The Sound of Pacific: The Newest DAC from Lampizator

[Narayan]

This is going to sound very superficial but Lampizator have finally matched the looks to the performance and price point, the Pacific is a good looking machine.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

here is another pic of the current set-up, changed some from yesterday, of the RMAF room with the Pacific....

 

[ferrox]

Thanks Mike!

I just wonder how to keep it that shiny. I had a Petrof piano decades ago. The pedals and metal parts where the lock is, need brasso to polish. Otherwise, they turned so dull.

Mike, this time did you spend some more time auditioning it? The new Salk Song 3 Encore looks promising and considered affordable to more audiophiles, in my opinion.

here is another pic of the current set-up, changed some from yesterday, of the RMAF room with the Pacific....

View attachment 35722

 

[BruceD]

Thanks Mike!

I just wonder how to keep it that shiny. I had a Petrof piano decades ago. The pedals and metal parts where the lock is, need brasso to polish. Otherwise, they turned so dull.

Yes indeed--I was wondering same--as along time Jadis owner--they dulled in the brochure--trying to clean/rebrighten/etc all ended in tears

Trust Mr Lampi has the situ under control

BruceD

PS: I like the Stand its on--I see it in other rooms well--its cool

 

[ferrox]

I thought they use the coffee table as stand. My bad..LOL..

Yes indeed--I was wondering same--as along time Jadis owner--they dulled in the brochure--trying to clean/rebrighten/etc all ended in tears

Trust Mr Lampi has the situ under control

BruceD

PS: I like the Stand its on--I see it in other rooms well--its cool

 

[BruceD]

I thought they use the coffee table as stand. My bad..LOL..

Ha!--Well you may be right --tough times out there--gotta save buck or two somehow!

If true others at the Show are at it too

BruceD

 

[Elberoth]

From what I've heard, the brass is clear coated (not unlike D'Agostino Momentum or Kondo, where copper is also clear coated to preserve the look).

The unit you see is a preproduction unit, handpolished by ?ukasz. The production units will use a machine polished brass panels (CNC cut) and will nave no visible bolts on top.

 

[Elberoth]

on a forum in which we can contemplate the virtues of an Abendrot Stute Master/Reference Clock at 40 thousand USD....it's all relative.

Apples to oranges here. You are comparing a XO (crystall oscilator) to a ready built clock, where an oscillator is only a small part. Personally, I would rather buy one of the Oscilloquartx BVA-8706 based clocks (like the Sforzato PMC-01) rather than any Rubidium oscillator based one (Abendrot Stute is Rubidium based) as it gives much better short term stability, which directly translates to better audio performance.

The use of Rubidium based oscillator modules in clocks for audio use is pure marketing.

 

[BMCG]

Apples to oranges here. You are comparing a XO (crystall oscilator) to a ready built clock, where an oscillator is only a small part. Personally, I would rather buy one of the Oscilloquartx BVA-8706 based clocks (like the Sforzato PMC-01) rather than any Rubidium oscillator based one (Abendrot Stute is Rubidium based) as it gives much better short term stability, which directly translates to better audio performance.

The use of Rubidium based oscillator modules in clocks for audio use is pure marketing.

Elberoth - having been a rather thorough/avid reader of the clock experiments thread (http://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=27643&page=11) appreciate your viewpoint and indeed your comments in that thread....

My point on the relative costs of clocks was meant for WBF context.....$420 for a clock part in this house is modest....and the Stute (whatever its merits) is two orders of magnitude adrift...

As to that Stute.....(and as I posted over on ComputerAudiophile)..the following relevant:

"Local dealer will be running an interesting A/B shortly. Mutec Ref 10 vs the Abendrot Stute. Each will do duty as the 10 MHz reference for a dCS Vivaldi Clock. Now I've run their Abendrot Stute with my dCS Vivaldi Clock & DAC. The gains in microdetail were not subtle, listening to the 24/96 version of the Doors "The End", the enhancements to the opening cymbals were a stand out. Sense of realism stepped up pointedly, and it is not like the base dCS combo is usually construed as lacking in micro detail reproduction. Moreover, i wanted the "40k USD Stute" to disappoint - call it anti-confirmation bias - it didn't. So colour me intrigued as to whether the Mutec can match up"

Love to put a Cybershaft or Sforzato in the compare as well...but in the case of the latter rather challenging to find.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Guys - as a brass player I can assure you there are ways to make brass instruments retain their finish

I believe brass instruments are lacquered so they might do this on Pacific.

 

[Blue58]

Is it correct that unlacquered brass instruments sound better or at least different? Perhaps Lukasz has heard both in the Pacific and prefers lacquered?
Now I wonder why Bronze wasn't used as this is surely a better sounding alloy.

 

[Sablon Audio]

Guys - as a brass player I can assure you there are ways to make brass instruments retain their finish

I believe brass instruments are lacquered so they might do this on Pacific.

Going slightly off tangent, I once played around with Ennemoser’s C37 lacquer. This led me further down the rabbit hole of researching what lacquers were used by Stradivarius and Guarneri violins and I spoke with a reknowned luthier who has serviced many from the nearby Royal Albert Hall / Royal College of Music. Whatever they had on the shelf was his response and he himself just used Rustins.

