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LampizatOr- The Horizon DAC Manual
amp's input stage takes care of that. Only solid state chip based preamps will saturate
and distort.
LampizatOr DAC should not be used with opamp based preamp, no matter how good.
Because the op-amp feedback loops will remove the whole joy of music as delivered by
the tubed DAC. The horizon is simply speaking way too good for that.
The heat issue
Many people are concerned about the heat inside the player.
We want you to relax about it - that this is NOT an issue. The DAC operates well below
half of its maximum allowed temperature. Tubes are DESIGNED to be hot, this is their
very nature. Thats why they have internal heaters and when they are not at optimal
operating temperature – they sound bad.
The other components are guaranteed up to 105C and we are expecting no more than
45 degrees Celsius in the air inside the DAC.
Our only advice is do not heat the box additionally by placing it - for example - on top of
a hot class A amplifier. Give it some space around to allow free air flow and adequate
cooling.
Optimal placement
Apart from the heat issue as described above, the DAC has no special placement
requirements. Just remember to keep the S/PDIF cable not longer than 1,5 m (5 feet)
and RCA chinch cables – not longer than that either. USB cables should not exceed
2m and MUST NOT have ferrite filters on them.
Since tubes are microphonic, they hate vibrations. Therefore it is forbidden to
place the dac on top of the speakers or a sub. Choose least vibrating location,
preferably one foot behind the plane of the speakers.
Power on-off cycle
The tube lifetime, almost like the life of a car engine in cold climate – is determined
largely by the on-off cycle. The heat expansion coefficient of the glass is so much
different than that of the metal, that the air-tight seal of the metal pins can leak oxygen
inside the tube and eventually kill it. Even if it is just one molecule per day. So in other
words it is better to keep the DAC always on, than to switch it on and off more than
necessary.
The lampizator DAC with tube rectifier has a slow start feature which brings the high
voltage supply gradually up, at the rate of two- to five volts per second. The PSU
reaches 275 V DC after 60 seconds. This helps to extend tube life. The DAC is also
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