Lampizator questions

[tedwoods]

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.

[mourip]

3 hours ago, tedwoods said:

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.

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.

[tedwoods]

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!

[mourip]

On 10/8/2021 at 6:50 AM, tedwoods said:

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!

 

Yesterday I hooked up my Denefrips Hermes DDC so that I could rule out the issue being with the AES input of the Baltic. That worked perfectly unlike my Mutec USB. It did sound very good and I think offered a bit more detail but it lost some of Baltic's "special sauce" which for me is the whole deal. It rolled by system back to more of a solid state sound. The Lampizator implementation of the JL Sounds board is pretty remarkable.

[mourip]

On 10/8/2021 at 6:50 AM, tedwoods said:

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!

 

I took the plunge and bought a Final Touch Audio USB cable. I was skeptical that, other than making sure that grounding issues were in order, a USB cable could make such a big difference but I was sure wrong. The FTA has a remarkable synergy with the Baltic.

[Nikko1960]

I can highly recommend the following which has made a huge difference to the music coming out of my Baltic3:

 

• EtherRegen, powered by Uptone LPS;
• AfterDark Emperor Crown SE OCXO clock, powered by AfterDark LPS, with a Black River clock cable to the ER;
• Sonore UltraRendu.

 

I've had the UltraRendu and EtherRegen for ages and, of course, thought they made a big contribution to the relaxed, detailed sound coming from the Lampi.  But the addition of the clock made the most profound difference since I introduced the DAC.  This is a *highly* recommended addition.

 

I also use HQPlayer and Jussi's new modulators have also improved things.

 

I've never been happier and this is playing through a power amp (Boulder) and speakers (JM Labs) that are >25 years old.

 

[Lowlands]

Gang...

I am seriously contemplating moving over to the Lampi DSD camp, coming from the Berkeley PCM camp (current user of BADA MK1, the golden oldy).

I have my eyes on a (i) GG Mk1 end '15, currently getting an overhaul (new JL USB, new fit & finish, new testreport, the works) at Lampizator in Poland and an early '19 Big7 Mk2. Both have same PCM & DSD fitting, both come with premium KR tubes, no real decider there. The price gap is rather small (800 euro).
What would you guys go for & why?

[firedog]

1 hour ago, Lowlands said:

Gang...

I am seriously contemplating moving over to the Lampi DSD camp, coming from the Berkeley PCM camp (current user of BADA MK1, the golden oldy).

I have my eyes on a (i) GG Mk1 end '15, currently getting an overhaul (new JL USB, new fit & finish, new testreport, the works) at Lampizator in Poland and an early '19 Big7 Mk2. Both have same PCM & DSD fitting, both come with premium KR tubes, no real decider there. The price gap is rather small (800 euro).
What would you guys go for & why?

If you are listening primarily in DSD, I'd go for whichever one has the most up to date DSD engine. It's only been improved over the years.

[Lowlands]

Thx. Makes sense. The PCM ' engines'  have clear denominators (5942, e53), but the DsD engines are just tagged by their max rate. In this case both units are PCM 5942 and DSD 256. Whilst the fist suggest they have the same PCM board, would the latter imply they have the same DSD engine, or is a DSD 256 engine from a more recent date (3.5 years between them) different (likely improved) over an older one?  

[firedog]

1 hour ago, Lowlands said:

Thx. Makes sense. The PCM ' engines'  have clear denominators (5942, e53), but the DsD engines are just tagged by their max rate. In this case both units are PCM 5942 and DSD 256. Whilst the fist suggest they have the same PCM board, would the latter imply they have the same DSD engine, or is a DSD 256 engine from a more recent date (3.5 years between them) different (likely improved) over an older one?  

Don't know that, maybe someone else here does. I'm sure Lampi will tell you if you ask. I don't know when, but they have changed how they work with DSD at least once.

[zerung]

In Lampizator Pacific DAC, they noted they use the Maxdor DSD P1 Module. So possibly the same on the upgraded GG1?

Geting a DSD512 implies that you have a streamer that can do the same, which will be challenging (I have the Auralic Aries G2.1).

 

AYN The Lampizator has a magical sound due to their analogue approach to power supply and the output stage.

[Lowlands]

Thx.

I took the plunge & have chosen the GG MK1 unit.
This is what I heard form the German Distributor (Pawel), who is selling me this unit:

"This golden gate has the older so called blue dac pcb and another chipless pcb (only for DSD), kinda like two dacs in one unit. The latest mk2 dacs have pcm and dsd on one pcb but sonically are equal."

 

That seems to match with some of the pictures of the insides of a GG MK1 on 6moons (review by Dawid Grzyb) showing two stacked PCB's that fit the description. Perhaps that might also explain why some opt for a DSD-only version, eliminating one PCB?

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 as part of the factory refurb anyway....

 

I sure hope to witness the magic in the mix with the rest of my gear... I plan to go DSD256 via HQPlayer > mRendu > Lampi..

[tedwoods]

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.

