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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
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grannyring OP
6,510 posts
 
Those running your Lampi with a computer right into the Lampi using USB are missing out on a significant improvement in sound quality by using the latest Offramp 5 and Dynamo power supply. I have compared both out of a Mac Mini and it is not even close. The improvement is shocking and must be heard to be believed. You will need both the OR5 and Dynamo power supply together for this level of improvement. No, they are not cheap. But if you guys really want to hear what your Lampi is capable of, then this will do it.

I have posted this several times and cannot overstate it's reality. The DAC's quality is very important in the whole digital equation, but dealing with jitter and noise before the DAC is MORE important in computer based audio. That is the simple truth.

If you have not run both the OR5 and Dynamo power supply and used the SPDIF input on your Lampi, you must try this before being rasing a "no way" objection. Way!
mattnshilp
917 posts
 
I already have a deposit in on an Empirical OverDrive SE DAC audition. If I decide that I like another DAC better, then I will return the OverDrive SE (Which does have quite an excellent reputation and I am excited to hear it) and likely audition an Off Ramp as I think it will improve almost any DAC out there (other then the OverDrive SE, which already has an offramp inside it).

I spoke with the guys at Jeff Rowland and they openly admitted that if the source is USB, the best sound from their Aeris would come from a top tier external USB to spdif converter over using their built in USB. I respect that type of honesty!
agear
1,362 posts
 
If you use a non-audiophile grade transport (a.k.a. computer), then something like an offramp is prudent. Another affordable option is the l-fi product's from AMR.
agear
1,362 posts
 
I share Lukasz's bias regarding R2R chips. I have had the thought of putting the 6 chipset in the 7 along with separate DSD functionality. Redbook and DSD are the only digital file types that hold my interest at this point....
wisnon
700 posts
 
Andrew,

That seems sensible.

Mattn,

You may consider getting a Fikus Transport (Squeezebox based) and connecting it via ethernet, rather than wifi.
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