MHDT Orchid or Lampizator Amber 3?

@brownsfan Unfortunately the closest I get to classical on a regular basis (or during my auditioning) is electronica, so I don't really have much to say.  Hopefully Bill has some thoughts.  I started to write about the imaging/soundstaging of the two dacs (Amber = wider, AM = deeper), but I don't know that that really relates.  As you've seen in my comments, I did find the Amber to be more incisive and could imagine that relates to a better delineation of many instruments playing at once.  Wish I'd given some classical (or maybe some complex instrumental rock like Battles) a listen.

I will note that across the DACs I've experienced in my system, I've heard Wolfson, DS, ESS, Analogue Devices R2R, a FPGA, Brown-Burr, and Shiit's multi-bit implementation of two AD chips.  Unfortunately there's not much overlap there, but I did find the two AD chip based units sounded very different from one another (more so than the AD R2R - Audio Mirror -  vs. Brown-Burr - iFi iDSD Pro- for example).  Much like amplifiers, I suspect there's more to the implementation than the chip specifics.  I know Lampizator doesn't want your DS prejudices to color judgments of their products (and hence are hesitant to even note what chip they use).

I don't have either DAC, but wonder if your assessment of the Amber might have been different had you had the ability to get it to the 200+ breakin hours given comments grannyring has made about its sound has he has gotten closer to those hours

Certainly possible, although I also felt that the two dacs sounded very different from one another. Obviously Lampizator thinks you can get a pretty good idea of what the Amber offers within 7 days. And as Bill pointed out, everyone's impression is so totally system dependent.  If there were one single best answer, this forum wouldn't even exist.

Chris, you are absolutely correct in observing that implementation is key.  Also, there is never going to be a single DAC that is unequivocally better in every attribute.  It is enough for most of us that it checks most of our personal boxes, and mates well within the context of our systems.  In my case, my ModWright Sony lacks only in one respect, that being how it handles complex musical passages.   Tonal correctness, imaging, vocal articulation, air, liquidity, dynamics, virtually every other attribute that I value, is very satisfactory.    Hence, any DAC that becomes congested when asked to process a Mahler full orchestral onslaught is not going to find a home here.  The AM that you are keeping is still a serious contender for a mid to late 2020 purchase.  So anything that you can offer in that respect would be extremely useful information. 

I never attributed the notion of "congestion" to how a DAC chip or a DAC in general affects the sound. For me, I always felt (or thought) the speakers were the limiting factor when playing complex orchestral passages, particularly loud transients. The partnering amplifier also plays a key role but the exhibited shortcoming is more of a harshness and edge rather than congestion. Same with DACs, some are fluid and musical and some are dry and boring.