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Thread: Lampizator Level 7

  1. #251
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    Quote Originally Posted by User211 View Post
    Have another pic Note XiangSheng in front of the monoblock.

    I still love it. It is my "reality reset" DAC, meaning I return to it just to see how it compares with the Lampi. Stops me getting carried away.

    While a Lampi is fun it is an expensive toy, especially considering that the price of even just those RK 300Bs is 11 times the price of the Xiang.

    Sobering thought and it shows just how great the Xiang VFM is.
    yup, ive not been tempted to change mine.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  2. #252
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by User211 View Post
    Were you at Cranage the day before or something?
    Yes, yesterday.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  3. #253
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

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    KR makes great sounding valves.
    Have a pair of their Balloon 300Bs in my SET power amp, and they don't give anything away to the Elrogs I had in there before.

    Great looking system, bravo.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  4. #254
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    KR makes great sounding valves.
    Have a pair of their Balloon 300Bs in my SET power amp, and they don't give anything away to the Elrogs I had in there before.

    Great looking system, bravo.
    They are good.

    With the DAC in its current configuration, the PX4 is actually not as good as the other KR offerings. In fact, I would rank all the other valves in the last valve pic above it. Reading my last PX4 post, I think I over-hyped it. I'm fessing up to my inner "judge" here.

    The KR 242 is very popular among Lampi owners, and now works in the DAC's current configuration, which has had it's output level dropped. However, it is still an extremely high gain option, and 9 o'clock on the volume control is about the same as 11:30 with, say, the KR 300B RK, according to my DB meter. 6 o'clock is zero volume.

    It is fine using my Air Tight passive, which has super fine volume control. However, I still prefer it with the active preamp, so I have ordered some Rothwell attenuators for use with it.

    The PX25 is also high gain, though not quite so high as the 242. Of all of the recent batch, the PX25 is my least fave, but it is still good. Definitely better than the PX4.

    Whilst I mentioned the EML Special 45 in my earlier post on the PX4, it is in fact quite superior to the PX4 in the current set up. And far better than I remember an EML solid plate 45 as being. It has a really sweet, delicate mid range, presenting detail in an almost delightful fashion. But the bass is still very good, as is the soundstage. The problem is it really was a limited edition. I had given up on EML a bit, but this really is good. If available new I would definitely buy it. Word is it isn't going to happen. Shame - it should be in every self-respecting Lampi owner's arsenal if it gives the same result I am hearing now.

    The Special 45 isn't necessarily the best, but it offers a flavour that is up there with the very best.

    More later, especially when I have had more time with the replacement RK 300Bs and the attenuated 242.

  5. #255
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    The Rothwell ttenuated 242 didn't really work. You're better off not using the attenuators at all, it would appear, for this particular case. They just seemed to strip the life out of the sound.

    However, the KR 242, KR PX25 and Lampi Anniv 45 are now gone since the owner came round for a listening session, and I let him have my KR RK 300B for a while. I also gave him a brand spanking NOS Chatham 5R4WGA rectifier. An incredible beast of a rectifier used in B52s and rated up to 60,000 feet and 900G. 900G FFS?? WTF? Seemed only fair to give him that and the KR RKs.

    So, here is some capacitor porn:



    I have my preamp set up so you can switch between the Jupiter and Dueland output capacitors at will via the remote and flick over fairly quickly to the Xiang by changing the optical input.

    The difference in caps is subtle. Quick flicks (5 seconds on each) and you can't hear much difference. But when you listen to entire tracks you most definitely can.

    The Jupiters are warmer and more relaxed and confident. Duelands are more accurate, but less warm and confident. But it isn't a fair comparison as the Duelands are 4.5 times less capacitance than the Jupiter.

    Then again that cap rating in Dueland wouldn't fit in the box and would cost a fortune.

    They are both copper foil paper and wax caps and so they shouldn't be expected to sound too different, I suppose, but generally these caps do tend to get reviews that suggest they are about the best going commercially.

