[leftside]

@ALRAINBOW and/or @leftside can probably advise you very well on tube suggestions.

No need to bother tube rolling with that DAC. Rectifiers are too expensive to tube roll in that DAC with too little differences to make the tube rolling worthwhile. Just get one that you think looks good The 4P1L tubes are all the same. This was the reason I bought the original GA - so I wouldn't tube roll! then Lampi released the TRP and I tube rolled like never before. Found a bunch of nice tubes tho

 

[sloomingbla]

Luckily, I don't think the preamp will be necessary... for now. Found out my rca cable "Ground loop isolator" that I bought a while ago for noise on my amp was causing the thinness, immediately after switching it out for normal cables the sound got 100x better. Man, what a stressful day, lol.

Initial *actual* impressions are... Wow. This is pretty damn good. Huge, stark contrast over my previous setup. Sounds much smoother, cleaner, bass kicks hard and an absolutely enormous soundstage. Thanks again for all of the support you guys, I tend to get anxious easily over these more expensive purchases... lol.

 

[leftside]

Luckily, I don't think the preamp will be necessary... for now. Found out my rca cable "Ground loop isolator" that I bought a while ago for noise on my amp was causing the thinness, immediately after switching it out for normal cables the sound got 100x better. Man, what a stressful day, lol.

Initial *actual* impressions are... Wow. This is pretty damn good. Huge, stark contrast over my previous setup. Sounds much smoother, cleaner, bass kicks hard and an absolutely enormous soundstage. Thanks again for all of the support you guys, I tend to get anxious easily over these more expensive purchases... lol.

Your amp must be an “integrated amp (with preamp)” then

 

[Crashem]

Luckily, I don't think the preamp will be necessary... for now. Found out my rca cable "Ground loop isolator" that I bought a while ago for noise on my amp was causing the thinness, immediately after switching it out for normal cables the sound got 100x better. Man, what a stressful day, lol.

Initial *actual* impressions are... Wow. This is pretty damn good. Huge, stark contrast over my previous setup. Sounds much smoother, cleaner, bass kicks hard and an absolutely enormous soundstage. Thanks again for all of the support you guys, I tend to get anxious easily over these more expensive purchases... lol.

What dac were you running before?

As for warming up the tubes, for sure you should hear some improvements but it feels like it is more along the margins or more subtle things. Should mostly should how it should sound right off the bat in my experience.

 

[sloomingbla]

What dac were you running before?

As for warming up the tubes, for sure you should hear some improvements but it feels like it is more along the margins or more subtle things. Should mostly should how it should sound right off the bat in my experience.

I was running the modest Fostex Hpa8. This was my first venture into high end dacs, and yes, trust me everything sounds perfect now without that dang cable, and I figure I'll invest into a nice amp as my next purchase, and then preamp+tubes.

As an update on the sound, never in my life have I been so entirely absorbed by the music. It's like I don't have a choice but to enjoy it - even my thoughts start dancing. I really love this hobby

 

[Crashem]

I was running the modest Fostex Hpa8. This was my first venture into high end dacs, and yes, trust me everything sounds perfect now without that dang cable, and I figure I'll invest into a nice amp as my next purchase, and then preamp+tubes.

As an update on the sound, never in my life have I been so entirely absorbed by the music. It's like I don't have a choice but to enjoy it - even my thoughts start dancing. I really love this hobby

To compare this to a turntable setup. Your DAC does two things: Process the digital file into an audio signal (ie similar function to needle) but also bring that audio signal up to line level (ie similar function to phono preamp). Lampizators use tubes to bring up the audio signal to line level. Using tubes vs. other methods (eg. opamps) means that the tube based probably will measure worse on typical SINAD and SNR. But one thing I realized the underlying DAC chips have long since exceeded what is normally "audible." and if you look at things further down the chain, the SINAD/SNR are much lower (looking at you amplifier and speaker). But using tubes has it's advantages, you can "tailor" your sound somewhat with what tubes you use to better match your system. I have done some limited SINAD/SNR readings in the past with different tubes. On the same lampi, I didn't see any particular differences that would explain the change in the sound. Hence, I feel the differences are not captured by conventional existing measures.

The key thing is however the initial signal is brought to line level, it will forever affect the sound, for good or bad. This initial stage of amplification on the DAC is so critical in the way a phono preamp is critical. In my opinion, I feel like a properly tube amplified is just something special. There is something "real" and "present" about the sound. And something that SNR and SINAID don't explain.

 

[sloomingbla]

Hence, I feel the differences are not captured by conventional existing measures.

In my opinion, I feel like a properly tube amplified is just something special. There is something "real" and "present" about the sound. And something that SNR and SINAID don't explain.

