LampizatOr Genya DAC Review

[reignofchaos]

Same here. Lampi has a distributor in North America, and as such they have a huge user base there - far exceeding many other mainstream European brands. Never once I heard of this issue from anyone - for what seems to be glaring issue. Plus they are very conscious of the fit and finish there, and again that never seems to be the issue in buying these units there, when they have access to many multiple options. Anyways like I stated before, one cannot argue with subjective opinions - take them for what they are.
Cheers,
Sid

Americans I've noticed fall for gimmicky things far too often. I'd not take anything that sells like crazy there to be necessarily a good product. It might be but there is no guarantee. Their entire market is based on hype and FOMO.

Why don't these guys have any fanbase in their own continent or Asia - especially Japan? That should give you something about what others think.

 

[sidvee]

Americans I've noticed fall for gimmicky things far too often. I'd not take anything that sells like crazy there to be necessarily a good product. It might be but there is no guarantee. Their entire market is based on hype and FOMO.

Why don't these guys have any fanbase in their own continent or Asia - especially Japan? That should give you something about what others think.

Yes I agree - American listeners who constitute of the biggest domestic audio market in the word - have no idea of what good sound is in audio, and it is all based on hype. I would advise all other FM's please avoid Lampizator at all costs as we have it on expert opinion that 1) Timing is off - especially in the cheaper models 2) Finish is terrible in all models - and overall they are a gimmicky company. Better to stick to expert recommended companies only, else you will regret your decision and suffer bad sound, and can't trust your own ears.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[essrand]

The Genya got some flak for suddenly no longer being limited edition, because Lukasz magically found someone to make more of the Horizon chips. That has pissed some people off quite a bit.

 

[sidvee]

Since we are on the topic of Lampi, I was considering this model for my 2nd system:

Fezz Equinox DAC by Lampizator - Fezz Audio - Made of Music

Equinox is the world’s only Lampizator licensed vacuum tube D/A converter designed by Lukas Fikus.

fezzaudio.com

Interesting reviews and fairly accessible pricing. Plan to audition it soon.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[sidvee]

The Genya got some flak for suddenly no longer being limited edition, because Lukasz magically found someone to make more of the Horizon chips. That has pissed some people off quite a bit.

Yes true, and imo that is major issue with Lukasz. There are too many changes in the DAC's and too often, and oftentimes without updates. When I ordered my Baltic 3, they had done away with the gain switch (which imo is absolutely essential as these dacs have high gain). Luckily I caught it in time and made sure it was included.
Anyways while dealing with any boutique manufacturer, these issues are prevalent and we as consumers have to be cognizant about it I suppose.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Nikhil]

It is a similar progression for many companies. I used to own a MSB Link Dac III in early 2000's bought for a net total of $400. The fit and finish of this DAC was just basic with painted on lettering which would fade over time, but the sound that it made was glorious. And now I think their entry level units start at $10,000, right at the border of my affordability.

MSB Link DAC III D/A converter Specifications | Stereophile.com

Sidebar 1: Specifications Link DAC III D/A converter: Solid-state D/A processor with S/PDIF coax and S/PDIF TosLink digital inputs (AES/EBU input with Full Nelson Upgrade), one pair analog bypass inputs, 8x-oversampling digital filter, and 24-bit D/A converter. Sampling rates: 32, 44.1, 48...

www.stereophile.com

Cheers,
Sid

Ha! I might be in a similar situation with my Lampizator Amber.
To his credit Lukasz still responds whenever I have asked a question on my DAC.

Interestingly I stayed very close to where MSB is located now.
I might plan a visit to MSB whenever I am there next - if they take visits.
Their amps are also very good from what I heard at Munich this year.


.

 

[Nikhil]

The Genya got some flak for suddenly no longer being limited edition, because Lukasz magically found someone to make more of the Horizon chips. That has pissed some people off quite a bit.

Had no idea about this. But this is a double edge sword.
It's a huge help that they will find a way to get something done for you when you talk to them.

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[sidvee]

Ha! I might be in a similar situation with my Lampizator Amber.
To his credit Lukasz still responds whenever I have asked a question on my DAC.

Interestingly I stayed very close to where MSB is located now.
I might plan a visit to MSB whenever I am there next - if they take visits.
Their amps are also very good from what I heard at Munich this year.


.

Many Lampi models have exchange/upgrade options albeit at a cost. However with no Indian dealer now (not sure ) this is probably not possible, but its a thought if you are looking at upgrading.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Nikhil]

Many Lampi models have exchange/upgrade options albeit at a cost. However with no Indian dealer now (not sure ) this is probably not possible, but its a thought if you are looking at upgrading.
Cheers,
Sid

Yes. I've been pondering an upgrade for a while.
In addition to the new digital engine I would like to add an AES/EBU input.

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[sidvee]

Yes. I've been pondering an upgrade for a while.
In addition to the new digital engine I would like to add an AES/EBU input.

.

Sending from India may not be an option, however if you are traveling to western europe, you can carry the DAC in checked in luggage, and since poland is part of EU, you can send the Dac easily via DHL,Fedex etc. from your hotel. Now of-course turnaround time is an issue, and as I understand they take quite long time - read months - so you can pick up on a subsequent trip.
Alternatively, they have dealers in Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria etc. and most of the larger EU countries etc., so you can have the local dealer do the upgrades.
Unfortunately this is an aspect we have to deal with in India, especially with the large churn of distributors. I faced similar issues with units from Playback design, Ayon, Northstar, Cyrus etc., when I wanted parts/upgrades.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Nikhil]

Yes definitely doable for me with some planning.
My work travel takes me to Germany from where I could ship to Poland.

Will just need to do some extended planning on getting the DAC back.
This year I was there in June and then last month in September so not that bad.
But it still will need some planning - may need to add a hop to Poland for the return leg.

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[fLUX]

Many Lampi models have exchange/upgrade options albeit at a cost. However with no Indian dealer now (not sure ) this is probably not possible, but its a thought if you are looking at upgrading.
Cheers,
Sid

Its still a possibility as long as you can handle the logistics related effort to ship it and customs on way back.

I had an Atlantic 2016 which Lukasz offered to upgrade with a generous discount on the new unit. But the logistics and effort were quiet a bit , managed to snag a Big 7 MK2 from the used market.

After having owned/tried numerous dacs including some megbuck ones so far I had my apprehensions before spending this much , but got to say find it to be worth every penny & plays the genres I listen to with aplomb. After Audial Aya 5 this is the only dac i found to be a big jump over the other ones justifying the price tag

 

[square_wave]

Its still a possibility as long as you can handle the logistics related effort to ship it and customs on way back.

I had an Atlantic 2016 which Lukasz offered to upgrade with a generous discount on the new unit. But the logistics and effort were quiet a bit , managed to snag a Big 7 MK2 from the used market.

After having owned/tried numerous dacs including some megbuck ones so far I had my apprehensions before spending this much , but got to say find it to be worth every penny & plays the genres I listen to with aplomb. After Audial Aya 5 this is the only dac i found to be a big jump over the other ones justifying the price tag

@fLUX , Had to notice your current system. Such a well thought out mix of components! I have spent some time with the AN speaker you have. That is a keeper