LampizatOr Baltic 4 DAC Review
bcwsrt
Posts: 1,877
After finally getting a decent record cleaning machine (Degritter Mark II - highly recommended!) a couple months ago and then the Wayne's Audio clamp and peripheral ring (also recommended, just maybe not quite as "highly" lol) and playing pretty much only vinyl for a couple weeks on end, I came to the quick realization that my digital side left quite a bit to be desired when I finally went back to it. Digital sources just did not have the frequency range extension or midrange openness and expanded soundstage that I'd grown used to with the vinyl I'd been listening to.
Already being aware that my digital side was "behind" my analog one in terms of sound quality, I had already been looking at some "one box" streamer/DAC combinations, researching options off and on for quite some time during my listening sessions. I came very close to pulling the trigger on a couple different units, new and used, but could never quite get to where I felt comfortable. @treitz3 (Tom) had said something in response to one of my posts about whether or not I'd be able to utilize an outboard DAC with what I was looking at that stuck in my head and made me think about going with a higher-end, DAC-only upgrade, first.
The more I read and looked around, the more I decided I'd focus on tube-based DACs to complement my Rogue Audio tube integrated amp, which I'm beyond happy with, especially after rolling some tubes. I found myself gravitating to the PrimaLuna EVO 100 Tube DAC. It is compact, unique-looking and what reviews I was able to find were positive.
But, somewhere along the way I remembered reading about the LampizatOr brand here, so I went searching old threads and ran across @Mike Reeter's Amber 3 review from about three years ago. As I researched the brand, I found LampizatOr has a very similar product development philosophy and management approach to Rogue Audio and REL Acoustics where the man at the top (in this case Lukasz Fikus) pretty much makes all the calls. They also have an upgrade path to keep your purchase current with technology improvements that are released with newer models over the years, same as Rogue Audio, which I like. Just send the unit back to the factory at some point and get it upgraded to the latest and greatest, for a cost, of course.
So, long story short, I reached out to Mike and asked if he still had his Amber and what his current thoughts were about it, and after telling me how happy he still was with it, he suggested I talk to @GlennDog. One thing lead to another and Glenn recommend I pursue the unit I eventually purchased.
I wanted to wait a bit and let the new sound marinate for a while before I posted any comments about it, but this thing is amazing! The bass detail, extension and punch is like nothing I've heard before from my system. Not boomy in any way, just very fast, full, tight and accurate! But, as impressive as the bass is, the midrange is where the LampizatOr really shines. Vocals are so much more realistic. Lyrics have become clearer and more understandable. Female voices are filled with more of that wonderful timbre that makes them such great rig-testing material in the first place. I'm hearing guitar string plucks I've never heard before. Drum rim shots have more authority. Piano has a clean, clear and lifelike resonance. Soundstage and instrument separation is also more well-defined and very stable, especially as the volume increases. In short, the entire listening experience is just more realistic, natural-sounding and submersive. And it's soooo easy to listen to. Hours fly by in pure bliss. Listening fatigue, what's that? How about listening anticipation?!
One of the most interesting things I've noticed about this piece is how well it handles less-than-perfect recordings. I sent what I considered previously shrill-sounding discs thru it via the toslink output of my vintage Sony CDP-508ESD only to be rewarded with the same qualities I described above. Similarly, lower-quality, lossy mp3s and BT-streamed content is still lush and detailed. This is a very impressive aspect of this DAC.
It's also been interesting to find just how different my CD player sounds vs. my BT streamer. My el cheapo BT streamer holds its own better than one might think and for ease of use when not really paying attention (i.e., for background music), it easily wins. There's not quite as much overall detail, but interestingly it has a little more top-end bias than my CD player has. The CD player is noticeably warmer. For some genres and recordings, that's great, but for others, I would prefer just a tad bit more emphasis on top. It's pretty much the one area where my Technics SL-1210G and Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 combo still retain an edge. I may have more to say about this after the USB cable I ordered gets here next weekend and I can compare the CD player to my MacBook and Apple Music lossless streaming, including ripped CD content. There's always tube rolling as an option to search for a little more high end with this DAC. It is not by any means a show-stopper or something I'm at all unhappy with, more just the slightest nuance at the highest frequencies and something that the LampizatOr is revealing between the different inputs that I did not notice with my previous DAC.
