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

[bonzo75]

Pac is 57; rest of the product line is standardized with 53

So 4 million trials to get to Pac. Wow. Justin bought the first big 7 made. So since then there have been 56, 999, 999 variations

 

[Golum]

One I don’t own but I have some they don’t lol.

"cause you're a party popper

 

[Alrainbow]

I’m looking says there frog

 

[Alrainbow]

See we Lampi tools have a sweet side too. Justin all joking Aside let it go man it’s all in fun amd yes I’ll bet there is many many forms. but it does not matter they are all perfect for someone.
My msb had two colors on tje sides
So I paid 6000 for a psu that was an off color to the other 3 in the stack. and also variations inside too. And I’m not picking on msb a highly well made product I feel it’s just to make the point. Production lines make changes. Some you hear most you don’t.

 

[Alrainbow]

Justin do you still use a Lampi dac ?

 

[microstrip]

Good question indeed, but these questions are as old as the hills and still don't have clear answers. It's easy to say that all electrical devices do is amplify or transduct a signal and the most relevant parameters that determine how well they do that are power bandwidth, distortion and S/N. Those we can measure. So the obvious conclusion, at least for me, is that we just don't have a good handle on what the other physical attributes are that are yet to be defined and/or measured, which are a satisfactory surrogate for sound quality. This why most of us can probably agree that in the end, the final arbiter for what we like is listening, and not measurements. Nothing new here. This has been beat to death many times over.

Marty,

Surely the the final arbiter for what we like is listening, as you said we all seem to agree on it.

But although the classical measurements can´t explain many aspects of sound quality they can help us understand our preferences and compare aspects such as consistency and some general trends - enough to trigger my (and probably many others) interest on them. Measurements are a common, non ambiguous language for those who understand them.

In this hobby we have great diversity - you have a tube DAC and own SS ampliifiers, Steve has a tube DAC because he feels it is a better match with his all tube system, Mike has SS with SS Dartzeels and I am listening with SS DAC because I prefer it with my tube systems ... I do not believe that anyone can create DAC matching laws analyzing such subjective data!

 

[spiritofmusic]

53 million variations sounds like vinyl. First pressing to end of stamper run.

 

[dctom]

I have a 4 yr old much modded GG1. I had quite a few issues with it after an upgrade to take 242s and almost gave up on it, Ked persuaded me to persevere. After numerous repair trips it sounds wonderful. The KR anniversary 5U4G and KR 242s have proved to be an excellent combination .
I have just finished building a new server for it which has added a few more degrees of realism. Am awaiting a dual rail Paul Hynes SR7 computer power supply which, hopefully, will give another uptick in SQ.

 

[Zero000]

Justin do you still use a Lampi dac ?

Sure. Love it. It's being reworked now for yet another iteration. Call it 53 million and 1.

 

[Zero000]

Justin your just a treasure trove of misinformation. It just don’t stop and I’ll bet many here are tired of your negative energy comments. do you know what possible varying type of hum at your place now. Did you ever give up on a 30 foot usb cable and multiple spidif converters you use. honestly grow up and stop already. I don’t have time for Constant barrage of bull. You make me feel I must follow you just to Return the favors back at you.
Your dear friend al

Where did you get that connection thing from?

Power amp triodes were never designed to be output stages for DACs locking out line level signals.

Do you deny this fact?

 

[bonzo75]

Where did you get that connection thing from?

Power amp triodes were never designed to be output stages for DACs locking out line level signals.

Do you deny this fact?

So these valves are called power amp valves? The NOS ones you own were designed with power amps in mind?

 

[Zero000]

So these valves are called power amp valves? The NOS ones you own were designed with power amps in mind?

Basically yes.

I am not saying that using them as Lampi has done isn't a bundle of fun. It is. It's a totally wacky piece of engineering lunacy as far as I see it.

But it has problems that have to be designed around. And it needs to be done well.

 

[bonzo75]

They were designed for radio. Only PX25 was designed for audio. DHT is the best thing for any component In the chain. If you take away 242 matching, My favorite preamps are DHT, favorite power amps and favorite phono (Allnic 5000/8000). I hope Lukasz comes out with a 242 phono. Why others haven't cottoned on to it. Now Mayer and a few others will do it. Hopefully there is some low priced DHT competition.

 

[Zero000]

No they were designed as audio frequency amplifiers.

The ones used in Lampis were NOT designed for low level audio input signals and line level outputs.

