they sound very good... relaxed warm sound with detail presented in a gentle natural way |
I have had the 2.1 for years after quite a few others and I still love it. Very non digital, but as jjss49 says, great detail and all of the other good stuff. |
Hi Jjss and roxy,
Thanks for your input!
How do they compare to other dacs? Esp tube dacs or audio note dacs?
Thanks! :) |
I built the 4.1x recently and it displaced my Lessloss DAC 2000 MkII in my system. The Lessloss was in my system for 13 years, so to me it was an excellent DAC using one of the best DAC chips ever and implementing it well in the circuit.
The 4.1x just adds more of what the Lessloss gave me. I don't listen to hi-res very much (maybe some 24/96 files) so 16/44.1 works fine for me. I find the 4.1x to be very smooth and natural sounding. It is extremely quiet as well for a tube DAC. I think what makes the unit special is not so much the DAC chip, but the use of transformers for the I/V conversion and the transformer coupled output. So no opamps and no capacitor coupled output.
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I demo'ed a 3.1 in my system for a few days. Nice sound... smooth and warm, but not as good as my previous DAC Luxman (DA-06) and current DAC (Audio Aero Capitol Reference). Could be a synergy thing, as I could see the Audio Note being a good fit for a bright or thin sounding system. |
I built an AN Kits 4.1LE some years back, subbing in some VH Audio Copper/Teflon caps. It sounds much like others have described. Decent detail, but certainly not digging in as deeply as my Lampi Pacific. Warmer, rounder, kinder to the music - - just a pure joy to listen to in my second system. More "analog" sounding than a lot of ss DACS. It does respond to different tubes, to be sure, and really likes a rectifier upgrade. I think its a pretty good DAC for the money, if your systems needs a source that is not "in your face" - - then it's a good match. |
Hi guys,
Thanks so much for your input! 2 questions:
1. What source/cable were you using? CD player? Computer? Streamer? Any issues with connectivity?
2. What do you feel about the soundstage?
Thanks! |
Hi Jbrrp
Wow you own one of my grail dacs the lampi pacific! How many % would the ANK dac 4.1 be compared to your pacific? In terms of soundstage how does it compare?
You also mentioned a rectifier upgrade. What did you use in the end that sounded good? With what tubes? Ecc99?
Thanks!
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I find that a Bendix 5852 Redbank manufacture is the primo rectifier in the ANK DAC. Just more of everything compared to the tube supplied with the kit. And I run Philips JAN 5687WE's, too.
I hate to say it, but the Lampi Pacific is quite a bit better than the ANK DAC - - I don't know how to characterize these things as percentages. I've gone up the chain of Big 7, Golden Gate, and finally Pacific, and even the Big 7 clearly offers more information while staying very musical. The others just get better and better. That said, I have kept the ANK for my second system, rather than move the Big 7 into it, so that says something about value for the ANK. |
Hi @jbrrp1
Did you manage to listen to the dac 5.1? If you did, how does it compare to the big 7? :)
Actually am quite curious regarding the sound of the DHT tubes (eg 300B) vs the usual tubes like 12AU7. Was wondering if the sound is more open/musical/larger sound stage? Or how does it sound?
Thanks!
Regards |
I have never heard the 5.1, so I can't comment on that.
Maybe it's the DHT tubes, but regardless, all Lampi's I have owned present a large, fairly 3D soundstage. As I went up their range of DAC's, the stage got a little bigger, but the biggest difference is in the increase in musical information and details, which provide more of the "you are there" presentation and feel to the music reproduction. I have the Pacific now paired with the Taiko Audio Extreme server, and the results are pretty great, as close to "live" as a system has sounded to me. |
@jbrrp1 hahaha oic ok thanks for sharing! Would you buy the big 7 again if thats the top of your budget?
Oic nice thanks! What tubes were you using? :) KR audio 300b RK? :) haha wow your current front end costs more than twice my speakers and amp :pp haha what amp and speakers are you using? :) must sound very magnificent!
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The Big 7 at its retail, I don't know. I sold mine for only half of what I paid after two years, as digital depreciates fast. Now, used, sure!
I am running the RK 300B's, and have PX4's, Psvane WE101D "replicas", and KR T-100's to try, as well. My system needs the robust and warmer sonic tilt of the 300B's to be right. I am running the D'Ag S250 amp and HD pre into some TAD CR-1's (the TAD's needing the "warming"!). Kids all through college, house paid off, I have been indulging in my audio passion pretty strongly in the last few years...and enjoying it very, very much! |
@jbrrp1 ouch! Tt really hurt! Sigh....thats the sad part about audio...despite it being good it depreciates so much!
Hahaha oic wow naise selection of tubes! Was wondering if i bought it....prob will get the RK 300b and maybe 242s as well from KR.
Lovely system and what a great retirement hobby! I would do exactly the same as you to enjoy good music and good gear when i have retired! Haha sadly im only 30 😂😂😂 still gotta long way to go! |
It is a great hobby all life long. At 30 I had Vandersteen 2C's with some Counterpoint gear and a SOTA Deluxe Star with SME V tt as the only source. It's been a joy the whole way to my early 60's. I just kept plowing about $3k - $4k in my system per year (I have an understanding bride who let's me play with some bonus money).
I have read that those standard Kron 242's are killer in the DAC's. I would like to try a pair, but I fear they may be too detailed and neutral in my system. |
@jbrrp1 hahhaa thats really a lifelong hobby for you! Yeah cool! Nice way to upgrade the system! Hahahaha and great wife you have :p
Which component in your system do you feel plays the greatest part in determining the sound?
Oic! If I ever do get to try a 242 let you know! Theres a RK version too...maybe they would sound better? :) or can use more copper cables in the system! Met a furutech dealer who told me can use thick and copper power cables with gold plated connectors to tone down brightness as well :)
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