[Atlplasma]

The kits (http://lampizator.eu/shop/viewcategory.php?groupid=24) are much more affordable. Has anyone purchased one? Comments on sound quality?

[jtwrace]

At the current group buy price you save just under $250 and you need to put it together.  Not that great of a deal unless you have the time and really enjoy the diy part. 

[Atlplasma]

The Super Deluxe Kit is 650 euros ($813 US). So the Amber DAC is only $1K on the group buy?

[jtwrace]

The Super Deluxe Kit is 650 euros ($813 US). So the Amber DAC is only $1K on the group buy?

I guess I looked at the wrong item. 

[Atlplasma]

I guess I looked at the wrong item.

You probably looked at the fully built DAC, which is 1400 euros ($1750 US).

[vortrex]

I don't think you get the chassis with the kit?

[Atlplasma]

I don't think you get the chassis with the kit?

No, but I think you can buy a pretty good enclosure for less than $100 (or maybe even salvage a case from a dead component). That's kind of what I'm thinking about. Great performance at a reasonable cost is what I'm aiming for. And I don't mind a little DIY to get there.

[wisnon]

You have a point, but you would need chassis nor switches and you dont get DSD ( I think?). Delivery charges would be on top. I am not sure, but perhaps the Amber special prices already include US delivery?

If you know what you are doing, I agree you could have significant savings..
....
It looks like a killer kit with infinite tube rolling possibilities.

[Atlplasma]

You have a point, but you would need chassis nor switches and you dont get DSD ( I think?). Delivery charges would be on top. I am not sure, but perhaps the Amber special prices already include US delivery?

If you know what you are doing, I agree you could have significant savings..
....
It looks like a killer kit with infinite tube rolling possibilities.

After another reading, I find that the language on the site is not clear. I'm not really sure what is being offered with the tube kits. I'm sure other visitors to the site a similarly puzzled. 

[wisnon]

Well, it seems you get all the inside parts already assembled (digital and analog components)and you get the  output connectors, but you still need on-switch, chassis and toggles between formats, etc. See the summary at the bottom of the page.

[barrows]

A close read of the Superkit Deluxe contents reveals that this kit only includes a DAC output (I/V) stage.  It does not include the DAC part, so one would have to add a DAC board of their choice, like a Twisted Pear Audio Buffalo DAC, for example.  The kit includes everything for the output stage, including the power transformer, but one would still need:

A DAC board of your choice
A suitable power supply for your DAC board
An input stage of some type, like a Wave IO, or Sonore USB
A suitable power supply for the input stage
Plus a chassis, at least one more transformer, hook up wire, etc...

The Superkit Deluxe is expensive becasue it includes very expensive Duelund coupling caps and some spendy tubes...

[Atlplasma]

A close read of the Superkit Deluxe contents reveals that this kit only includes a DAC output (I/V) stage.  It does not include the DAC part, so one would have to add a DAC board of their choice, like a Twisted Pear Audio Buffalo DAC, for example.  The kit includes everything for the output stage, including the power transformer, but one would still need:

A DAC board of your choice
A suitable power supply for your DAC board
An input stage of some type, like a Wave IO, or Sonore USB
A suitable power supply for the input stage
Plus a chassis, at least one more transformer, hook up wire, etc...

The Superkit Deluxe is expensive becasue it includes very expensive Duelund coupling caps and some spendy tubes...

I suspect you are right. What's confusing is that the site has badged the kits as "amber DACs" that are Level 4 equivalent. Maybe something is getting lost in translation.

[barrows]

I think when they say "level 4 equivalent" it is a rough comparison of the L4 LampizatOr DAC, also note they compare the sound quality of the Amber to a Lampi L4...
Seeing that they have a balanced I/V stage kit piques my interest a bit.  I am very experienced in getting the best out of the Twisted Pear Audio B-IIIse DAC board, doing this combo would be an interesting build:
Sonore USB interface-TPA B-IIIse-Salas Reflektor power supplies for the digital boards with their own tranny-LampizatOr balanced output stage kit with Jupiter copper foil coupling caps, full balanced output.

Maybe I'll try it sometime...

[Atlplasma]

I think when they say "level 4 equivalent" it is a rough comparison of the L4 LampizatOr DAC, also note they compare the sound quality of the Amber to a Lampi L4...
Seeing that they have a balanced I/V stage kit piques my interest a bit.  I am very experienced in getting the best out of the Twisted Pear Audio B-IIIse DAC board, doing this combo would be an interesting build:
Sonore USB interface-TPA B-IIIse-Salas Reflektor power supplies for the digital boards with their own tranny-LampizatOr balanced output stage kit with Jupiter copper foil coupling caps, full balanced output.

Maybe I'll try it sometime...

That does sound like an interesting idea. I looked up your project on the Twisted Pear site, and it looks great. How does it sound?

I considered building the Buffalo board when it was first introduced five or six years ago but did not have the time. So to Lampi your current DAC, would you just buy the balanced kit + SE Superkit and swap out the coupling caps? Or is there more to it than that?

[barrows]

To use the LampizatOr balanced output stage, I would likely build a new DAC, as the layout requirements would be quite different.  Without a manual/schematic for the balanced kit output stage I can only speculate about what would be required:

Twisted Pear Audio B-IIIse DAC kit with Trident regulators + an appropriate power supply (single Placid HD, but I would use Salas Refelktor).  Then one would have to figure out how to adjust the gain of the Lampi balanced stage to match it to the ESS chip output (since they use the ESS in the Amber, lampi should have the answer for this, likely it is set with resistor values on the lampi output stage).
I would add a Sonore USB input interface, and another Salas Refelktor to power that.  And that would be all there is to it.

Outstanding DAC performance is possible with the Twisted Pear Audio kits.  Even in bog stock form they result in a fantastic DAC.  Plus, with the right USB interface the TPA B-IIIse can do PCM up to 384 and DSD 64/128 via DoP.

The balanced kit from Lampi has everything one needs for the output stage, no other kit necessary, but of course it is going to include lesser tubes at that price.  Get it running first with stock tubes, then one can start rolling or upgrading.  Same thing with the coupling caps, but remember, for balanced output one needs 4 caps, so things like Duelund are going to be really expensive!