Lampizator Level 4 Gen 4 Tube Roller's DAC

[User211]

The LampSpazHater Level 4 V-Cap'd turned up yesterday.

It doesn't sound much like the L3 did. Definitely cleaner sounding than the L3 - more bass control too. An appreciably better DAC straight out of the box. Early days yet though and much tube rolling to be done.

Rectifier is 6x5, can tube roll 6829 (Greg gave me some Penta Labs 6829s - but this tube looks rare, to say the least), ECC82 and ECC81 plus the zillion equivs, plus ECC40 - not too common either.

I have a load of 81s and 82s to hand already which is cool.

Currently running with Mullard CV3884s and a quick spell with CV491s. More info laterz... knackered at the mo.

[User211]

To anyone interested - I've decided to spend some considered time with this DAC before making any further comments about its sonic attributes. Just for reasons of getting to know it plus getting some extra hours on the V-Caps.

I've been told Lampizator put 200 hours on them, and Greg another 100, so I'd be surprised if there was room for any further improvements. That is a very nice touch though, so thanks to Lukasz and Greg for that.

I also have a signed by Lukasz test report and 5 year warranty including the tubes!!! Another very nice touch. Added to that, Greg from G-Point drove all the way from Hitchen to personally deliver it. I think Greg was a bit shocked at the contrast between my Apogees and his horns, but once he'd adjusted for a while he was making positive remarks - particularly about the ribbon bass.

The 6829s are in now, so off for another listen.

[wisnon]

Keep it coming User211.

[Z-A]

Hey Justin,

Paul from MLO here, look forward to your thoughts on this! Did you get you Ap's finished? When you do lets get organised, I'll pop over for a listen.

Btw, if you go to Whittlebury, pop in to Chapel and say hello, I'll have the CF DAC there we spoke about, along with Mr C from here we will have a rather nice system!

ATB for now..

[User211]

Hi Paul,

Yeah sure I'll pop in and say hello. Be interesting to at least cast my ears over the CF DAC.

The Apogees are still in the making but progress is slow - breaking router bits have been a bit of a problem but I believe that is now sorted. I've got some more up-to-date photos than MLO thread but I just can't post them. Have confidence though they will get made eventually.

Justin

[User211]

Keep it coming User211.

A couple of other nice touches - the L4 was optimised for the input impedance of my preamp and I was asked what output level I'd like. Plumped for 2.5V but TBH that obviously varies with the tube installed. CV491 (ECC82) requires noticeably more preamp gain than either ECC40 or 6829.

The L4 is excellent, Norm. It is hard to be read as objective without people thinking it is just self-affirming "I made the right decision" type of prose.

The price leap between the L3 and the L4 I have is substantial, but the increase in performance is "on another level". And indeed it is a level 4 - 1 level up!

Which kind of makes me extremely curious as to the quality of sonics available from a 5 or 6. I don't believe it'd be possible to have the same degree of lift in performance as witnessed between L3->L4 V-Cap'd.

I haven't heard a digital source that betters the L4's level of performance in my system. But that's just my opinion and biasing, I suppose.

[User211]

I thought it'd be interesting to take the Lukasz description of the Gen 4 sound and comment on them. In relation to the previous generation I can't comment, which is what his comments refer to. So my observations are simply objective rather than relative. Or where I have felt like it they are relative to an L3.

1) The musical changes are among others: more palpable sound, more “here” in front of you. You can isolate separate threads easier and follow them easier and understand who is doing what.

3D projection is very good. But the bolded bit is absolutely spot on. Rather than stuff getting a bit hashed together, it is incredibly easy to follow various aspects of some particular part in both simple and complex passages. It's the ability to handle complex passages that really stands out - when there's a lot in the mix it really seems quite oddly good at doing this.

It is a bit like comparing a cheap cartridge to an expensive one whose tracking ability is vastly better. Only the level to which this is taken with the L4 is beyond any analogue or digital source I have ever heard in my system. It is literally brilliant at it.

3) There is a deeper and more tuneful bass.

Well it is deep. It is tuneful. And in the L4 it is better controlled than in L3. It is also fast without being "forced fast" if that makes any sense.

4) Human voices are more human.

A fellow Apogee owner from Lichtenstein came round and remarked how good voices were with the L3. They are more real sounding with the L4. But then so are instruments - which get close to convincingly being in front of you. But then you could say that about quite a few good DACs.

5) The 3D space is a more believable one.

No question the L4 can place various elements of the sound where you'd expect them to be. With electronic music that fails to take on much meaning, though, but it still conjures up a very nice soundstage.

The L4 is considerably better than the L3 was with electronic music. It is quicker, and the bass doesn't lose the required control/grip. But it'll never beat my old Tri-Vista in its ability to shove out bass that is both very controlled and subjectively fast.

6) Long time fatigue is significantly smaller

Agreed. But then again rougher, harsher sounds can sometimes help to maintain interest, even if it is ultimately fatiguing. You cannot have everything. It is all a compromise.

7) Any remaining “digital roughness” is completely gone.

Totally true. And maybe hard to get used to. A prime example of this is the Libertines first album which I used to find a bit difficult to get through with the Tri-Vista and other DACs. It sounded bloody fabulous on Friday night. Really clear, alive and energetic and not at all harsh/rough. This aspect seems to apply to pretty much everything - there is no "digital glare" to speak of. A bit uncanny and quite unusual.

I have to concede that from all the above you just don't know how it sounds, just like any other written review. All you can do is imagine... but the above should help point you in a direction or frame of mind as to the sorts of things that this DAC is good at.

[User211]

Onto some 6414s...

... of course, finding that right tube can be torture....

[User211]

Source A: GyroOrbe, Morch DP6, Transfiguration Orpheus. Trichord Diablo NCPSU. Track: Copy Of A from Hesitiation Marks on vinyl.

Source B: Lampizapper L4 with ECC40. Track: 24 bit/48KHz Copy Of A.

Listened to both and I must say the vinyl pressing is excellent. Really excellent and much better than The Fragile was on triple vinyl. This is on double vinyl and I bought it at the NAS show.

I used my sound meter (a good one) to ballpark level match.

Both renditions were markedly similar. Both were excellent. The Lamp rendition, I think, had marginally more detail/clarity coming through. But not by much. I think I'd be buggered to tell the two apart if I'd just walked into the track half way through and didn't know the source, excepting any obvious clicks and pops.

Considering the list price of the cartridge was approximately the same as the cost of the Lampizator, I'd say that was a result.

The tube rolling aspect of any piece of the equipment I always find fun. Next up to try is some Philips ECG 5814s, just because I was talking to Nick Gorham of Longdog Audio, who said he was reading this thread at the NAS show.

Now comparing the Longdog with the Lampizator would be interesting, as they are in the same price bracket. An AN DAC 4.1 should turn up in a couple of weeks for a comparison, its owner very curious to hear the Lampizator.

[lurcher]

Now comparing the Longdog with the Lampizator would be interesting, as they are in the same price bracket.

I am sure we can do something to make that happen.