LampizatOr Amber 2 - heavily underestimated gem
- Thread starter Golum
- Start date
Sounds like a great product, great review.
I read the review the other day and to be honest struggled with the final ratings awarded. It’s saying that sonically the MSB Select 2, the Lampi Pacific, the best from Aries Cerat, Wadax, indeed any and all of the very top tier cost no object dacs available today (most at $100k plus) and then also for the best dacs going forwards into the future can’t actually sound any better at all than the $2750 Amber 3... they’ve kind of painted themselves into a difficult assessment corner. Awarding largely 100% across any assessment criteria is simply not a good move.
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Based on what you said I’m not sure why something which costs fraction of some other stuff should not be rated as top notch stuff in its price category while in this particular case I do believe reviewer had specific price point in his mind while rating the product.
But in general, i read what you are saying that lower price point units should get rates like 50,60 or 30% and 100% rates are reserved for the TOTL stuff?
No not at all. Just asking if the Amber 3 actually sounds as good as a GG2, or the Pacific, or a MSB Select 2. If a component scores 100 per cent across the sonic board surely that means that it is as good as it gets. I wasn’t suggesting that price should limit it’s ability to be the best but just asking if the amber 3 sounds as good as the very best regardless of it’s price. If so then that’s great. 5 out of 5 isn’t just top notch... it’s at least equal to the best, it is perfect. I’m genuinely not being cynical, just questioning the logic of an across the board sonic 100 per cent rating.
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Is the Amber 3 as good as a Golden Gate 2 or Pacific (which the reviewer hadn't heard before)? No.
That said, I sincerely believe it would drop some jaws against much more expensive competition. To say the Amber 3 came out better than it probably should have (ESPECIALLY at the price point) is an understatement.
But that is also true for the TRP
And the GG, and the Pacific
I'm really curious about the Amber Amp/DAC, now that it has the Amber 3 DAC inside, even more so.
Did you have a chance to listen to the Amber Amp/DAC, Fred?
That little bugger could make one hell of a "small" system with my Odeon Midas for example
That’s great, I wasn’t really questioning all the written positive comment on the Amber 3 at all, I’ve always really liked the Lampi gear I’ve heard, just the specific choice by the reviewer to go with all the 100 per cent sonic results in the star ratings.
Even when awarding for the current very best giving something absolutely perfect results (especially in a subjective assessment unlike an objective one where something can be technically perfect within the parameters set) doesn’t allow for the reality that we are often moving forward with regards to digital.
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The rating is probably within the price bracket
I promise to get off my assessment soapbox soon lol. Just I do assessment every day and there is a value in not confusing people when they are still developing into thinking their works are perfect, even within their stage of development (or price constraint).
When we are more developed most people realise that perhaps absolutely perfect isn’t actually real anyways and that virtually perfect is actually as good as it gets and absolutely amazing. Just don’t tell any of us audiophiles or we’ll stop buying so much new gear and just start enjoying what we have
When I was in high school one of my teachers gave me a 100 per cent on a history essay and I was just disappointed because when I re-read it even I could see where it could have been better. The realisation that things can be better is perhaps what keeps us moving forwards and that change is more than an addiction but also a refreshment in life.
But also the truth that things aren’t actually perfect puts everything into a bearable perspective and makes the achievable much more valuable. I get landscape designers who are never happy with what they do because it’s not seen by others as perfect. So anything less than 100% is for them is some kind of fail. In some ways it’s more important to be the best you can be than it is to actually be perfect.
If my history teacher had given me 94% for that essay I’d have been absolutely over the moon because that just would have been a truer reflection of what it was and where I was at and 94% is actually a great result and a fairer assessment than 100%. Whoops PS I’ve just fallen off me soapbox... times up thank heavens
But that is also true for the TRP
And the GG, and the Pacific
I'm really curious about the Amber Amp/DAC, now that it has the Amber 3 DAC inside, even more so.
Did you have a chance to listen to the Amber Amp/DAC, Fred?
That little bugger could make one hell of a "small" system with my Odeon Midas for example
Christoph,
Actually I have spent some time with the prior Amber Amp (based on Amber 2) in my home and it was really great with suitable speakers. It is cut from the same sonic cloth as our other balanced amplifiers with the same design principals scaled down to the smaller tubes--very similar to the Pacific 211s, but with less power. It's absolutely perfect for a medium or small space.
