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Stereophile
"Listening" column by Art
Dudley, covering HE'2004 show
...Then
there was the Lamm
Industries
suite.
No
sense denying that I have a
certain built-in appreciation
for antiques. But I'd
also like to think that the
literally unmatched music
reproduction I heard in the
Lamm room was as much a
function of getting things right
as of merely getting things old.
The electronics, for their
part, were all new and
original: Vladimir Lamm's LP2
phono preamplifier, L2
Reference preamplifier, and
his brand new ML2.1
single-ended triode monoblock
amplifiers ($29,290/pair) -- a
refined version of the ML2
amp, which Sam Tellig raved
about in Stereophile's
July 1999 issue -- along with
A CEC transport and Weiss
Medea D/A converter. The
record player was ripped from
the pages of Old German
Radio Station magazine: an
EMT transcription 'table from
the 1950s, with a 16"
platter, two tonearms, and
that holiest of holy grails,
an Ortofon SPU
cartridge. Be still my
heart.
The
loudspeakers were the most
noticeable of all the links in
this chain: a pair of Siemens
Bionor movie-theater speakers
from 1957. Based
entirely on horn transducers
from a Siemens offshoot known
as Klangfilm (literally, sound-cinema),
the Bionors stood a little
over 6' tall and measured
approximately 10' wide --
each. Your basic wall
of sound, in other words.
The
system was set up and
demonstrated with consummate
intelligence: volume levels
were kept at sensible,
realistic levels, and the
seating arrangement seemed
intended to encourage
listeners to park themselves a
goodly ways away, in order for
the sound to jell -- always a
good idea with horns.
The listening experience
simply and decisively
redefined the notion of ease:
the music "happened"
at one end of the room, as
opposed to being squished out,
squeezed out, shot out, zoomed
out, zinged out, or flatulated
out, as happens to greater or
lesser degrees with virtually
everything else. I left
thinking: This is why men
create big, expensive stereo
systems -- not for the bass,
not for the impact, but for
the simple, overall realism of
the music. I
wouldn't sell my soul for such
a rig, but I might consider
leasing it out from time to
time.
Incidentally,
Vladimir Lamm and I spoke of
the possibility of my
reviewing the newest version
of his ML2.1 amplifier for
Stereophile, and it appears as
though that will happen fairly
soon. [The
review came out in October's
issue] Mr.
Lamm, who emigrated to this
country from Russia, is a
sharp, no-nonsense, yet kindly
fellow... My visit to
his suite was a pleasure in
every way.
[Stereophile,
August 2004 issue, page 42]
Hi-Fi+
Show
Report by Roy Gregory
Two
encounters with old
acquaintances proved
particularly enjoyable.
Local boys Lamm were present,
using their L2 Reference
line-stage and LP2 phono-stage
to feed two pairs of the ML2.1
monoblocks. ...Having enjoyed
the Lamm amps driving the
enormous Exquisite Reference
1Bs some years ago, it was
nice to hear the marginally
more modestly dimensioned
Exquisite Reference Midi
1A-DE...The audio band was
wonderfully smooth and
coherent top to bottom, with
no audible clues to the
crossover points. Air,
clarity and detail were all
superb, although ultimately,
the system paid a dynamic
price for the low efficiency
of the speakers. Would
more power have helped?
Not if my experience with the
ML2s is anything to go by.
Like many systems, this one
chose its balance with care,
delivering precision,
transparency and focus of the
highest order, the price in
dynamic immediacy and timbral
richness being one many
listeners would be happy to
pay.
[Hi-Fi+,
Issue 32, 2004, page 103]
The
Absolute Sound
The
single-ended-triode ML2.1 sounds
nothing like the typical
SET. It does not trade off
accuracy for euphony; it is not
bandwidth-limited (its bass and
treble are sensationally
extended); and it is surprisingly
powerful-sounding (though not
particularly "bloomy")
within its 18-watt limits.
Given a sufficiently sensitive
speaker -- such as the Avantgarde
Trio, the Nearfield Acoustics
Pipedreams, the Wilson X1 or X2,
or virtually any Kharma -- the
ML2.1 will produce the most
detailed, spacious, dynamic sound
of any amp on the
market. Like all Lamm
products, the ML2.1s are a bit
dark in balance, very quiet, and
very reliable. JV's
low-power reference.
