Considering Bricasti and Lampizator

From another forum

"I've heard three different Lampis (4, and two Big 5s I believe) via a variety of Schiit or EC amps, and they seem to be all over the place. None of them sounded exactly the same. It irks me that there are so many models, making straight comparisons impossible, i.e. "which Lampi?" Then there's the issue of tube rolling - there are a lot of options and tubes to roll inside.

Supposedly the OR5 helps tremendously, but I have not heard a Lampi with an OR5. One thing I feel pretty confident saying is that the analog tube section is fantastic: resolving, clear, immediate without bloat or tooby-ness. Unfortunately, this puts on spotlight on the USB receiver and DAC circuitry which sounded mediocre or pretty darn good but with showstopper type warts (slight treble digititus or grating stridency.)

As things stand, I can not recommend the 4 or the Big 5 to friends, unless they are the type that wouldn't mind spending an additional X amount of tubes, tweaking with caps, etc. You could be just as well off buying a cheapo DCX2496, wiring in a boutique clock board, and connecting the output directly from the DAC chips to a tube amp like the BA. There have been four Lampis on sale (4, 5, 6, and 7) for quite a while now on the 'gon.

Ears I trust say the Big 7 is good, but we are getting into five figures now. "

I don't think you could go wrong with either. I heard the M1 at an audio store that utilized my speakers. It was very good. Thereafter, I bought a Big 7 and it is providing the best digital that I've ever had in my system.

Unfortunately, I didn't hear the M1 and Big 7 together in my room, with my other ancillary equipment. However even if I did, my results compared to yours and your system may be incomparable.

Suffice it to say that based on several other very satisfying buying decisions and equipment acquisitions, my purchasing leanings are towards the small boutique type manufacturers like Lampizator.

Since 2005 I've only owned tubed DAC's, and having over 40 tubes in the rest of my equipment, I enjoy having the ability to roll tubes. The Big 7 does nothing but reinforce that conclusion.

Digital is in a state of much more flux than other components, and although I've never put much weight in buying for resale, it even makes less sense to do so for digital components. Buy what you prefer today and hope you will be around or even care about resale when it comes time to upgrade. Of course if you're on the latest and greatest bandwagon and consider ROI to be of more importance than I etc., your mileage will substantially vary....

Seriously?

Putting Purrin's comments here? I cant take him seriously when he says a PSA PW2 and a Audio GD Master 7 sounds better than a Level 4 Lampi (much less a Level 5). Hell, the Amber will likely beat those Dacs he touts.

From Headfi you can read what AL says. AL has had 7 Lampis pass thru his hands and owns 2 Big7s currently. He also owns the D-Stream, Master7, Mytek, Hugo, MSB Platinum Stack, iDSD micro and a coup,e more I have forgotten. Why not ask him what HE thinks as he has owned them for months/years?

In any case, taste is a personal thing and I guess people have to try for themselves. However, if we are to use opinions of others, better to see what the heavyweights say, like Elberoth and Bruce Brown and the 2 reviewers at PFO Online who awarded Lampi with TWO editors awards in 2014.

Anyone else happen to compare these two great DACs?

PS Audio Directstream is actually pretty good and at a good price, make sure you feed it low jitter input though.