No I am in a very satisfied state Norman, TBH:)
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No I am in a very satisfied state Norman, TBH:)
I think you should be too.
I honestly recommend you put your B7 up against a GG in the same listening session. You may feel differently of course and I know you are very pro Lampizator but I think you will be surprised.
Oh Justin, I am very satisfied and just as pro-Lampi as you are. However, the darn foo parts DO apparently make a difference. I am not "nervosa" and apart from DSD256 and the bling copper case, I am not even too jealous. LoL
Just hard going from being big man on campus to just another student. LoL
Get a copper top made. Also changing non-critical parts for foo should be easy enough on the DAC you have.
I might do it (or get it done) for kicks but I'm not expecting a huge lift in performance. Any last ounce is always welcome though...
I have a Point to Point B7, so no V shaped tube configuration. I actually like the see thru Perspex top.
However the foo parts are well integrated into the design and only really Lukasz (or his supervised team) could do the upgrade properly. I guess when oredrs slow a bit or when he has more Production capacity, then a foo part refresh could be a more affordable compromise. However, It will be hard to beat the purpose designed GG Dac and the cost difference will not be that great...just that the needed cash flow requirement is spread out over a longer time period.
Based on soooo much feedback in the UK and the US, I am sure the GG has a big uplift. This from people who have traded up from the B7. I think even our mutual pal Greg is smitten by the jump in performance that caught him off guard.
The real surprise that will come (based on my extrapolation of feedback so far) will be a fully decked out Balanced GG with the 211 balanced amps. I am sure Mike B of Audioshark will be all over that. Joe G already has a Bal B7 he loves and GOT his 211amps today, according to the US distributor. I am really waiting to hear critical reporting on that!
Some US GG feedback:
Geardaddy on the GG Dac:
"
I have one too now (#2 in the US) and sadly its a major step up from the B7. I was not expecting that....just Gucci casework and parts for rich idiots was my cynical presumption. Not so. Best digital I have heard or owned. No desire for a TT any longer. Well done Lucas..... and
Clarity, soundstaging, and an organic fluidity and cohesiveness to its presentation whether it be PCM or DSD.....again the breakin process is long and presumably not complete.... ".
Well I am happy for those GG owners who feel/hear what they do.
I would like to hear the 211 monos up against mine., but I have essentially stopped upgrading for a very long time.
We never stop the journey, just pause for a while.Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
Bal amps?Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
The key is no phase splitter, so SET sound quality with 85wpc power!
Interesting bit on valve rolling. The Cunningham CX-345 is the one that, over time, I have used the most. I think the reason is its subjective speed. It just seems to respond so quickly to its input.
I have found a valve that looks interesting that I have not seen used by any Lampy user yet. May take a punt on some.
What tube is that J? Email me if you dont want it public yet.
Norman you have a PM.
Double post badness.
And the mystery tube is, for Lampy owners worldwide:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2N1gxNj...,dw~~60_57.JPG
British Post Office VT68_GPO (CV1651, G445B) is electrically similar to Western Electric 101D or 101F (other than the socket) and should work in the same circuits. VT68 has B4 British basing, so you need B4 to UX4 socket adaptors, which are about $17 each on ebay USA.
I scored a pair NOS for £40 - joke cheap really. Billington and ebay have them at higher prices (£30 and £40 each respectively).
The B4 adaptor will let you use PX25 and maybe PX4 amongst I suspect a few others.
Love it when finds like this happen. Two Mullard telephony valves, whose spec sheet was restricted when released.
These may well prove to be excellent (or not:D). Have not got them yet. Will report in a week or two.
Punter "Hey w'appen man Ras?"
Ras "Man feel, in herb confirm. Or so de great reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson say."
Punter "Ya man, de righteous Linton. Prophet an' poet man. So why you sittin' by de VT68_GPO Ras?"
Ras "Cos soundz good 'ere man. Haile Selassie - ever livin', ever givin' man."
Man Ras recognises a good sounding triode when he sees one. He ranks dis one highly. Selassie.;)
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3tusf8cm.jpg
The post above was a bit of humour for the Jamaican wisnon, who pops in from time to time.
