Golden Gate DAC arrives.

[MadFloyd]

I had a SE B7 prior to the GG....and the GG changed my tune regarding TTs. That may change AGAIN with further fiddling but I have a 6 mo old and a three year old so TTs are not in my immediate future....

Floyd, break it in and tube roll. Your speakers will also dictate a lot of this....

It's broken in enough (sound stopped changing after 2 days). I hope to get new tubes today. If the new tubes don't make a substantial difference I will be returning the unit.

 

[Geardaddy]

It's broken in enough (sound stopped changing after 2 days). I hope to get new tubes today. If the new tubes don't make a substantial difference I will be returning the unit.

If it is a new unit, that is not enough time at all. Why did you bother with the Lampi if you own the Lumin and MPD? What are you shopping for? If you have the cashflow, I would go with a GG. Are the Magicos destination speakers or are you in an experimental mode?

Try some 300Bs....

 

[bonzo75]

I think it's ok for him to try the Lampi with Lumin (which is usually a convenience thing for many) and the MPD (there are two people here who already moved to the B7). Whatever the reason Lampi has a lot of excitement around it for anyone to demo

From what I read on Audioshark, his B7 came in with some technical issue and sound came out one channel etc. Floyd, if that has riled you, be patient. Ask the distributors for more audition time, and keep it till it burns in with some 101ds and/or 300bs

 

[MadFloyd]

If it is a new unit, that is not enough time at all. Why did you bother with the Lampi if you own the Lumin and MPD? What are you shopping for? If you have the cashflow, I would go with a GG. Are the Magicos destination speakers or are you in an experimental mode?

Try some 300Bs....

I no longer own the Lumin (which was bought only to audition and I didn't like it) and my PBD is for sale (because I'm looking for something better).

I am auditioning DACs, simple as that. I also have an MSB Analog DAC on loan - which I like - but I'm wanted to see what all the Lampi fuss was about.

 

[MadFloyd]

I think it's ok for him to try the Lampi with Lumin (which is usually a convenience thing for many) and the MPD (there are two people here who already moved to the B7). Whatever the reason Lampi has a lot of excitement around it for anyone to demo

From what I read on Audioshark, his B7 came in with some technical issue and sound came out one channel etc. Floyd, if that has riled you, be patient. Ask the distributors for more audition time, and keep it till it burns in with some 101ds and/or 300bs

It's not so much that I'm impatient and not willing to give the unit more time - I want to give it a fair shake. Unfortunately because of my equipment rack, I cannot listen to anything else with the Lampi in place. I had to remove my phono stage and the Analog DAC and because I'm not enjoying the Lampi (it's fine for background music) I'm having audiophile withdrawals.

To be clear I'm not saying the Lampi is a bad or inferior DAC. Too many people love this thing and where there's smoke, there's fire. I've got a very analytical system and I thought the Lampi would synergize well with that, but my ears are hearing a very congealed sound. It's soft and pleasant, but rolled off, colored, soft and sort of mushy. It may very well be that I just listen to music differently and have different goals for a system (for example I like to follow instrumentation more than I listen to vocals etc).

In any case, I'm very excited to get new tubes (101d's on their way) and see what happens.

 

[bonzo75]

Which is precisely why you need to be patient and change valves, because it is what you want it to be. It can give you more details, slam and speed than other analytical SS dacs without sacrificing midrange shd soundstage, but only with the right valves and when broken in

 

[joeinid]

Which is precisely why you need to be patient and change valves, because it is what you want it to be. It can give you more details, slam and speed than other analytical SS dacs without sacrificing midrange and soundstage, but only with the right valves and when broken in

A big plus one!

 

[bonzo75]

Floyd, though I do listen to opera, like you I listen to more instrumentation than vocals. Mussorgsky, Mahler, etc. I was at Bernard Haitink's Mahler 1 last Sunday, watching him do Beethoven ninth this Sunday, also going to another Beethoven's seventh Monday and Sibelius' violin concerto the Sunday after that.

Adyc here, another GG owner listens exclusively to classical, so does the UK distributor. Audiophile Bill who demoed my dac is a classical guy and was also a first trombonist in a small orchestra

If you simply said your analog gear was better, I would understand. But the fact that you are saying it is mushy, etc, makes me think something is wrong with the dac you have been sent or the setup. Suggest you get another B7 owner to visit you to check if dac is sounding as it should be, else you are having a wrong audition for some reason

Also try a different power cable as there might be some mismatch. Play music through both spdif and usb to check if both are giving similar output. Also hope you are not running SE into balanced, that might give issues.

 

[bonzo75]

I think that is how it is meant to sound, is it NOS with a valve output?
Keith.

Have you heard it, Keith?