Excellent explanation, and I agree wholeheartedly.

In my experience measurements tend to show situationally useful, but mostly irrelevant data in audio. It's not useless, but trustworthy reviews are king imo.

Sound is an incredibly complex thing, and the subjective experience of listening to it is even more complex. I don't think we will ever have a single measurement that shows what the "best" equipment is.

 

[sloomingbla]

Also - and this could totally be placebo, or mental burn in of sorts.. but I noticed initially a bit of a midrange "bloom", as well as sort of "fat" bass when first turning the dac on, the next day it was much improved, and today it's totally gone, or at least I've adjusted to it. Thinking leaving the tubes on for a while has done them some good. Absolutely stellar sound. Bass is thunderous and deep, sound is rich and realistic. No qualms with a single part of the sound signature.

 

[Crashem]

Also - and this could totally be placebo, or mental burn in of sorts.. but I noticed initially a bit of a midrange "bloom", as well as sort of "fat" bass when first turning the dac on, the next day it was much improved, and today it's totally gone, or at least I've adjusted to it. Thinking leaving the tubes on for a while has done them some good. Absolutely stellar sound. Bass is thunderous and deep, sound is rich and realistic. No qualms with a single part of the sound signature.

You definitely make mental adjustments. I would try your old DAC in a week or so and see what you hear.

 

[9bphillips]

I just recently found out about lampizator and I must say I am very interested. I could see how something like this would do well with solid state but I am curious about how well a tube dac pairs with a tune amp? Is it too much a tube sound? I am curious as to how say the amber 3 pairs with tubes mainly. I would imaging the amber 3 with solid state would be something like a tube amp preamp into a solid state?

 

[Crashem]

I just recently found out about lampizator and I must say I am very interested. I could see how something like this would do well with solid state but I am curious about how well a tube dac pairs with a tune amp? Is it too much a tube sound? I am curious as to how say the amber 3 pairs with tubes mainly. I would imaging the amber 3 with solid state would be something like a tube amp preamp into a solid state?

Had to look up Amber 3. As FYI, they moved to Amber 4. In any case, “too many” tubes is really case by case. Most people who run tube amps use tube preamps in my experience for example. Looking at the Amber 4, looks like you can roll ecc81,82,12at7, 12au7, etc. and rectifier tubes. So output tubes are small signal tubes typically used in tube preamps and phono preamps so they should generally be more linear and less euphonic so I don’t think there is any issue have tube whatever after them. Key thing is too many euphonic tubes can be too much tube goodness.

 

[davidhe19]

I am thinking to get a Lampizator with pre-amp function. I noticed many of them in the used market only have RCA output. Unfortunately, my monoblock amp only take the balanced signal connection. I am wondering if I can use RCA to Balanced adapter to solve the issue. If the answer to this question is yes, then my second question is which IC cable is better, RCA with the corresponding adapter, or balanced IC with corresponding adapter.

Thank you very much for your advice.

 

[leftside]

I just recently found out about lampizator and I must say I am very interested. I could see how something like this would do well with solid state but I am curious about how well a tube dac pairs with a tune amp? Is it too much a tube sound? I am curious as to how say the amber 3 pairs with tubes mainly. I would imaging the amber 3 with solid state would be something like a tube amp preamp into a solid state?

All tube system here with a Lampizator TRP. Modern sounding, with tight bass, high clarity and detail. Also have a turntable in the mix.

 

[Gopher]

@Gopher would be the one to answer that the best.

AFAIK, the older DACs were R2R, whereas current builds are d/s, but don't quote me on that. I was a very dedicated R2R guy until I heard the TRP.

Levels are a long abandoned designation which was similar to Audio Note's model of designations. DACs with levels are all long discontinued and not representative of our current sound.

The level 6/big Six was indeed an R2R DAC as was the originally Atlantic, however other than those all prior dacs and all represent dacs are delta sigma by default. A few Big 7s and Golden Gates were custom built with R2R engines as paid upgrades, however. Those are also long discontinued and no longer offered as our present solutions sound far, far better.

 

[Crashem]

I am thinking to get a Lampizator with pre-amp function. I noticed many of them in the used market only have RCA output. Unfortunately, my monoblock amp only take the balanced signal connection. I am wondering if I can use RCA to Balanced adapter to solve the issue. If the answer to this question is yes, then my second question is which IC cable is better, RCA with the corresponding adapter, or balanced IC with corresponding adapter.

Thank you very much for your advice.

Yes that will solve it. I have done it before in similar situation. As for which cable/adapter combination works better, I would do whatever you can more easily/cheaply do. I believe best practice is to run XLR cables with adapters on rca side.

There are balanced Lampizators with balanced outputs also. Other option is preamp that can convert signal.