lostinaudio

Your right, I don't fit in here. I don't rate reviews by posters who haven't heard or own the gear they are currently slagging off. If that is the criteria here, that and the moronic language and pathetic threads, no point TBH. Lets see, this is the DAVE thread. Do you see many here who owns the DAVE? Or heard it even? It is slagged off 'cozz it costs tuu much dunnit.....' Fuckin shite DAC Ha Ha, Grow up and to use your language 'Fucking Retards'.

Lampi's sell well actually. Better than many DACs. I sold mine, needed the money. But I do regret it.

I don't own a Lampizator. Only heard the Golden Gate and really rate it. Have you? Thought not. But like so many here, you decide it stinks regardless. Hmm, wasn't that the claim of the other forum users? If you aint heard it you haver no clue how it sounds, so pretty much blowing air TBH.

Yeah I know a lot of guys here think poor build. It has moved a long way from the hard wired spaghetti. I never digged that either TBH. The Golden Gate has great build quality and 5 years warranty. They also do updates (extra charge) which many manufacturers don't do. It at least means it is possible to keep it and take advantage of new developments. Anyway, I would say get to hear it. I am not sure there are many other big tubed DACs around. The DSD engine seems to be a leap forward to process PCM. I was a non believer till I hear it. Elberoth had the MSB top stack and many others and rates the GG highly. There seems to be a big following for Lampi stuff, folk who stay with it. I don't think about that, I just listen to how it performs.

I think that Halo DAC looks like good value TBH for a discrete DAC, which can be more expensive both to make and implement as opposed to chip based. I got to hear the Lampizator Golden Gate recently which has both a discrete board in it and a chip less DSD engine. Wow was the only world to describe it.

Ehh? You serious?

Interesting thread guys. The Chip type (in R-2R) as we are talking here does seem to have an effect on the sound. And I guess discrete different again, quite possibly surpassing a chip? But the effect of the filtering used and the quality of the power supply and output stage after the chip also has a big impact IMO. Having trawled through various R-2R DACs in the past it seems that has a marked effect on the sound you will get.

I think Fang knows he will sell so few and the dev costs per unit will be silly. One of the motives to build the thing may be to jump on the 'flag ship' system thing, as when done right can promote the image of a company as it seems to have done with the HE1. Lets face it many car manufacturers have been doing low run insane spec models for years. It also sounds like it is becoming a big blow back. Anyone who buys the thing will probably have a lifetime of returning it for repairs if indeed the integrity of the design is already compromised. That would of course nuke the image of the company, so it comes full circle. Then the resale of it would be dog poo. It sounds to me as he has gone down the wrong path using 300Bs. The EL34 is double the output? He hasn't quoted the swing current, maybe it is running under a 323 spec for example. Might work but no doubt sound compressed? It would be key to get one of the guys on here to hear it, not sure if that would ever be possible?

Can't they laser trim the resistors now to guarantee an accuracy of 0.01% as TotalDAC? I wonder what negative effect ANY error has on the data and sound? Might well negate the benefits of the array in the first place v a chip or FPGA?

You heard the Golden Gate? Thought not... I think you may find the Big 7 and GG has or is using the Soekris board for PCM. The GG sounds much better on DSD (PCM up sampled). On PCM it is 'normal' or average for a good R-2R.

I also like the R-2R sound. I am not sure the impact of the chip though? My Golden Gate is chip less and uses a DSD engine I believe. Sounds better than the earlier versions with a chip IMO. Also after having owned maybe 11 R-2R DACs of various types I believe a tube regulated power supply and tube output makes it sound more natural to my ears. I would recommend trying a good tubed DAC. My path was to find fatigue free digital audio, especially clean treble, I almost left digital many years ago but came back.