The LampizatOr Baltic 4 DAC integrates the best features from its predecessors and is a slightly more affordable option in the LampizatOr family. Combining advanced digital technology with a triode output stage and tube-based power supply. Designed for audiophiles, it offers a fully balanced topology, DSD512 support, and copper output capacitors. With options for volume control, multiple digital inputs, and the ability to roll tubes, it delivers exceptional sound quality and versatility at a competitive price. The Baltic 4 is a testament to LampizatOr’s commitment to high-end audio excellence worthy of their 10th anniversary.
We put everything that we could from that legendary design of an old Level4 into Baltic-4.
You get tons of very cool features here, at a price that is almost too good to be true: phenomenal digital engine ELEVEN, triode output stage, DC coupling of all stages, double thickness front panel, new engraved rear end, tube based, choke filtered power supply with directly heated dual diode – 5C3S or 5U4G or 274B or GZ37 or 5W4R. Add Copper Caps, balanced circuit – all in one neat package.
The Baltic project is our attempt on the pinnacle design made with octal tubes. The whole octal tube kingdom is the biggest one, with tens of tube models and thousands of brand / version variations. These tubes today can cost as little as 2 Euro or as much as 500.
Our highest level DACs, in order to surpass the quality of noval tubes by a small margin, had to come from DHT kingdom, but Baltic, a result of our 13 years efforts and experiments and prototyping – push the octal design to the limits. It makes the Baltic-4 our newest model with octal tubes. One could argue that the Baltic-4 is in fact the turbocharged Amber 4 on steroids, but there is more than meets the eye.
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS
Every unit is SE and Balanced at the same time, no need to configure the unit as balanced.
True balanced topology with four channels – one per each phase of stereo sound.
Our newest 2022 engine 11 also with DSD512 on board as standard.
True Copper output capacitors.
Volume control as an option.
4 digital inputs: USB, SPDIF, TOSLINK, and AES/EBU in every DAC.
New tube topology that redefines what is possible with tubes in the DAC.
Standard front panel is : Powdercoat Structural Matt Black, also available Sahara Silver, Anodized Black, Anodizes Alu Silver
Top chassis: black, and at extra cost real copper.
Volume controlled model has a display, remote, auxiliary analog inputs – SE and XLR for other sources like turntables, tuners, reel-to-reel etc
Balanced Tube DAC
In our endless efforts to research and design DACs, we arrived at this design. Combining everything we know about DAC designing, at an unbeatable value. Our goal was to get as close as we can to the Golden Gate sound, but at roughly 1/3 budget.
The resulting DAC positions itself with technology and sound between the Amber4 and the Golden Gate 2. This DAC is a big leap in sound quality over the old Baltic 1.
We are very proud of this DAC, being worthy of our 10th anniversary in this industry and showing the best LampizatOr qualities at a slightly more affordable price point.
Baltic 4 VS Baltic 3 – What’s new?
Visually – from the outside, the biggest change is in the volume control / preamp variant. It has a new resistor ladder, resistor-switching microprocessor, software and display from the Pacific DAC. Especially the OLED display with 10x bigger window looks great and the volume control also sounds great due to our new impedance scheme and matching.
Another big change is in the analog section where big and bold 12BH7 dual triode replaced ECC82 as output driver. In every test the 12BH7 consistently gives a more interesting performance.
In digital section – not only the whole circuit is replaced by our fabulous Engine Eleven, but also power supply is changed for the benefit of Engine Eleven’s pure sound.
Function-wise we got one more input – and that in turn allows us to offer 4 inputs – namely USB, AES/EBU, S/PDIF and TOSLINK – all one ever needs without need of customer choosing 3 out of 4. Consequently, since we give all inputs already, this selection has been removed from the website DAC configurator.
Smaller internal changes are among others: better grounding, better noise suppression, better voltage regulation, better operating points of tubes, better volume matching, better muting circuits and colder devices throughout. The sound quality of Baltic 4 is knocking on the door of 15 and 20 thousand dollar DACs.
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