I want to say "thanks" to our fellow Club Polk LampizatOr owners who encouraged me to spend my hard-earned money er, uh, I mean ... read up on some other forums about the brand and model and to reach out to the North American LampizatOr distributor on this particular demo unit they had for sale. Robert Reich who I worked with there was phenomenal to deal with. The Baltic 4 was a bigger jump than I needed to make at one time, but by the time I ordered an Amber 4 new, it would've been around the same price I paid for this Baltic and I wouldn't have had the remote, volume control or the display (all of which I've already become spoiled with).
I also got to know @marvda1 a little better during all of this, as the Swisscables PC I purchased from him and which spent numerous days in transit and was the star of its own separate thread, was bought for this unit. I enjoyed getting to know all these folks a little better and they all gave me great advice and things to think about.
Another thing ... I continue to be impressed with how my 30+ year-old RTA 15TLs perform. I was really wondering if I would end up outrunning their headlights with this purchase, but that was not the case at all. Guess all the attention that @pitdogg2 gave them still keeps them relevant and providing a very rewarding listening experience. Probably to a fault, I get a lot of enjoyment out of throwing new things at them and seeing how they handle it. Sometimes I wonder what I would ever replace them with? I guess I'll know it when it's time.
If you are considering elevating your digital game and think a DAC might be your next step, I think you owe it to yourself to consider something in the LampizatOr line. They are built by a perfectionist, for perfectionists. The great reviews that are out there for the brand are legitimate.
This purchase created a rack space issue that I still need to address due to the 10" height of the Baltic 4 with the tubes installed. I'll update this thread with more pics at a later date once it's in a more permanent location, but for now, here are some pics from the listing and of the tube glow/display in its current, far from ideal, somewhat embarrassing, but temporary, position on the floor in my listening area.
Already being aware that my digital side was "behind" my analog one in terms of sound quality, I had already been looking at some "one box" streamer/DAC combinations, researching options off and on for quite some time during my listening sessions. I came very close to pulling the trigger on a couple different units, new and used, but could never quite get to where I felt comfortable. @treitz3 (Tom) had said something in response to one of my posts about whether or not I'd be able to utilize an outboard DAC with what I was looking at that stuck in my head and made me think about going with a higher-end, DAC-only upgrade, first.
The more I read and looked around, the more I decided I'd focus on tube-based DACs to complement my Rogue Audio tube integrated amp, which I'm beyond happy with, especially after rolling some tubes. I found myself gravitating to the PrimaLuna EVO 100 Tube DAC. It is compact, unique-looking and what reviews I was able to find were positive.
But, somewhere along the way I remembered reading about the LampizatOr brand here, so I went searching old threads and ran across @Mike Reeter's Amber 3 review from about three years ago. As I researched the brand, I found LampizatOr has a very similar product development philosophy and management approach to Rogue Audio and REL Acoustics where the man at the top (in this case Lukasz Fikus) pretty much makes all the calls. They also have an upgrade path to keep your purchase current with technology improvements that are released with newer models over the years, same as Rogue Audio, which I like. Just send the unit back to the factory at some point and get it upgraded to the latest and greatest, for a cost, of course.
So, long story short, I reached out to Mike and asked if he still had his Amber and what his current thoughts were about it, and after telling me how happy he still was with it, he suggested I talk to @GlennDog. One thing lead to another and Glenn recommend I pursue the unit I eventually purchased.
I wanted to wait a bit and let the new sound marinate for a while before I posted any comments about it, but this thing is amazing! The bass detail, extension and punch is like nothing I've heard before from my system. Not boomy in any way, just very fast, full, tight and accurate! But, as impressive as the bass is, the midrange is where the LampizatOr really shines. Vocals are so much more realistic. Lyrics have become clearer and more understandable. Female voices are filled with more of that wonderful timbre that makes them such great rig-testing material in the first place. I'm hearing guitar string plucks I've never heard before. Drum rim shots have more authority. Piano has a clean, clear and lifelike resonance. Soundstage and instrument separation is also more well-defined and very stable, especially as the volume increases. In short, the entire listening experience is just more realistic, natural-sounding and submersive. And it's soooo easy to listen to. Hours fly by in pure bliss. Listening fatigue, what's that? How about listening anticipation?!
