New Lampizator Level 4/ Version 4 DAC in the house

Leicachamp, I used a French wireless DAC for a long time and according to the manufacturer, wireless is superior....

Interesting! This is the 1st time I hear wireless is superior to wired.

Leicachamp,

I found little difference between a cat 5 wired transport and a wireless one. That said, I started using CAT6 from mono price on my computer and transport and this is the best I have heard it.

Wisnon,

The Big 7 is THAT good, but I'll allow someone who isn't biased to report specifics. I did get a teaser of a review between the Big 6 and Big 7 overseas this morning... should be a great read when its released.

Leicachamp, I used a French wireless DAC for a long time and according to the manufacturer, wireless is superior....

Anyone with any big 7 feedback yet?

Thanks Gopher

Is there better sound quality going hard wired vs wireless. When I bought my transport the wireless option was promoted as the best sounding , but recently I have read a few people have chosen wired option.

Level 8? Hmm, I'd prefer a Multichannel Lampi first. :)

You must do a factory reset of both the transport and the duet remote. Follow the normal steps for initial squeezebox duet setup from there.

can someone help me? i have the lampi transport, but would like to use ethernet instead of wifi. Cant seem to make it work

Not yet...in the works!

nothing yet....

I went there and there is no comparison yet? Am I right?

Mattnshilp, bravo!

There really is something to this Lampy obsession. They are wonderful DAC's!! I received my Big6 today and it's sound is simply breathtaking!

I don't want to hijack this thread. So....

For those interested in reading my comparison of:
Lampy Big6
PS Audio DirectStream
Jeff Rowland Aeris
Empirical Audio OverDrive SE
Possibly an Aesthetix Pandora Signature

Please :
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1398132150&&&/Absolute-top-tier-DAC-for-standard-res-R

It's a fun read and a fun experience!

Regards.

Though I do wish owners would stagger their sales a little better to avoid the appearance that the brand is being dumped, I am proud to inform that most sales are guys moving up the chain.

We had just had one gentleman order a Level 7 after spending just 1 week with his brand new Level 4. :)

Bill,
Most of them are moving up the line. I don't think you should rush to upgrade since Level 8 may be around the corner.

So many Lampi 4/4's for sale over the past months and currently. Is everyone trading up? It is really quite startling how many show up for sale based on how many have been sold here in the states.

Great unit for sure and perhaps most are looking to go up the line!?

That's kool Fred. I have heard good things about Wells and was looking at their amps in the not too distant past. Speakers?

Hi All,

For those of you planning on attending the upcoming show in Newport Beach I wanted to remind you to come pay us a visit in room 829 of the Hilton Hotel where we will be partnered with Gingko Audio, Danacables and Wells Audio and are expecting to have a great room assembled with these top notch show partners.

We will be showing our LampizatOr Big 7 DAC complete with EML 45 tubes along with our TranspOrt. We are also making arrangements to have a presentation of DSD through the Big 7 which should be breath taking!

We will also be donating a free Amber DAC (not otherwise offered for sale in the US) as part of the give away.

Fred

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....)

Thanks for the links.
I would be interested in discussing but do not want to sidetrack this Lampizator thread.

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

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.

Huh? Is a computer not simply another method of processing a digital signal, not unlike a CD/DVD disc player, or any number of transports available. What distinguishes an "audiophile grade transport" from a computer or another type of "non-audiophile grade transport?" Is it the case, the brand name, the price, the market audience? Who is the judge that decides whether certain gear is "audiophile grade," or not?

Some transports are going to sound better, based on design and implementation but at what point do they cross the threshold and become "audiophile grade?" 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?"

IS PFO Positive Feedback?

Lampi DSD:

Bruce Brown was vary favourable with the prototype in his Mojo review a few months ago.

See what he says about the upgraded Duelund/Balanced version here:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?14676-Lampizator-DSD-DAC&p=266858#post266858

Also it seems that a L4G4 review is coming out soon in PFO magazine and the teaser is fascinating.

Andrew,

That seems sensible.

Mattn,

You may consider getting a Fikus Transport (Squeezebox based) and connecting it via ethernet, rather than wifi.

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 already have a deposit in on an Empirical OverDrive SE DAC audition. If I decide that I like another DAC better, then I will return the OverDrive SE (Which does have quite an excellent reputation and I am excited to hear it) and likely audition an Off Ramp as I think it will improve almost any DAC out there (other then the OverDrive SE, which already has an offramp inside it).

I spoke with the guys at Jeff Rowland and they openly admitted that if the source is USB, the best sound from their Aeris would come from a top tier external USB to spdif converter over using their built in USB. I respect that type of honesty!

Those running your Lampi with a computer right into the Lampi using USB are missing out on a significant improvement in sound quality by using the latest Offramp 5 and Dynamo power supply. I have compared both out of a Mac Mini and it is not even close. The improvement is shocking and must be heard to be believed. You will need both the OR5 and Dynamo power supply together for this level of improvement. No, they are not cheap. But if you guys really want to hear what your Lampi is capable of, then this will do it.

