Pacific dac: Lampizator's new top of the line dac

[christoph]

 

[christoph]

 

[christoph]

 

[christoph]

And now my friend M's System with the "AC style" Lampizator Pacific

 

[christoph]

 

[christoph]

 

[wisnon]

I guess this one would be called "Goldman"?

 

[christoph]

I guess this one would be called "Goldman"?

Or Bond-like "Goldfinger"?

PS: Because it is golden AND it is a veritable Fingerprint magnet

 

[wisnon]

lol

 

[christoph]

 

[howiebrou]

Today I had the pleasure of listening to the Total Dac Twelve Dac and Lampizator Pacific sourced with an Innuous Statement. The presentations were quite different with the Total Dac presenting a more detailed resolution but not an analytical one. The Lampizator sounded a little more rolled off but it was a very pleasant experience as well although I sensed a few slightly harsh bars on some tracks. Unfortunately I was neither familiar with the music available nor the rest of the set up so it is difficult for me to judge them except in comparison to each other. The Lampi apparently has some expensive 101 tubes. I am not sure what kind of signature they impart.

 

[bonzo75]

The 101d were the tubes we used 4 years ago. We gave them up and then I heard them sounding great at Audioquattr's place. These are not expensive though. If those were expensive, then they could be originals and rolled off. The KR 242 adds a lot of detail, top end, and much more, but the replica 101d's also have detail and top end. That said, it needs to match with the downstream preamp and hence the requirement to roll tubes to see the best fit before going on to audition. The tube rolling is not purely for fun or different flavor, but mainly for a better fit

 

[howiebrou]

Okay i get it. The preamp is this case was a Bespoke Audio preamp which i know nothing about either. Seems as though tube rolling with a balanced Pac will get pretty expensive...

 

[bonzo75]

Okay i get it. The preamp is this case was a Bespoke Audio preamp which i know nothing about either. Seems as though tube rolling with a balanced Pac will get pretty expensive...

Which is why I never recommend balanced. I don't know a single guy with a balanced dac who succeeded in optimizing his Lampi by trying different tubes. He stuck to what he has. Audioquattr ls an exception who religiously bought many for his balanced dac.

I know theoretically you might think keep everything balanced, but I also think a well done single ended Lampi is more nuanced without losing anything else including in a balanced system. Provided you have RCA inputs to pre, of course.

Jazzhead is running a single ended in a balanced system. It sounds so good he won't change to balanced. He has both the Koda 15 and the trinity pre, only the Koda allows single ended, and he had trinity dac, aqua formula, the top Stahltek dac and transport, neodio origine, and TAD CD player. He sold off everything and uses TAD as the transport to his GG 1 with KR 242 tubes.

 

[DaveC]

I agree and I think single ended is better for home audio, and it's often the case DACs are balanced and going into a se tube preamp anyways, in which case either expensive trafos are needed or a custom xlr to rca cable that loads pin3 with a resistor to ground the same value as the preamp input impedance. Most adapters ground pin3 directly which is ok most of the time, but i prefer to use a resistor. With the se version of the dac it's all taken care of for you.

 

[bonzo75]

I agree and I think single ended is better for home audio, and it's often the case DACs are balanced and going into a se tube preamp anyways, in which case either expensive trafos are needed or a custom xlr to rca cable that loads pin3 with a resistor to ground the same value as the preamp input impedance. Most adapters ground pin3 directly which is ok most of the time, but i prefer to use a resistor. With the se version of the dac it's all taken care of for you.

SE optimized sounds better in both SE and balanced pre. I have also tried in various SS preamps including Spectral, analog domain, budget passive preamps, audiopax, grandinote, Ypsilon passive, and Jazzhead is using Koda k15. Will try in Soulution soon. Heihei has tried in various SS preamps including Soulution and CH.

Most dacs don't allow you to change the core of the dac. By changing the tube, the Lampi does. This is not different to how analog people on a daily basis try to optimise their set up by getting the cartridge match to phono and arm right. No one accepts a fixed analog set up. Why they accept a standard box in digital I do not know, it is like my Colgate analogy, they do it because that's what digital did.

 

[christoph]

Today I had the pleasure of listening to the Total Dac Twelve Dac and Lampizator Pacific sourced with an Innuous Statement. The presentations were quite different with the Total Dac presenting a more detailed resolution but not an analytical one. The Lampizator sounded a little more rolled off but it was a very pleasant experience as well although I sensed a few slightly harsh bars on some tracks. Unfortunately I was neither familiar with the music available nor the rest of the set up so it is difficult for me to judge them except in comparison to each other. The Lampi apparently has some expensive 101 tubes. I am not sure what kind of signature they impart.

View attachment 57850
View attachment 57851

The 101d is my least favorite tube.

 

[heihei]

The Bespoke will need 242 to provide dynamics and drive. Anything else will sound pretty flat I think.

Currently running my SE GG2 into a Stern / Heisenberg combo and sounds stunning. As Ked says, works will with CH, Soulution, etc. in SE form.

 

[wisnon]

The 101d is my least favorite tube.

Yup...waste of time to use 101d as the assessment tube for a Pac. Just not a contender for anybody I know.

 

[christoph]

Yup...waste of time to use 101d as the assessment tube for a Pac. Just not a contender for anybody I know.

Maybe the Pac wasn't supposed to sound it's best in this compare?