LampizatOr Golden Atlantic + TRP

[ihmeyers]

I had a very nice conversation today with @LampiNA and my GA will be going back to Poland for a USB board update. According to Fred, Lukasz said the new board is a big improvement over the current one. I am assuming the new board could / would be fitted in all models going forward but maybe that's not correct. The bonus is that there will no longer be any firmware issues no matter what operating system your music server uses.

Fred also recommended I try a GZ480 since I'm using the Teslas. Happy to say I was able to secure a low-hr one today that should be here early next week. Probably just in time for my GA to go back to Poland, lol.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

I had a very nice conversation today with @LampiNA and my GA will be going back to Poland for a USB board update. According to Fred, Lukasz said the new board is a big improvement over the current one. I am assuming the new board could / would be fitted in all models going forward but maybe that's not correct. The bonus is that there will no longer be any firmware issues no matter what operating system your music server uses.

Fred also recommended I try a GZ480 since I'm using the Teslas. Happy to say I was able to secure a low-hr one today that should be here early next week. Probably just in time for my GA to go back to Poland, lol.

sounds like great news.

 

[leftside]

I've been rolling some of the "classic" tubes, namely multiple different GEC KT66 including GEC KT66 ST wartime clear glass and smoked glass, GEC KT66 smoked glass, Mullard EL37 (twin inverted trough getter) and Mullard EL35 solid plate and mesh plate.

The Mullard EL37 have a slightly fuller/heavier/warmer sound. The larger KT66 ST type have a slightly more open and lighter/ariy sound. The soundstage on this DAC is already amazing and the KT66 ST seems to take it even further. The regular KT66 seem to be somewhere in the middle.

Beware of the different gain with some of these tubes. This can be a little deceiving as a very slight gain difference can make one tube appear "better" than the other. I've noticed a little more gain with the EL37. The EL35 has the least amount of gain. Also, there are many different versions of all these tubes mentioned. Over the years the various factories would use different manufacturing processes and different materials like plates (mesh, flat, etc) and getters (cup, foil, trough, single, double halo, D, etc), but I'm not noticing too many sound differences with various contruction differences with the same tube family.

I admit, I'm not hearing large difference between the above mentioned tubes. But, I've also been rolling in EL11/EL12/EL3N/EL3 tubes, and I definitely notice a larger difference with those. I'm currently running a pair of RT EL11 grey glass and they are warmer than the above mentioned tubes.

There are quite a few more tubes in my inventory to try at a later date: 6L6, EL34, EL38/E3375, EL39, EL51, KT77, KT88

I almost feel guilty talking about the tubes, as this DAC and the 53 engine are amazing. It sounds good with all tubes I've tried. I view the DAC as the cake, and the tubes as a thin layer of icing on top.

 

[Monsterzero]

Glad you're enjoying 'em D. I should have loaned you my gz480 which has been my favorite recti tube by far with the 51s....

Which recti is that?

Sorry for the delayed response, im on puppy duty and havent had a lot of time to be online lately. Its a Brimar, i believe the 5r4gy. Nothing fancy.

 

[christoph]

. I view the DAC as the cake, and the tubes as a thin layer of icing on top.

Or rather the candles on top

 

[leftside]

Or rather the candles on top

Perfect

 

[highstream]

Sorry for the delayed response, im on puppy duty and havent had a lot of time to be online lately. Its a Brimar, i believe the 5r4gy. Nothing fancy.

Nothing fancy, but the Brimar version, which I received yesterday, is the most transparent recti I've come across (haven't used the GZ480). It also has that 3-D character of the 5R4GYs I've heard. The combo of the Brimar in the TRP and the 596 in the Supratek preamp is very good, and overcomes most of the Brimar's bit too much warmth (which undercuts the sense of alive a little). The Brimar has also solves the higher volume distortion problem I've mentioned here with the EL51's and other rectis (I wonder if it has something to do with the Brimar’s apparent output being much greater). I got the double-O getter version, but am told that the double-D is better, but it's harder to come by and much more expensive. Amazing what the difference is between a highly transparent recti that draws my attention to the hardware and one that draws me into the music and the artistry of the musicians (And I was thinking transparency and a bit of warmth could only be had together for very big bucks).

