Well, team Lampizator had a very successful CES. One industry guy with golden ears said the L7 was the closest thing he has heard to vinyl in a digital form, and the Audionote dealer from California said it was some of the best sound at the show. Everyone has their biases, but it is good feedback nonetheless. My tentative plan is still to get a L7 and USB transport. |
Some props from Audiofederation who has historically been a demanding listener who has angered many an industry type: http://audiofederation.com/blog/categories/shows/ces-2014/ |
The Asian audiophile community (particularly audio exotics ) are going crazy over the Cessaro horn speakers although as Miguel alluded to, they can be a challenge to optimize and have their limitations. I am sure Jeffrey had the appropriate music playing for them, and his rooms are ALWAYS an oasis.
Just to prove audiophiles are schizophrenic, here is Miles Astor's list of top rooms at CES: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue71/ces20145.htm
No mention of any of the rooms discussed here. Oh well. Perception is reality in audio. Just keep the self-important and solemn declarations to a minimum. :)
p.s. I did not attend due to my surgical duties. |
Bill, I know many philes would blessed by a system thread from you. I have always appreciated your zeal and passion and the good guidance you have given me over the years. That way, we can bandy around information for the sake of sound and music minus the politicking and conscious and subconscious agendas that so often infest equipment-specifc threads....:) |
Gearhead ticking some folks off is he?
Sharp pen and no L4 OR L5 nor L7 does it every time. Ha, I was discipled by the best! If a component cannot reproduce full tone, body, harmonics, dynamics and convey music's emotion, it's a failed product. While I agree with the sentiment Charles, every system I have ever heard (including the turds I have cobbled together) fail miserably. It depends on what part of the "processed" hifi spectrum you live on. You are an audio relativists (at least from the posts I have read), and that is a logical position to take. |
Knghifi, that all makes sense to me. Isn't your background computers? I think that is what Gary Anderson told me. You need a system thread too so you can show off those TADs.... |
I heard mixed reviews of the TAD rooms. The word flat was bandied around. Not up to their normal standards.
On another note, it looks like hires wireless streaming is here and was present at CES:
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/bluesound-audiophile-sonos-killer
http://www.bluesound.com/our-story
Former NAD engineers are behind this....finally. |
Many members on this thread are familar with TRL Samson ... TRL SS sound. It doesn't sound like SS or tubes but just music. I tell ya, it's a superb match with the TAD E1. [quote]Almost sold them last year and turns out the problem was my old EW Andra II. It's too bad Paul doesn't market his stuff.[quote] Amen to all that. The Samsons are extraordinary SS amps. High bandwidth, effortless, without any traces of SS glare, strain, or compression. I owned them for 4 years and sold them simply due to the audiophile itch.... |
Bill, Tony is correct. Middleware. There is a little redundancy in your planned experiment although it would be interesting to hear the comparison. I am sure it can be arranged....:)
Tony have you heard the new Lessloss Laminar streamer? An audio buddy heard a prototype in California and was impressed. Lessloss thinking regarding digital has always made sense to me.... |
Abruce, the did run it direct for a while and it apparently sounded very good that way. What is your preference? I will try both.
Dale needs to learn how to smile: http://www.stereophile.com/content/lampizator-and-mosaic |
Knghifi, the reality is that almost everything at CES or any show is new. That is why at Friday through Sunday shows, you really should just show up on Sunday. Well said. Spoken by someone who understands the process from experience.... |
Feed the Lampi the best signal you can and your ears will be delighted! That is why Lucas has created his own transports. It would be Interesting to compare the offramp and the USB converter from Lampi with all its flawed tube engineering....;) |
The Offramp and Dynamo together jumped the performance of my Lampi and digital front end at least 50%. Shawbros might argue with you but I believe it. Dynamo means non-chinese walwart ps? The DAC is important, very important, but what it is fed is perhaps more important. I will make a bold statement here. I bet my Lampi 4/4 with the Offramp/Dynamo sounds better than a Lampi 5,6 or 7 with no Lampi or Offramp transport. I am glad you have finally been converted. I made that same statement earlier in the thread and you actually argued with me. Your modded mini was king at the time.:) |
This is what I say on every forum. The jitter of the digital source is MORE IMPORTANT than the DAC. It's true. And Empirical Audio has been developing lower and lower jitter products for more than 15 years. One could argue that any dac worth its salt should be able to process jitter much like old school engineer types who say that any well designed power supply should not need power conditioning. Steve, the Ifi crew claims lower jitter specs than Offramp at a fraction of the cost (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2013/04/amr-ifi-announce-ilink-usb-spdif-converter/). Any comments? Transports and jitter busters aside, you can not turn the chinese dac du jour into a Lampizator 7 with jitter management....:) |
More CES feedback: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue71/ces20146.htm |
Abruce, I think the box, like the big 6 single chassis, is very large with adequate real estate for gucci parts. |
What if L had to buy a bunch/bulk of big boxes for his new amps he now is making/selling and has a stool load in his backyard he needs to unload? Honk Honk!! Incorrect. This is a new custom box to accommodate the larger DHTs. Just wait another month, it will be BAD news for BIG 26 owners. LOL! Not very original and not funny. Still awaiting a system thread from u....:) Something we all need to remember: troll 2 (trōl) n. A supernatural creature of Scandinavian folklore, variously portrayed as a friendly or mischievous dwarf or as a giant, that lives in caves, in the hills, or under bridges. From which we get a newer definition for activity in cyberspace: TROLL One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument (Urban dictionary) and Troll (Internet) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,[1] by posting inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog), either accidentally[3][4] or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[5] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[6] This sense of the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse, but have been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment. For example, mass media has used troll to describe "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."[7][8] and |
