Contemporary Vintage Design => my way to Line Magnetic Audio

[Phantom-Audio]

@shakti The Classic Audio T3.4 Would be a lot of Fun at 100db Field Coils In that room Compact Speaker.

 

[christoph]

Thanks! Hopefully he’ll be able to share his experience.

I'm confident he will write some words.

But looking at your signature, I would say the LM amp is pretty much the polar opposite of your CHP gear

 

[iaxel]

I'm confident he will write some words.

But looking at your signature, I would say the LM amp is pretty much the polar opposite of your CHP gear

It’s for another purpose and possibly some “play”.

 

[acousticsguru]

Thanks! Hopefully he’ll be able to share his experience.

I do have an AS-125 (actually my second - long story surrounding Grant Fidelity's Rachel and FedEx that still makes my toenails curl…), love the sound! Let's get the negatives out of the way first: it's big and heavy, generates heat (not so much as GM70 in the Amplifon SET42SE, but still considerable), the display is very bright (no, that knob has no effect on brightness). This is a Line Magnetic Foshan factory product, not the Line Magnetic Zhuhai more audiophiles are familiar with. I particularly remember a direct comparison with the LM-219iA (same as LM-845 Premium, the two-box version for Europe) on a pair of Altec Lansing Voice of the Theatre with Western Electric field coil and super tweeter, much preferring the more direct, open and lively sound of the AS-125, even if with speakers that are that sensitive, setting volume is near-impossible (goes from inaudible to loud immediately), even with the preamp stage with WE618 replica input transformers bypassed, as that adds another 12dB gain. I love using those, by the way, they have a way of making any recording sound palatable, be that a hundred years old or early redbook digital. The amp uses 12AX7, 6SN7 and 211 tubes, by the way, my favorite are Telefunken ECC83, Melz 1578 and Audio Note 4242E, as the amp will produce big and large-scaled sound with rich timbres no matter what tubes one is rolling (I once compared the sound to soaking in a hot foam bath, not to mention candles and a glass of Burgundy), so a combination of all the most transparent, resolving and spacious sounding in my collection sounds just right to me.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[acousticsguru]

It’s for another purpose and possibly some “play”.

My way of thinking, by the way, and the reason I own amps ranging from Spectral to this, with another couple in-between, so to speak. It's not that the AS-125 is too benign or lacking transparency, by the way, but it's really at the polar opposite of unforgiving or analytical. Music I loved as a child or teenager, but that wasn't well recorded, will put me right back into that memory lane mood. Especially early digital, those CDs we all have boxed and hiding somewhere in the barn, are so much fun it makes me grin as I'm typing this. Having said all this, I couldn't point my finger on any "flaw", except that, no doubt, your solid state is probably going to sound tighter and more precise. But honestly, who cares when some sadly ignored favorite albums put a smile on one's face again?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[bonzo75]

My way of thinking, by the way, and the reason I own amps ranging from Spectral to this, with another couple in-between, so to speak. It's not that the AS-125 is too benign or lacking transparency, by the way, but it's really at the polar opposite of unforgiving or analytical. Music I loved as a child or teenager, but that wasn't well recorded, will put me right back into that memory lane mood. Especially early digital, those CDs we all have boxed and hiding somewhere in the barn, are so much fun it makes me grin as I'm typing this. Having said all this, I couldn't point my finger on any "flaw", except that, no doubt, your solid state is probably going to sound tighter and more precise. But honestly, who cares when some sadly ignored favorite albums put a smile on one's face again?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

if you are using a SET to colour and pleasure flawed recordings it is a poor SET. It should have more recording transparency than the spectral if it is a good one. And tightness is just matching grip to speaker

 

[iaxel]

I do have an AS-125 (actually my second - long story surrounding Grant Fidelity's Rachel and FedEx that still makes my toenails curl…), love the sound! Let's get the negatives out of the way first: it's big and heavy, generates heat (not so much as GM70 in the Amplifon SET42SE, but still considerable), the display is very bright (no, that knob has no effect on brightness). This is a Line Magneti Foshan factory product, not the Line Magnetc Zhuhai more audiophiles are familiar with. I particularly remember a direct comparison with the LM-219iA (same as LM-845 Premium, the two-box version for Europe) on a pair of Altec Lansing Voice of the Theatre with Western Electric field coil and super tweeter, much preferring the more direct, open and lively sound of the AS-125, even if with speakers that are that sensitive, setting volume is near-impossible (goes from inaudible to loud immediately), even with the preamp stage with WE618 replica input transformers bypassed, as that adds another 12dB gain. I love using those, by the way, they have a way of making any recording sound palatable, be that a hundred years old or early redbook digital. The amp uses 12AX7, 6SN7 and 211 tubes, by the way, my favorite are Telefunken ECC83, Melz 1578 and Audio Note 4242E, as the amp will produce big and large-scaled with rich timbres no matter what tubes one is rolling (I once compared the sound to soaking in a hot foam bath, not to mention candles and a glass of Burgundy), so a combination of all the most transparent, resolving and spacious sounding in my collection sounds just right to me.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

Wonderful!
Thank you, David, for those amazing insights.
I do know that come out of a different factory.
Returning to some negatives (we can't let them go...):
1) The brightness button is a stub?
2) How did you bypass the preamp stage with the input transformers?
3) Have you tried them on less sensitive speakers? (90-92dB)

BTW, I was also wondering about their reliability and how they age.
How long have you owned it?
(I'm also thinking of using them as headphones amplifier - directly from their speakers tap).

 

[acousticsguru]

if you are using a SET to colour and pleasure flawed recordings it is a poor SET. It should have more recording transparency than the spectral if it is a good one. And tightness is just matching grip to speaker

Unfortunately that's not my experience at all. It may be that amplifiers with high damping factors make some recordings sound worse than they are, but that really wasn't my point, as I'm not referring to recording quality per se, but e.g. those glassy-sounding early CDs from the eighties.

I probably listen to two-thirds classical, if not more, and there it's all about differentiation, and that an amp like the AS-125 is not going to do "better" than a Spectral combo, Decware or Amplifon SET. Basically, there's no point in comparing e.g. legendary performances of piano or violin concertos, or orchestral works, unless one's attention is on what and how someone plays, versus listening to records where all that counts is whether one likes the sound (the AS-125, if I haven't made that sufficiently clear, is about the latter, i.e. make one forget about how something sounds and just enjoy the show). I have almost 20TB worth of music, of which the greatest part are different performances of the same classical works, so whenever I talk to audiophiles about their preferences in gear, I make sure to get a feel for what music they listen to. Even when I meet people who pride themselves in being classical buffs or aficionados, it usually turns out they're the kind who own and play one recording of any given piece, and at best know a couple more. I know you like classical and like to play Mahler's 3rd conducted by the most clinical, absurdly aloof conductor, which is fine, and we both know that recording has a reputation of being well-recorded, in one of the world's greatest sounding symphony halls no less, and you'll remember we listened to it on an all tube and spherical horns system. Bone-dry Mahler without irony, sorrow, wittiness, no, the point I'm trying to make is not that greater transparency to the source is going remedy that or make it worse. Playing such a recording back using the AS-125 may make one's attention shift to timbre, make one think there may be some modicum of loving warmth to the interpretation, maybe even that the conductor has a pulse.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[iaxel]

I probably listen to two-thirds classical, if not more, and there it's all about differentiation, and that an amp like the AS-125 is not going to do "better" than a Spectral combo, Decware or Amplifon SET. Basically, there's no point in comparing e.g. legendary performances of piano or violin concertos, or orchestral works, unless one's attention is on what and how someone plays, versus listening to records where all that counts is whether one likes the sound (the AS-125, if I haven't made that sufficiently clear, is about the latter, i.e. make one forget about how something sounds and just enjoy the show). I have almost 20TB worth of music, of which the greatest part are different performances of the same classical works, so whenever I talk to audiophiles about their preferences in gear, I make sure to get a feel for what music they listen to.

Big like.

 

[acousticsguru]

Wonderful!
Thank you, David, for those amazing insights.
I do know that come out of a different factory.
Returning to some negatives (we can't let them go...):
1) The brightness button is a stub?
2) How did you bypass the preamp stage with the input transformers?
3) Have you tried them on less sensitive speakers? (90-92dB)

BTW, I was also wondering about their reliability and how they age.
How long have you owned it?
(I'm also thinking of using them as headphones amplifier - directly from their speakers tap).

1) It's not a brightness button, but for range (quite frankly, those meters are a fun-looking gimmick anyways).
2) That "Input" switch on the far left.
3) Least sensitive on paper I've tried are Acapella Fidelio and EJ Jordan exponential horns.

I've had mine for a couple of years or so, would need to check. As to using any SET amp with headphones, my guess is this depends on the headphones. AS-125 has 4, 8 and 16? speaker taps.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[bonzo75]

Unfortunately that's not my experience at all. It may be that amplifiers with high damping factors make some recordings sound worse than they are, but that really wasn't my point, as I'm not referring to recording quality per se, but e.g. those glassy-sounding early CDs from the eighties.

I probably listen to two-thirds classical, if not more, and there it's all about differentiation, and that an amp like the AS-125 is not going to do "better" than a Spectral combo, Decware or Amplifon SET. Basically, there's no point in comparing e.g. legendary performances of piano or violin concertos, or orchestral works, unless one's attention is on what and how someone plays, versus listening to records where all that counts is whether one likes the sound (the AS-125, if I haven't made that sufficiently clear, is about the latter, i.e. make one forget about how something sounds and just enjoy the show). I have almost 20TB worth of music, of which the greatest part are different performances of the same classical works, so whenever I talk to audiophiles about their preferences in gear, I make sure to get a feel for what music they listen to. Even when I meet people who pride themselves in being classical buffs or aficionados, it usually turns out they're the kind who own and play one recording of any given piece, and at best know a couple more. I know you like classical and like to play Mahler's 3rd conducted by the most clinical, absurdly aloof conductor, which is fine, and we both know that recording has a reputation of being well-recorded, in one of the world's greatest sounding symphony halls no less, and you'll remember we listened to it on an all tube and spherical horns system. Bone-dry Mahler without irony, sorrow, wittiness, no, the point I'm trying to make is not that greater transparency to the source is going remedy that or make it worse. Playing such a recording back using the AS-125 may make one's attention shift to timbre, make one think there may be some modicum of loving warmth to the interpretation, maybe even that the conductor has a pulse.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

sorry there are many errors in your post. You heard me once do an audition with CDs while my main diet for auditions is LPs. For Mahler 3 I like Horenstein and don’t at all like the CD I had. Many other errors and jumps in conclusions. And yes I am mostly comparing performers and performances of good LP recordings

 

[acousticsguru]

sorry there are many errors in your post. You heard me once do an audition with CDs while my main diet for auditions is LPs. For Mahler 3 I like Horenstein and don’t at all like the CD I had. Many other errors and jumps in conclusions. And yes I am mostly comparing performers and performances of good LP recordings

We wouldn't be here and continue to belabor the same point if the recording in question had been the 1969 Unicorn-Kanchana Horenstein/London Symphony, let alone on vinyl. At the time, you played the 2004 Decca Riccardo Chailly at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. So clearly, if there are "errors" in my post then assuming you remembered what recording you made poor Christoph et al. suffer through. As a matter of fact, he put it on his favorites list on Roon that day, and later asked me if all Mahler was so boring. I then proceeded to make him listen to the 1963 Columbia Bernstein/New York Philharmonic, and it took a full 20 minutes of complete silence until he muttered something to the extent of "You're right, this really is fascinating music!"

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[bonzo75]

We wouldn't be here and continue to belabor the same point if the recording in question had been the 1969 Unicorn-Kanchana Horenstein/London Symphony, let alone on vinyl. At the time, you played the 2004 Decca Riccardo Chailly at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. So clearly, if there are "errors" in my post then assuming you remembered what recording you made poor Christoph et al. suffer through. As a matter of fact, he put it on his favorites list on Roon that day, and later asked me if all Mahler was so boring. I then proceeded to make him listen to the 1963 Columbia Bernstein/New York Philharmonic, and it took a full 20 minutes of complete silence until he muttered something to the extent of "You're right, this really is fascinating music!"

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

i had the Channel classics Ivan fisher Budapest orchestra performance. It is a legacy CD i had and used it in rare cases I was required to use CD. I never buy new stockCDs for auditions only LPs.

i just get bored when someone writes a long post with lots of assumptions that misleads readers from the point.

the only thing I can draw from your writing is you are using SETs for the wrong purpose

 

[bonzo75]

And yes it is the Horenstein with LSO

 

[acousticsguru]

the only thing I can draw from your writing is you are using SETs for the wrong purpose

You mean to listen to music? Sorry about that!

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[acousticsguru]

And yes it is the Horenstein with LSO

Wasn't even on Qobuz back then, and still isn't in a decent remastering from the label's current owner of intellectual rights (Unicorn-Kanchana used to be one of the few independent classical labels).