 

[leftside]

Spent the Saturday morning sanding and then using isopropyl alcohol on old tube pins, and then tried out the tubes in the afternoon and today. I'll mention some that I don't think have been mentioned earlier in the thread:

- Telefunken EL11. Super detailed and clear tube. I can see why people really like Telefunken, but in this DAC (which is already super detailed and clear) I think I prefer the slightly warmer RFT EL11. Need EL11/EL12 to EL34 adapters.

- Fivre 6L6G (early spade getter). Another great tube. Great dynamics. I have a load of old Fivre tubes to try out that I purchased from a guy in Italy. They were super cheap. but also super dirty and it takes me quite a long time to clean up the pins - but they do clean up nicely eventually. Will try more later when I have more time and report if I hear any differences between all the constructions.

- Philips EL34 XF2. I guess this tube has been mentioned before, and I can also see why these are so popular. Very full bodied - great for rock music. One of my favourites. Will compare to the metal base at a later date.

- Spanish Marconi 6F6G. Oooh what have I found here. Less gain than some of the other tubes (especially compared to say the EL11), but this appears to be a very nice tube. Hint of warmth. I just ordered a couple more from radio-antigua on eBay - a guy who I've purchased many tubes from before. I also have GEC KT63 which are meant to be be similar, but haven't tried these yet. These are an early tube that preceded the 6V6 and are meant to have more distortion than the 6V6, but it sure sounds sweet in this DAC.

- GEC VT75 clear glass. Super airy and detailed. An amazing tube to have if you feel the music needs a little more "space", although similar to the Telefunken from above - might be a "bit much" for some music with this DAC. I really like this tube with some of my heavier electronic music.

- Neotron 6L6: Very dynamic and "alive" tube. Really grabbed my attention.

- Cossor 6V6G. Solid all around tube. Nothing really stood out. Clear glass matches well with the Cossor 53KU

- Fivre 6V6G. This one felt a bit subdued and more relaxed.

Truly amazing the amount of tubes you can run in this DAC. Originally I didn't think it would be a "problem" for me as I told myself "it's just a tube buffer - you're not going to be able to tell much difference between the various tubes". Well, I can hear a few differences, and now my pocket is much lighter... I guess the saving grace with being a tube collecting addict, is that a lot of these tubes will hold their prices.

I can post pictures if anyone is interested. I have quite a few more tubes to go, but this will do for now. EL3, EL12 spez, EL38/E3375, EL39 and EL51 adapters should arrive in the next week or two.

 

[ihmeyers]

My GA is going home to Lukasz tomorrow for the new USB board. Figures, my Shuguang GZ recti arrives the same day.

I don't know when Lampi started using the new board but it must be fairly recent. My GA was built 7/2019 and it's got the old board. Maybe Fred can chime in on when the board has been changed. I'll report back on how it sounds but Lukasz has told Fred it produces a very large improvement in SQ.

 

[owen lawlor]

My GA is going home to Lukasz tomorrow for the new USB board. Figures, my Shuguang GZ recti arrives the same day.

I don't know when Lampi started using the new board but it must be fairly recent. My GA was built 7/2019 and it's got the old board. Maybe Fred can chime in on when the board has been changed. I'll report back on how it sounds but Lukasz has told Fred it produces a very large improvement in SQ.

Nice! What is the cost of the new board?

 

[ihmeyers]

The board is 550E plus 200E shipping each way from/to Florida and Poland. I'm not sure if the same board is used in every Lampi DAC but it likely is. I ran into an issue because I have the old firmware (optimized for Linux) and Lucas Domensky would have needed to reflash the firmware to install his server (that I have on order). He could have done that from his location in the UK but after he spoke to Fred he suggested I get the new Lampi USB board which is operating system independent.

And of course the Shuguang GZ recti arrived today.

 

[dwhistance]

"I don't know when Lampi started using the new board but it must be fairly recent. My GA was built 7/2019 and it's got the old board. Maybe Fred can chime in on when the board has been changed. I'll report back on how it sounds but Lukasz has told Fred it produces a very large improvement in SQ."