One of the most interesting things I've noticed about this piece is how well it handles less-than-perfect recordings. I sent what I considered previously shrill-sounding discs thru it via the toslink output of my vintage Sony CDP-508ESD only to be rewarded with the same qualities I described above. Similarly, lower-quality, lossy mp3s and BT-streamed content is still lush and detailed. This is a very impressive aspect of this DAC.
It's also been interesting to find just how different my CD player sounds vs. my BT streamer. My el cheapo BT streamer holds its own better than one might think and for ease of use when not really paying attention (i.e., for background music), it easily wins. There's not quite as much overall detail, but interestingly it has a little more top-end bias than my CD player has. The CD player is noticeably warmer. For some genres and recordings, that's great, but for others, I would prefer just a tad bit more emphasis on top. It's pretty much the one area where my Technics SL-1210G and Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 combo still retain an edge. I may have more to say about this after the USB cable I ordered gets here next weekend and I can compare the CD player to my MacBook and Apple Music lossless streaming, including ripped CD content. There's always tube rolling as an option to search for a little more high end with this DAC. It is not by any means a show-stopper or something I'm at all unhappy with, more just the slightest nuance at the highest frequencies and something that the LampizatOr is revealing between the different inputs that I did not notice with my previous DAC.
I want to say "thanks" to our fellow Club Polk LampizatOr owners who encouraged me to spend my hard-earned money er, uh, I mean ... read up on some other forums about the brand and model and to reach out to the North American LampizatOr distributor on this particular demo unit they had for sale. Robert Reich who I worked with there was phenomenal to deal with. The Baltic 4 was a bigger jump than I needed to make at one time, but by the time I ordered an Amber 4 new, it would've been around the same price I paid for this Baltic and I wouldn't have had the remote, volume control or the display (all of which I've already become spoiled with).
I also got to know @marvda1 a little better during all of this, as the Swisscables PC I purchased from him and which spent numerous days in transit and was the star of its own separate thread, was bought for this unit. I enjoyed getting to know all these folks a little better and they all gave me great advice and things to think about.
Another thing ... I continue to be impressed with how my 30+ year-old RTA 15TLs perform. I was really wondering if I would end up outrunning their headlights with this purchase, but that was not the case at all. Guess all the attention that @pitdogg2 gave them still keeps them relevant and providing a very rewarding listening experience. Probably to a fault, I get a lot of enjoyment out of throwing new things at them and seeing how they handle it. Sometimes I wonder what I would ever replace them with? I guess I'll know it when it's time.
If you are considering elevating your digital game and think a DAC might be your next step, I think you owe it to yourself to consider something in the LampizatOr line. They are built by a perfectionist, for perfectionists. The great reviews that are out there for the brand are legitimate.
This purchase created a rack space issue that I still need to address due to the 10" height of the Baltic 4 with the tubes installed. I'll update this thread with more pics at a later date once it's in a more permanent location, but for now, here are some pics from the listing and of the tube glow/display in its current, far from ideal, somewhat embarrassing, but temporary, position on the floor in my listening area.
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM
Comments
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We need a "Love" button on this forum. Great post. Tell it how you see/ hear it brother!
My hat is off to you, sir. Well done.
Rock on......or rather, happy listening...
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Tubes add soul!
❤️ -
As do the proper capacitors, resistors and binding posts, my man! 👍
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Nice!! Very nice!! Do you play on any tube rolling or just gonna stay pat for awhile to get used to it's sonic signature with current tubes."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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Thanks, Phil. I'm sure I will at some point because that's part of what makes having tube gear fun, but I'm going to take some time to get used to it the way it is, first. It was funny ... last night after I posted about the top-end being a tad rolled-off on some CDs, the next two I played sounded so sweet.
There are some threads at WBF with lots of tube rolling suggestions for these, but I saw where some had reported going back to the factory tubes. I'll need to dwell on some of the recommendations and comments there before I decide what to try. I'm not using the balanced outputs, so (I think?) that will narrow down the options some by eliminating one of the tube pairs. Still need to verify that, though.