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[acousticsguru]

Wonderful!
Thank you, David, for those amazing insights.
I do know that come out of a different factory.
Returning to some negatives (we can't let them go...):
1) The brightness button is a stub?
2) How did you bypass the preamp stage with the input transformers?
3) Have you tried them on less sensitive speakers? (90-92dB)

BTW, I was also wondering about their reliability and how they age.
How long have you owned it?
(I'm also thinking of using them as headphones amplifier - directly from their speakers tap).

I may not really have answered your question in the sense that, yes, I’ve tried the AS-125 with speakers as low as 85-86dB, sounds beautiful but still isn’t ideal. What happens is macro dynamics will compress ahead of time, meaning long before one perceives this as a flaw. Not even my Decware 25th Anniversary Zen at 2.3 Watts is going to falter at late night listening levels, on the contrary, the barely noticeable dynamic compression may result in what I jokingly refer to as the elevator music effect, where one hears mostly everything at a similar, dynamically flat level. With the AS-125 at 18 Watts and 6dB higher sensitivity speakers, in a normal sized room, it’s going to take loud volumes until one would notice dynamic compression (let alone be bothered by it audibly struggling), but it’s true it’s still not the same as to use an amp such as the Amplifon SET42SE at 42 Watts that’ll sound more dynamic to begin with, and that I have no clue what it would take to make it to break a sweat (in the metaphorical sense - that thing runs so hot it'll make anything and everyone else sweat). Needless to say, these are all different sounding amps, with the AS-125 being more about beauty for beauty’s sake as explained earlier, and the others pretty much smack in the middle of the spectrum of walking that fine line of mostly getting everything right (but then, recurring theme, mediocre sounding recordings won’t be much fun). If it’s a true alternative to what you already have you’re looking for, the AS-125 may be worth considering.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[Phantom-Audio]

I was told by James at Line Magnetic the AS Series is designed for WE electric Music Lovers, Whilst the LM Premium range is for more modern Audiophiles.

The AS Series is a deliberately very coloured amplifier, Warm, Rich and mid-Centric. The LM Series has more details but still retains the warm sonic signature but not as much as the AS Series.

This was his explanation but i have no experience with the AS Series they seem to be certain clones or circuit design of the Older WE amplifiers.

 

[acousticsguru]

I was told by James at Line Magnetic the AS Series is designed for WE electric Music Lovers, Whilst the LM Premium range is for more modern Audiophiles.

The AS Series is a deliberately very coloured amplifier, Warm, Rich and mid-Centric. The LM Series has more details but still retains the warm sonic signature but not as much as the AS Series.

This was his explanation but i have no experience with the AS Series they seem to be certain clones or circuit design of the Older WE amplifiers.

In a direct comparison of AS-125 vs LM-219iA (same as two-chassis LM-845 Premium in Europe, but one-chassis), the latter sounded very “HiFi” (vs musical, open and lifelike). What you’re saying about the AS (“Analogue Sound”) sounding warm and rich is true, mid-centric only in the sense that the midrange sounds so beautiful it acts as the attention-grabbing center of gravity, and because the treble is so inoffensive, but when it comes to bass, the AS produced no less, it merely had more life and breath to it, again compared to the more “HiFi” sounding (and frankly somewhat boring in a per se “correct” sense) LM-219iA, which on its own isn’t a bad amp at all. I could have bought the latter for a third or less than retail, less than the AS, but again, it wouldn’t be a true alternative to the other amps I have, nor to me as great sounding overall as any of them. Having said all this, the LM has quite a fan base, understandably so, except I’d argue it’s hardly competitive in its price range at full retail.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

 

[acousticsguru]

I was told by James at Line Magnetic the AS Series is designed for WE electric Music Lovers, Whilst the LM Premium range is for more modern Audiophiles.

The AS Series is a deliberately very coloured amplifier, Warm, Rich and mid-Centric. The LM Series has more details but still retains the warm sonic signature but not as much as the AS Series.

This was his explanation but i have no experience with the AS Series they seem to be certain clones or circuit design of the Older WE amplifiers.

Should perhaps mention that the AS-125 sounds quite different, as far as coloration is concerned, with or without using the input-transformer-coupled preamp stage. It does “beef up” the sound, and in all fairness can’t be considered perfectly neutral. But it’s got its purpose, and as such I love it. I guess I’ve made it sufficiently clear it wouldn’t be my first choice as an “only” amp, as it really does give a WE-like aura to the sound.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.