Let me say that as a 'panel guy' too, if you can truly get panel sound [as in " boxless" ] from box speakers then by all means, enjoy the ease of use/ placement/ room integration factor that bixes will bring. I've heard ( beiefly) Dale's speakers and was seriously impressed... He takes EVERY sonic factor and/ or consideration to the N th degree, and then some... That kind of obsession and attention to detail shows incredible rewards. It also carries fwd the " Science iof sound reproduction" to a whole other level...
Very promising!!!
BTW don't get yourself in trouble for chasing the exotic tubes with your wallet... You are right to chill a bit in between and acclimate each change with extended & relaxing listening sessions: afterall, that's why we still consider it a ' Hobby??'.

lissnr February 06, 2015 12:38

Hi Agear, thanks for the comments...yes, Rob and I did try the Lampi sans Dude, as I/ you said. We both admired it a lot but we both made our own decisions about the Dude and mine's still in the loop so... We both agree there's no substitute for less-in-the-chain but what the Dude does for my system is fundamental to the character OF the system and when that's a rather long and sorted evolution... I lean towards keeping it intact "as is".
As for the Sanders electrostatics I heard them at a recent NY show and was certainly impressed; I think he's definitely onto something as far as sellng the synergistic pkg of speakers and supporting electronics. Why not when it comes to such unique drivers and power matched/ preferences. Don't know if I'd be willing to drop big $$$$ on his bet but I would like to try it out sometime.
I'm still flipping tubes in B7 too. I agree the rectifier is as important at least, but as I mentioned before, you agree it's the blend of all 3 [tubes] working together that makes the dish taste just right. I've got EML 45's in there now ( that I never fully put enough time on before) playing with their other family member yhe EML 5 u4 Mesh... The combo reminds me a bit of the Cunningham/ Radiotron 301/201's which you know I like. But I have to put more time in before full assessment. I'm still playing with more recti's too.
...And I know the Carbons have real potential as well, but again: it lies with the rectifier.
Eventually I might mess with my Amp's power cables if I decide the detail of all these "45 setting" tubes are as addictive as they initially appear... I can warm things up a notch w the cables and it might make a "Happy Ending"...Stay in touch.

lissnr February 05, 2015 23:20

The tubes I'm referring that seem to bring out more midrange, detail, air and "3D space" in my system at the moment are the Cunningham CX301A's ... Very old but also reasonably priced... Ymmv as I sent a pr to a friend with a very nice L7 system and he was less impressed so you have to be your own judge ( but that's always the rule anyway?!) Good Luck.

lissnr February 02, 2015 03:55

Hello Agear, Well, I should never be surprised how quickly news travels...Thanks for stopping by...and to address both points one by one.
I have several friends and of course the entire Lampi site on the circle who are all experimenting with the B7 output tubes. Everyone is both listening with open ears and watching [what they read] with open eyes. The remarkable sonic virtues of the Lampizator 7 with so-called "standard quality" tubes has already become front page news but what's even more satisfying is the units' ability to discern and "Appreciate" the sonic character(s) of some of the really classic older tubes as well as the beautifully constructed "boutique"/ 'higher end' tubes presently being built.
Yes, the Sophia 300B Carbons fall into that later category and I've found, so far, that my EM Labs 5u4G Mesh plate rectifier seems to work pretty well with them but I'm still hunting for an even better match for the Carbons...(I can sense there must be something out there that's perfect for them).
I have however, as you're implying, found a classic little
low output tube that seems to make that perfect synergy [For MY System at least]that works [with the EML] and has my B7 sounding the best I've personally ever known it to do. Glory glory...
As for the B7 Direct or through the Dude... I need to mention that access behind my main racks is a bit of a PITA...not awful...just "discouraging"...in addition, I don't really like messing with the Dude too much (after all...he is THE Dude) and I like to keep him steadily fed with his own dedicated line, his personal Sistrum 'unshaken' (or 'stirred'!) and of course I really almost NEVER (except for super scary electrical storms) ever want to turn him off. So this all combines to dissuade me from wanting to disconnect him from the loop. Not to mention he is pushing about 6M of I/C into my main amps (with no sweat at all thanks to the twin 6sn7's per channel inside) and for many pre-amps that can sometimes be challenging. But, I had to try it alone shortly after I first received the B7 just 'because'...
Keep in mind my Dude has been somewhat purified a little bit when I asked Paul to dedicate one pair of inputs as a bypass around the selector switch. It makes it a little extra work if i want to use another source but the main source (B7) feeds thru with less 'fuss' and exhibits a slight improvement in purity as compared to before.
So, here's the difference via Dude vs straight from my B7...Did the B7 show an improvement to a degree...in transparency? "To a degree": "Yes"...could it probably be very easy to justify doing just by that factor alone? I would also say "To many many owners: Absolutely yes"... it sounds really open, really pure, and remarkably transparent...Lukasz did a great job keeping his pre-amp section worthy of the rest of the dac and I would say for many/most owners it will probably displace their pre-amp. And rightfully so.
Should I probably go back and try it alone again, now that I have a pretty nicely dialed combination of tubes really strutting the B7's stuff? Sure, I should. And at some point I probably will...again, just "because"...
But the sound I'm getting right now...with the B7 doing its "Dac job" as it loves its tubes; combined with THE Dude, doing what it does best: authority, precision, space, air, and dynamics that will jump you from your seat... I just feel it's a superb marriage of 2 instruments...and the transparency factor? Unless it truly is A/B'd quickly w/without you will never sense any lack of clear 'open window views' on the soundstage...In My Humble Opinion.
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Lissn'n

lissnr January 30, 2015 02:55

Hello Grateful, Thank you and congrats on your absolutely beautifully designed system... I have always been impressed with the OTL sound through well matched speakers , the Atmaspheres are stunning and I'm very impressed with your obvious attention to detail.
Yes, my room is back to full "Healthy " status and I 'll be reporting back soon on the new details.
Meanwhile, as far as the Audio Note vs Lampizator comparison I can't say I have ever had the opportunity to do so. Suffice to say I 've no doubt that hearing both on a matched playing field would be very exciting.
Audio Note has always been such a 'refernce' brand in hi end audio and for every instance I have heard any of their products ( mostly at shows) I have always left the room highly impressed. Lampizator by comparison is a much newer kid on the block but Lukasz ( its founder) is an extremely talented designer/ builder with a great ear and tremendous passion for audio and his line of Dacs have been pushing the limits of today's digital.
As a 3 time owner of his product line ( Level 4, Big 6, [currently] Big 7) I can attest to its lifelke reproduction of the recorded event with my highest praise...

If you get a chance to check out Lampizator in a good system, do so. Meanwhile I hope you enjoy your music as often as you can! Thanks again and happy Lissn'n...

lissnr January 11, 2015 02:23

System Edited: It has been quite awhile since I updated this page and I will post newer pictures soon but the biggest 2 noteworthy items are my Dac upgrade (which I had not imagined doing) from the Lampizator Big 6 to an "All out" Big 7 (it includes DSD of course and I opted for the built in pre-amp section as well..just to have it).
The other item is a swap from my beloved Apogee/True Sound Works Duetta Signatures (which were completely all I ever wanted/needed/or could imagine), to TSW's 'No-Holds-Barred' pair of Duetta ULTIMATES which have raised the bar [again] higher than I thought was possible.
I have been tube swapping with the Big 7 Direct Heated Triodes and found the new Sophia 300B Carbons to be my favorites and though the Shuguang 274B rectifier has been excellent I have an Emission Lab 5u4G Mesh Plate on its way that I'm very excited about...
A few other 'tweaks' worth discussing and as I said, I will enter some new pictures soon... but I just wanted to jump back into the mix again.
Happy Lissn'n

lissnr January 07, 2015 11:02

Agear, Once again, you are very kind and understanding...One day I will jump into the computer aspect(s) [of audio] more in depth or perhaps, just in dribs and drabs...we'll see. Meanwhile, thank you, I AM very happy with my system... and your insightful and experienced input is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy the music; and Happy Lissn'n!

lissnr January 28, 2014 01:49

I should probably explain myself a little better when it comes to computer audio. I will surely regret saying this in the future because not only will it essentially be the dominant format at some point, I'm certain that I will also embrace it and be quite competent with getting the best sound out of it.
But that time hasn't arrived yet.
By coincidence there happens to be a thread going on elsewhere entitled "Is there a worthy replacement for the Squeeze Box Touch?".
Well, as a SB Touch owner I decided to post my somewhat 'tepid' response...so for the sake of clarifying things a little more here;
here it is:
01-23-14: Lissnr
I bought a SB Touch last year, OBM and great shape. My computer friend set it up for me to play into my Dac...it's a great dac, using a nice dedicated digital cable via spdif. OK. Used it once, OK.
A few weeks later, the same friend saw a nice upgrade external power supply for it on A'gon and texted me to buy it, so I did. OK. He rigged it for me. It works fine.
Gave me 0.5 TB hard drive filled with pretty good music...Listened to it twice and it's all on the back shelf doing nothing.
Back to listening to my CD player-as-transport into the dac.
A few months later bought a 3TB hard drive which he then stocked up with A LOT more pretty darn good music. Used it with the SB once more. It's OK.
It's back on the back shelf.
Guess I need to give it another chance...
FWIW I type with one finger and use the computer to visit audio sites to read, learn and talk a little audio...
That's really the only way I mix audio and computers so far.
Guess I'm missing out on something?
To answer the topic question: "I wouldn't really know a worthy successor but, you know, my two cents on this topic probably isn't worth the copper it's stamped on..."
On the other hand, I suppose I should really learn more about how to use that SB Duet based transport I recently purchased...[and had my friend set up], it works fine. It's simply called "The Lampizator TranspOrt" and I got it so it will match my Lampi Dac that it's rigged through (the one referred to before). It works fine, (especially with those NOS tubes...). Seems to have a lot going for it. OK. But I've only used it twice...
and it's just sitting on that same...back shelf. Hmmmm

Lissnr

lissnr January 24, 2014 02:11

Thanks Knghifi, as I said, it was a LOT of work but as always "The Room" is a labor of love.
As for the Lampi TranspOrt you're going to laugh when you see my response to this one...why? Because as much as I love to talk audio I'm also the first one to step back and admit when I am not familiar or experienced enough with something to offer a worthwhile opinion... and as far as computer based audio I am admittedly still in the stone ages.
Simply listening to the conversations pertaining to computer audio reminds me of how uninformed I am in this medium and how much I have to learn.
Yes, I made the purchase because the venue was intriguing and appeared promising based on all the banter and interest generated in the industry lately, but at the moment my lack of computer savvy has undermined my appreciation of its potential... In other words,I don't know enough about it [yet] to really set it up at its best such that it competes directly with my cd based transport - to - dac configuration... (at this point in time). A friend of mine rigged it for me, showed me the basic operation, downloaded a bunch of music to a big hard drive (apparently a decent percentage of a 3TB drive) but quite honestly the variations from recording to recording seem even more disparate than the differences between poorly and well recorded CD's! As I switch from track to track I found myself somewhat frustrated with such INconsistency while not really understanding the ins and outs of "WHY?". Of course Murphy's Law will always assure that favorite artists are the most poorly done, and vice versa, but that's just life...
Suffice to say I need to thoroughly learn what the heck I'm doing before I can give any worthwhile opinion(s).
So far, the convenience factor is its best feature, but if I can't get the sound quality up to [where all the hype is telling me it should be] then I won't find myself utilizing it too often. What a pity because I have heard other computer based systems sound very good... and that convenience factor is SO attractive.
I'm promising myself to explore it more ...umm..."soon".
And I'll get back to you! Sorry.
Always open for advice!
Happy Lissn'n.

lissnr January 23, 2014 02:37

System edited: Just added some fresh pictures of recent upgrades [since my "Sandy" rebuild] and couldn't be happier. There are a few more little tweaks but this is the bulk of it. Sound is the most natural and effortless I have ever known. LOTS of work and patience was all worth it (but I don't want to ever [have to] do it again!). Happy Lissn'n

lissnr January 22, 2014 01:36

Thank you, Agear; coming from you that means A LOT...Fellow Dude lovers are always appreciated. I swear by Paul's equipment. All you need is a little patience and you'll be justly rewarded. Happy Lissn'n

lissnr January 20, 2014 01:28

There's a long overdue update waiting to be entered here as my system has evolved quite considerably since the "Post Sandy rebuild". My Duetta Signatures have returned from True Sound Works after a complete rebuild and are sounding spectacular.
I have also upgraded my electronics, now with Lampizator Digital equipment including a "Big 6" Dac and Lampizator TranspOrt; as well as my amplification, where my TRL Dude pre-amp is now joined by a matching pair of TRL GT 200 mono blocs running the new Tung Sol KT 150's.
"Fresh" Apogees powered by 'uber-powerful' tubed mono blocs running in full Triode mode with the bass slam of the biggest Krells and a midrange and top end extension, sweetness, and "palpable presence" of your favorite low powered SET's...
More to follow.
Happy Lissn'n!

lissnr January 12, 2014 13:31

Hello Deb, Thank you for your good wishes...my rebuilding is moving along as I balance the time I need to spend on my main living environment (kitchen, other "living" spaces, etc) and my yearning to return to my listening space. While I had hoped to be up and running already, I am beginning to see the end of the tunnel...
As for my PH3SE I couldn't be happier with it. ARC knows a thing or two about phono. Yes, the Cary adds an extra degree of warmth, as you would expect, especially when I run the EL-34's or dial in some "partial triode" but if I want a more neutral amplification I can run it all ultralinear or at times I have also run it with my SED winged "C" 6550's...they still keep a bit of rich flavoring to the mix but of course far less than the '34's. I have not run my EH-KT-88's in the Cary with the PH3Se, as my guess is they will be even more neutral/less warm and I do like a little richness for my taste. If I were you, it would be ideal to audition first if possible, but we all know that and also know it's a rare opportunity to get to do so.
Keep me updated and good luck. Thanks for visiting.

lissnr January 11, 2013 03:14

Thank you Raytheprinter...Everyone is OK and the re-build is underway, it's just a very arduous undertaking. I'm sure a river can be just as scary...electronics and liquid of any sorts simply don't mix!
I'll never forget many years ago I was doing several beers in my previous dwelling when, while in my listening chair (which was 8' away from the speaker/amp plane), I accidentally popped the cap off a beer bottle 'in unbalanced mode' (should have been using XLR bottle opener's???)and managed to shake a splash across the room... I was praying that a stray drop didn't go as far as my VTL 125 mono-blocs sitting between the speakers (system was ON off course) and wouldn't you know about an hour later one of my EL-34's went ballstic on me and ended that evening's session! I have always been VERY careful with liquids in the room...and learned my lesson again that night.
Hi Bob, thanks for your support, yes, I am planning on making the room at least as good, hopefully even better. I am planning on installing a ductless HVAC system to replace the window A/C unit and electric space heater... so that should be a tangible improvement right there.
Then when the Apogees finally get back,[and how many hours of re-dialing in again??????]I'm hoping "It'll all be good".

lissnr December 03, 2012 21:43

System edited: A few more pictures

lissnr December 02, 2012 05:24