http://lampizator.eu/newdac/L5/L5_dacstory.html
eye candy he mentions jensens the best caps hmmmmm is he joking
Well, he cant be totally ignorant of caps, based on his DIY article from 3-4 years ago:
http://lampizator.eu/UPGRADE/CAPACITORS/capacitors.htmlA pair of top quality Duelands are what, $500? Do you know that can translate into up to $2K in retail costs in devices, given the up to 400% markup to retail? The manufacturer has to give up at least 40% of the retail price to the supply chain (distrib + dealers), so would only get $3K for a product that retails for $5K and if there is a discount, he would eat 60% of that loss normally. Thus a $5K component means a revenue of $3K to the manufacturer and thus to make a reasonable profit, what must the parts costs be, given that labour costs are still to be factored in? If the output caps alone are $500 (or say $400 with a small volume discount, not readily available to small boutique manufacturers), that leaves $2,600 to pay for the chassis, the bulk of other parts, labour, commercial rent, interest payments if loans are outstanding, working capital setup and increases, marketing expenses..if any, returns, spoilage, "shrinkage", insurance, export/import duties, VAT, income tax, etc...all before one can calculate ANY profit.
Nah, it seems to me that putting in expensive parts for the hell of it to POSSIBLY get 1% improvement means that you are into dCS or AudioNote price ranges and you MAY not get a universally appreciated improvement. These parts also MAY not synergise well with that particular circuit design (probably a Delta Sigma type chip)and the parts no object model requires a different business model that is much more advertising $$s top heavy.
The fact that the Lampi offering is being favourably compared to much more expensive rigs seems to justify the current business model and even KD owners should be celebrating that this level of performance is available to the non-DIY population for a much more realisitic price than other famous names, where you really do need a mortgage to play in that space.
I have never heard a KD and may never hear one, but I have no doubt it sounds sublime. The passionate testimony by so many cant be wrong. So I have nothing but admiration for the KD project that clearly pushes the limit of digital sound to the edge of brilliance. I also have to salute offerings like the Lampi and the PDX, which offer commercially compelling products.
