Anyone compared the AMR against a Lampizator L4 or L5? Any thoughts on these two DACs?
I've compared the Lampi L4 G4 with the AMD-D777. The Lampi had used (CuTF V-Caps) the AMR used (Duelund VSF Black Cast Caps).
I was lucky enough to have a friend who let me use his Lampizator G4 L4 (CuTF V-Caps) for the past month while he went on a business trip.
First off, I only consider 2 of these DACs musical (AMR DP-777 and the Lampi G4 L4). Again, I don’t mean that syrupy thick bass sound or those dark characteristics that most people seem to think. By musical, I mean these DACs really “
bring the music to life” they have a sense of emotion and realness that I love.
I enjoy the PWD mk2 for its bass quantity and impact; I enjoyed the Master 7 for its transparency and balanced tone. The AMR does not give me that bass impact of the PWD mk2 but the transparency and correct tone is there. So yes the bass on the PWD mk2 was big, but not as tight, accurate, or as realistic as the other DACs.
One of our fellow Head-Fi members calls the Master 7 lifeless. I didn’t know what the heck he was talking about until I heard the Audio Note, Lampi G4 L4, and the AMR. These DACs allowed me to understand exactly what he was talking about; the Master 7 renders music with no soul. These DACs
bring the music to life so to speak.
While I do like the PWD mk2 soundstage better than that of the Master 7 (Compared to the other DACs the M7's soundstage lack depth), the soundstage of the AMR and Lampi was noticeably more 3D like, wider and deeper. The imaging of the PWD mk2 while good was outdone as well. The AMR has the ability to pinpoint instruments in a three dimensional field better than any DAC I’ve heard with the exception of that Audio Note DAC. The AMR and Lampi both present a more holographic and wholesome soundstage with more dynamic vocals. The lead singer's voice sounds more natural versus the more glaring/etched presentation of the PWD mk2. There's a slight bit of funny stuff going on in the treble region of the PWD mk2 that’s not there on the other DACs.
The PWD mk2 has a more "fun" sound in the bass area, has great dynamics, and hits hard but it just doesn't do much for me with the midrange and female vocals compared to the AMR or
Lampi. The PWD mk2 and Master 7 has less of that midrange magic I like.
Instruments like kick drums and upright bass have a more detailed timbre on both the Lampi and AMR; they have a great combination of attack and natural decay. There’s sort of a heft to the notes that’s missing on the Master 7. The AMR and Lampi have a nice punchy feeling to them; also the texture is better and they’re more natural and realistic sounding.
I found the AMR and Lampi to be more musically satisfying with very little compromise in micro detail and no compromise at all in imaging or bass texture, pretty impressive. The AMR and Lampi are definitely more involving. The PWD mk2 and Master 7 had a flat presentation, which in turn seemed to lack the emotion and soul of the other DACs.
The AMR, Master 7 and the Lampi sound less digital compared to the PWD mk2. The AMR and Master 7 has a completely black background where the PWD mk2 and the Lampi has a slight grayness in the background and only the PWD mk2 has an occasional hint of digital glare that I didn’t hear with the other DACs. The Lampi while sounding very analog like has a slight noise floor. While the Master 7 sound less digital compared to the PWD mk2, both sound less musical compared to the AMR and Lampi.
First impressions of the Lampi was how it's remarkably similar to the AMR, but with less sparkle in the upper registers. Vocals are as magical as on the AMR, both have a way of embracing you with the singer's voice. So the biggest advantage the AMR has over the Lampi is it renders the highs and treble better to my ears, has more sparkle. The AMR also does female vocals better, giving them more dynamics that heightens the engagement factor – I attribute that to the difference in CAPs (CuTF V-Caps for the Lampi and Duelund VSF Black Cast Capacitors for the Lampi). Another advantage the other DACs have over the Lampi is build quality. The Lampi looks like a DIY DAC. Heck My DIY amps made by YBM and SWA were better. So the other DACs beat the Lampi in that area by miles, no question.