The B4 to UX4 socket converters arrived from China in record time. The quality is unbelievable for the money - really heavy, quality items with Teflon wiring. I was expecting low quality cheapness TBH, but figurered they'd do the job. The seller id is beidou2012.
The valve itself sounds excellent. Strong ballsy bass and lush mids/highs. Very highly recommended, possibly the best so far with both amps I have at present. As always, you might not find the same.
Jamaica? ...no, she went of her own accord:D
Nice...now to find them for a similar price...Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
Actually Norman stay away from them. They're sounding increasingly distorted. Swapped some other options in and they all sound as I expect.
Unsure why, maybe they're not that happy in the Lampy circuit.
Could it be a faulty pair?
They are 4v, 0.45amps, so within normal range: http://frank.pocnet.net/other/Servic...4-1/CV1651.pdf
Maybe you should send them my way to check out. I should be getting the adapters any day now..
They "looked" as NOS as hell. The boxes look very old but the cardboard condition is otherwise fine. The protective paper/cardboard inside looked like the valves had hardly, if ever been taken out, but they had been, as they had the seller's measurement stickers on.
Ran them in the 45/101D switch position. Filaments emit a normal glow, even with the recent rapid deterioration in sound.
Confusing. Will try them one more time, but that's twice already. Will contact the seller, see what he says.
Golden Gate DSD version sounding fine today at HiFi Live. Was running with a KR 300B output tube.
Thanks
Steve
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...025_143426.jpg
Zooming in on that pic they are actually running Psvane WE 101D replicas and a EML 274B rectifier, Steve, I think. Not sure that's what you heard, though.
Anyway glad it sounded good. The hORNS speakers, the box ones at any rate, I like. The actual odd looking horns of theirs I'm not so keen on.
The show guide lists different valves for the Lamizator for some reason. I quoted from there.Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
Interesting preamp in that picture as well :eyebrows:
Hint: begins with a K and ends with an N.
+1 for the hORNS Justin, heard them a number of times now.
:)
Is it a Music First?Quote:
Originally Posted by Firebottle
No it's the first Firebottle KIN :)
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...e/P1040937.jpg
I was looking on the right hand side, step up transformer. Wow, it was in good company then. Noted the sound in this room was first class.Quote:
Originally Posted by Firebottle
Any update?Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
No not yet Norman. I'll e-mail the seller now.
The seller did get back, but I think the valves are actually OK. Pretty sure it was just distortion in some Maurizio Belladonna source material that led me to the conclusion. Cross comparing with other valves and they all present the persistent sound in the track with the same odd sounding distortion.
It's a bit like listening to Etherwood by Etherwood. There's distortion running through that, too, and if your not aware it is present in the source, you question your kit.
Kindig it!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by cyclopse
Not quite up to the cars looks wise, though.;) That is, if you can take American bling.:D
So, how do you rate the SQ of those tubes?Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
I tried running them on high heater yesterday deliberately for a short period. It is quite apparent that distortion increases in this inappropriate mode, so that's another reason they can sound distorted and I have to fess up I may have done that for a while too.
As described earlier, really. Maybe they'd get a high Lucasz rating as they knock out quite a spacious soundstage. He claims Lampizator DACs are priced to that criterion i.e. the better they are at 3Dness, the more the DACs cost. TBH though the degree of 3Dness does seem to be quite triode type related too.
It's a cheap tube and displays a different set of characteristics like they all do, Norman. See if you like them.
Justin! - clear some space in your PM inbox, laddie. ;)
Jobest doneth.
This thread is truly insane, with some of the best triodes on the planet being described/used. WE, Takatsuki, EML, KR, ELROG (dodgy?) etc etc.
As always the results will vary depending on tastes, system components etc so a lot of it should be read with this fact in mind.
I'm enjoying Tom's (Montesquieu's) TJ 2A3s at the moment, which have an amazingly open mid range with oodles of detail and an expansive soundstage. Bass is not the best, but the mid range is fantastically enjoyable. Not bad for £95.
Quite fancy some KR PX04 - a UX4 base PX4. Expensive, though. Just lust I doubt I'll go for them.
It is pretty obvious from the link that this DAC turns people into triode/rectifier junkies.
