NOS is really Nick Only Stock
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@NickMimi I am ashamed that these adapters are yet another terrible reason why tubes are not eco-friendly. Look at this poor tree that got hurt. Oh, and there’s even a grounding wire for the adapter. Greta would be ashamed.
Alas, luckily, since everyone is now going to only buy SS gear, I might as well enjoy these for awhile…
I did find these tubes though, and thought to help the environment by just getting rid of as many of them as possible…
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I hate you…if ever I find myself in Seattle though I’ll buy lunch or even dinner as a thank you for the opportunity to allow me to listen to and possibly lick & fondle that set up 
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Why would ferrite USB cables be a no?
I’m evaluating some cabling in my system, and I’d like to know why this is the case.
Lampizator never responded to my other inquiries, otherwise I’d ask them.
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Wave would disagree…
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It’s generally a hack for bad cable design, you don’t see the for example on USB C cables because the geometry/shielding is such that they aren’t necessary even given the much higher data rates.
They will work FWIW.
They are thought to reduce sound quality, but whether that’s just because they tend to be used on badly shielded cables, or some other effect I don’t know
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Interesting. Here I thought it would somehow damage the components inside or something.
Is this related to why they have length limits on the SPDIF/RCA cables in the screenshots?
No that’s just about quality of transmission. And it’s an arbitrary decision they’ve made.
you get some attenuation over the length of the cable, which in turn leads to worst case audio dropouts, but more practically an increase in Jitter on the input. Jitter doesn’t usually affect USB audio, because it’s all asynchronous these days.
The actual specified limit for a USB 2.0 cable is 98ft, but you really don’t want to push that.
And you can likely go lots over the specified values without impacting very much.
Generally speaking though for cables shorter is better, though with SPDIF cables there are arguments for a minimum 1.5m length, which has to do with impedance matching and internal reflection within the cable. But there is plenty posted on both sides of this.
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Can anyone suggest a lampizator model to pair with a riviera levante? SE model preferred.
Lots of options and no ability to demo plus a very small number on the second hand market locally.
Lampizator poland have recommended the Atlantic
Local importer is saying Baltic
Friend who has worked his way up the line and owns a horizon is saying the or bust (and to only buy new for warranty purposes).
I’d be feeding the dac via USB from the antipodes k30 and looking for an upgrade from the msb discrete.
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You really have to pick a budget, my experience has been the more you spend in the range the better they get, and the Levante is a good enough amp to Justify TOTL if you want to spend that.
Your options at each of the price points are basically DHT or Pentode Bases.
With the DHT ones being phased out.
Lampizator honor warrantees on used gear, in fact after the doing the Pacific 2 upgrade on my used Pacific, they renewed my Warrantee for 3 years, so I don’t think there is a big advantage in buying new unless you want to take advantage of the upgrade program.
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I guess that what I’m trying to figure out, what’s the key differences between each to try an identify what will pair well with the levante vs what won’t.
Tube rolling makes it hard as how close can you get an Atlantic to say the gg3 with tube rolling; or is there still a large gap between models when each is fitted out with unobtainium tubes.
Well… it’s easier to find the TOTL tubes for the TRP simply because it is not DHT and doesn’t use double anode loading.
My tubes in the Pac2 now almost costs as much as a TRP…
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For both you can get varying degrees on warmth/dynamics. I’d imagine for the Levante you’d be looking for something less midrange centric and more dynamic, on something like a GG or Pacific, that’s usually the higher powered tubes like the 242’s, PX25’s possibly PX4’s.
It might be easier to get something more dynamic out of the Pentode based amps.
Both take a relatively similar selection of regulators, and that’s a large part of the signature.
It’ll also cost you a lot less to tube roll a Pentode based Lampizator, than a DHT one
DHT’s have somewhat unique presentation that pentodes don’t, it’s hard to describe unless you’ve heard it, it’s a sort of immediacy of presentation you don’t seem to get from indirectly heated tubes.
But plenty of people have moved from DHT based Lampizators to the Pentode based ones.
