Thanks to Goran, Christoph, Colin and Rob. I just ordered my Pacific today. Next up LDMS server. I appreciate all of your feedback through this process.
Pacific dac: Lampizator's new top of the line dac
- Thread starter Audiocrack
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Congrats on your decisions
That will make for an awesome system with your wonderful horns and amps
I would be sure to ask Fred or Lukasz to use the new JL Sounds XMOS USB board rather than the old Amanero USB Board
All:
Add one more to the Lampi group - I recently became a new owner of a (used) Pacific, balanced with VC This was spruced up by Lampizator before it was shipped out, so it is in extremely nice condition. It's still breaking in (as it has new caps etc), but it already sounds pretty amazing. Very spacious and lush without being muddy and great dynamics as well. My previous DAC was the Mscaler/DAVE combo, so quite a different beast and I'm really enjoying it.
I do have one minor issue that I'm hoping the Pacific experts here can help with. While the sound is really great, there's a low grade persistent hum in the low treble range. I don't notice it with loud or normal passages, but becomes obvious when playing soft passages. And of course, once I noticed it, I can't unhear it ;-) The really odd thing is that the hum stops a few second after I hit pause or stop (but not if I mute the Pacific). I hear it on both ethernet input (my primary choice currently) as well as on USB (though it was lower in volume with USB).
My configuration is very simple. The end to end chain from the panel is as follows:
Electrical: 40A breaker -> sub panel -> three dedicated 20A circuits
Source: Pacific as Roon End point via ethernet
Preamp: built in preamp in Pacific using balanced out
Amp: Viva Aurora (SET monoblocks)
Speakers: Avantgarde Trio XDs (just the horns, subwoofers are JL Audio Gotham) I hear the hum in the midsize horn
Suspecting a potential ground loop, I also connected the amps and DAC to a cheap Furman power conditioner (so they are on the same circuit), and while the sound is obviously worse, I still heard the hum.
Any ideas are most welcome. The fact that the hum stops a few seconds after pausing the music is really interesting and am hoping is a tell tale sign of something obvious to someone here...
Thanks!
Anil
Add one more to the Lampi group - I recently became a new owner of a (used) Pacific, balanced with VC
This was spruced up by Lampizator before it was shipped out, so it is in extremely nice condition. It's still breaking in (as it has new caps etc), but it already sounds pretty amazing. Very spacious and lush without being muddy and great dynamics as well. My previous DAC was the Mscaler/DAVE combo, so quite a different beast and I'm really enjoying it.I do have one minor issue that I'm hoping the Pacific experts here can help with. While the sound is really great, there's a low grade persistent hum in the low treble range. I don't notice it with loud or normal passages, but becomes obvious when playing soft passages. And of course, once I noticed it, I can't unhear it ;-) The really odd thing is that the hum stops a few second after I hit pause or stop (but not if I mute the Pacific). I hear it on both ethernet input (my primary choice currently) as well as on USB (though it was lower in volume with USB).
My configuration is very simple. The end to end chain from the panel is as follows:
Electrical: 40A breaker -> sub panel -> three dedicated 20A circuits
Source: Pacific as Roon End point via ethernet
Preamp: built in preamp in Pacific using balanced out
Amp: Viva Aurora (SET monoblocks)
Speakers: Avantgarde Trio XDs (just the horns, subwoofers are JL Audio Gotham) I hear the hum in the midsize horn
Suspecting a potential ground loop, I also connected the amps and DAC to a cheap Furman power conditioner (so they are on the same circuit), and while the sound is obviously worse, I still heard the hum.
Any ideas are most welcome. The fact that the hum stops a few seconds after pausing the music is really interesting and am hoping is a tell tale sign of something obvious to someone here...
Thanks!
Anil
Alrainbow is probably the go to guy for Lampizator noise. Other posts have stated that network gear in proximity of the dac can cause noises. I haven’t experienced this personally and have no network gear around the dac. Definitely not normal, but probably easily remedied.All:
Add one more to the Lampi group - I recently became a new owner of a (used) Pacific, balanced with VC
I do have one minor issue that I'm hoping the Pacific experts here can help with. While the sound is really great, there's a low grade persistent hum in the low treble range. I don't notice it with loud or normal passages, but becomes obvious when playing soft passages. And of course, once I noticed it, I can't unhear it ;-) The really odd thing is that the hum stops a few second after I hit pause or stop (but not if I mute the Pacific). I hear it on both ethernet input (my primary choice currently) as well as on USB (though it was lower in volume with USB).
My configuration is very simple. The end to end chain from the panel is as follows:
Electrical: 40A breaker -> sub panel -> three dedicated 20A circuits
Source: Pacific as Roon End point via ethernet
Preamp: built in preamp in Pacific using balanced out
Amp: Viva Aurora (SET monoblocks)
Speakers: Avantgarde Trio XDs (just the horns, subwoofers are JL Audio Gotham) I hear the hum in the midsize horn
Suspecting a potential ground loop, I also connected the amps and DAC to a cheap Furman power conditioner (so they are on the same circuit), and while the sound is obviously worse, I still heard the hum.
