LampizatOr introduces Horizon 2 DAC with factory upgrade path

LampizatOr has introduced the next generation of its Horizon platform. The LampizatOr Horizon 2 DAC is a digital-to-analogue converter with 100-step SuperVolume control and a full bypass function. A complete factory upgrade to the new specification costs €12,000 for existing Horizon and Horizon 360 owners.

Factory upgrades from Horizon 1 to Horizon 2 are scheduled to begin in November 2026 through LampizatOr's dealer network. Retrofit compatibility with the Horizon 1, Horizon 360 and Horizon 360X was a design target for the project, allowing its developments to be applied to existing units.

The redesigned analogue stage follows four years of refinement, while conversion uses a proprietary firmware-driven process. The digital board has 17 separate power circuits, and the DAC uses a tube-rectified power supply. Tube compatibility includes 6SN7 conversion tubes and KT88 output drivers.

Digital connections include USB, S/PDIF RCA, AES/EBU and TOSLINK, alongside i2S connectivity through a new 3xBNC interface and an HDMI-carried balanced link. A Taiko XDMI input can replace the 3xBNC connection when ordering, at no additional charge. The USB implementation incorporates reclocking and optoisolation and supports DSD512.

A screen-based front panel replaces the earlier Nixie display arrangement, with Nixie component availability limitations having prompted the redesign that grew into the Horizon 2 project. The remote control provides phase, modulator, filter and display switching, together with setting-memory functions. RCA and balanced XLR analogue inputs are provided, while analogue outputs comprise RCA, balanced XLR and XLR bypass connections. The DAC supports simultaneous balanced and single-ended operation.