[Lowlands]

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...      

[tedwoods]

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!

[Blake]

@Lowlands what tubes are you running in your GG?

 

[RDSChicago]

Two questions. I have the Big 7 which I love with Amanero USB:

 

1. I see references on this thread to firmware updates. Can I load this update myself? If so, does anyone have instructions?

 

2. I am now using my Lumin as a DACstrsmer in another system and am connecting to the DAC from a laptop. I do have an iFi Micro iUSB3.0 which supposedly reduces noise generated via computer audio. This product is well reviewed on some sites but trashed in Audio Science review. Any suggestions from those who use a laptop as to optimizing performance on the Lampi and whether I’d hear better results from a streamer? Thanks. 

[Lowlands]

1 hour ago, Blake said:

@Lowlands what tubes are you running in your GG?

 

5U4G rectifier and PX-4 (2 xmatched )
All KR - Riccardo Kron Limited Series :-)

They came with the unit. I think I got lucky..... I haven't tried any other yet. I am kind of happy with them and slightly overwhelmed / will likely be tinkering with the amount of HQPlayer settings converting PCM to DSD.

 

I see you use a Terminator+ next to your GG. How do they differ to your ears?
Do you use the Gaia in front of the GG also or are you on the Lampi-DSD only USB wagon as I am? 

[zerung]

1 hour ago, RDSChicago said:

Two questions. I have the Big 7 which I love with Amanero USB:

 

1. I see references on this thread to firmware updates. Can I load this update myself? If so, does anyone have instructions?

 

2. I am now using my Lumin as a DACstrsmer in another system and am connecting to the DAC from a laptop. I do have an iFi Micro iUSB3.0 which supposedly reduces noise generated via computer audio. This product is well reviewed on some sites but trashed in Audio Science review. Any suggestions from those who use a laptop as to optimizing performance on the Lampi and whether I’d hear better results from a streamer? Thanks. 

 

 

@RDSChicago
1. Yes you can. You need to download the firmware update tool from the Amanero site. You need to short the pads to erase the old firmware first, then reprogram via your laptop and USB cable connected to the B7 USB module.
2. You need a high quality streamer to get the best sound out of the B7, or use a good quality USB enhancer/recloker, what ever you may call this? 

[Lowlands]

1 hour ago, RDSChicago said:

Can I load this update myself

 

There is collateral / info around on flashing Amanero updates DIY. I have not done it myself. My unit was refurbished last month by Lampizator and came with latest firmware (product card states "1099C") 
I have read you are able to update it yourself using the flashtool from the Amanero website.

Found this (have not tried, @your onw risk) : http://www.arttlabs.com/service/amanero.html

 

Question is why you should do it.  I have read that people do it due to compatibility issues, which is understandable. I have not read / heard of sound quality improvements due to firmware updates (but I may be uninformed). However, If your USB is fully functional, why take the risk...

[Blake]

40 minutes ago, Lowlands said:

I see you use a Terminator+ next to your GG. How do they differ to your ears?
Do you use the Gaia in front of the GG also or are you on the Lampi-DSD only USB wagon as I am? 

 

My DAC is currently at the factory in Poland and I haven't had the chance to compare it with the Terminator Plus, but I'll be doing that when it ships to me.  I haven't yet determined if I'll be using Gaia.  I'll also experiment with that.  The Lampi has the JL Sounds usb, so I'll see how that compares to inserting my Gaia in the chain, using another digital input on the Lampi.   

 

 

[Lowlands]

24 minutes ago, zerung said:

You need a high quality streamer to get the best sound out of the B7, or use a good quality USB enhancer/recloker, what ever you may call this

Read the same on more than one spot...

I wonder if any Lampi users around use Sonore Rendu's into their DAC and if (and what) they have anything in between. Would something like an Uptone USB regen raise the bar, or not?  

[zerung]

15 minutes ago, Lowlands said:

Read the same on more than one spot...

I wonder if any Lampi users around use Sonore Rendu's into their DAC and if (and what) they have anything in between. Would something like an Uptone USB regen raise the bar, or not?  

 

1. If I am not mistaken, the old Amanero driver did not support DSD 512. Once you flash this, it does. So getting the Amanero to perform needs the firmware to be upgraded. 

2. Long time ago I used the Rendu, then Ultrarendu - both with Regen. They were good, But dedicated, proper streamer like Auralic, etc. streets above the rendu, etc.

3. I found that USB Regen was a bit light weight. The Audio DI-20HE and the likes were far better. Yes more expensive also
 

[Dev]

If any of you guys with Amanero usb board are sending their Lampi to manufacturer, ask them if they can exchange the Amanero for the JL Audio usb board. They are much much better sounding.

[Blake]

3 hours ago, Lowlands said:

5U4G rectifier and PX-4 (2 xmatched )
All KR - Riccardo Kron Limited Series :-)

 

 Nice tubes!  I'll also run RK Limited 5U4G rectifier.  Using KR 242.