 

[microstrip]

(...) The use of Rubidium based oscillator modules in clocks for audio use is pure marketing.

IMHO technical claims around clocks in DACs are pure marketing - no one has established firmly any connection between phase noise and sound quality. And 99% is in the implementation - a clock signal is not an abstract entity, it is a real circuit that spreads along the DAC system. There is not such thing as the best clock module - designers must listen and choose according to the ears and preferences. If we want to use an external clock we also must try and listen in our systems - it is part of the hobby.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

PS: I like the Stand its on--I see it in other rooms well--its cool

I thought they use the coffee table as stand. My bad..LOL..

no, not the coffee table......

that 'stand' was the nightstand on either side of the bed in every room....including mine. these rooms have all been re-done over the last year, and there are no drawers of any kind for your 'not hanging' clothes when you un-pack. so you stack your clothes on those lower shelves. works fine. and audiophile approved apparently too.

turned out it makes a good gear stand. i'm sure someone will notice, x10 (or x100) the price, and it will be the next big thing.

call it the Marriott rack.

 

[Audiocrack]

Mike, from your second picture I conclude you went for a second time to the ‘Lampi room’. Can you give us some idea about the performance of the Pacific dac, notwithstanding show conditions?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike, from your second picture I conclude you went for a second time to the ‘Lampi room’. Can you give is some idea about the performance of the Pacific dac, notwithstanding show conditions?

yes; I went twice on Friday, and then again twice yesterday as I had focused in on a few rooms that had caught my ears.

no doubt the new Pacific has taken a couple of clear steps forward; the significant word being 'clear'. I have to be cautious as I never had those tubes they were using in my GG, and my GG was single ended. but I had heard the balanced GG at other shows a few times. but this Pacific leaves behind the 'relatively' to other dacs I've had slightly opaque musical view of the GG and emerges into the 'clear' with a new transparency, refinement and level of inner view of the music. these are objectively small but quite significant changes from my GG.

and so I don't ruffle the feathers of present GG owners; it was not until I did A/B with other dacs in my own system that I came to view the GG as slightly opaque; it brought it's own character or color to the music, one I enjoyed, but in the end felt it was not the best approach for my system relative to other choices. and I believe there are many systems where that GG balance is ideal.

the Pacific plays at a new level. yet retains it's Lampi excitement lineage. it's fun and involving.

these are my take aways, and of course......it's a show....and the system is far different from mine and my room.

it was using the new Lampi SuperKomputer, but I would have no way to say what that is doing relatively in the Equation.

I did like the Salk speakers, again, to the degree I can tell from a show. they seemed transparent and lively. I did not hear any 'big' music in that room to be able to truly judge that perspective.

 

[Audiocrack]

yes; I went twice on Friday, and then again twice yesterday as I had focused in on a few rooms that had caught my ears.

no doubt the new Pacific has taken a couple of clear steps forward; the significant word being 'clear'. I have to be cautious as I never had those tubes they were using in my GG, and my GG was single ended. but I had heard the balanced GG at other shows a few times. but this Pacific leaves behind the 'relatively' to other dacs I've had slightly opaque musical view of the GG and emerges into the 'clear' with a new transparency, refinement and level of inner view of the music. these are objectively small but quite significant changes from my GG.

and so I don't ruffle the feathers of present GG owners; it was not until I did A/B with other dacs in my own system that I came to view the GG as slightly opaque; it brought it's own character or color to the music, one I enjoyed, but in the end felt it was not the best approach for my system relative to other choices. and I believe there are many systems where that GG balance is ideal.

the Pacific plays at a new level. yet retains it's Lampi excitement lineage. it's fun and involving.

these are my take aways, and of course......it's a show....and the system is far different from mine and my room.

it was using the new Lampi SuperKomputer, but I would have no way to say what that is doing relatively in the Equation.

I did like the Salk speakers, again, to the degree I can tell from a show. they seemed transparent and lively. I did not hear any 'big' music in that room to be able to truly judge that perspective.[/QUOTE

Thanks for this update, appreciated.

 

[nonesup]

I did like the Salk speakers, again, to the degree I can tell from a show. they seemed transparent and lively. I did not hear any 'big' music in that room to be able to truly judge that perspective.

If by "big" music refers to orchestral music ...... that few exhibitors have the courage to play it.

 

[ferrox]

So they’re the side table of each hotel room. Lol...I wonder who thought of it first..

Ha!--Well you may be right --tough times out there--gotta save buck or two somehow!

If true others at the Show are at it too

BruceD

View attachment 35728

 

[Elberoth]

IMHO technical claims around clocks in DACs are pure marketing - no one has established firmly any connection between phase noise and sound quality. And 99% is in the implementation - a clock signal is not an abstract entity, it is a real circuit that spreads along the DAC system. There is not such thing as the best clock module - designers must listen and choose according to the ears and preferences. If we want to use an external clock we also must try and listen in our systems - it is part of the hobby.

I think that more than one digital designer would disagree with you on that. But that is off topic.