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New Lampizator Level 4/ Version 4 DAC in the house

Wonder if any other new owners of this DAC are out there as I find it to be the finest digital playback I have heard to date. This is the first digital front end piece of gear I have owned that has transformed my music.

Ya, other digital gear does this or that better, but this Lampy breaks through to a new level of musical enjoyment. Clear view into the music helping the speakers just disappear. Only 24 hours of break in and the music flows so sweet, intimate and seemingly without boundaries.

Looking under the hood I see an impressive power supply with films caps and several high quality chokes. Point to point silver wired except for the digital and USB boards. This is a three tube player that is tube rectified. One has the option for SS rectification if desired.

Ya, I love this Lampy!
128x128grannyring
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,441 posts
 
Ok, I want to report on my findings using the Empirical Audio Offramp. The Offramp I have is;

Offramp 4 with Turboclock, updated 5 tranny, Hynes USB, and BNC to BNC cable.

I had been going from my Mac Mini USB out directly into the Lapizator 4 USB input with my Wywires USB cable. Now I go from the Apple 2009 Mini USB output into the Offramp USB input. Then from the Offramp using the BNC connector into my BNC Lampizator input.

Is there any improvement? Ha, well I wish I would have done this months ago when I started this whole computer audio thing. Still learning and so much more to learn. Yes, it sounds better. I won't go on for paragraphs, but here are the overall improvements.

In some ways I am hearing my Lampy for the first time as compared to its USB input. Music is more at ease and natural. Stage is wider and bigger overall. Digital glare that was there at times on certain recordings has all but vanished. The biggest and most important change for me is the sense of ease in the upper mids and highs. Instruments have more body and improved tone. Enough Aphile terms. I just want to listen more and longer.

This is with the Wall Wart power supply. I understand the Dynamo power supply from Empirical takes it all up another notch. This Offramp is expensive however and well as all the possible upgrades.

So I am now learning more about WAV vs AIFF as I understand WAV may sound better and all my CD's were put into AIFF. Yikes! We will see. I will report back on my findings.....
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,441 posts
 
Big night of learning tonight. Folks WAV sounds better than AIFF and it is easy to hear the improvement. No straining to hear it. WAV is far more refined and composed.AIFF sounds more Hifi and a tad forced in direct comparison. No doubt about it WAV is better and by a decent margin. I am not sure how many Aphiles know this?

Man oh man is this front end smoking good right now. So many little details to get right in computer based audio.
abruce's avatar
abruce
245 posts
 
Thanks for the update wav will take it up another notch, or it does on my system
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,441 posts
 
Abruce, you are right indeed. Computer audio Aphiles please take note!
wisnon
700 posts
 
ABruce,

I see you are selling your Lampi. What do you replace it with?

Bill,
I too have a modded OR4 but have not used it much. My L4 does NOT have USB, and I have to use converters. I have a Lindemann 24/192 DDC and a iFi ILink with iUSB power and Gemini cable, plus an Ultrafi Aubisque cable. I use the latter mostly with SwissCables digital RCA connector. I need to experiment with the OR4 in January and it will be easier with new equipment stands that allow easier reach behind.

Finally, I exclusively use AIFF, as I am in the Mac world, however, i will convert to Wav and test like what you say. The comparison I have normally seen is Wav vs Flac, not AIFF.
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