Dear fellow DIYers,
I have purchased the Lampucera with Lampizator DAC kit from Lawrence in Hongkong for 220 Euros incl. shipping. I switched out one of the included transformers for a 50VA toroidal and inserted a OPA2134PA opamp (Second toroidal is coming for the tube output stage). Already I find this DAC very engaging and wins hands down against my Sabaj A10d AKM version with Topping P50 LPS.
As I have zero experience with tubes (never used them before), can anyone recommend a good 6922 tube for it? I was looking at this one:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/tube...-compatible-6dj8-ecc88-e88cc-7308-p-6162.html
Also opamp recommendations are very welcome.
Additionally I saw someone changing the output capacitors on the tube output stage for Jantzen Superior Z and was thinking of doing the same.
My questions are: does someone have experience with this particular kit? Can you share some of your thoughts and ideas?
Thank you very much!
I have purchased the Lampucera with Lampizator DAC kit from Lawrence in Hongkong for 220 Euros incl. shipping. I switched out one of the included transformers for a 50VA toroidal and inserted a OPA2134PA opamp (Second toroidal is coming for the tube output stage). Already I find this DAC very engaging and wins hands down against my Sabaj A10d AKM version with Topping P50 LPS.
As I have zero experience with tubes (never used them before), can anyone recommend a good 6922 tube for it? I was looking at this one:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/tube...-compatible-6dj8-ecc88-e88cc-7308-p-6162.html
Also opamp recommendations are very welcome.
Additionally I saw someone changing the output capacitors on the tube output stage for Jantzen Superior Z and was thinking of doing the same.
My questions are: does someone have experience with this particular kit? Can you share some of your thoughts and ideas?
Thank you very much!
Excellent kit but need separate good power supply for the DAC and the Buffer. Also remove the op amp chip if you decided to go with tube buffer.
You can also play with the op amp but disconnect the tube buffer for better sounds. If you get those op amp like V6, it will not fit. The 2 caps next to the socket is in the way. Using a riser will cause a lot of noise. So I took the 2 caps next to it and relocated under the board instead so I can seat the big op amp directly on the board.
I recap with Mundorf Supreme SGO. I know the caps are more expensive than the board, but it beat the terminator 12th edition in a blind listening with few of my experienced friends. Get good connectors and ground it well and it will give any sub 10k dac a run for its money.
You can also play with the op amp but disconnect the tube buffer for better sounds. If you get those op amp like V6, it will not fit. The 2 caps next to the socket is in the way. Using a riser will cause a lot of noise. So I took the 2 caps next to it and relocated under the board instead so I can seat the big op amp directly on the board.
I recap with Mundorf Supreme SGO. I know the caps are more expensive than the board, but it beat the terminator 12th edition in a blind listening with few of my experienced friends. Get good connectors and ground it well and it will give any sub 10k dac a run for its money.
Hi,
could and would you send a picture of your adapted Lampucera Kit? Did you eventually go with theopamp or tube buffer?
Thanks and cheers
Sebastian
could and would you send a picture of your adapted Lampucera Kit? Did you eventually go with theopamp or tube buffer?
Thanks and cheers
Sebastian
What caps did you recap? I went for the two big ones on the tube buffer board, changed them for Jantzen Amber Z Caps. Also I changed the caps on the power supply board for bigger ones, had to solder some of them to the back of the board and now it doesnt fit anymore in the housing haha. Any ideas how to fix that? I dont even know how to fasten it properly now.
@ Sebastian: I went for the tube version, preferred in my setup. I can send you a picture of the parts later, I never got to really fastening everything properly though.
Thanks for your prompt reply. Pictures would be much appreciated. Thanks for the heads up on the placement. I will try to come up with something. Please advise on the two transformers. This is what I got from the kit seller as info, see picture. But it is a primary/secondary r core type. I‘d rather go with two separate units.
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I went with mundorf. Need to move some to bottom of the board and rise it up.
Both op amp and tube buffer sounds good and I love the options of having both.
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I can say that I am successfully using his r-core transformer for both boards and it works really well. Probably 2 are gonna be better but I am not sure by how much. I might be experimenting with r-core and toroid at some point but at the moment I am barely using the Lampucera anyways. Have you already ordered it?
Looking nice! Did You change the tubes as well? I went with Amperex Bugle Boy NOS as recommended by the seller. They sound a lot better than the stock ones.
I ordered the kit twice. One with the tube section and the other without. I have not ordered his r core yet as I found it overpriced. I am spoiled price wise by all this black week „nonsense“. I will try to find an alternative today. If not, then… helas, I will take the mentioned r core unit.
Yes, I have the bugle boy, genelex and the stock Chinese tube that came with the set. Depends on what I match the pre and amp with. Like the Chinese tube really compliments the McIntosh. Amperex goes well with my Gryphon. Genelex, once’s burned in, is in between the two.
