[Komoyuki]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice from long-term LampizatOr owners because I’m currently rethinking the direction of my system.

My amplifier is a Cary Audio SA-200.2, and my DAC is currently a LampizatOr Amber 5 running RCA only.

I recently sold my Cary SLP-98. I liked the sound, but after some service/support issues, I decided to move on and explore other options.

Now I’m trying to decide what makes the most sense moving forward.

Originally, I assumed I would simply replace the SLP-98 with another standalone analog tube preamp. I’ve been looking at things like Triode Lab, Finale Audio, and similar designs because I know I appreciate what a good preamp can bring to a system.

At the same time, since I already own the Amber 5, I started wondering if it would make more sense instead to:

sell the Amber 5

move up to a Baltic 5 or possibly Atlantic 5

add the preamp/volume control option

simplify the system


What I’m really trying to understand is how good the LampizatOr preamp stage is compared to a dedicated analog preamp.

For those who have experience with both:

does a Baltic 5 with preamp option genuinely compete with a high-quality standalone tube preamp?

or is it more of a very good minimalist solution that still benefits from adding a dedicated analog stage later on?


I’d also be curious to hear from people who moved from Amber to Baltic or Atlantic:

how significant was the upgrade?

was it mostly refinement, or did it feel like a major step forward?

did going DAC-direct end up being your long-term preference?


I’m mainly looking for long-term owner impressions and system synergy experiences, especially with solid state amplification.

Thanks everyone.

[Early B.]

Eliminate DAC-direct from your options. Buy a stand-alone preamp. I have a Golden Atlantic TRP with volume control. No contest. My tube preamp sounds significantly better.   

[Rusty Jefferson]

Eliminate DAC-direct from your options. Buy a stand-alone preamp. I have a Golden Atlantic TRP with volume control. No contest. My tube preamp sounds significantly better.   

And this is what makes the hobby interesting. We're all searching for something different. Two close friends in my audio club and myself, have moved away from analog preamps for digital. We've found modern dac/preamps (Berkeley, Chord DAVE, AVA respectively) to be superior, just the opposite of Early B. You're probably going to have to experiment. Perhaps you can find someone near you with equipment you'd like to demo, or a dealer to help you.