Any ideas are most welcome. The fact that the hum stops a few seconds after pausing the music is really interesting and am hoping is a tell tale sign of something obvious to someone here...
Thanks!
Anil
Thanks Tuckia, I'm pretty sure this is a configuration/set up/proximity kind of a thing and nothing wrong with the DAC itself and am hoping Alrainbow will chime in The other thing I should have mentioned is that currently I'm connecting an ethernet cable from an Orbi satellite that's a few feet away.
Anil
The other thing I should have mentioned is that currently I'm connecting an ethernet cable from an Orbi satellite that's a few feet away.Anil
Wonderful system Anil.Nice DAC and nice amp ( I like Viva Audio as well ) .
I would suggest to try the followings: 1) try to put the Orbi satellite meters away using a longer Ethernet cable and see if there is any improvement.
2) use the USB input and removing entirely the Ethernet cable from the PAC Ethernet input
3 ) change the rca or xlr cables from the pac to the viva audio amp
4 ) if you have any other IC cables connected to the inputs of your PAC I would unplug them as well.
5) would you have some spare tubes to put in your PAC ?
Alex
I would suggest to try the followings: 1) try to put the Orbi satellite meters away using a longer Ethernet cable and see if there is any improvement.
2) use the USB input and removing entirely the Ethernet cable from the PAC Ethernet input
3 ) change the rca or xlr cables from the pac to the viva audio amp
4 ) if you have any other IC cables connected to the inputs of your PAC I would unplug them as well.
5) would you have some spare tubes to put in your PAC ?
Alex
Thanks Alex! I will try those ideas out (the only spares I have are the rectifier tubes, which I will try).
Anil
Anil
Thanks Steve, I will definitely try the tube dampers. They seem to be an inexpensive thing to try out and seem to be recommended in any case. BTW, my DAC has the RK edition KR-242s, which I believe are supposed to be a little more resistant to ringing.
Alex, I also tried all the options except (5) above, but the hum still seems to be there, though it was a little different with the USB input. Same pattern: low level hum during playback that stops a few seconds after pausing.
Of course, to be clear, the DAC sounds amazing otherwise, especially when listening to complex music, where this is obviously not audible at all (and where the Pacific really shines). I will continue to enjoy this amazing DAC while I try to puzzle this one out.
Anil
Alex, I also tried all the options except (5) above, but the hum still seems to be there, though it was a little different with the USB input. Same pattern: low level hum during playback that stops a few seconds after pausing.
Of course, to be clear, the DAC sounds amazing otherwise, especially when listening to complex music, where this is obviously not audible at all (and where the Pacific really shines). I will continue to enjoy this amazing DAC while I try to puzzle this one out.
Anil
I haven't heard of damping rings used to stop hum. Damping rings are normally for controlling microphonics, aren't they? There are a lot of differing and even mixed opinions about their effects, depending on the application and system. Some find they deaden the sound. Mick Maloney of Supratek even argues that microphonics are not such a bad thing (up to a point presumably). I've still got Herbie's on my three TRP's tubes, but they stay there more on GP and laziness, not that I've made a serious comparison. With good tubes on my preamp, I haven't heard the need.
you're right. Dumb comment on my part
I ordered my Pacific without an Ethernet input for several reasons.....I was only going to connect USB and had no need for an ethernet port and finally I heard the Ethernet port could be a cause of noise in the system.
I'm purly guessing here but it sounds like it's noise from the digital board. It ships on pause as it mutes the digital board to stop any popping as music starts. I'm fairly confident it's noise from you room
a few simple things to take note of.
Shut off all lights any kind of lights except for incandescent if on a sw. And use if dimmers
Fan controls and so on must be off for the testing.
Next routers , tablets
Cell phones
All Must be out if the room for testing only
Lastly don't stack any transformers above or below the dac can cause noises but this noise would 60 cycles so not in tweeter or mids but could be low end mids
Take the dac off your rack place on the floor.
Also try to take a copper foil or even alum foil
While on the floor place foil on top left side
And left side aloan.
Try these in order and post back I'm confident I can help if you play nice and honest with me. mostly this is a dimmer , LED bulbs or wireless router
15 feet away I had noise only when I shut down power to my room and only had dac Pre and amp did I realise
a few simple things to take note of.
Shut off all lights any kind of lights except for incandescent if on a sw. And use if dimmers
Fan controls and so on must be off for the testing.
Next routers , tablets
Cell phones
All Must be out if the room for testing only
Lastly don't stack any transformers above or below the dac can cause noises but this noise would 60 cycles so not in tweeter or mids but could be low end mids
Take the dac off your rack place on the floor.
Also try to take a copper foil or even alum foil
While on the floor place foil on top left side
And left side aloan.
Try these in order and post back I'm confident I can help if you play nice and honest with me. mostly this is a dimmer , LED bulbs or wireless router
15 feet away I had noise only when I shut down power to my room and only had dac Pre and amp did I realise
Thanks a lot for these suggestions! I’m going to try them and report back. They all seem easy enough to do. BTW, the DAC is currently on the floor between the two mono blocks.
Anil
Yeah hum is in both channels. I'm definitely curious about shielding the left side to see if that makes a difference.
Anil
Anil
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