Finally, the time has come: The first components of my new HiFi setup are up and running! With the Lampucera-Lampizator, I was able to gather my first listening impressions today—and what can I say? It already sounds incredibly promising. The combination of these two devices delivers a fascinating level of detail and a soundstage that completely immerses me in the music.
But this is just the beginning! Tomorrow, the DAC will be connected to the F5, and together with the M1, I’m excited to see how the sound signature evolves. I’m particularly curious about how these components will interact with the F5 power amplifier and what new sonic dimensions they might reveal.
In the coming weeks, another exciting step awaits: A better Rr transformer will be added to the setup. I’m hoping for even more precise highs and improved clarity in the midrange. After that, I might experiment with various capacitors—after all, tuning is one of the most thrilling phases of any HiFi project.
I’m looking forward to sharing each step of this journey with you. Stay tuned, as it’s going to be fascinating to see how this setup develops. Have any of you had experience with these components or tested similar combinations? I’m eager to hear your feedback and tips! 😊
Only after that will I move on to the high-end Lampizator DAC—the components are already here, but the manual… well, let’s just say it leaves a lot to be desired. 😅
But this is just the beginning! Tomorrow, the DAC will be connected to the F5, and together with the M1, I’m excited to see how the sound signature evolves. I’m particularly curious about how these components will interact with the F5 power amplifier and what new sonic dimensions they might reveal.
In the coming weeks, another exciting step awaits: A better Rr transformer will be added to the setup. I’m hoping for even more precise highs and improved clarity in the midrange. After that, I might experiment with various capacitors—after all, tuning is one of the most thrilling phases of any HiFi project.
I’m looking forward to sharing each step of this journey with you. Stay tuned, as it’s going to be fascinating to see how this setup develops. Have any of you had experience with these components or tested similar combinations? I’m eager to hear your feedback and tips! 😊
Only after that will I move on to the high-end Lampizator DAC—the components are already here, but the manual… well, let’s just say it leaves a lot to be desired. 😅
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Looking good! You are definitely on the right path. I can tell you a few things from my experience: the stock transformers are ****. Lawrences R-Core or two toroids will improve the performance significantly. In case you settle with tubes, remove the opamp. If you want to be flexible and try both outputs, leave it and get a decent Opamp. I found the Burson V5i to be a relatively affordable and very good solution, also it fits easily without spacer. Lawrence has a discrete HDAM opamp for sale which is supposed to be even a different level (according to him, I haven't tried it). As for tubes, I have little experience and can only say that I preferred the Amperex Bugle Boy NOS tubes over the stock ones quite a bit. As you can see, mine is a bit of a mess since I swapped out the stock caps on the PS board for better and bigger Nichicons:
Regarding the front end of your setup: your source does not do this DAC justice at all. For a really good streamer, I can recommend IAN CANADA products (eg Raspberry Pi streamer) with decent reclocker (FifoPi Q7 if you wanna go all the way), then Coax into the Lampucera. It will blow your brains out 😉 check out Gabster:
Regarding the front end of your setup: your source does not do this DAC justice at all. For a really good streamer, I can recommend IAN CANADA products (eg Raspberry Pi streamer) with decent reclocker (FifoPi Q7 if you wanna go all the way), then Coax into the Lampucera. It will blow your brains out 😉 check out Gabster:
Hi Peterpaan,
thanks for sharing:
I have a quick question: which Jantzen Z-Cap components have you used? And could you please share the values of your components?
I’m aware that the streamer I’m using right now isn’t the final solution—this is just a temporary step to keep things flexible for now and to test everything out.
Thanks in advance for your insights! 😊
thanks for sharing:
I have a quick question: which Jantzen Z-Cap components have you used? And could you please share the values of your components?
I’m aware that the streamer I’m using right now isn’t the final solution—this is just a temporary step to keep things flexible for now and to test everything out.
Thanks in advance for your insights! 😊
Hi Mogwal,
Interesting set up, thanks for sharing.I was curious what the high-end Lampizator DAC kit is that you mentioned, where can I find this online?
Have a nice weekend with the new dac!
Jules
R-transformer installed, and the kit has been moved into a proper enclosure. The sound is excellent, with no noticeable step back compared to the Denafrips Ares II, at least to my ears. Not yet burned in, but the potential is already clear. A very rewarding DIY kit that offers both great performance and the satisfaction of hands-on craftsmanship. Next steps: upgrading to Jantzen Silver caps and switching tubes.
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I switched to a Wiim Pro Plus Streamer, feeding the Lampucera DAC with an auth-filter and a super capacitor in the power supply (a LSP) is on its way to me: compared to a MacMini M1 with LSP this sounds already so much better in every way. I will borrow an Ian Canada streamer and will compare...