LAMPIZATOR THREAD COMMENTS REVIEWS TUNING

[FLXI]

That's the right attitude. I see quite a few folks tube rolling trying to turn their piece of gear into something it isn't. Just imo, but you must like your piece of gear with the cheapest tubes. Everything else is then just a bonus on top of what you already have.

I have the Atlantic TRP. To get a decent upgrade I think I'd need to go to the GG3 or one of the Pacifics, but that isn't happening due to cost. And then of course, if you upgrade one component significantly, then you also need to upgrade the other components to get the full benefit...

The thing is, i really appreciate my Baltic 4 but I’ve been missing some base for a while now and hearing what the Posseidon did for the base, omg! I did a comparison in my speaker setup with some test tones and with the Poseidon my speakers can pruduce a strong sound on 35 hz. Playing the same track with my Baltic, there is amount now sound. I had to go up to 45 hz and raise the volume to get something similar. Is this to be expected or could there be something wrong with my Baltic.

 

[ARCXENOS]

The thing is, i really appreciate my Baltic 4 but I’ve been missing some base for a while now and hearing what the Posseidon did for the base, omg! I did a comparison in my speaker setup with some test tones and with the Poseidon my speakers can pruduce a strong sound on 35 hz. Playing the same track with my Baltic, there is amount now sound. I had to go up to 45 hz and raise the volume to get something similar. Is this to be expected or could there be something wrong with my Baltic.

Well if it helps twist the knife a little, I just passed the 3 month mark with my Atlantic 2, and I love the heck out of it! I tried my entire 6J5 stock but I keep returning to pentodes and tetrodes, I imagine you will be able to hear the bass difference between the Baltic vs Atlantic. If the chart is to be believed, the Atlantic 3 will be super fantastic to my ears.

Admittedly I am not exactly chasing the "best" sound per se, but I do enjoy rolling tubes to hear my favourite tracks in a different light (and I am not talking about just the glow). Being able to reuse my amp's entire catalogue has been joyful. It seems like rectifier rolling made a bigger difference than all my previous amps, it has done the impossible and made me buy a bunch of them.

For me, I think getting a DHT DAC is an eventuality, if I manage to find a nice one preowned...but even then I will not let go of the Atlantic, until I hit a windfall for a pentode based DAC up the chain

 

[Polygonhell]

Is this to be expected or could there be something wrong with my Baltic.

It's probably normal, the bass extension can be impacted a bit by tubes, but it's usually a function of capacitor sizes and transformers if there are any in the audio path.
Both cost money to improve, so....

 

[BlakeT]

Stock tubes: I loved my (former) Golden Atlantic, my (former) GG2, my current GG3 and current Pac2 even with stock tubes. If I never rolled tubes, I'd still love them. But, I have enjoyed discovering new tubes and for my ears and preferences, improved the sound with other tubes. Not necessary at all, but, for me, enjoyable.

Not to get too far into the weeds, but, in addition to sonic changes from tube rolling, there are, of course things like footers and cables that can be used to tweak the sound.

Over the last week, I conducted some footer experiments under my Pacific 2 in my speaker system: Stack Audio Auva, Stillpoints Ultra, Stillpoints Ultra Mini, stock Sta-core footers, and Ansuz Darkz T2S with, and without special Ansuz tungsten ball bearings on the top of the Darkz.

Stack Auva vs. Ansuz Darkz T2S was especially interesting and the sonic differences were greater than any tube rolling I've ever done.

 

[highstream]

Blake, If you haven't already, I'd suggest also checking out the Graphite Audio Premium Isolation Cones that Lukasz recommended for the Horizon (or did) and LampiNA sells (Destination Audio). I used three of them under my GG2/3, replacing AV RoomService EVPs, on the bottom shelf of a Salamander Designs cabinet with a carpeted floor and a bouncy wood foundation underneath, and they've done wonders. Definitely better and easier to deal with than the Stillpoints I tried. https://graphiteaudio.com/products/ic-35-premium-isolation-cones/. Talk to Rob.

@FLXI Have you considered replacing your fuses with the Vera-Fi Swiss Digital Fuse Boxes? I now use seven -- regenerator, dac, preamp, lps, ATC speakers and JL Audio subs. They replaced QSA red and red-black fuses (retail $1400 & $2800) and the sound improvement, including to bass extension and clarity was substantial. I use them with Vera-Fi's 1' Extreme Piggy power cord and their graphene sluggos, with one brass one (tone control). You might try one and see how it goes. There's an SDFB thread on WBF: https://whatsbestforum.com/threads/swiss-digital-fuse-box-anyone.37418/

 

[Nimzerz]

Blake, If you haven't already, I'd suggest also checking out the Graphite Audio Premium Isolation Cones that Lukasz recommended for the Horizon (or did) and LampiNA sells (Destination Audio). I used three of them under my GG2/3, replacing AV RoomService EVPs, on the bottom shelf of a Salamander Designs cabinet with a carpeted floor and a bouncy wood foundation underneath, and they've done wonders. Definitely better and easier to deal with than the Stillpoints I tried. https://graphiteaudio.com/products/ic-35-premium-isolation-cones/

@FLXI Have you considered replacing your fuses with the Vera-Fi Swiss Digital Fuse Boxes? I now use seven -- regenerator, dac, preamp, lps, ATC speakers and JL Audio subs. They replaced QSA red and red-black fuses (retail $1400 & $2800) and the sound improvement, including to bass extension and clarity was substantial. I use them with Vera-Fi's 1' Extreme Piggy power cord and their graphene sluggos, with one brass one (tone control). You might try one and see how it goes. There's an SDFB thread on WBF: https://whatsbestforum.com/threads/swiss-digital-fuse-box-anyone.37418/

I’ve been very curious about both of these options. Can’t get myself to spend the money on the isolation cones yet but for the fuses, has anybody verified with Lukasz on what value and what is approved for Lampi dacs? I specifically have a Golden Atlantic TRP3 so would be most interested in the answer to that, but I’m sure others would love to know for their own devices.