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I can only speak for the Golden Atlantic TRP but it is a warmer dac, one that changes a bit with different tubes. KT66 are now $650ish for the revered GECs so a lot but nos DHTs are equally as much. The ole nos struggle is real for both sides.
But for the atlantic (i have a GA TRP) the gec kt66 was a wool blanket in front of a roaring fire sipping whiskey warm. The Gold Lion KT77s were much more neutral and upfront showing off the GAs technicalities. One is $650 hope you can get them NOS tubes, the other is sub $200 new production. Both stand their own against each other, just preference. I also have f2a i have not tried yet, or you can dive in on whatever tube and adapter combo they founds works over at WhatsBestForum.
Where you live will also dictate tube abailability.
How close it gets to a GG or Pac i cant tell you. I do get a feeling that the baltic 3/4 is close to the GA i have and i feel the Atlantics became a bit of the odd child over time. I also know they are doing engine 11 updates to older models but i cant nail down if its for all or how consistently they take them in.
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ENGINE ELEVEN is retrofit- compatible with all our older DACs as a complete installation package.
Pacific DAC is not subject to upgrades as the sound quality would be roughly the same.
Pacific DAC gets a special higher calibre board which we will call Engine Eleven-P.
The upgrade package includes: USB module JLS with proper customized firmware, the DIGITAL ENGINE PCB with chipset ELEVEN, additional mains transformer dedicated only to ELEVEN engine and nothing else, the new rear panel proper descriptors, new tube calibration process adjusted to the new properties of ELEVEN.
PRICE: a rough price ballpark value will be 2000 Euro for just Eleven and in addition plus 500 Euro if JLS USB card is needed. Of course plus shipping.
Pacific upgrade Eleven-P cost 4000 Euro and makes it Pacific-2 DAC.
Special version Eleven-P also works in the new Poseidon DAC.
Always goto lampizator Poland for anything up to date, then just email lampizator US for clarity, figure $500+ shipping on top of that, it was ~$600 to ship the pacific for the upgrade round trip.
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Yes the Polish site is much much better. But i read on the WB forum they were taking older dacs then needed to stop, then started again but only limited. I decided its best for me to not even look. Plus i dont know if the tube synergies are the same.
TBH i also thought it would be much much costlier and i thought warranty factored in.
I know they tend to not take DAC’s if there is going to be a wait for parts. Which is nice.
Warranty is reset to I think 3 years (I’d have to look), I have no idea if mine was still in warranty, I pinged lampizator US shortly after the upgrade was announced for the Pacific, took Rob close to 4 weeks to get a shipping label from Poland, which I assume is more to do with having the parts and time to do the upgrade in Poland than it is the time it takes to get a shipping label.
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This is why I’m excited about the idea of a Lampi DAC, or other tube DACs in general. With a transparent to the chain amp like 465, being able to run a couple different tunings with one chain is very tempting.
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I had a TRP2.5 w/ E11, and now have a GA TRP3 w/ E11, and a P2 w/ E11-P. The two dacs are running some of the top NOS tubes I could find.
The GATRP3 is scarily good for the price when put head-to-head w/ the P2. Maybe there’s something to be said for the rest of my system, including perhaps the difference of the two units’ output impedance and how they play w/ the Ampsandsound Nautilus (maybe I need a preamp?), but from what I can surmise the P2’s gains are definitely not commiserate w/ the price delta over the GATRP3. It’s more of a different presentation than “better overall.” Is it better? Yes in some ways, but it’s more something you perceive over time / when you take it away rather than hits you from the get-go.
One of my respected friends once said that the TRP is the “sweet spot of the Lampizator line.” I think there’s a lot of truth in this unless cost is truly irrelevant. Otherwise, a TRP3 (or Golden if you want the upgraded components) w/ NOS tubes, aftermarket fuses and a really good power cord = amazing.
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I have questions, because of course all dac makers that i like have these non-documented upgrades. What is a 2.5 and what is a 3? I think i have at least a 2 (it was a normal atlantic that was upgraded to a GA with the newer usb at the time).
Did you ever have a non-E11 TRP? I am also interested in the tubes, fuses, and power cords youve used.