NEW FLAGSHIP FROM THE POLISH BRAND THE LAMPIZATOR HORIZON DAC

Lampizator has released a new range-topping, flagship DAC, the Lampizator Horizon DAC.

Lukasz Fikus of Polish brand Lampizator told us: ”Instead of making small incremental improvements of the Pacific, we decided to freeze it and instead and start a new project”.

The Lampizator Horizon DAC

A NEW HORIZON

Lukasz told us more about the background to the new Horizon DAC: “Little did we know about the coming future – about the covid, lockdowns and the AKM factory fire. Starting from a blank sheet we tried to reinvent everything about the DAC that we know, while learning what we don’t. In 2019 we heard for the first time the prototype and frankly – we were shocked how much superior it is from what we are used to. Thanks to a revolutionary chip technology, like nothing we ever saw before – it was possible to create a real monster. It took almost one year to write a software that controls the DAC process, especially for DSD512. By using our own custom firmware we made a DAC that nobody else has and nobody else will. The engine code name is #19”.

Rear view of the Lampizator Horizon DAC

LAMPIZATOR HORIZON DAC

The Lampizator Horizon DAC has a unique digital board, with highly advanced power supplies, custom transformers, custom four layer PCB, seventeen separate power circuits, “completely insane” music conversion topology with 760kHz PCM and DSD512, customized muting solutions and Lampizator’s proprietary firmware and software.

Front of the Lampizator Horizon DAC

NEW CHIP

Lukasz goes on to say that the Horizon uses “the chip that probably nobody else is using in the industry”, a new tube scheme, new tube selection, tube rolling paradise setup, new chassis, new heating scheme, new volume control with bypass feature, and a cool new nixie display.

Lampizator Horizon DAC with remote

NO OLED OR LED DISPLAY

For the Horizon DAC, Lampizator has done away with knobs, ‘noisy’ LCD and OLED displays and visible screws and bolt. There is a  new USB solution, new super clock circuit and antivibration CNC milled support for the PCBs. There is also no silicon anywhere in signal path past the conversion stage and the internal wiring is silver.

The nixie tube display on the Lampizator Horizon DAC

TUBE ROLLING

The valves used are 6SN7 conversion tubes and KT88 output driver tubes and there are “hundreds of tube rolling permutations”.

The valves on the Lampizator Horizon DAC

PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 33 kg / 70 lbs net, 50 kg / 110 lbs gross

Dimensions without tubes: 440 mm W x 500 mm D x 170 mm H

Digital inputs: 1 x USB,  1 x S/PDIF RCA, 1 x AES/EBU, 1 x TOSLINK,  2 x i2s

1 x analogue input RCA, 1 x analogue input XLR fully balanced

Output impedance: 600 Ohms per phase

Output level: 0DB full level @3V peak sinus 1 kHz m per phase, 6V p-p for balanced

Mains 110 – 220 – 230 – 240 V AC  / 60 VA

Colours: Matt Black Hole, Silver Stardust, Duracell (Black body and copper top), Mouse Pearl Gray RAL 7048

Packed in a custom handmade flight case

Tube compliment: 1 x 5U4G rectifier or equivalent, 274B, 5Y3, 5C3S, GZ34, GZ37, GZ480, 5AR4WGB

2 x 6SN7GT or adapter fitted 6N1P, ECC99, ECC40, VT99, 6F8G, ECC88, 6922, 6DJ9, E88CC, 6900, 12BH7, 5687, 6111

4 x EL34 or 6V6, 6L6, KT66, KT88, KT90, KT120, 6550, 5881 kt150  KT170

Remote Control  – CNC milled metal “slab” remote

Footers: non-exchangable but with M5 provision of threaded footer mounting holes

Display: 2-digit Nixie display – shows volume and input number

DSD: 512x,     PCM: 768k

Connections on the Lampizator Horizon DAC

LAMPIZATOR HORIZON DAC PRICE

44,000€ plus VAT

The flight case of the Lampizator Horizon DAC…and the creator, Lukasz Fikus

HiFi Pig Says: Lampizator is one of the real success stories of modern HiFi, becoming one of the true new High End brands of recent years.

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