New Lampizator Level 4/ Version 4 DAC in the house

Interesting point Steve. Love to hear what the Lampy builder would say as his tube dac, is digital, and quite special. As for a converter?

I makes sense to put a tube analog output on a DAC, but even then the power supply must be really good and the tubes really good. The best preamp-type tubes are rare and expensive and mostly NOS. Even these are hard-pressed to deliver tight bass like good SS can. Been there, done that.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Agreed Steve

He spelled out his philosophy on why he used tubes in the www.monoandstereo.com interview.
Check kt out.

The Offramp makes the USB input on my Lampizator 4/4 dac sound almost broken.

you mean the jittery garbage output of the mini?

Bill, knowing what you know about the Lampi, do you think the USB transport would be bad?

Its beyond me why anyone would put tubes in totally digital equipment, even just for power regulation. Nothing about tubes is interesting for digital. If you want it to perform like something from 1950, this would be the way.

Lucas is every bit as much of an engineer as you are Steve. People make choices, and audio, being like a form of alchemy, hybridizes science and art with the nod going to the art (sound) at the end of the day.

Bill, you should try the Ifi product line for USB inputs. Cheap and better "advertised" jitter reduction than an offramp. I also suggest you start another thread on Empirical audio. What you have discovered is what I have harping about for some time: your dac is not deficient. Your bastardized computer "transport" is. The Offramp exposed that. Interestingly, quite a few Aussie philes have traded in their Offramps for highly modded Wadias (http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1327217166&openflup&115&4#115)

Audiophiles are like cats. Everyone on his own idiosyncratic and highly independent journey.