SteVen
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Sounds of the Pacific: The Newest Lampizator DAC
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!
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!
