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Lampizator questions


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I have a modest micro-Zuma feeding the Euforia and it sounds pretty damn amazing from what I reckon...

( http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/state-euforia-26835/ )

Recently however, I've had a "strange" experience: a friend has asked me to "transform" his i3 Lenovo laptop into a "digital transport". I explained that miracles can't happen, but its performance could be certainly improved upon. I had a quick listen in my system prior to the "operation" and frankly the sound I got was disappointing. If I didn't know better I would have hastily dismissed the DAC as the culprit. After optimizing the laptop however (nothing extravagant: trimmed down W10, free version of Fidelizer, properly set-up JRiver, ifi Purifier2 - I couldn't do much about the external usb HDD anyway...), the sound was much better, quite good actually! Also, there were absolutely no stutters when up-sampling Red Book to DSD 128 via JRiver. But of course the fact remains that it was nowhere near the stupendously good sound I am getting with my CAPS. This leads me to believe that a lot of people, reviewers notwithstanding, tend to underestimate the importance of a good source, especially when critical up-sampling is performed and the blatant fact that you just can't get top performance from both software and hardware alike when using un-optimized or sub-standard computer front-ends. I do not know if the review mentioned above was conducted with a Mac mini as a source (that's what I gathered from reading the review- perhaps, I am mistaken...) but that seems (if I am permitted to use an analog domain ...analogy) the equivalent of doing critical listening with a Shindo phono-stage using a DJ approved turntable. There is no law against it, but... The other thing that also becomes clear after my conversations with many who want to make the leap to DSD, is the need for a fuss free ready made solution of an accessible "mean up-sampling machine", or so to speak.

Audiophiles -who have for decades learned to live in a world of off the shelf solutions (oh...the horror!)- can then benefit from the obvious merits of DSD, as my blissful experience with the Euforia is not something unique but rather something that can be replicated, me thinks...

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  • 5 months later...
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I Where does the no-tube-rolling come from?

 

The 4P1L tube that is used in the Atlantic has no known equivalents. However, it has an amazingly good sound, either as a pentode or operated as a triode, which is what Lampi does.

In the Atlantic "Plus", which is tube rectified, one could always swap rectifiers I suppose.

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  • 10 months later...
2 hours ago, seatrope said:

One of the exciting things that happened while it was being built was that Amanero finally came through with firmware that was supposed to allow Linux native playback

Any idea on how the Amanero firmware upgrade for native DSD is going to be applied to our Lampis?

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  • 3 years later...
14 hours ago, quanghuy147 said:

I read some reviews and learned that Amber 3's sound signature is full of texture, warm and non-fatiguing. Is it true? If it is then it's a perfect match for my system which is very detailed and tiring at some high notes. 


Also, I was looking for a used Amber 3 and found that there are a few people sold Amber 3 just after a few months. I wonder what's wrong they found with Amber 3? 

 

The Amber 3's strengths are not only in timbre reproduction but also in timing, detail retrieval and top to bottom balance and natural extension. If you do decide upon getting one, I would suggest you opt for JL Sounds USB board, which elevates it considerably, to the point that you might find re-clockers a non nessesity, provided you have a decent source (Innuos, etc). Now, if you can afford the Baltic 3....🤪

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It's dead quiet!

No mechanical or electrical noise, whatsoever!

I'm using it with my Cube Audio speakers, which are 91db efficient, but I've also tried it at a firiend's place with his "Pnoe' 116db horn loaded set up.

I'm using it direct into my LTA ZOTL 10 mk2 and my friend has the Audio Note (Kondo Japan) "Neiro" with parallel single ended 2A3's.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 2/6/2021 at 7:21 PM, Nikko1960 said:

 

I posted this in the HQPlayer upsampler forum also.

 

Is anyone using HQP with a Lampizator DAC please?  I have a Baltic 3 on order, hopefully arriving next week.  Unlike my current DAC, which is limited to DSD128, the new one accepts up to DSD512.  Since I like using HPPlayer's DSD5EC/Sinc-L combo, I was about to order a basic spec M1 Mac Mini to upsample to DSD256.  That seems to be as far as we can go with current CPU tech and the EC modulators.

 

However, the Lampi dealer was telling me not to bother, that PCM works much better with Lampis.  Any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Nick

PCM handling in the newer Lampis (engine 53) is not "better" than DSD per se. You just might find that upsampling to DSD is not absolutely necessary to get the best out of the DAC, as native resolution sounds really good as well. 

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  • 1 month later...
On 3/29/2021 at 7:59 PM, Nikko1960 said:

My B3 is on its way across from Poland. As you may know, Lucasz does not supply the unit with a mains power cable. For those of you that have a B3 (or any other Lampi model for that matter), can I ask what power cable you use with it please? My dealer wants to sell me one for a four figure sum which seems somewhat steep and I have sticker shock!

Puritan Audio Classic+ or Anticables Level 2 are very good without breaking the Bank.

