The Sound of Pacific: The Newest DAC from Lampizator

Steve Rowan

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Feb 12, 2012
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St. Peters, MO
The Lampizator Pacific DAC

I’ve been fortunate to be a Lampizator customer now for several years. My first experience was at one of my best friend’s home, Jim. Jim owned a DAC and transport built by someone named Lukasz Fikus, called a Lampizator. Specifically he owned a Level 4 DAC and the Squeezebox based Transport. I can honestly say I was not overtly impressed with the look, certainly a far cry from the Levinson, Theta, Krell, and PS Audio equipment that friends and I owned. But the sound? Best analog, ever . . . I mean best digital . . . I mean best sound from any playback source in my experience! Jim's Lampizator based system led me down the path of no return.

Since then (in order of appearance in my system) I’ve spent consider time listening to or owned a variety of Lampizator DACs: Jim’s Level 4 and Squeezebox Transport, then owned the Level 5 Balanced with USB Transport, Level 7, BIg 7, (the Amber Dac on Loan), Big 7 Balanced (B7Bj, Jim’s Atlantic+, the Golden Gate Balanced (GGB) and now the . . . Pacific. Fueling my Lampi addiction were a cast of characters (and soon to be great friends) that include Fred Ainsley (AKA Gopher and 1/2 of the Lampizator NA team) Rob (the other half of Lampizator NA), Lukasz Fikus himself (no intro needed), and a couple of other good friends and well known characters, Albert and Norman. To say I’m partial to Lampizator products would be true, to say my opinions might be suspect if writing reviews and comparisons to other competitive DACs would be conceivable but not. No matter because today I’m writing about a new Lampi DAC, the Pacific.

I’ve had the privilege of experiencing the beta Pacific in my system since Axpona this year. I was not told much about the DAC except it was a prototype, the Lampizator team would like my feedback, and would I like an opportunity to hear it in my system? Of course I said “Yes!”. Soon the crate arrived, DAC setup and unpacked, my GGB set aside, and this new DAC set up in its place and connected. I forced myself to let things warm up for about an hour, then I had to take a listen.
I’ll sum it up as quickly as possible. I believe the Golden Gate’s attributes are well known by many here. It is a special and amazing music making machine. Lukasz’s finest creation. Lukasz could rest on his laurels and just make improvements as digital technology evolved.

But what I heard was not a GGB but another breed entirely. The sound was rich and powerful, subtle and quick, musical and detailed, analog yet digital, transparent and explosive, the soundscape wide, deep, holographic, bass throbbing yet delicately as a baby’s breath, pace and rhythm immediate yet flowing, able to shift and follow the performance, never stamping its signature on the music, but grasping the soul of the performance and letting it flow.


There, I said it, in about 70 words. All you need to know. Really.

For those of you that like comparisons, I’m quite sure the difference between the GGB and Pacific SE was larger than the difference between the GGB and my Big 7. That was evolution at its finest. The Pacific SE is a completely new denizen of the Lampizator brand.

Golden Gate owners don’t wail and gnash your teeth. You still own one of the finest sounding DACs in the world. The sound of Pacific in no way diminishes what Lukasz has achieved. You should be content for years. Just don’t hear the Pacific!
 

Jazzhead

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Sounds promising , was the Pac you tested a balanced or single ended version ?
 

bonzo75

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Sounds promising , was the Pac you tested a balanced or single ended version ?

"For those of you that like comparisons, I’m quite sure the difference between the GGB and Pacific SE was larger than the difference between the GGB and my Big 7. That was evolution at its finest. The Pacific SE is a completely new denizen of the Lampizator brand. "
 

Steve Rowan

Well-Known Member
Feb 12, 2012
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St. Peters, MO
The beta Pacific is single ended.
I’d like the Balanced version eventually.
 

microstrip

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"For those of you that like comparisons, I’m quite sure the difference between the GGB and Pacific SE was larger than the difference between the GGB and my Big 7. That was evolution at its finest. The Pacific SE is a completely new denizen of the Lampizator brand. "

Ked,

I see that after reading about 70 words you are speechless ... :)
 

LampiNA

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Jun 30, 2015
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Hi Steve,

Thanks for keeping your lips sealed for so long on the Pacific Beta/prototype. I know you were itching to talk about it. :) We're all glad it has brought you so much joy over the last couple months and I'm confident it will continue doing so for some time to come.

Steve's unit is the protoype of the Pacific I've heard and it is phenomenal.

Enjoy.

Fred
 

bonzo75

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Hi Steve,

Thanks for keeping your lips sealed for so long on the Pacific Beta/prototype. I know you were itching to talk about it. :) We're all glad it has brought you so much joy over the last couple months and I'm confident it will continue doing so for some time to come.

Steve's unit is the protoype of the Pacific I've heard and it is phenomenal.

Enjoy.

Fred

So what are the changes from his proto to the new Prod unit?
 

abeidrov

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Hi Steve,

Can your say a few words about PCM vs DSD listening experience with this prototype unit? Does it have the R2R Soekris engine? Separate DSD512 board? Have you primarily used the USB input? Does this unit have an ethernet input that was mentioned in another thread?

