New Lampizator Level 4/ Version 4 DAC in the house

SGR, some DSD Dacs can only do DSD64 ...at least for the moment. Chord Qute is an example.
There is a LOT more DSD64 material out there than DSD12, bt there are a few albums out there you can buy online and some people are ripping their vinyl collections to DSD128!!!!!!

Digital is the equivalent of my third string QB.

I have been playing with digital for a few months and am using a dedicated 2012 MacMini with SSD, ifi power with split (power/signal) USB cable, Metrum HEX, and Pure Music player with NOS upsampling to 88.2 and Less is More. I use XLD to rip CDs directly to AIFF. The HEX runs balanced to my SMc preamp, then Clayton amps and Aerial speakers. Cable runs are short.

After two months of getting the computer set-up to sound as good as it can with that gear, I put my MUSE Erato II player back in the rack and IMO, while both sound good, the MUSE improves on the computer set-up by providing greater depth, mid-bass/midrange warmth, better decay, and a slightly more rounded presentation that makes me enjoy listening more. The computer set-up is equal to a touch better in clarity, deep bass, and detail, and while it sounds quite musical and achieves most or all of the desired audiophile type attributes, it simply does not create the same level of musical connection for me as the player.

Since the HEX has already been very positively reviewed by some pretty experienced folks and is said to be one of the better DACs at providing an organic (non-analytical) presentation, I am not sure whether a different DAC, such as the Lampizator, is the answer or if the computer thing is simply not quite at the level of a top disc player. I would also look to the player but I settled on Pure Music as the most musical of the big three after expiring the trial subscriptions to all three. This result is a little frustrating since I was hoping to equal or improve on the player, for the investment. Even the convenience is a wash given the idiosyncrasies of the computer audio players and the ease of using a remote with the player.

Are you Lampizator owners truly getting sound to rival your best players and even vinyl?

Agear, further to that point. LF has made arrangements that if anything untowards were to happen, all the schematics would be released to the public. Being a point to point wiring hand built item, any competent tech would be able to repair the unit.

Besides, even if he were not around, the company would survive.

I have the top of the line Jensen PIO , copper foil, paper cased caps in mine. The Duelund caps are more resolving for sure and the Jensen caps are a tad richer in the mids,

I will put Duelund in mine once I get the funds as they are quite expensive.

Well Vortrex just posted this at AudioCircle and he seems to be an analog guy like you:

"I got one of the G4 L4 units 2 weeks ago with the Jensen caps, which is still breaking in. It's technically a Level 4.5 as they call it, since it has the Level 5 PCB inside my unit. I'll preface this and say I am not a digital guy. The digital I have heard prior (audio show) has not been my cup of tea. I really like an organic 3D flavor, which digital has not shown me before.

Not having the right pieces to set up this DAC properly, I used the USB cable from my printer and connected it to a Macbook Pro running a trial version of Audirvana Plus. I then got a couple of hi-rez FLAC albums that I am very familiar with on vinyl. I was quite surprised to hear how well this DAC stood up against my vinyl rig (TW Acustic Raven, Ortofon RS-309D, Ortofon Synergy SPU, Leben RS-30EQ, Hashimoto HM7 SUT)! Clearly the DAC was producing a more solid foundation. What I was not expecting is for the digital to have dimension to it. Digital to me always spelled soulless and uninteresting. I won't say it had the depth of the analog rig, but the width was there. Images hover in space. There's a different presentation overall, I would say the DAC is bolder. If you are looking for a way out of analog, this could be your exit point. Looking back to all the previous vinyl rigs I have had in the past, I would choose this DAC over them. I think the analog setup I have now is the tipping point. Maybe the Big Six would close the gap even more or cross it?

I'll also say I was expecting something that was kind of DIY-like. That is not the case at all. It might have a utilitarian look to it, but the DAC is very well built and solid. It's better than some "Made in the USA" gear I have had before. The packaging was also first rate and it arrived only 1 HOUR different from the time Lukasz quoted me at shipment. Great service for sure."