Michael Fremer podcast: Wow!!!!

[rbbert]

Well, Europe is the birthplace of most of the dead composers, anyway. Fremmer's snobish argument only holds up if you believe music peaked 200 years ago. I don't. I like classical fine, but it is mostly history in the hands of interpreters, as much history lesson as living art, and I find as much value and, ahem, musicality, in great songwriters and improvisationalists as I do in composers with a capital C. YM, of course, MV, but that doesn't make you culturally superior, just different.

Of course it's no big surprise to find that Fremer is a cultural snob.Lord knows he's an audio snob. He's also a bit of a whack-job, I don't even need video to smell the kool-aid on his breath. It blows forth from the printed page. Audioquest ethernet cable indeed....

Tim

Interestingly, Fremer's favorite demo track at RAMF 2012 was "Can't You Hear Me Knockin' " as a 24/96 rip from his original pressing of Sticky Fingers. Lots of the exhibitors were commenting on it. Of course, if Great Britain is part of Europe, I guess this would be in keeping

 

[caesar]

Many believe audiophiles are exceptionally backward and stupid. I guess that would include Fremer.

 

[Andre Marc]

Well, Europe is the birthplace of most of the dead composers, anyway. Fremmer's snobish argument only holds up if you believe music peaked 200 years ago. I don't. I like classical fine, but it is mostly history in the hands of interpreters, as much history lesson as living art, and I find as much value and, ahem, musicality, in great songwriters and improvisationalists as I do in composers with a capital C. YM, of course, MV, but that doesn't make you culturally superior, just different.

Of course it's no big surprise to find that Fremer is a cultural snob.Lord knows he's an audio snob. He's also a bit of a whack-job, I don't even need video to smell the kool-aid on his breath. It blows forth from the printed page. Audioquest ethernet cable indeed....

Tim

My Ethernet cables are encrusted in palladium, with Egyptian gold plated connectors, with lamb skin shielding, blessed by Mongolian monks, and lastly,
used in shamanistic rituals prior to shipping.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Interestingly, Fremer's favorite demo track at RAMF 2012 was "Can't You Hear Me Knockin' " as a 24/96 rip from his original pressing of Sticky Fingers. Lots of the exhibitors were commenting on it. Of course, if Great Britain is part of Europe, I guess this would be in keeping

Can't You Hear Me Knocking is a pretty decont rock n roll recording. It's actually got some air in there. But it's probably his favorite demo because he has an original pressing. Sniff.

Tim

 

[caesar]

My Ethernet cables are encrusted in palladium, with Egyptian gold plated connectors, with lamb skin shielding, blessed by Mongolian monks, and lastly,
used in shamanistic rituals prior to shipping.

I thought you did not believe in creationism?

 

[es347]

I'm going to ask that politics (as always) be kept out of this

..and "religious" views

 

[Steve williams]

Andre, thanks for posting the link to the Fremer podcast.

Guess Steve will be happy with his comments on the ML-3s.

I am actually surprised Fremer has not reviewed more Lamm stuff. He also uses Wilsons like Steve.

The ML3 Signature is truly an exceptional amplifier and paired with the LL1 Signature preamp on Wilson speakers IMO is a match made in heaven

I was finally able to get some feedback on my room when 7-8 people came back over the course of THE Show. Even those like Albert who doesn't like Wilson speakers couldn't stop talking about the room and how much he liked the amp. I'm sure they sound great on the XLF because I know how they sound on the X2.

I also roll a pair of the NOS Telefunken ECC 803S 12AX7's on the amp as well

 

[Andre Marc]

I thought you did not believe in creationism?

I don't. I believe in science. But when it comes to cables I believe in mythology, cults, and mysticism.

 

[Andre Marc]

The ML3 Signature is truly an exceptional amplifier and paired with the LL1 Signature preamp on Wilson speakers IMO is a match made in heaven

I was finally able to get some feedback on my room when 7-8 people came back over the course of THE Show. Even those like Albert who doesn't like Wilson speakers couldn't stop talking about the room and how much he liked the amp. I'm sure they sound great on the XLF because I know how they sound on the X2.

I also roll a pair of the NOS Telefunken ECC 803S 12AX7's on the amp as well

They are amazing amps Steve. I would be very curious as to how they would sound with a passive preamp or a source driving them directly.

 

[Steve williams]

They are amazing amps Steve. I would be very curious as to how they would sound with a passive preamp or a source driving them directly.