Have any Lampi fans looked inside the box?? Scared me off! Looks like one step above a high school science project. Twb2, Wikepedia is a dynamic and evolving source of information that endusers can edit. Care to review my post above (which I assume you missed) and provide a more nuanced definition of troll? Should it be more or less restrictive? Lampizator, much like TRL, deliberately employs old school methods of fabrication in the name of SQ. Although it is easy to take a cursory look and throw stones, the grand irony is that it is harder and more time consuming to do it that way. You yourself transitioned from old school and boutique (Wavelength) to new Asian wave (Lumin) with circuit boards galore. Both approaches can work obviously. It would be interesting to compare Lampi (+ transport) to the Luminator. Twb2, I saw that you are designated as a "commercial user." What does that mean and what if any professional audio affiliations do you have? |
Bill, have you heard the rumblings about the new Jupiter caps being better than Duelunds ? (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=119876.0) |
I look forward to your feedback Bill. It sounds from the reports I have read that the new Jupiters combine the best of both the Jensens and Duelunds and will most likely be my cap of choice for the Lampi. |
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Jwm, the Sistrum stands are good. Dale and the Lampi gang noted nice improvement when the L5 and USB transport were placed on SP4s at CES. |
SP-4 Sistrum Platforms™
Price: $ 2,975.00
Really When you calculate the material and machining costs involved and then compare that to competing isolation products or to the average piece of electronics, really. The fact that they have an actual sonic impact is an added bonus. It is not simply furniture. I find the aesthetics quite appealing. No, they won't necessarily blend in with the average living space like a MDF equipment rack, but they still look kool (at least they do in my listening room). |
Abruce, to put it into further perspective, the Mapleshade shelving systems (which you own and are a fine product) are in the same price bracket at least according to their website.... |
http://www.audiopoints.com/Sistrum.php |
Abruce, they are worth a try. I believe they have a return policy. I find the impact of Sistrum correlates with the amount of vibrational energy at hand (subs>Speakers>tube amps). Start with the Apprentice line. It is cheap and you can try it under everything.... |
Some great Axpona feedback:
From minute 21:30 ... www.youtube
and
http://www.stereophile.com/content/vapor-audio-purity-lampizator Nice. That is high praise from Myles given he is a vinyl head. Jafox, Remember what I said about avoiding hearing the $1790 BMC PureDac. I know someone who had both and he favored the Lampi by a wide margin. If vinyl is your frame of reference, there is no better choice than "from Poland with Love...." My L7 is finally on order. |
05-09-14: Radiohead99
Lukasz, Does level 7 down samples everything to 44.1? On redbook material how would you compare the sound of level 6 vs level7? The 6 downsamples to 44.1. The 7, like the 4 and 5, plays the native resolution. As for sound, who knows. Ask Rob or Fred. They have heard both. Lucas uses DHT amps and big horns, so its hard to extrapolate that experience. Like Charlesdad, I like what DHTs do, and it was hard to resist the concept behind the L7.... Jafox, I spent over ten years in the twin cities for surgical training. Found memories and my wife still has family there. I know Bill Dion (Grannyring) well. Do you work for Medtronic? Rja, are you in the twin cities as well? I don't know if you remember, but you suggested I investigate Intuitive Design speakers. You sent me James Darossa's contact info in the context of a thread on Salk speakers. What a stealthy audio ninja you are. Slip in and slip out. Makes suggestions and comments and then disappear. I wanted to thank you for that recommendation over 10 years after the fact.... |
I would be interested in discussing but do not want to sidetrack this Lampizator thread. Agreed. It is an interesting topic and worth researching as things evolve at a high rate of speed (just like computers....) |
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. |
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.... |
My SS drive Mac mini always sounded good but, adding the Mojo Audio filter, linear PS, outboard AV drive, and cables took the performance to a level beyond my $7K disc player, IMO. Does this still fall short of being "audiophile grade?" depends on who you talk to. Adding Mojo trinkets (or any other modder du jour) is undoubtedly efficacious. You are still building a server around a non-audio device that is jittery and noisy, thus the creation of things like the Offramp. Only one way to find out what is missing. The new one box Sony digital spinner has some promise as does the Auralic Aries and points to where things are going: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=125606.msg1329696#new http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=123436.0 |
That's kool Fred. I have heard good things about Wells and was looking at their amps in the not too distant past. Speakers? |
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Leicachamp, I used a French wireless DAC for a long time and according to the manufacturer, wireless is superior.... |
Congrats to you Abruce. Hearing is indeed believing. This should be very interesting.... |
The VC is indeed active and not prone to thinness according to many endusers. My experience with passives in the past has been one of thinness as well.
I will be doing these same experiments once I get my L7 as the Viva has a world class active stage and the option of bypassing it... |
Essoteric, Lampizator will also be showing at the New York audio show Sept 26-28th. |
08-26-14: Dragon_vibe
I prefer Digital as SS running through Tube Pre-amp and Tube Power Amp. Kinda feel Transparency can be lost if too much Tubes are in the Chain. I guess this probably also comes down to system synergy and setup. That's one reason why I run the Lampi direct via its VC. Much better transparency than a tubed pre-amp.... |
09-09-14: Dragon_vibe
I tried the lampi direct to the Tube amp and with Tube PRe-amp and the same with MSB. Both are top DAC but I still give it to the MSB in the end. It comes down to personal taste. To me the MSB was a clear winner. I am still curious about the Lampi 7 That's fair. MSB is obviously a stellar company. What did the 4 give up to the Analog dac? The 7 is a beast.... |
You guys need a new thread since Granny has moved on. |