Mine came back from Poland with the new JL sounds USB board in early May. According to Greg, the UK importer, it was the first with that board in the UK. I'm really impressed with the SQ compared with the Atlantic Plus I sent off for upgrade which itself wasn't too poor! I'd be interested to hear your thought when you get yours back. The new board also allows Windows users to play hi res DSD natively rather than via PCM.

David

 

[Ed_K]

The board is 550E plus 200E shipping each way from/to Florida and Poland. I'm not sure if the same board is used in every Lampi DAC but it likely is. I ran into an issue because I have the old firmware (optimized for Linux) and Lucas Domensky would have needed to reflash the firmware to install his server (that I have on order). He could have done that from his location in the UK but after he spoke to Fred he suggested I get the new Lampi USB board which is operating system independent.

And of course the Shuguang GZ recti arrived today.

I’m interested in getting the GZ480 recti but have not seen anyone with stock. Did you recently find a source?

 

[leftside]

"I don't know when Lampi started using the new board but it must be fairly recent. My GA was built 7/2019 and it's got the old board. Maybe Fred can chime in on when the board has been changed. I'll report back on how it sounds but Lukasz has told Fred it produces a very large improvement in SQ."

Mine came back from Poland with the new JL sounds USB board in early May. According to Greg, the UK importer, it was the first with that board in the UK. I'm really impressed with the SQ compared with the Atlantic Plus I sent off for upgrade which itself wasn't too poor! I'd be interested to hear your thought when you get yours back. The new board also allows Windows users to play hi res DSD natively rather than via PCM.

David

I always believed the old board allowed users to play DSD natively rather than via PCM? I also have the original Golden Atlantic and Roon on Windows definitely says "DSD Playback Strategy: Native" for "Combo384 ASIO 1.03"

 

[ihmeyers]

I’m interested in getting the GZ480 recti but have not seen anyone with stock. Did you recently find a source?

Hi Ed. I bought it from the guy that sold me the DAC. He had a bunch of tubes for the GA, most of which I ended up buying from him over the past 2-3 months. I couldn't find a source either and wasn't really super motivated to do so until Fred told me he thinks it's the best rectifier with the Teslas.

 

[Ed_K]

Hi Ed. I bought it from the guy that sold me the DAC. He had a bunch of tubes for the GA, most of which I ended up buying from him over the past 2-3 months. I couldn't find a source either and wasn't really super motivated to do so until Fred told me he thinks it's the best rectifier with the Teslas.

Ok, thx! I thought I might have missed an opportunity. Hopefully these will turn up in the future.

 

[highstream]

Mine was upgraded from a half-GA in late Aug 2019. I understood DSD depends on the source. From my Oppo 203 there was no way to send DSD except via an HDMI to DSD conversion card, and thus with an HDMI cable, both of which I used previously going from Oppo to Directstream dac. With the TRP, I use an s/pdif cable from the Oppo, which can't carry DSD afaik. Yet, my TRP won't play DSD256, which seems to contradict that explanation, unless the 256+ limitation is in the Oppo itself.

 

[JonathanKlein]

AliExpress has ShuGuang GZ480 rectifiers
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/40010...5889c77dada8830fb15j.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp

 

[highstream]

Not sure what the Dawn tube is, but price certainly appears way too high. And even if they have the nominally right tube, I'd be wary of buying one from a general merchandiser. Like most all tubes, it's safe to assume that not all Shuguang GZ480 production is of equal quality, and a general merchandiser might not be getting the best or even close. You might check with an audio store, such as Mable Audio, tho last time I did they didn't have them and didn't know when they would. Golum thought it wouldn't be until next year. http://www.mableaudio.com/en/productview.asp?sid=8417

 

[leftside]

Why is the Shuguang GZ480 so popular? I've haven't seen this brand of tubes be popular elsewhere. Surely the better known early production rectifiers are going to be just as good or better? Sorry if I missed earlier conversations regarding this tube. I'll have to start trying different rectifiers soon. Sticking with my tried and trusted Cossor 53KU for the time being.

Tried a pair of Philips EL12 this evening. I keep gravitating towards EL11 and EL12 with this DAC. I started looking at different versions of these tubes on radiomuseum, but I quickly closed the trap door on that rabbit hole. The EL60 looks nice though
https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_el12.html

EL11, 6M6G, El33, EL3N are all basically the same tube. Highly recommended:
https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_el11.html