+1
I have the same dual attenuator arrangement on the Io. The lack of a remote has never bothered me.
Lamm LP2.1 Deluxe
- Thread starter rockitman
- Start date
+1
I have the same dual attenuator arrangement on the Io. The lack of a remote has never bothered me.
As we age, it's good to get some exercise getting up to flip records and adjust volume. I feel sorry for the digi server guys. They never have to get up other than to eat and pee...not healthy, lol
First observation after 30min warmup...turning up the volume at pretty loud listening level and putting my ear by the speakers w/o music...the Lamm is dead quiet. SS dead quiet. It seems quieter than the XP-25 from what I can remember. Quite a feat for tubes. I will try some music in a couple hours.
I owned the original Lamm LP2 phono for 4 years 2001-2005 between an Aesthetics Io Signature and my darTZeel preamp.
it did a good job and I would call it a master of subtlety and harmonic shading over dynamic grip.
it did a good job and I would call it a master of subtlety and harmonic shading over dynamic grip.
If this unit rox my socks off...I may need to open the wallet a bit further for the LP1 Sig. I am doing all I can do not to put a record on yet. I want to get a good warm up before my first impression.
Mike, your progression of phono stages from Aesthetix to Lamm to DarTZeel is interesting. Do you think your preference has evolved from one in which bloominess and harmonic richness (Io) is a main attraction to one in which neutrality is the main objective?
I used my Aesthetix Io Signature with my Mark Levinson #32 preamp. loved it, loved it. at that time (late 90's) it was the best I'd heard.
but low noise was not it's forte. it was about tone and bloom as you say....but it brought along it's own color to the picture. at that time I was traversing in my high end path from a somewhat highlighted type sound with Levinson, Wilson, even a Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum cartridge.......to a more 'of a piece' 75 watt Tenor OTL's, Kharma Exquisite Reference 1D and vDh Colibri cartridge (I owned 7 of these cartridges). I wanted to have the system get out of the way of the music. I wanted nuance and speed.....and texture. the Lamm LP2 was complimentary to that direction. I felt it complimented and facilitated the music and did not add it's own viewpoint. but stayed natural and listenable.
my next steps after that were the Rockport Sirius III tt and selling my home, moving, and building a dedicated room.
and since then I've never been drawn to coloration. once coloration enters, balance is a constant drag on system building.
OTOH I owned and loved that Koetsu RSP (if rarely used it) for 10 years afterwards like a mistress one cannot quite completely ignore.
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Brand new out of the box with 4 hours warmup..treble and midrange is very good for not even being close to broken in. I would call it a very lively presentation...nothing dark about this pre. I expect the treble to settle a bit. The bass currently suffers from lack of extension, somewhat muddy and loose and feels constricted ....not enough bloom. I suspect this is a breakin issue. I think I am going to really like this phono stage. Hopefully things open up....particularly the bass region in the next couple days.
Edit: now 10 hours in...bass sounding tighter, more extended and clearer.
Edit: now 10 hours in...bass sounding tighter, more extended and clearer.
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Ron,
re-reading my above post and with my memory jogged with a bit more time, I think being fair to the Aesthetix Io Sig I need to point out that I was told by Albert Porter at that time (approx. 14 years ago) that if I would have played around with rolling various tubes on the Io Sig that I could have lowered the noise and found a more neutral balance. this was prior to Albert being a dealer; he was all-Aesthetix then and had not yet encountered Allnic.
I never did do that when I had the Io Sig. but my perspective that it was not neutral is maybe not the whole picture.
and I have no idea how the Aesthetix Io Sig of today compares to then.
re-reading my above post and with my memory jogged with a bit more time, I think being fair to the Aesthetix Io Sig I need to point out that I was told by Albert Porter at that time (approx. 14 years ago) that if I would have played around with rolling various tubes on the Io Sig that I could have lowered the noise and found a more neutral balance. this was prior to Albert being a dealer; he was all-Aesthetix then and had not yet encountered Allnic.
I never did do that when I had the Io Sig. but my perspective that it was not neutral is maybe not the whole picture.
and I have no idea how the Aesthetix Io Sig of today compares to then.
..I have a couple of herniated/degenerated lumbar discs and my remote controlled MAC preamp is a lifesaver...my prostate alarm does go off quite often however
..there's an LL1 Signature Reference on A'gon for $24800...brand new never opened. I don't know much about LAMM eqpt but this 4 box kit must be something...MSRP of $42690
The one box LP2.1 deluxe appears to be a sonic bargain. I can't wait for it to burn in more. Impressive to say the least so far. Bass is improving by the hour.
I'm starting to think if anyone tries to take it away, it will be from "my cold dead hands..."
I'm starting to think if anyone tries to take it away, it will be from "my cold dead hands..."
Wow...and this coming from a Allnic H5000 DHT guy...
Thanks for reflecting, Mike, but I do not think you were unfair to the Io.
Some early Ios were a little bit noise prone. The Io is 100% tube amplifying up to about 80 dB. (Do the Lamm phono stages have built-in step up devices?)
I think it is completely fair to say that the sonic picture of a component as it comes from the factory is its whole sonic picture. Jim White designed it the way he wanted to design it, and he selected the tubes he wanted to use.
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I'm starting to think if anyone tries to take it away, it will be from "my cold dead hands..."
And it's not even an LP1signature.
I know that GTT audio in NJ has had an NIB LL 1 for sale.
Just for general information LL1 is already superseded by LL1.1 which is a substantially improved model!
david
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