 

[Steve Rowan]

I don’t post much. But my Lampi Pac DAC was (I believe) the first real PAC DAC Yoda built It was brought to Axpona and sent to me after the show to evaluate in my system. (Thanks Fred and Lukasz). Once it was installed in my system it was easy to tell the difference between it and my GG Balanced. The GGB was an excellent DAC as was the Level 5, Big 7 and Big 7B I owned previously. I was even allowed to borrow Fred’s first Amber DAC while one of my DACs was in Poland for an update.
To shorten the story I arranged the purchase of the PAC DAC and still love it. It was built with different tubes then any other modern PAC Dacs which Lukasz dubbed “MIG tubes” because they were made for that infamous Russian fighter.
I’ve enjoyed rolling rectifiers but I cannot roll the Migs as they aren’t the usual DHTs.
But I can say being “stuck” with one set of output tubes has never been an issue as no matter how I’ve configured my system or changed out other components (servers, all types of cables, linear power supplies, you name it) I’ve never been saddened because I can’t roll tubes.
My PAC DAC always presents the music in a swirl of colors, textures, spatial cues, images, transients and all of those audiophile terms we salivate over.
Are the MIG tubes better than the DHTs many argue over on this site? Probably not. But no matter, the Lampizator sound acoustically lights up my room as only the fabled Pharos lighthouse once lit the ancient Mediterranean skies.
And I know Lukasz strives to provide this experience to all Lampi owners no matter which DAC they own.

 

[christoph]

So far for my ears the 242 is simply superb, so much so that I have yet to muster the urge to switch to the PX25's I have

I would not call it urge.
In my case it is usually curiosity

 

[christoph]

Ok then, you are set. You won't like the PX25 and the 242 will sound better than your analog.

Oracle Kedar's crystal ball gazing again

How come I liked the 242 best and way over the PX25 in my GG1.9 and now in my Pacific I prefer the PX25 over the 242?

And btw. I DO own the Lampi EML 45 mesh AG (anniversary globes) as well and both in the GG1.9 AND now in the Pacific I liked both PX25 AND 242 way better than the Lampi EML 45 mesh AG's in either DAC.
What is your telediagnosis for that fact?

 

[bonzo75]

Oracle Kedar's crystal ball gazing again

How come I liked the 242 best and way over the PX25 in my GG1.9 and now in my Pacific I prefer the PX25 over the 242?

And btw. I DO own the Lampi EML 45 mesh AG (anniversary globes) as well and both in the GG1.9 AND now in the Pacific I liked both PX25 AND 242 way better than the Lampi EML 45 mesh AG's in either DAC.
What is your telediagnosis for that fact?

You saw Steve's reply.

I have never said one valve will not sound better than the other in a set up. I said If the 242 sounds good, the PX25 won't sound as good. You yourself are saying 242 sounded better in your GG, which means the Pacific has changed the gain relationship with your preamp. So we are not disagreeing. My suggestion is to send it back, ask Lukasz to adjust, and get it so that the 242 sounds better.

Lampi 45s never sounded good at your place. Why don't you visit someone where they sound good (norman's place, I think), and use that as the reference rather than at your place where it doesn't

 

[christoph]

First time poster - long time reader here. I bought the SuperKomputer and the Pacific that were on show at Tampa a couple of weeks ago. Needless to say, it’s been a couple of good audio weeks. I hooked up the SuperKomputer first and that made a big improvement. Over the last couple of days, I brought the Pacific online and ... shall we say - I’m impressed. Just awesome - so I’ll be reading everything and asking lots of dumb questions and enjoying the music all the way. Thanks in advance for your indulgence.

Congrats on the SK and Pacific
Same here, but I bought mine at last years Munich High End Show

 

[christoph]

You saw Steve's reply.

I have never said one valve will not sound better than the other in a set up. I said If the 242 sounds good, the PX25 won't sound as good. You yourself are saying 242 sounded better in your GG, which means the Pacific has changed the gain relationship with your preamp. So we are not disagreeing. My suggestion is to send it back, ask Lukasz to adjust, and get it so that the 242 sounds better.

Lampi 45s never sounded good at your place. Why don't you visit someone where they sound good (norman's place, I think), and use that as the reference rather than at your place where it doesn't

You know I have several systems/rooms with several different preamps, integrated amps and poweramps, as well as several different speaker systems and in my very heterogenous surroundings, the Lampi EML 45 mesh AGs don't deliver.
I guess I will have to try them in Michael's wonderful system as well but I have my doubts that this will change our preferences.