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  • 6 months later...
13 hours ago, mourip said:

I am in the process of burning in the Baltic 3 and trying to figure out the best way to use it. With my previous systems I have used a DDC to re-clock the USB input from my Roon endpoint. This allowed me to use the AES input of my Schiit Yggdrasil, its best input. First of all I am very impressed with the sound I am getting using USB straight in to my Baltic. It may be it’s best input. I know that in forums where Lampizator DACs are discussed I never see others using a DDC. Having said that I want to circle back and at least try my Mutec USB and Denefrips Hermes DDC’s. It is easily possible that the Baltic USB will sound better and I can happily sell off some equipment.

 

This morning I set up my Mutec and used AES into the B3. Once I got it configured it sounded very good but whenever I turned the volume up or the music had a crescendo I got a lot of static. I would say that it was clipping but it really sounded like an issue in the digital domain. I have always used Roon set to “Fixed Volume” so that is where I started. To me it always sounded best. Cutting to the chase, what I discovered was that I had to set Roon to “Device Volume” and drop the digital volume control to 75 of 100. I seems as if the digital AES output of the DDC was overloading the B3 AES input.

 

Any ideas?

Thanks!
 

I'm afraid I can't be of much use as far as your overloading issue is concerned, but I would like to pass on my experience with USB cables, as they make a tremendous difference in the Lampi -even of the "make it or break it" type- so before settling for an input solution on the Baltic 3, please try to audition the USB input through a "bespoke" cable. I 've tried a bunch of them before settling for the FLA Calisto, as it has a special kind of synergy with the Lampi. To my ears the differenece between the various cables was so distinct, not to mention quite substantial at times, that it drastically changed my perspective on the subject.

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On 10/5/2021 at 2:53 PM, mourip said:

Thanks. The implementation of USB in the Baltic is excellent. It sounds so good that I am just making sure that it is the best input before selling off the other equipment. I am using a hand made USB cable from Ghent Audio which I really like and is a crazy good deal. It is based upon a grounding/shielding scheme by John Swenson who is part of Uptone Audio and often posts here. 

 

Yesterday I rolled in a pair of 7N7s and now the deal is sealed for USB on the Baltic.

Lampizator use the JL Sounds board, fed by the Lampi's internal power supply.

All in all, it makes for a pretty good USB implementation, so good in fact, that I have stopped using re-clockers.

I too had the Ghent, until I was bitten by the USB cable bug.😄

I have since gone through the Curious Evolved and Sablon 2020, both of which made a tremendous difference, but finally settled for the FTA because of some sort of synergistic behaviour (at least, that's what it sounds like to me...) with the Lampi.

Enjoy the Baltic!

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  • 5 months later...
On 3/30/2022 at 6:58 PM, Lowlands said:

The technician that is refurbishing my upcoming GG unit at Lampizator suggested that a superclock upgrade on the amanero USB would outperform a switch from amanero to the JL USB board (with stock clocks), so I went with the clock upgrade instead. The amanero receives latest firmware

My experience suggests otherwise, as I had the super-clocked Amanero (w/h latest firmware) replaced by the JL Sounds and the latter was clearly better in all respects, mainly due to severely decreased latency, galvanic isolation and the more powerful XMOS chip. Another thing that many don't know is that the JL Sounds can potentially receive a clock signal from an external master-clock, as it has that functionality built-in and that would be a game changer. In fact, Lampizator use an internal master clock to feed the JL Sounds board in their Horizon DAC.

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  • 1 month later...
12 hours ago, Lowlands said:

Thx. Haha. Well. That is a different 'datapoint' then. No turning back for me..
 I since then have received the Lampi GG and managed to score a water-cooled used gaming rig - in splendid shape - that was previously stripped from it's GPU by the owner. I had it up&running HQPlayer 4 next to Roon doing DSD256x first try. DSD 256 into Lampi GG to my ears clearly outperforms PCM (on my PCM engine 5942 that is). Very happy with the results so far..

Step up from BADA Mk1 is clear. The involvement & engagement factor is different league. I stopped listening to my setup, stopped A/B-ing, stopped comparing, tweaking etc. Just listen to music...      

That's what it's all about! Enjoy!

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  • 1 month later...
On 6/3/2022 at 4:25 AM, Dev said:

Lampi had/has different types of digital engine (not exactly sure what that means and they are secretive about it) in different model of their DACs over time. They also used Amanero USB board before they switch to JL Sounds and I believe these key differentiation is critical. Both Amber3 and Baltic3 uses S53 digital engine and both has JL Sounds USB boards and my various attempts to upsample using HQP did not yield anything on both these DACs. There are countless threads in WTBF forums on Lampi DACs and none of them seem to use upsampling with their recent DACs as well. So one has to try and find themselves if HQP upsampling will help or not.

I agree. With the Amber 3 no benefits were realised through up-sampling. I have since simplified my front-end considerably and I'm very happy with the sound I'm getting.

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