 

[Geardaddy]

I no longer own the Lumin (which was bought only to audition and I didn't like it) and my PBD is for sale (because I'm looking for something better).

I am auditioning DACs, simple as that. I also have an MSB Analog DAC on loan - which I like - but I'm wanted to see what all the Lampi fuss was about.

Fair enough

 

[Geardaddy]

It's not so much that I'm impatient and not willing to give the unit more time - I want to give it a fair shake. Unfortunately because of my equipment rack, I cannot listen to anything else with the Lampi in place. I had to remove my phono stage and the Analog DAC and because I'm not enjoying the Lampi (it's fine for background music) I'm having audiophile withdrawals.

To be clear I'm not saying the Lampi is a bad or inferior DAC. Too many people love this thing and where there's smoke, there's fire. I've got a very analytical system and I thought the Lampi would synergize well with that, but my ears are hearing a very congealed sound. It's soft and pleasant, but rolled off, colored, soft and sort of mushy. It may very well be that I just listen to music differently and have different goals for a system (for example I like to follow instrumentation more than I listen to vocals etc).

In any case, I'm very excited to get new tubes (101d's on their way) and see what happens.

My Lampis have never sounded congealed or mushy. Quite the opposite. My speakers are VERY revealing.....

 

[Steve Williams]

I have a question. If the GG is a tricked out version of the B7 why is the B7 so much bigger than the GG

I must have missed it but what is MSRP of the GG and the B7

 

[Alpinist]

It's not so much that I'm impatient and not willing to give the unit more time - I want to give it a fair shake. Unfortunately because of my equipment rack, I cannot listen to anything else with the Lampi in place. I had to remove my phono stage and the Analog DAC and because I'm not enjoying the Lampi (it's fine for background music) I'm having audiophile withdrawals.

To be clear I'm not saying the Lampi is a bad or inferior DAC. Too many people love this thing and where there's smoke, there's fire. I've got a very analytical system and I thought the Lampi would synergize well with that, but my ears are hearing a very congealed sound. It's soft and pleasant, but rolled off, colored, soft and sort of mushy. It may very well be that I just listen to music differently and have different goals for a system (for example I like to follow instrumentation more than I listen to vocals etc).

In any case, I'm very excited to get new tubes (101d's on their way) and see what happens.

Hi Ian,

Sorry to hear that your Big 7 is underperforming thus far. I hope the new tubes will help you turn the corner. Based on your description of the sound of your B7 and the fact that you own the extremely resolving M-Pros, I think the 101D's are an excellent choice. Keep us posted.

Best of luck,
Ken

 

[Geardaddy]

I have a question. If the GG is a tricked out version of the B7 why is the B7 so much bigger than the GG

I must have missed it but what is MSRP of the GG and the B7

same size

15.4K and 10.5K

 

[Geardaddy]

Hi Ian,

Sorry to hear that your Big 7 is underperforming thus far. I hope the new tubes will help you turn the corner. Based on your description of the sound of your B7 and the fact that you own the extremely resolving M-Pros, I think the 101D's are an excellent choice. Keep us posted.

Best of luck,
Ken

Agreed.

Floyd, there are other threads that may better serve your purposes in terms of technical feedback on the 7....good luck

 

[MadFloyd]

Agreed.

Floyd, there are other threads that may better serve your purposes in terms of technical feedback on the 7....good luck

Understood, thanks.

 

[Al M.]

I just posted my impressions on the Lampi Big 7 on Ian's system thread (and yes, he now did switch tubes from the ones that he received with the DAC):

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?17764-Madfloyd-s-System/page5

I would suggest further discussion, if there is any, here on this thread and not there. I only posted my impressions there because they related to the experience of Ian's system.

 

[MarinJim]

Has anyone here compared the Lampizator to the SOTA DACs? MSB, Trinity, Vivaldi etc.

We have a GG on order and are looking forward to hearing what it can do.

You are located in WA. Have you tried the ModWright Elyse? Best DAC I have heard. I would like that compaered to the GG and Big 7.

 

[wisnon]

Have used the EML tubes for a while, in my tube rolling experience, the best rectifiers are the:

Takatsuki 274B
Western Electric 422A
Mullard Metal Base GZ34

All of the above are significantly better than the EML tubes, both the mesh plate and the solid plates sound ordinary compared with the above.

I am very interested in this DAC, so I was intrigued that it sounded this good with those tubes. With SOC rectifiers it would be another league entirely. The 45's sound better than the 2A3's BTW.

Unfortunately there is no chance of listening to it in Australia. You guys have the best dealers.

Doesnt Richard Tan in Oz (distibutor) have a demo unit?

 

[Elberoth]

I have a balanced GG 256 DSD only on order.