to Preamp:
- JPS Aluminata Reference RCA


If you let Leonard Cohen sing "The Last Dance", the music floods the room full of emotion and realism.

It was yesterday a really long night listening to music, always in parallel with the MC1, which is in continues play with the Sikora reference turntable.

When the time of burning in the "machines" has happened, I might try one of my external step up on the MM1, as some of potential customers for a Lampizator Phono already have a Cartridge customized Step up in usage.

I was planning such a customized Step Up as well (Dejan from NAT is actually offering this kind of service), but may be the internal MC1 step up is the better solution. Lukasz is saying, that the MC1 step up resistance is calculated into the overall electrical circuit of the tube stage, eliminating the potential loss of the step up wire.

Looking forward to have in the next days a lot of analogue listening hours.

Up to know I can say, that the MC1 has a very very fair price and the MM1 1 is a real bargain.

As Lukasz knows, in which regions he can increase prices, if the performance fits the expectations,
the current Lampizator Phono Stage pricing seems to have a kind of "Launch Bonus" for a new Lampizator Commodity ? :)

Anyhow, I am happy, that I did this decision without a try out before, just trusting the Lampizator brand and Lukasz capability to transform his DAC performance into analogue .

IMG_2436.jpg IMG_2440.jpg IMG_2439.jpg
 
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Zero000

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Are you just running the stock tubes? If so, maybe there's better to come?

What is in there and who makes them?
 

XV-1

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Looks like a superb phono stage. Congrats.

However, reference phono stages with only one input to me seems inadequate to say the least.
 

bonzo75

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Looks like a superb phono stage. Congrats.

However, reference phono stages with only one input to me seems inadequate to say the least.

This is his first attempt at a phono. For reference, it will be DHT, which will improve over time, and I bet will have a lot of flexibility from valve choice to input choice
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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This is his first attempt at a phono.

This is not fully true, he tried it before, but was not fully satisfied, so not many were built.
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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Looks like a superb phono stage. Congrats.

However, reference phono stages with only one input to me seems inadequate to say the least.
Using a 4 Tonearm AF3P I fully agree.

Fortunatley I have a MC Step ups with 3 inputs incl MM bypass, so this can help on MM1 until Lukasz is building a multi input version.
 
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bonzo75

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This is not fully true, he tried it before, but was not fully satisfied, so not many were built.

Ok, I was following his Facebook for this one that he started last year. Don’t know if there was one before that
 
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shakti

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2015
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Are you just running the stock tubes? If so, maybe there's better to come?

What is in there and who makes them?
I am not in the Tube Rolling so far. The Tubes are looking NOS Russian, but to be honest, I did not checked them.
He is offering standard NEW and NOS tube option in his price list, so I would assume, you can agree with Lukasz on the tubes fitted, or even buy without tubes.

I will have a look into tube rolling after many many hours, of usage as everything should be settled on a robust burn in level,
before doing decisions on tubes. I have some Telefunken and Valvo, Phillips tubes, which will fit, but mostly the tubes Lukasz is choosing as OE fit are fine and do play well together.
 
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