    Might swap out the Duelands at some stage for something else. Having two outputs is interesting and adds that little bit extra to an already super flexible DAC.

  6. #256
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Justin,
    out of interest where did you get the white base KR 300Bs?

    I wanted a set of those to rellace the Elrogs I had in before, but was told the improved white base ones were for the American market only and were unavailable.

    Black base standard 300Bs sound great but if my next set could be the better ones....
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  7. #257
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: belgrade serbia

    Posts: 840
    I'm gordan.

    Default

    these lampi top level products freaks me out - i have amber II and i just can't imagine digital sounding much better than that.
    Gordan.
    Speakers: Oris Swing MkII
    Amps: Thomas Mayer 300b/ Hiraga La Maison de L'Audiophile 20
    Preamp: Silver AVC by eng. Ferenc Lazar
    Phono Preamp: Shishido LCR by Solaja Audio
    Decks: Garrard 301 Martin Bastin reworked/plinthed with Fidelity Research FR64fx
    Garrard 401 in eng Ferenc Lazar solid wenge plinth with SME 3012/2
    Cartridges: SPU Spirit/ Koetsu Black revisited by eng. Salai/ Miyajima Shilabe
    Step Up Transformers: Tango MCT 999/ Ortofon T-5000/ Lumiere SUT
    Digital: Shigaclone by eng. Ferenc Lazar with Lampizator Amber II
    Wires: of sufficient length

  8. #258
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    Justin,
    out of interest where did you get the white base KR 300Bs?

    I wanted a set of those to rellace the Elrogs I had in before, but was told the improved white base ones were for the American market only and were unavailable.

    Black base standard 300Bs sound great but if my next set could be the better ones....
    From Frank at Best300B. Frank is actually Lucasz Fikus's brother. They were quick to send them out.

    I forgot to mention the chap that owns the KR 242, PX25 and Lamp Anniversary 45s also came round with a KR white base 5U4G rectifier (not the RK version).

    In our opinion, the Chatham rectifier provided a better sound than the KR 5U4G. I am not surprised by this. The Chatham is a beast of a mil spec rectifier made to incredible standards.

    I won a FIVRE 5U4G recitifer on ebay that should be here soon. It was a lowball bid I really wasn't expecting to win it! FIVRE have a good rep, so it should be interesting.

    I have ordered some CMC Teflon UX4 sockets, and some WBT Ag Topline RCA sockets, which should go in soon. Not expecting much change in sound but I have just decided to keep dumping really high grade stuff into this DAC, because, well, why not?

    So my valve ranking head reckons the best available valves in this iteration of the DAC are the KR 300B RK and Lampi Anniversary 45. The KR RK has a strong sound especially when it come to bass. But its mids and highs are nice too. It is supremely detailed but not quite as sweet as the Anniversary.

    The classical music man who lent me the valves reckoned PX25 was best on classical and I'd have to agree it was, even though I don't listen to it. Just seemed to work really well with strings.

    I am asking JAC Music what the difference between the EML Mesh 45 and Lampi Anniversary is because internally it looks identical. Just the sockets and globe shape glass appear to be the only visible differences (apart from screen print).

    I am also interested in the EML AD1 - an implementation of the Telefunken AD1. But that would need an AD1 to UX4 socket converter which are available on ebay. Original AD1 are so expensive as to not be realistic, though I'd love a pair.

  9. #259
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by anubisgrau View Post
    these lampi top level products freaks me out - i have amber II and i just can't imagine digital sounding much better than that.
    It's just one of the first Big 7s, given a circuit change by Lampi recently following their recent discoveries, plus my idea of running dual output caps. Since they were never PCB based they are more flexible, so you can basically mess around with them, which is what I am doing. It is proving to be well worth it. It really is a lot better than it was.

    Next up are the transformers. I reckon there's better out there.

  10. #260
    Join Date: Jun 2011

    Location: cardiff

    Posts: 266
    I'm Tristan.

    Default

    I know you might not want to, but have you tried a really good mains cable on it?

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