Actually, when I was last visiting the factory in Poland, one of the guys on the team, Antoni, invited me back to his place to see his modest rig. He was using an Amber Amp, Super Komputer and modest pair of vintage Braun speakers very close to the wall--it didn't look like it would produce much, but the sound of that little setup was fantastic.
We need to figure out an appropriate show to debut these amps in the US--they should be very well received.
Thanks, Fred for your elaborate answer.
I really think the Amber 3 Amp/DAC would make an amazing team with my Odeon Midas
Do you know the sensitivity of Antoni's Braun speakers?
How big was his room?
A very interesting write up from Herb Reichert of Stereophile putting our modest ($10,000USD) system featuring Spatial, Linear Tube Audio and Anticables among his very favorite exhibits of all of Capital Audiofest 2019!
https://www.stereophile.com/content...mplifier-lampizator-amber#gE4LH6FEuZTHAhDL.99
https://www.stereophile.com/content...mplifier-lampizator-amber#gE4LH6FEuZTHAhDL.99
Hi
New to the forum. I just purchased the Amber 3 and I am unsure how I feel about it. Having owned a Bryston BDA 2 for several years I find the Lampizator more spacious and detailed but imaging to be less specific/ diffuse but to be fair I have only 20 hours on the unit. As seasoned Lampizator owners can someone tell me what type of breakin period is typical.
New to the forum. I just purchased the Amber 3 and I am unsure how I feel about it. Having owned a Bryston BDA 2 for several years I find the Lampizator more spacious and detailed but imaging to be less specific/ diffuse but to be fair I have only 20 hours on the unit. As seasoned Lampizator owners can someone tell me what type of breakin period is typical.
Since I'm currently playing all my music through the Azure 851N, with Quboz and sometimes Apple Music (not really focusing on analog right now), would it make sense to try the Amber 3 in my system? From what my ears can tell, I find the order of sound improvement to be:
1st the speakers/room interaction, either the amp or preamp for 2nd, source the 3rd and everything else after. I've found difficulty in telling big differences in expensive transports or ultra high end cables for the money paid.
I was thinking of replacing the preamp with a HT bypass for improved 2 channel performance in a previous post but maybe the better improvement for the money at this point without spending in the five figures (for a preamp) would be a better DAC? It seems like this is a killer unit for a relatively low entry point that might make the biggest difference in my system? IMO Cary Audio is right up there with the Classe that was used in Golem's friends place and if he heard a big improvement...
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/new-member-saying-hello-and-needing-some-advice.29857/
1st the speakers/room interaction, either the amp or preamp for 2nd, source the 3rd and everything else after. I've found difficulty in telling big differences in expensive transports or ultra high end cables for the money paid.
I was thinking of replacing the preamp with a HT bypass for improved 2 channel performance in a previous post but maybe the better improvement for the money at this point without spending in the five figures (for a preamp) would be a better DAC? It seems like this is a killer unit for a relatively low entry point that might make the biggest difference in my system? IMO Cary Audio is right up there with the Classe that was used in Golem's friends place and if he heard a big improvement...
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/new-member-saying-hello-and-needing-some-advice.29857/
Hello all, I just wanted to make a quick PSA for those of you who were interested in the Amber 3 but may have been on the fence.
The starting price of this DAC will be increasing from 2500 Euro to 3000 Euro beginning April 1, 2020.
This would be a very good time to strike on this gem for those who have been contemplating it!
Best,
Fred A.
The starting price of this DAC will be increasing from 2500 Euro to 3000 Euro beginning April 1, 2020.
This would be a very good time to strike on this gem for those who have been contemplating it!
Best,
Fred A.
I recently landed an upgraded LAMPI Amber DAC III. Put through the TUC upgrade process to eliminate resonance from EMI RFI.
This is an open forward and transparent DAC. Extended dynamic range. Hallmarks of this DAC. This one has COAX OPTICAL AND AES EBU inputs and XLR & RCA outputs. Black face and orange light with Volume control.
Better than the internal DAC in the Oppo205SE I have on hand too.
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