I have posted this several times and cannot overstate it's reality. The DAC's quality is very important in the whole digital equation, but dealing with jitter and noise before the DAC is MORE important in computer based audio. That is the simple truth.

If you have not run both the OR5 and Dynamo power supply and used the SPDIF input on your Lampi, you must try this before being rasing a "no way" objection. Way!

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....

Lukasz slightly likes the sound of the big single box vs two boxes when I asked him at this past CES.

I thought I read somewhere that Lampizator considered the Big 7 their flagship. Apologies

I'm interested in straight red book/iTunes sourced music from my Mac mini.
And the unit needs to fit onto my 18" x 18" shelf with 8" of height - how's that for a stupid requirement. Lol.

Is Big6 "better" then standard 6?

Lol, Mattnshlip,

Don't fret too much over the individual levels and numbers. As I tell customers, there are NO wrong decisions with LampizatOr, but its a custom company, so its your opportunity to do things exactly how you want.

I owned one of the first Big 6 DACs in the US as a customer and, now that I've taken over as co-distributor I'm typing this as a Big 7 makes beautiful music in the background...

The Big 6 is a fantastic DAC and feedback has been universally positive, but the Big 7 is significantly my preference.

Lukasz loves those R2R DACs and I'm sure others out there feel the same, but I honestly feel the Level 7 is more than deserving of it's higher ranking.

This is a wag but I don't think anybody said the 7 was the flagship it's just different

Hi, L6 is a pure redbook 16/44 R2R DAC, while L7 again is a 2014 technology 24 bit 384 kHz job. It handles all files. On red-book my heart is leaning to L6. I am just addicted to R2R multibit chips. I dont have any significant music collection on hi-rez so all I know are the silly samplers. (brrrr).

Waltersalas: Yes, for the moment I run the Mac Mini straight into the L6 with a Vue VU-3 USB cable.

http://www.vuedigitalcables.com/product/vue-cables-vu-3-audiophile-usb-cable/

I have an older Empirical Audio Offramp but it only has AES output. I would be curious as to any benefit of a state-of-the-art USB converter to SPDIF, but for now the L6 sound is magic. And using the one USB cable makes it easy for DSP once I start to buy such recordings.

Agear: I was a contractor for Guidant 10 years ago and then it got gobbled up by Bos Sci. Then I worked for Cameron Health, a very specialized defibrillator made in San Clemente, CA, but we too were gobbled up by Bos Sci. So I am back to the twin cities.

"05-08-14: Lampizator
I am glad the Big 6 is liked, because more than any other DAC it is my baby and my favorite model. I use it at home myself.
Lampizator"

OK. Sir. In a sea of obsessive compulsive audio fanatics who live breath and eat the concept that the Flagship model MUST be the best, why would the guy who builds them and can chose whichever model he wants chose the model BELOW the flagship?!?!?

You are morally obligated to clarify this or we, as a community, will lose many sleepless nights trying to resolve this conundrum so foreign to us . ;)

Seriously though, dude A statement like that really needs clarification.

Jafox,
Are you using a Mac Mini as a source directly into the L6 via USB, or do you have it configured some other way?

Thanks in advance!

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....

F1a: I believe the sylvania VT-99 are are the favorite tube from Lukasz. Trying other brands of this tube type seems to make sense. I will try a Raytheon and Tung Sol soon as well and report back. Then perhaps a few 6SN7 and try the rectifier tubes too!

Wstam,

try this email for Rob and Fred:
lampizatorna@gmail.com

Someone please buy my L4G4 lamp so that I could move up to a higher level lamp.

Anyone heard the big 7 yet?

JWM,

Love your setup with the Rock speakers in the large living room.

You found a great Dac in the Lamp to go along with you system.

New Lampi forum .

http:// www.audiocircle. com/index.php?board=158.0

My Lampi has 6SN7's and I have no problems with microphonics.

Jafox, why'd you go with VT99s? Better tone? Did you consider 6SN7s when ordering the L6, or are they too microphonic?

Hello LK, It's nice to hear from you here...Your "Baby", (my Big 6), is my musical Nirvana. Thank you sooo much.
P.S. LMK if you're ever on this side of the pond again. G.

Lukasz, Does level 7 down samples everything to 44.1? On redbook material how would you compare the sound of level 6 vs level7?

Why is the Lampi 6 preferred to the 7

More great positive feedback:

http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2014/05/09/axpona-2014-vapor-audio-purity-audio-and-lampizator/

My favourite, though unheard is the Big 7!!!!

Most intriguing concept.

Hi, will like to use this thread to ask what's the best way to reach Lampizator?

After reading all the feedback, I am interested in getting one (not sure of which level yet). I sent a mail the email address published on their web but have yet heard from them. So I am wondering how can I reach them.

Thanks.