Ordered some KR PX4s, but with a specified by me UX4 base, for an Xmas treat... not a standard base for a PX4, but KR will do it. Nice.
Impressions to follow. Might be a week or two yet, though.
50,000 hits? Not AoSers I'm sure.
Anyway, got them today. They're definitely sounding very nice from the box. More impressions later.
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...psgcdbdwww.jpg
You must have quite a collection now of different valve options.
Only those listed in this thread minus the TJ 2A3 as one died. Which is a shame as I liked them quite a bit.
The KR PX4 is insane.
Switching from VT-52 to PX4 blows the soundstage wide open to wall perimeter defying levels and dishes up a wealth of mid range detail I have never heard before.
Bass is also surprisingly weighty, full and detailed.
I'm really not sure how it is doing it but I suspect phase and frequency response anomalies are responsible. But maybe not. Applying EQ to tone down the mid and highs doesn't really seem to stop the detail digging as much as you would expect. Perplexing.
A note to Jerry: if you thought my system was highly resolving, you should hear this. It is NUTCASE.
I had a Lampizator EML Special Edition 45 in the system for a few hours, but it definitely sounded a lot more "normal" than this.
I've owned this DAC for a long time now, and this thing really is quite a shock to listen to. You never really know this DAC which is what makes it such a pleasure to own.
So if your in for a dose of forensics, large soundstage with clear placement of images, and some weighty, very well resolved bass, this would appear to be the ticket.
It isn't really a valve to relax with. VT-52 will definitely tone everything down a notch, for instance i.e. collapse the soundstage, drop the level of detail, warm things up a bit, and produce a less awesome bass. But that is no bad thing. It's all about what sort of mood your in at the time, I think.
EDIT: the PX4 also majors on speed. Things seem to happen extremely quickly WRT transients.
Some might enjoy this as there are a few Lampi owners out there. I've just posted it.
I'm not advocating spending this much on a DAC in any way, shape or form. Unless you are extremely wealthy I'd judge it to be a mistake. Anyway, the man speaks, for 48 minutes, so you have to be pretty fanatical to want to watch it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=V0DttTjJ5Y8
My god what is this thread doing with 73K hits? I haven't looked at it for ages. Far out.
Anyway, been playing with a few new valves in my now extensively modified Lampizator. It now uses active triode loading in the shape of a 6N6P, and a 5U4G rectifier (I'm using a Chatham 5R4WGB). The two 6X5 rectifiers are now gone.
I have also had some huge Jupiter copper foil caps installed in the output stage, which I have to say sound fabulous. I have two sets of RCA jacks and can switch between those and the Duelands.
So here's the valves I've been assessing.
https://jgz1la.db.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
From left to right:
KR 300B Ricardo Kron edition
Marconi PX4 on adaptors bought from ebay to make them fit into UX4 sockets
EML Lampizator 6th Anniversary Special 45
KR 242
KR PX25
and a gratuitous shot of the system they are being assessed in, mainly because I really like the way the sunlight falls on the left speaker. Had to be worth a post
https://jqz1la.db.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
I had to send the KR 300B RK back due to a manufacturing issue. I am glad I did as this pair sounds quite markedly better and also quite different. Which is freakin' curious, since the fault was simply due to mica not touching the glass to prevent microphony like it should.
Will post some thoughts about all apart from the Marconi PX4 soonish. I'm keeping that one secret, just to tease:D
Looking great Justin. Massive panels those
Heard some Lampizator kit today and it made an impression.
What was it? The DACs themselves are interesting as they all vary in sound depending on how they were built and what valves they have in them. DACs on the same level vary, especially over time. Different caps, different circuits etc etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Mine is now at level "doesn't exist", I would say. It doesn't correspond to anything in the current line up.
BTW I don't own that batch of valves, the PX25, 242 and EML 45s are on loan from a GG owner.
I think it was a combined DAC/pre-amp and two monoblocks. The monoblocks used enormous valves.Quote:
Originally Posted by User211
Have another pic:) Note XiangSheng in front of the monoblock.Quote:
Originally Posted by struth
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.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ec9be62ea3.jpg
Were you at Cranage the day before or something?Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca