The Absolute
Sound's
-- Dick Olsher's
Best of Show
at CES'2007
2007 CES Report
(TAS issue 171, April/May 2007, page 49)
MOST SIGNIFICANT NEW PRODUCT
World's best-sounding
single-ended triode amplifier?
Lamm's ultra-refined ML3 Signature is based on the majestic Russian GM70
directly heated triode and is rated at 32 watts of pure power. This
cost-no-object design may just be the Chosen One.
6moons.com
The Best
System at
Home Entertainment 2004 Show
[http://www.sixmoons.com/industryfeatures/he2004/he2004.html]
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6moons.com
The Best
Sound at
Home Entertainment 2004 Show
[http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/he2004/he2004_6.html]
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Stereophile's
The Best Sound at
Home Entertainment 2003 Show
[listed
in September 2003 issue (Vol. 26/no. 9), page 62]
Stereophile:
Mikey's 11 Best
Sounding Rooms
at the Home Entertainment 2002 Show
Mike
Fremer's Analog
Corner No. 1
-- Kharma Ceramique 3.2, Lamm electronics
September
issue (Vol. 25/no. 9), page 43
Stereophile's
The Best Sound at
Home Entertainment 2002 Show
[listed
in September 2002 issue (Vol. 25/no. 9), page 59]
The Absolute
Sound's
Best Sound
at Home Entertainment 2002 Show
2002 Home
Entertainment Show Report
(TAS issue 137, Aug/Sept 2002, pages 33-34)
by Jonathan Valin and Robert Harley
The Winner's
Circle
...First place,
however, goes to the Kharma Ceramique 3.2 ($19,000) loudspeakers,
powered by the LAMM ML2 monoblocks ($29,290), the LAMM L2
($13,690) preamp and LP2 ($6,690) phonostage. Though a
relatively small system in comparison to the Pipedreams and the
Antares -- which may, in fact, have contributed to its sonic
excellence in a small room -- this demure (though very expensive)
stereo system had the most realistic sound of any at the show.
Dynamic, detailed, superbly transparent, incomparably rich in
color, gorgeous in the treble and midband, it made some very fine
CD-Rs of live recordings sound like mastertapes. its only
weakness -- and this will be corrected when Kharma adds a
dedicated subwoofer to the Ceramique "satellite" later
this year -- was a slight roll in the very deep bass (sub-40Hz),
which, nevertheless, didn't keep the Kharmas from roaring like an
orchestra in full voice on the last movement of the Rachmaninoff
Third Piano Concerto. This is the first -- and only
-- time that the other listeners in attendance in the room
actually applauded at the end of a CD, as if they had witnessed a
great live performance! Which, indeed, they had, both
musically and stereophonically.
Stereophile's
The Best
Sound at Home
Entertainment 2001 Show
[listed
in September 2001 issue (Vol. 24/no. 9), page 67]
Stereophile:
Mikey's Top 10 Best
Sounds
at
the Home Entertainment 2002 Show
Mike Fremer's Analog
Corner
August 2001
issue (Vol. 24/no. 8), page 44
In no particular
order, and missing some associated gear:
.....JMLab Utopia speakers/Lamm electronics.....
SoundStage! CES 2001 - Standout
Room
Lamm
Industries, Kharma
As at so many
previous shows, Lamm Industries and Kharma offered some of the
very best sound heard anywhere, proving once again the synergy
that exists between these two brands. Two pairs of Lamm ML2
amplifiers ($29,290 per pair) drove new Kharma Grand Ceramique
1.0 speakers ($39,999 per pair) via Kharma KLC Supreme speaker
cables ($5499). LAMM's new L2 Reference preamp ($13,690)
was also in use, as were the Metronome T20 transport and C20 DAC.
Interconnects and power cords were also from Kharma -- KIC Grand
Reference ($3999 per meter pair) and KPC Reference ($1299),
respectively. The sound of this very costly system was very
full range -- and magical.
SoundStage!