Obviously, this was a giant leap from the Geshelli J2, but that DAC enlightened me to what's possible using an outboard DAC. I plan to use it again in a headphone rig that I want to put together in the near future.
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Great write-up!
What's really concerning me at this point is . . . which H-D are you using to tear up the interstate ?
lol Enjoy the tunes, BriAC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
Pre Cary SLP-05
Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Rythmik F12 -
Haha! Been talking about 2 wheels almost as much as 2 channel on here the past few days. Not that I’m complaining!
They're all gone now, Glenn, but I still have several reminders of my great times around the house! Sold the last one in the fall of 2018. Had three Electra Glides, a Road Glide and an FXR over the course of 17 years. Rode Kawasakis for 11 or 12 years before that. Felt the ol' reflexes slowing down (I liked to ride them big bikes like they were Kawasakis 😁) and figured it was time to hang the helmet up before something bad happened.
You ride?
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
reflexes are everything .... Gotta keep your head on a swivel
Especially with all the knuckle heads out there these days (see what I did there?)
I clocked 19,000 miles in the 1st summer I owned my 1st road bike ... a Road King Classic. The riding season is not long in Michigan, so you could say I rode the shizzle out of it
Since then, I've throttled WAY way back (in miles per yr)
Anyway, I'm very happy you made the B4 purchase . . . you're gonna be a happy camper for a long while!AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
Pre Cary SLP-05
Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Rythmik F12 -
Congratulations Brian on your beautiful DAC
I've had the Amber 3 in house for over four years now and that's saying something 
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Great write up.
Congrats on the new piece. Glad it has surpassed all of your expectations. I love when that happens.Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
She's a bute Clark.....really man, awesome when a piece lives up to your expectations. Rock onHT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Congrats on a great dac!.Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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Great looking piece. Glad you're enjoying it. Keep us updated as you get more listening time in
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Will do! The USB cable showed up early yesterday. I will definitely have some more to say in the next few days, or so.
The sound is so buttery smooth. Running out of adjectives in my vocabulary to describe it at this point. The stereo separation, instrument placement and depth and width of soundstage is totally addictive. Can't stop listening to Apple Music lossless streaming through my MacBook long enough to do any comparisons to my CD player/ripped CDs/LPs yet.
Trying to get educated on sampling rates and upsampling plusses/minuses at the same time. Whole new world for me. But, I'm enjoying it!
Thanks for all the kind words, gents!
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
I believe you've said it a time or a hundred 😉 -
I'm about to send tube options (via pm) from the Mad Russian (friendly moniker) .. . great guy actually
freak'n great dac for the $$
AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
Pre Cary SLP-05
Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Rythmik F12 -
Monkeys will be spanked this holiday season eh boys, lolHT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
OK, I got the LampizatOr in a little better situation yesterday. I picked up some Solidsteel amp stands for it and my Rogue Audio integrated amp. Just feel better about having the tubes out in the open, particularly on the amp ... those KT120s run hot! Plus, it's A LOT easier to bias them this way, and ... now I'm ready for some monoblocks someday! 😝
https://upscaleaudio.com/products/solidsteel-s3-series-amp-stand
Wish I'd have stopped and taken a few pictures of it, but one of the feet had powder coating all over the threads on the floor/carpet spike end. Luckily, I had the correct 8mm x 1.25 tap and could clean it up without requesting a warranty replacement, but not too impressive for what they cost. Otherwise, a very nice product and easy to assemble. I'm sure what I ran into was just a fluke.
That REL video I posted a few weeks ago really got me thinkin' ... so, I finally took the time to address my cable management issues and come up with a more symmetrical layout between the two sides, while avoiding power and speaker/interconnect conflicts as much as possible. Of course, I had one set of interconnects that are about six inches shorter than what would've been ideal for the new layout. I made it work for now, but I'd just as soon not see it cutting across the corner of that GIK panel behind the amp.
Once I powered everything back up, I was greeted with a 3D, holographic image and instrument separation and placement like I've not yet experienced. It is night and day different from before. Certain instruments and vocals just POP with clarity now. Not sure if that is due to:- Better isolating the tube gear from vibrations via the amp stands
- Better cable management
- The LampizatOr settling in
- Some combination of the above
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Super nice room there Brian!
