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New Lampizator Level 4/ Version 4 DAC in the house

Wonder if any other new owners of this DAC are out there as I find it to be the finest digital playback I have heard to date. This is the first digital front end piece of gear I have owned that has transformed my music.

Ya, other digital gear does this or that better, but this Lampy breaks through to a new level of musical enjoyment. Clear view into the music helping the speakers just disappear. Only 24 hours of break in and the music flows so sweet, intimate and seemingly without boundaries.

Looking under the hood I see an impressive power supply with films caps and several high quality chokes. Point to point silver wired except for the digital and USB boards. This is a three tube player that is tube rectified. One has the option for SS rectification if desired.

Ya, I love this Lampy!
128x128grannyring
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"Steve, the Ifi crew claims lower jitter specs than Offramp at a fraction of the cost (www.digitalaudioreview). Any comments?"

I don't know where they get this. Send me an iFi and i'll publish the jitter distributions of OR5 and iFi.

In the end what matters is how the device sounds when connected to a DAC, not how it measures when connected to a test system anyway.

I don't see any iFi things taking best of show at Newport or RMAF. They have their pricepoint and I have mine.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
wisnon
700 posts
 
Grannyring,

If you buy a modded DVD player from the Lampi shop of just buy the digi-Lampizator kit 100euros and add to say a Denon DVD3910, you get astounding performance. Myself, I have just the Spdif modded Denon (no digi mod) and i disabled all the video sections, etc. Best spinner I have.

I also use a stock Duet with upograded caps and deicated LPSU and that is great.

Point is jitter is only half the story. Power (waveform distortion) is the other.
I think its too much to say low jitter is the end all and be all of good sound. Its important, yes, but not all.

Many ways to skin a cat.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,567 posts
 
Agear, the wallwart on the unit was actually much better than a standard wart as Steve does use/make a good one. The separate Dynamo power supply is much, much better however.

I don't know the science as well as I should regarding jitter, waveform distortion and the like, but boy is my rig smoking good after these last additions!
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,567 posts
 
Wisnon, I have owned some great modified transports and compared to my current computer based front end they sounded average......knowing what I hear now. I will never go back to a spinning disc. I would loose so much. I use the Amarra built in EQ to assure a flat room response. I would loose that. This tool is awesome! I would loose the ability to improve the sound by converting files to WAV and WAV 24/88.

My digital front end, based on my experience, is far superior to any spinning CD transport I have yet encountered. The Lampi, Apple Mac mini, Amarra, Offramp/Dynamo combo is just heaven to my ears. Ya, it costs lots more than your example for sure, so it better sound good.

If I ever need a spinner your option sounds like a great, lower cost one. It does sound interesting.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,567 posts
 
Sorry for the spelling ......meant lose not loose.

My Lampi dac has Jensen caps and I am close to trying some Duelund CAST caps. Not sure if this is the way to go or not. Has anyone compared both caps in the same Lampi unit?

The Jensen caps are rich, full bodied and so smooth with a touch of warmth. The Duelunds will be more resolving, but I wonder if I will loose the warmth?
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