Review of LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP DAC – tube roller paradise?

The Polish company LampizatOr and its head, Łukasz Fikus, are among those people who are changing the landscape of modern High End sound. The first digital-to-analog converter Atlantic 1 DAC was presented to the public five years ago, and today the company has significantly modernized the device – this is how LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP appeared. We spent more than one month with the device – and concluded that in terms of naturalness of sound, the component has few equals even in much higher price categories. How did LampizatOr achieve this?

The heart of this DAC is not even a DA-converter, but a tube output stage, which forms a unique sound signature. Well, the new model has finally added the option - the ability to roll (change) tubes. Compatible with power tetrodes and pentodes, plus only one and common 6.3 V heater voltage, enabled LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP to offer tens of different tube types to be used alternatively. TRP = Tube Rollers Paradise, as the company wrote.

This DAC can now operate not only small signal tubes, but also big “overkill” power tubes. Thus, it is possible to adjust the sound and correct the nuances of the feed - in terms of dynamics, ease, grace, specific polishing of the sound for the installation used and the character of the sound of other components nd user’s preferences. LampizatOr Atlantic TRP can be equipped with EL34, KT88, KT120, KT150 and 6V6 tetrodes; 5U4G, 5Y3, GZ34, GZ37, 274B, 5C3S, 5R4WGBA and other NOS tubes can be installed as diodes. That is, the system can operate in DHP mode - Directly Heated Pentode tubes, as well as running in Single Ended Triode (SET) mode.

The power supply of the device is tube based, choke CLC filtering and uses proprietary PureCopper, PP insulated capacitors - the company wanted to use the best solution at any price. The latest proprietary converter ELEVEN with DSD512x and USB input allows configurations with Balanced or Single ended output and full preamp feature with remote control, display, and resistor ladders. Balanced configuration is truly balanced. As an addition, you can order analog preamp inputs and fine EL34 or KT88 tetrodes that we can obtain from current production. As a result, compared to the previous version of LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP sports 4 digital input types instead of 3 and 4 basic configuration options:
Single Ended RCA, no preamp/volume;
Single Ended RCA, WITH preamp/volume;
Fully Balanced & Single Ended RCA, no preamp/volume;
Fully Balanced & Single Ended RCA, WITH preamp/volume.

The company calls the Engine Eleven digital-to-analog converter “phenomenally musical engine, without disclosing its technical characteristics”. The system was developed on Sept 01 2022 and it is a result of team collaboration in intensive R&D. The DAC now uses a more elaborate power supply, requiring six transformer windings to work, has a very tricky signal and clock isolation and ground separation (5 grounds versus one), as well as proprietary software managing the conversion process and setup. Plus a new, zero-relay design with software controlled routing of inputs. Apparently, the DAC combines R2R Discrete ladder conversion and has a dedicated DSD512 conversion chain (DSD up to 512xDSD via USB seamlessly playing from mixed PCM playlists). And the cherry on the cake is a new OLED display, no more LCD. The company proudly states: “The combination of the above factors is impossible to find in any DAC in this price range, maybe even in any DAC period and are of the highest performance music players available at any price.”

LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP requires quite a long warm-up - and begins to fully open up only after 30 - 40 hours of operation, then, after about 100-200 hours, the sound finally stabilizes. The sound of the LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP has traditional signature features: it can form a deep and clearly defined sound stage, literally pumping it with air. The tangible presentation forms a real masculine character - the device shows a deep and relief bass with a fundamental lower middle from the very first chords. Macrodynamics are at a height, microdynamic indicators clearly exceed the price group of the device.

Together with the holographic positioning accuracy, the LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP works perfectly with the timbre picture. Putting all this together, we get not only an exceptionally rich, dense and physically perceptible sound, calmly sitting in the front row of the conservatory.

This is clearly noticeable, say, on Mahler's "Sixth Symphony" - a complex piece, the test on which many and much more famous competitors fail. The orchestra's fortissimo is handled without a hitch, the device easily and elegantly takes the lowest notes, and then, without strain, moves on to calmly reproduce the finest nuances.

And how will things be with bands like Metallica? And here everything is great - an iron grip, full control, no mess and pure drive. And reliable vocals, colored with the whole range of emotions.

Indeed, the company managed to create an impressive digital-to-analog converter - the synthesis of interesting engineering solutions and genuine love for achieving good sound has borne fruit.