Yes. The Weise is more precise and clinical in the Benchmark style (and many like that) while the Lamp is more musical and full-bodied - solo voices are more rounded and 3D for example. The Weise has more clean "air" around voices and instruments, but the Lamp fills that air with a more holistic ambience, natural reverb. Take your pick.
PS People who badmouth shootouts have probably never attended one. |
New reviews:
http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/01/0 ... vel-4-dac/
Impressive stuff.
and
http://www.theaudioeagle.com/columns/da ... rison.html.
Wisnon
Club Member
|
I would not say shootouts are completely useless, but they are flawed unless the cables and other components are optimized for each DAC (or other components of a shootout).
The wrong cables will kill a component's sound. I've done this many times; taking my best sounding cable for one component and put them on the new component, only to get terrible sound. This also applies to Transport-DAC combinations, Amp to speaker combos, etc.
Many DACs sound better with a really good preamp, even though they can be connected directly to the amps. Put a different DAC in, and it may sound better without the preamp.
So the people doing the shootout, really have their work cut out for them, if they want to be thorough. |
Some guy named Norman made the front part of the review.
Wonder who he is? =8^D |
Chayro
I completely agree.Living in Canada,I would never buy anything that expensive unless I could have it serviced in Canada or the U.S. |
Well so far he has stood behind his products admirably!
I can say that from first hand experience and from the few people who had any issues whatsoever.
Besides, many of us feel that no $5K DAC will be in the same league. I can say this as I spoke to at 5 other owners and gotten feedback from another 20 at least. This DAC is the business! Check the review! |
There is one
Ming Su. www. Goto-unit.com |
Personally, if I were considering a DAC in the $5K+ price range, I would purchase it from a US dealer (or your home country) with a good record of service, I'm not saying anything negative about Lamp, but, at those prices, I would want a strong local service base. But that's me. |
The review is out as of tonight.
Having one there is no BS in the review. |
In the next few days there will be a pro review done by stereomojo. Should be interesting. |
I have always been a fan of Lukas. I love his passion and tinkering with audio gear. But, I have also respected Steve at Great Northern Sound Company (another modder-but worked many years at Wadia), and bought the new Wadia S7I with GNSC Statement mods. Should get it in a few weeks. I like the fact that if something happens, Steve is only a few days way. I am a big fan of Lampizator, the Swiss Weiss, and of course, Wadia. I would like to add, I also have a Burmester 089, and that is one world class CDP/DAC with VC. I also just picked up a tubed preamp- Concert Fidelity CF 080 LS/X. I like my tubes in the pre, vs in the source. |
Mainly - Micromega Trio, Wadia X-64, EMM, Audio Note DAC4.1x and DAC5.1x and many other in between that I don't even remember now such as California Audio Lab, AA, Sonic Frontier, PSAudio, Theta?? |
Yes maybe one of the dacs in the shootout was having a bad day. |
shootouts are useless for several reasons.
they are unreliable.
they don't include a large enough sample of components.
they don't include a large enough sample of listeners.
experimental design may be flawed.
thus, the results are not subject to extrapolation to any other context than the shootout itself.
finally, a listener who was not part of the group may have a different opinion. |
Buyer,
What level do you have and what dacs have you owned that the Lamp has outrun? |
Hi Buyersum,
I have a Lamp 4 with USB and balance inputs coming in about 2 weeks. I hope I hear what your hearing. I'm currently using a Wavelength Cosecant V3. |
Just want to point out that Lampizator DAC is a tube DAC and Weiss 202 is a solid state DAC. Very different sound and really depends on what the listener like. The tube vs. Solid-state sound has been audiophile discussion for ages.
IMHO- tube bass has weight but lack of speed like SS. Tube has midrange to die for and very silk smooth high. SS is clean but missing the musical emotion that DHT/SET people are looking for. The goal of Lampizator DAC is to be as close as to vinyl sound. Since I start listening with Lampizator DAC, my vinyl setup has been collecting dust. |
Sold my TRL Dude Pre Amp and run the L4 Lampizator direct into my Tenor 75Wi that has volume control and run it as an integrated amp. Sounded better without the Dude so I am Dudeless. Invested the $$$ from the sale of the Dude into the L4 vs. the L3 I was going to buy.
Last Dac for me boys and girls unless I go to L5. |
If the volume control is built into the DAC a passive preamp is avoidable. So are impedance mismatches if the DAC's volume control is designed properly. Many digital sources with volume controls work well going direct into an amp. I'm considering going back to that option myself. |
The Lamp. level 4 is now being offered with a remote controlled 64 step ladder resistor volume control, as an affordable option. |
I dont agree that a passive preamp is the way to go in most systems, unless the power amp is specially matched that way. |
I agree with Glory here. Some how the best DAC could not reveal its potential in the company of other DACs in comparison. For a shoot out like this the system has to be very revealing in the first place, just a musical system is not enough at all. |
Hi Glory
I get where you are coming from now. That L4 DAC is amazing to me. After looking at it and the review again it is kind of hard to believe the EE DAC could hang with the L4.
Hi Steve N.
Thanks for chiming in too. I hope to one day own some of your stuff as well. Great quality but way out of my budget currently.
If a DAC has no volume control how would it be hooked up directly to an amp? Would a purely passive preamp be ok for a shoot out? Sorry for the stupid questions. |
The system was sub par.
Darby took the L4 home with him. The chap that voted against it should have taken both units home and A/B them and then he would have understood what a mistake he made with his vote. Darby knew that the shoot out was at best a crap shot as the Lamp was far and above the other units. |
Unless I heard the system myself, I would not trust it. And the tracks that they used, Jennifer Warnes for female vocalist? I have these tracks. Not good enough IMO. The Acapella, maybe but never heard it. The ref recordings was 176. It would be better to compare DAC's using mostly 44.1 rips and 96 masters IMO. Maybe a 192 track from 2L.
Also, it is important to drive the amps directly from the DAC and avoid the preamp.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Hi Glory
I'm confused as to how a shootout is meaningless. It wasn't only one person reviewing it was a bunch of people and they didn't know what DAC was which. If it was a shoot-out and only 1 judge was there I'd be a little leary of the results.
Also from the beginning of the Stereomojo review all the DACs in that shootout were auditioned on the same system by the same reviewers and the Lampizator 4 came out on top by a close margin. |
Sorry but shootouts mean nothing. The chap that took the L4 home with him said it was the best dac he ever heard in his system. What were the other philes hearing in the Amarra 2 when a Lamp L3 beat the piss out of my Amarra 4.
Best to demo all Dacs in one's system and then tell everyone it is the best dac in the world. |
See Dac shootout here:
http://stereomojo.com/Stereomojo%20Six%20DAC%20Shootout.htm/StereomojoSixDACShootout.htm
At www.digitalaudioblog.com you will find writeups on both DACs.
Go also to the owners forum for feedback and comparisons:
http://www.lampizatorforum.com/lampizator-dac-reviews-f3.html |
