The DAC of the future

just when we thought, that our current flagship DAC, the Pacific would be the end of the road for us, we decided to change the tactics concerning the improvements. Instead of making small incremental improvements of the Pacific, we decided to freeze it and instead - start a new project.

Little did we know about the coming future - about the covid, lockdowns and AKM factoiry 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

Summarising, the DAC turned out to be incredibly good. Hence the name THE HORIZON. It is something we look into while on the ocean. It is where we are aiming. From the competitor's perspective - the Horizon is where they see us. It is also something endless, undefined, and desired. That's where we wanna be.

This DAC has a very unique digital board, with power supplies so advanced that it is probably 4x more advanced and sophisticated compared to what the industry standard is. From custom transformers , custom 4 layer PCB, 17 separate power circuits, completely insane music conversion topology, customized muting solutions, our proprietary firmware and software, the chip that probably nobody else is using in the industry at the time of writing, new tube scheme, new tube selection, TRP (tube rolling paradise setup), new chassis, new heating scheme, new superb volume control with bypass feature, new uber cool nixie display, elimination of knobs, elimination of LCD and OLED displays (noisy), elimination of visible screws and bolts, new USB solution, new superclock circuit with optoisolation and ultra high precision crystals, antivibration CNC milled support for PCBs, - everything about this DAC is new, rethought and redesigned. In all 12 years of Lampizator we never took a leap that big, design so expensive and labour intense.

The resulting DAC is a true flagship. It has everything it can have, and we know for a fact that nobody else can use solutions that we use. I can say with full confidence that you are getting a unique masterpiece of craftsmanship that will deliver top of the game sound for many years to come. Who knows, chances are it will never be surpassed.

Key Highlights:

• Proprietary, firmware driven conversion process with 760kHz PCM and DSD512

• No silicon anywhere in signal path past the conversion stage

• Silver wiring inside

• Copper sheet, true metal capacitors in the signal path

• CNC milled chassis, No-Screw design.

• 6SN7 conversion tubes

• KT88 output driver tubes

• Volume control of the highest possible caliber in every unit, featuring a full bypass function

• All units are truly balanced and SE at the same time

• Zero feedback, neither local nor global

• Zero opamps

• Tube rectified power supply

• Hundreds of tube rolling permutations.

Preliminary parameters:

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 analog input RCA, 1 x analog 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

Packing in custom hand made flight case

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


Colors:

Matt Black Hole

Silver Stardust

Duracell (Black body and copper top)

Mouse Pearl Gray RAL 7048

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