 

[highstream]

I’ve been very curious about both of these options. Can’t get myself to spend the money on the isolation cones yet but for the fuses, has anybody verified with Lukasz on what value and what is approved for Lampi dacs? I specifically have a Golden Atlantic TRP3 so would be most interested in the answer to that, but I’m sure others would love to know for their own devices.

Out of experience, LampiNA says to use 3.15A (small slow blow). If you were to get an SDFB, you'd tell them that with the order and they'd set it.

 

[FLXI]

Does it work to connect chord macaler with Baltic 4 and how would the results be?

 

[Designsfx]

Does it work to connect chord macaler with Baltic 4 and how would the results be?

I’m interested in knowing why you feel you would benefit from the M Scaler- what are you trying to improve?

 

[FLXI]

I’m interested in knowing why you feel you would benefit from the M Scaler- what are you trying to improve?

Well, maby the same that other dacs benefit from mscaler, soundstage, imaging separation, air. The Baltic has all of them quilts but after testing Poseidon in my system I realised that there are so much more.

 

[Designsfx]

Well, maby the same that other dacs benefit from mscaler, soundstage, imaging separation, air. The Baltic has all of them quilts but after testing Poseidon in my system I realised that there are so much more.

I’m not sure this will work at all with the dac that you have- or any Lampizator dac for that matter. The M Scaler requires dual inputs in order to pass the signal at that rate. Have you tried high resolution files from a computer into your dac via USB?

ADDING ONTO THE PREVIOUS POST DUE TO THE NEW RULES ON DOUBLE POSTS- HOPEFULLY THIS IS SEEN (2-24-25)

Wondering if anyone can comment from direct experience how the Golden Gate differs from the Big 7. I don’t have any experience with either and am wondering if the DHT world would be worth exploring. I see the Big 7 only offers up two different heater settings but is this really seen as a limitation?

 

[ARCXENOS]

Acquiring the Atlantic was the best audio purchase I did, and also one of the more demonic choices as well. Was on a rectifier binge for the last few months (Metal Base Phillips GZ34, Cossor 53KU, Brimar 5R4GY and many other cheaper American stuff), and it has been a great joy, it culminated into...this. I think I found the missing piece for my Immanis

 

[Fox88]

Acquiring the Atlantic was the best audio purchase I did, and also one of the more demonic choices as well. Was on a rectifier binge for the last few months (Metal Base Phillips GZ34, Cossor 53KU, Brimar 5R4GY and many other cheaper American stuff), and it has been a great joy, it culminated into...this. I think I found the missing piece for my Immanis

Nice! I just purchased a 422A for my Poseidon. Monday can't come soon enough

 

[ARCXENOS]

Nice! I just purchased a 422A for my Poseidon. Monday can't come soon enough

I think you are gonna have fun, hopefully!

It’s quite different than what I have, it’s a fantastic pairing to use with the U52 on the amp. I’d get a 274b from my love of the Brimar 5R4GY too but those are too expensive to consider for now.

I got them for a couple of listening sessions, I think I would briefly describe the 422A as transparent, I perceive it as lowering the midbass but tightening the extreme low end, while smoothing out the highs but not to the point of your typical “British sound”.

I can totally understand why some chains do not like it, it could potentially be quite plain and boring, but for me it seems to be quite fantastic to use with the Phillips 4699, EL51, GEC KT66, KT88.

I will have a fun weekend ahead experimenting abit more!

 

[walterboss]

How do you guys approach tube rolling your DACs with regard to the tonality of your amp?

EDIT: I'm not expecting anyone to tell me the exact combo that will work for me, btw. I'm more interested in how you guys would approach getting the right combo, other than trial and error. I've been doing that, but wondering if there are optimal approaches for say, leaving your DAC more linear and detailed and let your amp bring the tonal differences? Or is it just preference and whatever works?

For example, do you run your DAC as linear as you can then tube roll your amp (if applicable). Or do you perhaps run a mix of warm/linear tubes in the DAC side?

Tube rolling between my Red October and Atlantic TRP-3 feels like tit for tat a lot of the time. Put into more linear, direct rectifiers in Red October in Siemens Mullard GZ34 instead of GEC U52s. But then I can get the same impact by swapping the 12AX7 between a GEC A2900 (gorgeous warm mid tones) and an Amperex ECC83 which is like putting landmine into the amp it's so dynamic and aggressive!

I know this is all personal to our chains, but interested if anyone has any experience with the best ways to think about this. The number of combinations available to me is kind of frightening! It was great fun, but I feel like I'm going in circles now.

For clarity here are the tubes I'm going between:

Red October
300b: Elrog Mo (these stay in all the time)
12AX7: GEC A2900 or Amperex ECC83
5U4G: Siemens Mullard GZ34 or GEC U52

Lampizator Atlantic
Rectifier: KR274b or GEC U52
Output tubes: Mullard EL34 or Siemens F2a (haven't got adapters for these quite yet but they're coming from Deyan). I also have some GEC KT88s which are so dynamic and punchy they only work for a small amount of music. They're crazy powerful tubes!

The dilemma:
My grail headphones are 1266 and Valkyria. I'm trying to find something that works for both. The RO is naturally smooth, warm and very very dynamic with immense low end. The issue I have is sometimes landing on tube combos that are too warm and a little muddy in the midbass for Valk.