I think what you're experiencing is the accumulative effect of everything your doing... everything matters.
How's that Rogue amp treating you, I always wanted to give one a try. And that DAC is awesome.
I'll bet you can settle in & loose track of time when you're listening. Good stuff!"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Thanks, Phil!
The amp is great! It's really sensitive to the three 12AU7s in the middle, but when you hit on something that works, it rewards you right away. It could easily be an end game amp for me with the factory upgrades they do, or if not, I'll move up within the brand. Just have had a great experience with it, so far.
And, yes, that is exactly what happens. It's what I look forward to at the end of every day.
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Really stunning setup you got there. I'm a bit jealous, but more so, I'm just happy for you.
I see what you mean about the APC on top of the CD player. Will you be able to move the APC to the bottom shelf instead?
Any thoughts about adding a streamer at some point, or are you a physical media only guy? -
Thank you, Drew!
That's probably what I'll end up doing with the APC. Just wanna think on it a bit longer before I start pulling everything apart again.
On the streamer ... yes, I will likely add one at some point. I had been using a BT streamer for the past year, but since getting the LampizatOr I've primarily been using USB from my MacBook to stream Apple Lossless content. I'd like to eventually get away from the wired connection back to my listening position, but the number of streamers that have Apple Music apps seems to be somewhat limited. I've been looking at AURALiC, HiFi Rose and Eversolo, but need to dig in deeper. I can easily live with the way it is for the time-being, so have plenty of time to keep researching, which is a big part of the fun with this hobby, anyway!
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
FWIW, you can add Lumin to the mix of Apple music supported players. (At least Apple Air Play, that is)
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
That's where some of the confusion has been for me, Tom! AirPlay2 is supposed to support lossless streaming, but I find conflicting info about whether or not you need some "authorized" or "certified" device to receive it. That's one of the things I need to investigate some more. That would sure open up the door to more and less expensive alternatives.
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Oh, dear. I have no experience with that, so I cannot comment. I don't own any Apple products besides a cheap i-Pad to control the Lumin when the phone dies.
Apple and I don't seem to gel together very well.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Right or wrong, I'm pretty deeply committed to it at this point. It'd be tough to recreate my library in Qobuz, Tidal, or one of the others. So, I'll be stubborn about it for awhile yet and see if I can come up with something I think is worth trying. Meanwhile, the MacBook via USB to the DAC is pretty dang close to the CD player via Toslink. Just have the nuisance of the cord to deal with. Third world problems, and all ...
Post edited by bcwsrt onBrian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
@bcwsrt , it's awesome to see you getting back to your audio bliss (ditch those earbuds!) with some tube goodness, and your refreshed 15tl's. I'm not surprised that you haven't been able to "outrun their headlights" after all the fine work that you and @pitdogg2 put into them. These old Polks can surprise you if you do the right mods to them. That LampizatOr unit looks sweet, and I recall years ago seeing rave reviews of their DAC on James Darby's (now gone from the internet), Stereomojo site... (I just found the review after trolling around Google):
https://www.lampizator.com/blog/2015/1/9/stereomojo-is-thrownfor-a-loop-by-how-great-the-lampizator-dac-sounds -
@Jazzhead, thanks, man! I could write a post or two that exceeded the character limit about what I was hearing this afternoon as I was free to let the volume control exercise some freedom while the Mrs. ran some errands, but I don't wanna bore you guys with it. Suffice it to say, there have been numerous times in the past year that I can't believe my own ears. And, the 'dogg gets a text once in awhile along those lines!
It's insane to me to think I was trying to sell these speakers for a few hundred dollars 18 months ago while I listen to what they are delivering today. And, I was not sure a DAC, alone, could deliver what this unit does, but once again I trusted what the good folks here have to say (with a healthy dose of due diligence, of course) and in the end hearing is believing. That's all I'm gonna say about that, too!
There you go, a more succinct version of one or two character-limiting posts! 😝
Thanks again for your insight on what to lookout for with the BH5! I'm gonna check out that link now!
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Great link, @Jazzhead! Now you know why I would've run out of room trying to say the same thing. That review has stood the test of time, IMO ...
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM
