LINK to the good old lampizatOr  blog page for audio related projects, DIY, laughs and photos !

In April 2013 I made an enlightening exercise. Just out of curiosity I designed a DAC that converts DSD data stream (all types known) to analog and does it WITHOUT SILICON. I’ve tried various chips - all kinds - some “DSD READY” some DSD through PCM and some real DSD.

As a chief designer I felt that Lampizator fame needs a DAC like no  other. I created a converter that treats the DSD in pure analog domain and produces music in it’s virgin glory. Without any manipulation, digital processing, PCM conversion, delta sigma, or anything like that. I kept DSD in its purest native form and keep the sound with phase coherence, zero colorations or compression.

The sound is the purest copy of the original DSD recording I can think of.

It is a pity this type of product could not be released for sale.

The process is 100% free of active solid state components. Only tube active filters are employed. At the end the signal is amplified by triodes again - in the way we always have done at LampizatOr.

I don’t follow the world developments in this field and I don’t have time to read internet forums but I guess this must be one of the first such pure tube DSD DACs worldwide.

In my design I used the FM radio principle for tuning into the data stream and extracting music modulation from the carrier waveform. The technology therefore is based on the grandmother’s radio with the magic green eye.

                                                                        Lukasz Fikus , Chief Designer and Owner

1. Announcing: DSD DAC
   

2. Warsaw, June 8th 2013
   

3. We announce that DSD DAC is ready for sale.
   

1. •IMPORTANT NOTE: THE COMMERCIAL DSD DAC IS NOT THE RADIO TECHNOLOGY ONE, DESCRIBED IN THE MEMO FROM EARLY EXPERIMENTS.   THAT ONE WAS A PROTOTYPE, AN EXERCISE IN ELECTRONICS. THE REASON IT COULD NOT BE SOLD WAS THAT IT HAD TOO MANY FILTRATION ARTIFACTS AUDIBLE BETWEEN SONGS. ON SILENT MOMENTS IT HAD SOME POPS, CLICKS AND BUZZ. SO WE HAD TO DESIGN SOMETHING MORE SELLABLE.
   

1. •THE LAMPIZATOR DSD DAC HAS USB PORT BUILT IN, SOLID STATE DIGITAL FILTER, PASSIVE DISCRETE ANALOG FILTER AND ACTIVE DISCRETE TUBE FILTER. IT DOES NOT MANIPULATE THE DATA IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, IT DOES NOT CONVERT IT, UPSAMPLE, RECLOCK OR DOWNSAMPLE. IT DOES NOT GO THROUGH PCM PROCESS EITHER. IT IS PUREST NATIVE DSD WE KNOW OF. WE PRACTICALLY ONLY GENTLY REMOVE THE CARRIER FREQUENCY FROM THE RAW DATA AS IT COMES FROM HARD DRIVE. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS.
   

1. The DSD DAC is fully optimized for one thing and one thing only - to play the DSD music in its full beauty.
   

2. 
   

3. DSD DAC will be available as a retrofit addition to OLD Lampizator DACS.
   

4. It is possible to install DSD DAC in Level 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 machines. For retrofit requests you must enquire first with us.
   

5. So here it is.
   

“DSD-only” DAC Specification and pricing:

1. •DSD DAC capable of playing iso files through USB port, with speed 64 128 and 256x.
   

2. •One USB input (works with MAC OS or LINUX without any drivers and requires a driver for all Windows types). DSD256 is available only from Windows systems, for MAC or LINUX the development is ongoing and we expect to get 256x compatibility confirmation around may 2016.
   

3. •110-115-220-230-240 V AC variants
   

4. •One tube for PSU rectification
   

5. •A pair of dual triodes for analog LampizatOr output stage (Ecc40 or 6SN7GT or E182CC or 6N6P or E88CC or Ecc82)
   

6. •5- winding transformer with total of 100 VA
   

7. •Paper in oil output capacitors
   

8. •5 years warranty (fully transferrable)
   

9. •Black or silver front face
   

  OPTIONS

1. •Mundorf Silver/Gold, Duelund or Jupiter capacitors Copper Cast PIO
   

2. •Volume control with 64 steps and remote control
   

3. •Biamping output
   

4. •Balanced fully differential XLR outputs
   

Above: Level 5 with DSD added (the regular “DSD only” DAC is of course a one box job.

This DAC is NOT FOR EVERYBODY.

This is the DAC for purist audiophiles who want to experience the best DSD sound quality and enjoy listening to the music. Music more beautiful - than they ever heard before, be it from a DSD or PCM.

We believe it is the best sounding DAC in the world today but it is inconvenient like hell.  No, you don’t have to wash the records, lift manually the cartridge or change sides from A to B but you may have to use MUTE before and after listening . If you are not repelled yet - please read on.

DSD DAC REVIEW HERE

Another review from USA: HERE

Another review  from Positive Feedback is HERE

Review DSD DAC Lampizator from Monoandstereo :

DSD-ONLY dac with volume control and balanced topology. USA version (115V).

Above: Four elements that came together and in perfect synergy created the best music reproduction I ever heard: DSD source files, pure analog DSD converter, tube Lampizator stage with tube power supply and Duelund Copper Cast capacitors.

SEE REVIEW HERE

NativeDSD is our best source of highest quality DSD files, which you can legally obtain from:

www.nativedsd.com