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Went to CES this year to work on my transition to high Rez digital. I've heard many of the highly regarded players in my room or in others systems in the past. I'm actually very happy with my current cd based sound. As I listened to various DACS playing CD then high Rez, I was not bowled over. High rez was better, but only slightly so. The best (and most different) sound I heard happened to have one similarity. They were 2 non oversampling DACS with tube analog stages(Zanden and Ypsilon). These were without question the most natural sounding digital systems I heard at the show. They made CDsound miles ahead of high Rez. What gives?

PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
bflowers
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
"Lloyd, I was thinking about your digital front end and your intonations early in this thread about the old equipment itch. I think you should be very pleased with yourself. Digital front ends come and go like the wind in most systems. Few manufacturers make dacs that people seem to hold onto. Audionote and Zanden are two that come to mind. You have a fabulous foundation that is imminently tweakable and has made music for 6 years. Bravo. It is VERY hard to find digital that lays down down analog goodness in a realistic manner.

All that being said, the best dac I have "heard" is the Light Harmonic DaVinci. Sadly, the price is a little dear these days...
Agear "

Hi Agear,

Thanks for your kind words. I admit, the single greatest investment I have made in my system in the last 3 years has been growing my CD collection from 400 CDs to closer to 2,000. And loving it. I feel very fortunate indeed.

I have heard amazing things about Lampizator 7 and the fact that Lampizator, Light Harmonic have separate DACs internally for PCM vs DSD intrigues me, as more than one has said they find that no one solution fits all digital formats equally well. I know a few people who own Trinity DAC...sounding very very promising!

Good luck in your search and please keep us posted!!
agear
1,362 posts
 
Lloyd, I am aiming to snag a Lampizator 7 when my CFO wifey allows me to do so.....
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Got it! ;)
dvavc
81 posts
 
So, what about Lampizator vs. NOS-1. Have anybody A-B them yet? Agear, any spacfic reason why you decided on Lampizator vs. NOS-1?
agear
1,362 posts
 
Dvavc, it was a decision based mostly on intuition. I know it's a sacrilegious thing for an audiophile to admit that, but it's true. I am at heart an "analog guy," and the L7 is, by all reports, one of the closest analogs of analog in the digital domain.

I am also lazy. In my 20s, I loved playing IT boy and fiddling. Now, with young kids and a busy life, I have zero interest. If you spend any amount of time on the NOS-1 threads, you will know what I mean by this disinclination.

The shootout in Atlanta has not materialized. It still might, but frankly, at this point, I have little desire to attend.

On a side note,I am actively researching turntables, and am looking at snagging a Triangle table as well to round out and complete my front end. I know this is contradictory in light of my comments about the Phasure, but I am continually drawn to the sound of vinyl. It was ironically my primary source as a young kid and preteen, and I am looking to return to my musical roots.
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