Thanks,
Aziz
 

Steve Rowan

Well-Known Member
Feb 12, 2012
81
110
955
St. Peters, MO
Hi Steve,

Can your say a few words about PCM vs DSD listening experience with this prototype unit? Does it have the R2R Soekris engine? Separate DSD512 board? Have you primarily used the USB input? Does this unit have an ethernet input that was mentioned in another thread?

Thanks,
Aziz
I’ll be glad to disclose what I can. I’m still not allowed to divulge some secrets and probably don’t know them all at this point.
First, when asked to do the beta testing I requested not to be told anything about the DAC. I wasn’t really sure it was supposed to be better than my Golden Gate Balanced.

Some differences became readily apparent. First it quite easily outperformed my Golden Gate which was really just a couple of months new and Lukasz equipped it with his latest technology then. At that point I knew there was something special about my beta unit.

Next I noticed that the copper top’s temperatures was much warmer then my Golden Gate. I suspected there might be a tube or two inside. I was not sure 100% as without removing the top they couldn’t be seen.

Of course Fred and Lukasz wanted to know what I thought about the sound quality. My findings mirrored their own and when I asked about the higher temperature of the chassis and my suspicions about the extra tubes my hypotheses was confirmed. Lest anyone be concerned about the chassis temperature being electric oven like, no need to worry. Although noticeably warmer than my Golden Gate, there was no need to worry about any “dangerous” heat. The new Pacific chassis is built so all the tubes are exposed. At that point I doubt if there will be any difference between the temperature of the Golden Gate vs Pacific except the extra two tubes

PCM vs DSD. First I like both formats. Hmm the differences. . . I would say the differences between PCM and DSD are still there. Some are rabid fans of DSD. Some swear by PCM. As for as upsampling everything to DSD my current PC does not have the horsepower to upsample to DSD 512. So I play DSD at native and upsample PCM within it’s family to either 24/192 or 24/176.

(Oh Lukasz, Can you spare me a new Super Komputer!)

(Really it’s hard to tear myself away now, if the SuperK is as good as the hints I’m hearing about paired with the Golden Gate are accurate, the pairing of the Super Komputer and the Pacific in full throttle might be a Siren that even Ulysses couldn’t resist.

I can disclose that my Pacific beta has separate DSD 512, auto sensing R2R as well as Ethernet. The auto sensing works like a charm switching between DSD and PCM with aplomb. So far I’ve listened to the USB input only. I have no idea if Lukasz has improved the USB input at this time. (I would not be surprised!) I did make sure that nothing changed in my USB chain from Golden Gate to the Pacific. I will disclose my USB chain which is fiber from my custom server to my Ethernet switch with Linear Power Supply. Ethernet (Revelation Audio CryoSilver Cat 7) > Sonore UltraRendu as NAA & UpTone Audio Lps1 > Curious Usb > UpTone Audio Regen ISO & Lps1 & USPCB adapter. My reason for using this chain is NOT because I think it might sound better than the Lampi USB input but because I’m a fan of the HQPlayer NAA and the much lower noise level this brings and this is the same chain I used with my Golden Gate.

I was going to try the Ethernet port and ROON Ready as I’m very excited about this technology. But I had some problems with the connection, was going to use Lukasz’s technician to problem solve it, then the Pacific was called back home for the latest updates, and I haven’t had the time since to give it a try. ROON did detect the DAC but I couldn’t get music to play. I’m sure I just had a wrong setting and I’ll try again this week and report.

I do believe those hearing this DAC and eventually owning it will be ecstatic. I’ve seen prototypes of the new chassis and its beauty and strength compliments the Pacific. Sorry I can’t post a picture but you’ll fall in love I’m sure.
 

abeidrov

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Thanks for the detailed reply. I think, we all appreciate it here, the you can still not disclose all the information until the DAC is officially released.
Could you please clarify the auto-sensing thing: if you have a separate DSD512 engine, it is activated by pressing the front button. At least, it was like that on the current GG and GA models until now. The auto sensing thing worked with R2R engine up to DSD256. Has it been changed and the auto-sensing now works up to DSD512?
 

LampiNA

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Jun 30, 2015
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PCM is performed by an in house delta sigma engine which Lukasz is very proud of. Button presses should no longer be necessary to toggle between the the pcm and dsd engines. Lukasz spent a *lot* of time working on the auto switching functionality.
 

abeidrov

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Thanks, Gopher. Does that mean that R2R is no longer available as an option for the Pacific?
 

LampiNA

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Jun 30, 2015
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All good things to those who wait. :)

More detail will follow with our official launch.
 

Elberoth

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4cd27e6160165fa20f1526654678b807.jpg

d087ebe08c6f45ba7b9da314a21dd85f.jpg

I've heard it weights 30kg ? Fingerprints will love it.

And BTW - the lettering on the laser engraved back is also gold.
 

bonzo75

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Wooow
 
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spiritofmusic

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That is indeed v pretty
 

Tango

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Dalby looking indeed. Beautiful. Around $40,000 ?

Tang
 

Tango

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There is a big grounding post for a monster grounding cable too..hehe ;).
 

spiritofmusic

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Tang, €23k plus vat
Closer to $30k
 

Elberoth

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So $1000 for 1kg :)
 

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