Natural Sound
- Thread starter PeterA
- Start date
Agree, but even more so I'm curious about Tasso's thoughts
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As I like to kid around with my local audio buddies, listening to a new piece of kit in their or my own system “well, it better not suck!”
I have to admit, both to Peter and tangentially to Dave K., I’m afraid. Blue pill, red pill, now orange pill. My recent addition of the Etsuro Gold(mg) cartridge and CS Port phono stage transformed my system in that I am much more connected to the music. Now with my bidding adieu to my ARC/Wilson rig and bringing in three pairs of “not box” speakers I am going to be investigating and learning a lot about different ways to make sound in my room. I haven’t quite succumbed to having a new mentor and in some way wish I did. When you jump in you don’t know what kind of current you might encounter, a mentor can give you some confidence and reduce anxiety entering uncharted waters. It is clear to me, Peter, you’ve found your way to a new shore and are the better for it. Congratulations.
I have to admit, both to Peter and tangentially to Dave K., I’m afraid. Blue pill, red pill, now orange pill. My recent addition of the Etsuro Gold(mg) cartridge and CS Port phono stage transformed my system in that I am much more connected to the music. Now with my bidding adieu to my ARC/Wilson rig and bringing in three pairs of “not box” speakers I am going to be investigating and learning a lot about different ways to make sound in my room. I haven’t quite succumbed to having a new mentor and in some way wish I did. When you jump in you don’t know what kind of current you might encounter, a mentor can give you some confidence and reduce anxiety entering uncharted waters. It is clear to me, Peter, you’ve found your way to a new shore and are the better for it. Congratulations.
Congrats Peter. That's a beautiful system.
I've always wanted to visit David in Utah, especially if I could combine it with a ski vacation, but now I see it could be quite dangerous to my wallet.
I've always wanted to visit David in Utah, especially if I could combine it with a ski vacation, but now I see it could be quite dangerous to my wallet.
Yes. In fact I still have all my Lamm's, european audiophiles do not seem to share the same love for Lamm than the US and Far East ones.
Anyway, the LL1 sounds great with the M1.2R - I would risk that people that did not listen to the pair do not know the real potential of the M1.2R.
Yes i think a lot of people underestimate the importance of what a great pre amp does with the soundYes. In fact I still have all my Lamm's, european audiophiles do not seem to share the same love for Lamm than the US and Far East ones.
I d love to give the lamm LL 1 a shot at one time , but there is so much nice gear out there , would you say its the best you have had ?
Fransisco, why do you think the Lamm LL1 is the "best Lamm component by far"? Is this relative to other brands of preamps and amps or are you saying that it is the best by far relative to the other products that Lamm makes?
The preamp has the advantage of being able to work well in many system configurations while the Lamm amps are really designed for very specific speaker loads and rooms.
ML1: push pull Class A tube
ML2: SET 18 watts
ML3: SET 32 watts
M1: Class A 100 watts hybrid
M2: Class A/B hybrid, more watts for most difficult loads
Each amplifier seems very good at what it is designed for. Some people design their systems around the particular Lamm amp they want. If they prefer a specific speaker, then they get the Lamm amp that works best for that speaker. Have you heard for instance the ML2 18 watt SET? It sounded pretty special in Utah and is excellent with my new speakers. Of course the LL1 is also excellent, but I am struck by your comparison of components that have different functions.
Thank you very much, Steve. I do not think that anyone could leave a visit to David's house without being affected by the quality of the sound and the expertise and graciousness of the host. People describe visits to all sorts of systems and audiophiles, but David and his system seem somewhat unique. We all benefit from his membership here and his willingness to share some of his thoughts about audio.
I am very happy to be the newest member with Lamm gear. I must say that my wonderful Magico Q3s never sounded better than when driven by the Lamm M1.1 in the all Lamm chain. I enjoyed that combination for several weeks when waiting for the Vitavox to arrive. That M1.1 is a fantastic hybrid Class A amplifier. I have gotten quickly used to the, shall I say, purposeful and remote-free user interface of the preamp. The sound more than makes up for any slight inconvenience. Besides, I am doing so much listening these days, that getting up from the sofa every 20 minutes for a tad of exercise is most welcome.
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Thank you Bob. On the subject of a mentor, a few of my audio buddies and I have been discussing this very topic recently. We can learn many things from others, and we can learn ourselves by doing and experimenting and exposing ourselves to things along the way. Another approach is to mix and match various influences, and try to find a balance, often between competing, even conflicting, approaches. This can often lead to confusion and stasis.
I began slowly experimenting with some suggestions ddk made about my ancillary stuff. He basically asked me to consider something, and I was off experimenting in that one area. We started with power cords. Once it worked itself out to my satisfaction, he suggested the next area of inquiry. This continued for a while. After three of four things improved, and the system moved consistently in a specific direction of more and more natural sound, I realized that David has vast experience and I could learn a lot from him.
I decided rather quickly thereafter to follow his advice and absorb what I could. I now realize that I had been spinning my wheels for a while, only realizing small incremental improvements with the next upgrade. David turbo charged the process of discovery and cut through all the BS. It was a kind of revelation. This approach is not for everyone, but I think following the advice of one individual gave me a focus and got me here much sooner than I would have any other way. I was ready and eager to learn, and fortunately, David was willing to help me. This system is the result.
It is certainly a new shore, and I am indeed the better for it.
I am addressing sound type, irrespective of speaker loads and rooms. IMHO both Lamm power electronics I own - the ML1.2 and the ML3 have a defined sound attribute when compared with other electronics, irrespective of power. They have an added sense of bloom, at the expense of soundstage realism and feeling there - for my taste the crudity of the black background of real music was less clear. Curiously the LL1 did not have these characteristics - on the contrary.
Just for audiophile curiosity I would love to read a review of the LL1 by Michael Fremer - the LL1 is IMHO extremely different from his preferred DartZeel NH18NS.
BTW1, listening was carried mostly with digital. BTW2, for me the system must recreate a large space for the music, exceeding my room and dynamics - micro and macro - are a must , at reasonable levels.
Indeed. The cabinet maker is having some difficulty sourcing the Sipo wood. the top shelf is a slab 48" x 20" x 3" thick. The two lower shelves are 46" x 18.25" x 2". Those are not easy pieces to find these days. The design is all worked out and similar to my existing rack. It will be nice to get the Lamm gear up off of the temporary platforms on the floor. The wood will be stained dark mahogany to match the other wood in the room. Cables and wires will be cleaned up, new lighting, and rearranged artwork on the walls.
Peter, there are two Holy Grails in audio. Natural sound. And cables and wires cleaned up.
Peter, mixing and matching of influences has worked out fine for me, without too much confusion. I am taking diverse influences and opinions, and experiment with what works in my particular situation of room and system setup. The practical outcome speaks for itself at every step.
This approach did lead to stasis though -- in the sense that I am satisfied with what I achieved and simply listen to music now
. I do know what I need to do or try for some further improvements, but frankly, I'm at this point too lazy for that and prefer to listen to music instead.Let's see if listening to your new sound gives me a systemic shock that gets me going again as an audiophile
. I'm not expecting that, but you never know. I do expect to be surprised, however.Al, you can expect to be shocked and not feel you have to act on it. I mean I'm totally in awe of horns I've heard recently, their ability to totally flow and present tone in the most lifelike way I've heard from a system at home, is totally compelling. But I'm simultaneously really happy with what I've achieved, indeed I'm chuffed I'm even in the same ball park. And like you, I'm buying and listening to music primarily, only a £1k total room acoustics package is likely my only system spend this year.
I can absolutely recognise these horns I love as a massive closer step to musical reality, and not lose any sleep I'm not partaking.
I can absolutely recognise these horns I love as a massive closer step to musical reality, and not lose any sleep I'm not partaking.
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