[Jonathan
Valin, Issue 150, page 50]
Audiogon.com
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/he04.pl?21&damokallc&ManuList&&&&&&&&#OPH
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/he04.pl?42>taudio&ManuList&&&&&&&&#OPH
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/he04.pl?63&kharma&ManuList&&&&&&&&#OPH
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/he04.pl?63&kubalasosnarese&ManuList&&&&&&&&#OPH
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/he04.pl?63&lammaudio&ManuList&&&&&&&&#OPH
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/he04.pl?105&theamericansoun&ManuList&&&&&&&&#OPH
DAGOGO.com
http://www.dagogo.com/Events/HE2004/HE2004mayLamm.html
(Lamm press release)
http://www.dagogo.com/Events/HE2004/HE2004-May-NYC-AtoD.html
(show pictures)
http://www.dagogo.com/Events/HE2004/HE2004-May-NYC-KtoO.html
(show pictures)
6moons.com
access
full reports with pictures
by clicking on links;
below are excerpts from each
report pertaining to Lamm
exhibits only
Lloyd Walker and partner
Fred Law had their $27,000 Walker
Audio Proscenium Gold
turntable in two adjacent
rooms hosted by GTT Audio
& Video. Curiously, the
'smaller' room around the
Kharma 3.2FE [$21,000/pr]
and matching Ceramique
subwoofer [$7,000] sounded
even better than the one
using the Kharma Midi
Exquisite-DE $75,000
monsters with the Diamond
tweeter driven by the new Lamm
ML2.1 SET monos
[$29,290/pr]. The 'lesser'
system used the Lamm M1.2
Reference amps [$19,690/pr].
Cabling was by Kubala-Sosna
in the former room, Kharma
Enigma in the latter.
Quoting
from Scull Communication's
press release, "the
Lamm Industries' ML2.1 is a
full-scale update of the
ML2. The new amplifier
features important upgrades
and modifications, including
upgraded power transformer
to accommodate 100-230V
mains operation; a modified
output transformer; upgraded
key parts and materials now
available in the global
marketplace (military-grade
low-noise Dale metal film
resistors; Electrocube and
Roederstein film capacitors;
high-frequency
switching-grade Cornell
Dubilier and United
Chemi-Con electrolytic
capacitors; Hammond chokes;
gold-plated Neutrik XLR
connectors; military grade
low-noise long life vacuum
tubes); upgraded pc-board
material of the highest
available quality; an
additional pair of handles
on the rear; and heavy-duty
speaker binding posts. The
ML2.1 is a single-ended
amplifier representing a new
generation of high-current,
low-impedance 6C33C triode
power vacuum tubes in both
the output and voltage
regulation stages. These big
triodes allow an output
transformer with a very low
turns ratio for extended
frequencies and dramatically
reduced leakage
inductance."
Both systems employed Gingko
Audio Cloud 10 platforms.
The difference that could
have contributed to my
preference? The less
expensive room used the
Walker Audio Reference phono
stage [$12,500] hard-wired
to the table, the other one
the $6,990 Lamm LP2 Deluxe
phono stage. I suspect the
Walker phono amp is
superior. Sitting at the
very source, this could have
turned the tables in its
favor despite the heavier
downstream artillery
employed next door.
...
Back to audio - Lamm/ Kharma
is one of those repeatable
recipes that always makes
good sound regardless of
which show you encounter it
at. Elina expressed an
interest in working with us
so perhaps a Lamm review
will soon appear in these
pages. I asked Lloyd to
forward Jeff Day's interest
in a review loaner of the
Viva 300B integrated for his
Avantgarde Duos to his pal
Amadeo. He promised to make
it happen. After his
exploration of micro-power
SETs, Jeff's ready to
embrace real power of
the 18-35wpc variety to see
how it affects playback in
his crib - and having shown
with Viva and Avantgarde in
the past, Lloyd vouched that
the high-voltage Viva
wouldn't exhibit any noise
issues.
This
now concludes my report.
Simply, the Damoka
system of Lamm ML2.1s, Lamm
L2 Reference line stage,
Lamm LP2 phono stage,
American Sound EMT 927 table
with SME 3012-R arm and
Siemens Bionor Klangfilm or
Tannoy Autograph Pro
speakers, as stated much
earlier, made by far the Best Sound
of Show
in the huge
downstairs Concourse A
exhibit. Contrary to my
earlier descriptions and
amongst its modern
accoutrements, this system
also housed Weiss Medea DACs
and Cardas cables - but
everything else was antique;
er, classic or vintage
stuff. And David Karmeli
actually sold the Tannoys to
one lucky showgoer. Should
one assume he was Japanese?
It seems that our audio
friends in the Land of the
Rising Sun are particularly
appreciative of past design
successes and less apt to
fall for newness just for
newness' sake.
Srajan
Ebaen http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/he2004/he2004_6.html
Home
Theatre was everywhere at
HE2004 and like any bespoke
audiophool, I stayed far far
away. I also avoided any
rooms that conducted
controlled demos where
showgoers had to line up and
wait for the next turn. I
was there to have fun, not
stand in line. It may
present benefits for
exhibitors but it certainly
doesn't for showgoers.
