MEET & GREET: Lukas Fikus and Emile Bok - hear the Lampizator Horizon 360 & Taiko Olympus & IO!

So, you all had a great time, that's awesome!!!

Was there a new (or old) song that flabbergasted all of you? Anything that blew your minds? Do tell....

Tom
 
First - Thank you very much to Steve, Steve's wife (I apologize for forgetting her name), Lukas and Fred. Everyone was very kind and accommodating.

Second...so...about the XDMI interface. We A|B'd USB and the XDMI today. All else identical - only the interface changed. I am very used to switching cables and noticing the differences. Some might call them nuanced differences. The XDMI was not that. It was literally the difference one might notice from changing DACs. I ordered the Horizon 360 and left a bit frustrated. Now I am pondering the relatively expensive Olympus, too!

Thanks again Steve & co!
 
There were three very noticeable difference to my ears today with the XDMI v USB.

1) The XDMI handles sharp transitions and impulses way more naturally. There wasn't the usual instance step chance or step-off/roll-off typical to digital. Don't ask me how an interface protocol can make that difference.
2) The instruments were more integrated. It was less about separation and more about harmonious integration.
3) Upper midrange and treble were so much smoother and more organic sounding.

It was as if we were listening to two different DACs.

Apologies if my language reads salesy.
 
Steve and Kathy's hospitality was, as always, gracious and welcoming. Thank you both!

In summary, everything Pat wrote is spot on. The pairing of the Lampizator 360 and Taiko Olympus/I0 with XDMI has made the debate about the digital/analog divide less relevant. While they are different, I cannot yet precisely articulate how, primarily since I haven't heard the combination in my system. For now, I experienced a remarkable density of images and a noticeable absence of digital artifacts I had never encountered before. Anyone interested in top-tier digital playback must explore these advancements. Steve has invited me back for a more intimate listening session to understand further what I experienced.

Anyone seeking the finest in music reproduction, whether analog or digital, should hear the Lampizator/Taiko/XDMI system. Bravo, Lukaz, and Emile, for your impressive achievements!
 
So, you all had a great time, that's awesome!!!

Was there a new (or old) song that flabbergasted all of you? Anything that blew your minds? Do tell....

Tom
Interesting you ask but the one that knocked people’s socks off was Sound of Silence by The Ghost of Johnny Cash
 
Just got back from a 2 mile walk wit Lukasz. I’ll tell you that there are no flies on him. The grass doesn’t grow under his feet. We all just had breakfast and system is on and waiting for today’s guests to arrive

As for XDMI vs USB member DougS who flew in fro San Francisco summed it up so perfectly Doug listened for hours and we did the A-B 3 times yesterday. USB with O/IO plus Horizon:60 and a $-5K USB cable was beautiful until we played the same files via XDMI to the Horizon. In Doug’s words he said it perfectly re USB

“It sounds 2 dimensional and not very interesting”

You can’t unring the bell once you hear XDMI via the Taiko digital board native into the Horizon 360. I know that several Horizons were ordered and purchased yesterday. As well many members are now looking to order Olympus.
 
Just got back from a 2 mile walk wit Lukasz. I’ll tell you that there are no flies on him. The grass doesn’t grow under his feet. We all just had breakfast and system is on and waiting for today’s guests to arrive

As for XDMI vs USB member DougS who flew in fro San Francisco summed it up so perfectly Doug listened for hours and we did the A-B 3 times yesterday. USB with O/IO plus Horizon:60 and a $-5K USB cable was beautiful until we played the same files via XDMI to the Horizon. In Doug’s words he said it perfectly re USB

“It sounds 2 dimensional and not very interesting”

You can’t unring the bell once you hear XDMI via the Taiko digital board native into the Horizon 360. I know that several Horizons were ordered and purchased yesterday. As well many members are now looking to order Olympus.
Interesting you ask but the one that knocked people’s socks off was Sound of Silence by The Ghost of Johnny Cash
Fun times for sure!
Sorry if I missed the final decision but what was worked out with the implementation of your new Schnerzinger devices in these demos?
 
Fun times for sure!
Sorry if I missed the final decision but what was worked out with the implementation of your new Schnerzinger devices in these demos?
We’re too wrapped up in listening and doing A-B comparisons between XDMI and USB
 
weekend has come to an end. Fred just landed safely at JFK and Lukasz is now at LAX awaiting his flight home

I willl have some thoughts shortly about the weekend but a big thank you to everyone who attended. There were about 30 here over both days and some travelled quite a distance....San Diego, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, San Francisco, Seattle and even China

It. was wonderful to meet you all and spend some fun listening time together
 
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This is awesome, Steve!

Will there be a thread for pics including of the guests and a discussion of the comparisons and what was heard?

Looking forward to the details.
 
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My first comment about the listening experience. We did many listening sessions with all who attended and did many A-B tests between USB and XDMI listening to the same tracks with line level matching and without equivocation 100%. of attendees had hands up to XDMI over USB. Everyone said that had they never heard XDMI and had only USB, they would be eternally happy , yet having said that once they heard USB everyone could not unring that bell. The quote odf the weekend came from DougS who stated "compared to USB sounded 2 dimensional and very uninteresting"

Kudos to Emile for bringing the audio world this new interface and kudos to Lukas who took up the torch and so quickly found a way to bring native XDMI to the Lampi Horizon 360 andante Poseidon. To all you lamp owners out there who are sitting the fence re XDMI you just need to hear it as it takes all of a few seconds to understand how great it is
 
This is awesome, Steve!

Will there be a thread for pics including of the guests and a discussion of the comparisons and what was heard?

Looking forward to the details.
Yes...I have many photos of the guests packed into my little room as well as asking everyone who attended to post their thoughts here in this thread
 
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