Long time listener, first time caller.
I’ve learned a lot from this forum, and with some of the recent discussion around Engine 12, it felt like a good time to finally contribute. I’ve lived with a few Lampizator DACs along the way—starting with an Amber, then a Baltic 3, and now an Atlantic 3 TRP—and each step has felt less like chasing a different sound and more like honing in on what matters musically. The Atlantic TRP, in particular, has been the most analog-feeling DAC I’ve owned, and the first that’s let me relax into digital listening without constantly comparing it to vinyl.
The Engine 12 upgrade came about more by circumstance than by plan. I originally sent the DAC back to Poland for a warranty issue that turned out to be a failed rectifier. While it was there, the timing lined up to do the Engine 12 upgrade, so I decided to go ahead. I figured I’d share some early impressions — very much a snapshot rather than any kind of verdict at this stage. This unit hasn’t had much time in the world yet, or much time in my system.
What stood out first wasn’t a dramatic “wow,” but a sense that the presentation had relaxed. The music feels less held in place and more allowed to unfold, with phrases connecting more naturally from one moment to the next. Nothing is being pushed forward or spotlighted; instead, there’s a greater sense of continuity across the stage.
Musicians seem more “aware” of one another, in the sense that their lines relate more clearly in time and space, and there’s less of the subtle tension that can creep in over longer listening sessions. There’s also more inner density to tones — not warmth or thickness, but a solidity that gives instruments a clearer center of gravity and makes their color easier to follow over time. Piano, in particular, feels more integrated, with harmonics inhabiting the body of the note rather than floating above it.
Spatially, the stage feels both larger and better proportioned, with width and depth opening up in a way that feels unforced. Images have more room to breathe, and the relationships between them are easier to follow. Depth cues are clearer, not because they’re emphasized, but because front-to-back layering feels continuous (rather than stepped).
Microdynamic shifts — the small rise and fall of phrasing — are easier to track over time, though they never announce themselves. This isn’t a hyper-detailed, “listen to that” presentation so much as a sense that a subtle constriction has been released, allowing the music to breathe more naturally.
For a bit of personal context, I spent some time working in recording studios and around musicians, which gave me a lasting appreciation for how acoustic instruments and real rooms actually sound. That’s probably why I’m drawn less to effects and more to whether space, decay, and balance feel convincing over time.
One thing that’s become easier to notice is how reverb tails behave. On familiar recordings, decays don’t simply fall away; they linger and unfold, giving you a clearer sense of the size and shape of the space before dissolving into silence — you can stay with the acoustic a moment longer. It doesn’t come across as “more detail” in the usual sense so much as a greater continuity of space, where the air around instruments feels intact rather than clipped. It’s not subtle, but it doesn’t announce itself, and once you hear it, it’s hard to ignore.
Overall, Engine 12 doesn’t change the character of the Atlantic 3 TRP so much as refine it — the same musical values, just with more ease and continuity. For now, I’ve been listening with Siemens F2A output tubes and the stock rectifier, keeping variables limited as things continue to settle. All of that said, I’m finding myself listening longer and thinking less about the gear.
Happy holidays
I’ve learned a lot from this forum, and with some of the recent discussion around Engine 12, it felt like a good time to finally contribute. I’ve lived with a few Lampizator DACs along the way—starting with an Amber, then a Baltic 3, and now an Atlantic 3 TRP—and each step has felt less like chasing a different sound and more like honing in on what matters musically. The Atlantic TRP, in particular, has been the most analog-feeling DAC I’ve owned, and the first that’s let me relax into digital listening without constantly comparing it to vinyl.
The Engine 12 upgrade came about more by circumstance than by plan. I originally sent the DAC back to Poland for a warranty issue that turned out to be a failed rectifier. While it was there, the timing lined up to do the Engine 12 upgrade, so I decided to go ahead. I figured I’d share some early impressions — very much a snapshot rather than any kind of verdict at this stage. This unit hasn’t had much time in the world yet, or much time in my system.
What stood out first wasn’t a dramatic “wow,” but a sense that the presentation had relaxed. The music feels less held in place and more allowed to unfold, with phrases connecting more naturally from one moment to the next. Nothing is being pushed forward or spotlighted; instead, there’s a greater sense of continuity across the stage.
Musicians seem more “aware” of one another, in the sense that their lines relate more clearly in time and space, and there’s less of the subtle tension that can creep in over longer listening sessions. There’s also more inner density to tones — not warmth or thickness, but a solidity that gives instruments a clearer center of gravity and makes their color easier to follow over time. Piano, in particular, feels more integrated, with harmonics inhabiting the body of the note rather than floating above it.
Spatially, the stage feels both larger and better proportioned, with width and depth opening up in a way that feels unforced. Images have more room to breathe, and the relationships between them are easier to follow. Depth cues are clearer, not because they’re emphasized, but because front-to-back layering feels continuous (rather than stepped).
Microdynamic shifts — the small rise and fall of phrasing — are easier to track over time, though they never announce themselves. This isn’t a hyper-detailed, “listen to that” presentation so much as a sense that a subtle constriction has been released, allowing the music to breathe more naturally.
For a bit of personal context, I spent some time working in recording studios and around musicians, which gave me a lasting appreciation for how acoustic instruments and real rooms actually sound. That’s probably why I’m drawn less to effects and more to whether space, decay, and balance feel convincing over time.
One thing that’s become easier to notice is how reverb tails behave. On familiar recordings, decays don’t simply fall away; they linger and unfold, giving you a clearer sense of the size and shape of the space before dissolving into silence — you can stay with the acoustic a moment longer. It doesn’t come across as “more detail” in the usual sense so much as a greater continuity of space, where the air around instruments feels intact rather than clipped. It’s not subtle, but it doesn’t announce itself, and once you hear it, it’s hard to ignore.
Overall, Engine 12 doesn’t change the character of the Atlantic 3 TRP so much as refine it — the same musical values, just with more ease and continuity. For now, I’ve been listening with Siemens F2A output tubes and the stock rectifier, keeping variables limited as things continue to settle. All of that said, I’m finding myself listening longer and thinking less about the gear.
Happy holidays