Overall, it was difficult to
find the luv but
there were a few rooms that
managed to deliver. The
Siemens Klangfilm/LAMM
room on the concourse
[below] was a favorite of
many moonies as were the Reimyo
and Audiopax/Zanden
exhibits. I returned
frequently to all three
rooms to mellow out and
decompress when seeking
refuge from the boom and
sizzle of other venues.
Paul
Candy
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/hecandy/he2004.html
Biggest
pool of audiodrool:
You're already sick of
hearing about this, but in a
huge basement meeting room
were the Siemens/Klangfilm
KL-L433 hornspeakers powered
by Lamm electronics, with a
likewise colossal EMT 927
turntable doing the lion's
share of front- end duties.
Together, the Klangfilms
were bigger than my first
three New York apartments.
Or, as fellow moonie Jules
Coleman remarked,
"Everywhere in North
America is nearfield
listening".
Even
though owning such a system
would be only slightly less
practical and considerably
less mobile a proposition as
owning your own NASA launch
pad, I confess the sound was
unlike any I had ever
experienced. "There is
no sound of speakers
in this room" is how my
notes read. It was the sort
of sound that was not innate
to mechanical transducers,
so easy one could simply
listen there all day.
"And all of this
technology was firmly
established before most of
the people in this hotel
were even born,"
pointed out Jonathan Halpern
of, among other things,
NYC's In Living Stereo,
putting the shame to most of
the so-called advancements
being spun that day.
Jonathan is a close-on
ringer for Jeff Goldblum;
even his voice is similar.
He's also an amazing
fountain of knowledge on
horn design (among many
other things audio), so
listening to his insights on
the Klangs, it was easy to
imagine that I was in the
chopper on the way to Jurassic
Park being tutored in
Chaos Theory. "Nature
finds a way." It was
great. The same room had a
second big pair of vintage
horneys, Tannoy Autographs
that because of technical
troubles had been relegated
to static display by the
time I arrived. Unfortunate
- but being anything other
than grateful for this
wonderful museum-quality
room would have been greedy
and stupid.
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/hebosh/he2004.html
...Many
of us got to hear the
Siemens horn system in a
ballroom more suitable to
weddings and bar mitzvahs
than audio. In my review of
the Shindo Laboratory
Sinhonia amplifier based
around the F2a output tube,
I discussed the Siemens
Klangfilm project. I
encourage you to have a look
at that review if you
haven't done so. The F2a
tube was exclusively
produced by Siemens for
amplifiers -- typically in
single-ended configuration
-- built to drive the horn
loudspeakers that were on
display at the show. A
critically inclined
audiophile or reviewer could
punch a million holes in the
system to identify one
weakness or shortcoming
after another. But why? By
comparison, all other sound,
not just at the show but in
virtually every home
playback system everywhere
on earth, is likely to sound
pinched, forced and
artificial. If you are in
this business to display
your ability to criticize
with rigor and evidence,
this room would have
provided you with more than
a few opportunities to do
so. On the other hand, if
you are in this hobby to
experience the magic and
glory of musical playback,
this room provided you with
more than ample satisfaction
and wonderment. You can
figure out who you are by
sitting down with this
system for an hour or so.
Me, I could have taken up
residence in the room.
Jules
Coleman
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/hecool/he2004.html
But
the biggest woof-woof must
go to what clearly -- i.e.
with plenty of clearance --
was the
Best
System at the Show,
assembled in the largest
room of the Hilton, the
Concourse A in the basement,
hosted while I visited
by the lovely Elina Lamm and
sporting the massive Siemens
Klangfilm horns which
compelled Jim 'Big Sexy'
Saxon (every moonie is sure
to acquire a ceremonial
surname as time goes by) to
stand next to one for size
perspective.
With
rarities such as CEC's
discontinued top-line CD
transport, a Microseiki
table and all manner of
legendary vintage audio
assembled (the only current
elements were the Lamm
amps), this system was
demonstrated courtesy of
wealthy Niyawker David
Karmeli of Damoka
LLC who owns all
of it and so happens to
occupy one of the city's
most famous apartments, the
Ansonia. Completely at ease
without requiring the cold
shower of elevated levels to
wake up, this system made
everything else at the show
sound not broken but
Hifi-ish, certain rooms more
so than others. Scary when
you remember that here we're
talking a 40+ year-old
speaker design. How far have
we really come? I shall
not answer this taunting
question for fear of putting
myself outa business
otherwise. But it does give
one pause.
Srajan
Ebaen
http://www.sixmoons.com/industryfeatures/he2004/he2004.html
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