What I thought to be interesting in MF's comments about the amps pertained to their ability to do strings so well. Perhaps the reason therefore that I like to play Horenstein-Hindemith with David Oistrakh and the LSO on tape is how well it shows off these amps

 

[microstrip]

The ML3 Signature is truly an exceptional amplifier and paired with the LL1 Signature preamp on Wilson speakers IMO is a match made in heaven

I was finally able to get some feedback on my room when 7-8 people came back over the course of THE Show. Even those like Albert who doesn't like Wilson speakers couldn't stop talking about the room and how much he liked the amp. I'm sure they sound great on the XLF because I know how they sound on the X2.

I also roll a pair of the NOS Telefunken ECC 803S 12AX7's on the amp as well

Steve,

It was really an impressive achievement - Albert already posted his opinion at Audiogon. Did you manage to listen to the Absolare eletcronics? A friend of mine was very impressed with their sound quality at the Munich show, and Robert Hartley finds much similitude between the Lamm ML2.2 sound type and the Absolare in his review in the last TAS (Issue 234).

 

[Andre Marc]

What I thought to be interesting in MF's comments about the amps pertained to their ability to do strings so well. Perhaps the reason therefore that I like to play Horenstein-Hindemith with David Oistrakh and the LSO on tape is how well it shows off these amps

..they do strings well because it is all about texture, the hallmark of tube amps. the Lamms do texture to the 10th degree.

Not too bad on vocals either, huh??

The brand has stood the test of time. I do however think the pricing is based on keeping it exclusive, and not on actual parts and labor.

Keeping something exclusive, btw, is a valid business plan. Not every audio company has to be a Rogue, Manley, or even ARC. Speaking of which,
I need to hear the VSi75.

 

[Steve williams]

That amp and preamp aren't going anywhere in my lifetime

They were the single biggest reason that I worked so hard on my new room because if the X2's didn't work I was wanting to buy the Alexia but if I did, I wouldn't be able to drive them with the ML3

 

[rockitman]

The brand has stood the test of time. I do however think the pricing is based on keeping it exclusive, and not on actual parts and labor.
.

Right, that's called profit. Sounds like you think Lamm and many others make too much money ?

 

[Andre Marc]

Right, that's called profit. Sounds like you think Lamm and many others make too much money ?

I won't get into that discussion. Ultimately, Lamm are happy with their business model and customers are paying the prices asked.

I will say that I admire the purist approach..single ended, no remote, outboard power supplies...that is hard core!

 

[Steve williams]

I won't get into that discussion. Ultimately, Lamm are happy with their business model and customers are paying the prices asked.

I will say that I admire the purist approach..single ended, no remote, outboard power supplies...that is hard core!

It is hard core but you heard it.

Res ipsa loquitur

 

[Andre Marc]

It is hard core but you heard it.

Res ipsa loquitur

Indeed they do speak for them selves. One of my top ten audio sessions. Now that you have heard
it from 7 or 8 others, you know I am not blowing smoke!

 

[Alan Sircom]

Interestingly, there are a few things I agree with him about and a few things I totally disagree with him about

Agree:
-American culture is wanting is reference to the arts
-Attendance seems to be down from last year

Disagree:
-No CDs being played in demos. Huh? I saw a LOT of CDs being spun.
-The MBL room sucked. Wha?
-The hobby is on the upswing. I don't believe this is the case. Apple, iTunes, and the
quality of recorded music today is making sure that it does not grow.

Lo and behold, he gives a shout out to the Kef LS50's.

He also mentions an Audioquest Ethernet cable demo that IMO is typical cable company snake oil.

I think cultural aspirations in general are on a downswing at this time. It's not an exclusively American thing.

But I think we fail to pin the hopes and aspirations of the audio hobby on iTunes (and more importantly now, Spotify) at our peril. It's great that more people are taking up LP as a playback medium, but that group is a tiny subset of a tiny subset of today's music lovers. Simply rehashing the audiophile mantra - Anything But iTunes - is disenfranchising every person under the age of about 45 who has most of their music stored in file-based form. Telling them they are some form of idiot for buying the wrong kind of download is as bigoted as telling people they listen to the wrong kind of music, and it sends real people with real buying dollars screaming from our little world.

We can learn a lot from the headphone folk. Rather than driving away 95% of potential new business, work with what arrives... and then try to make things better. I know a few of the smarter dealers in the UK who hook up something like Arcam's rBlink bluetooth DAC module to an amp and speakers. When that casual person wanders in with a phone full of 'choons', they can play them through a system. In most cases, even if to our refined ears the resultant sound is close to someone tipping a sack of hammers down a glass fire escape, to that casual listener it sounds fantastic. Win them over there, and it's a short jump to "and if you thought that sounded good..."

Unfortunately most don't do that. Instead, you get the "come back with some real music!" or "I don't play that sort of file through this system" snobbery. Do you think that goes down well?

 

[JackD201]

Make that three.

Four

 

[still-one]

Four

Five