CES 2000 - Standout
Room
Lamm Industries,
Verity
While the audio
system in the AudioNut/Bybee room was used to demonstrate the
effectiveness of the various Bybee products, it also made very
fine music too -- with all kinds of music. Lamm
M1.1 amps ($15,890 per pair) powered a pair of the Verity
Parsifal Encore speakers ($12,520 per pair) via Silversmith
speaker cables. The preamp was from Resolution Audio, the OM-2
($12,000), which is a custom-built and fully balanced unit. The
digital source was from dCS -- the Elgar/Purcell combination
($11,995 and $4995 respectively) for upsampling to 24 bits and
192kHz. Silversmith interconnects and a number of Bybee products
finished off the system. The sound was sweet and very detailed at
the same time, displayed great depth, and had us listening
happily to the various repeated cuts for the Bybee demo -- which
was its job.
The
Absolute Sound
Sounds
of CES 2000:
[TAS] writers pick their...best exhibits
of the Show
(The Absolute Sound, issue 123,
April/May 2000)
One of
Fred Kaplan's choices for the best
sounding room:
"...the Kharma room, with the $65,000 Ceramique loudspeakers
driven by Lamm's L1 preamp and ML2 monoblock amplifiers
(actually, the ML1, E.D.). Warm, luscious, but also
detailed and driving. A room for the sheer pleasure of listening
to music." Fred Kaplan (page 41)
SoundStage!
CES 1999 - Standout
Room
Lamm/Kharma
"Is it luck or
skill that certain companies seem to have consistently great
sound under the less-than-ideal conditions of a trade show? We
suspect it's a bit of both, but having great products is
certainly no hindrance.
Products from LAMM
and Kharma are not for the faint-of-pocketbook, but they will
appeal to those in the pursuit of state-of-the-art musical
reproduction. Vladimir Shushurin's LAMM ML1 triode monoblocks
($19,980 per pair) drove a pair of the gorgeous Kharma
Ceramique 1.0 speakers ($14,999 per pair). The LAMM L1 line-stage
($6990) and Metronome Technologie transport and DAC with separate
power supply were also in use. All cabling was from Kharma (with
conductors of a gold-and-silver blend; the cables' large size
makes them interesting in appearance), with Bybee supplying the
AC line conditioning. Very attactive Silent Running amp stands
were underneath the LAMM tube amps.
Speed, extension,
neutrality and stunning naturalness is what sets this collection
of components apart."
Shun
Mook Audio
"Normally the
Standout Room tag is reserved for a single room and collection of
components. However, two rooms used speakers in Shun Mook's Bella
Voce line, and the impressive sound in both cases justified a
two-for-one Standout mention.
Shun Mook's...room
had Bella Voce Reference speakers ($11,000 per pair), LAMM
ML2 18Wpc single-ended mono amplifiers, BAT VK-D5 CD
player, Audio Research Reference 1 linestage, and Nordost and TMD
cables.
...The sound was
exceptional -- detailed, but as liquid as it gets. Marc Mickelson
thought the highs were as natural as he'd heard anywhere.
Although only 89dB efficient, ...Bella Voce models worked very
well with low-powered, single-ended amplifiers. In all, the Shun
Mook speakers -- and upstream electronics -- produced very
natural and uncompromisingly musical sound."
SoundStage!
CES 1998 - Standout
Room
"The LAMM/TreMa
Sound room was constantly packed, and for good reason: Lamm ML1
amps ($19,980 per pair) drove a pair of Kharma Exquisite 1A
speakers ($56,995 per pair) to produce copious amounts of low-end
slam on appropriate recordings and transcendental soundstaging on
others. Also in use were a LAMM L1 linestage ($6990), Theta Jade
transport ($2495) and DS Pro Gen.V DAC ($3795, single-ended
version), all connected with Purist Audio cables. This system
could portray visceral bass, which LAMM's Vladimir Shushurin
flaunted, but it was when he put on a less-showy orchestral piece
that the system made it on my list." Marc
Mickelson
"If I were to
interpret "standout" as meaning the finest overall
sound, you'd be reading about the Merlin/Joule and Kharma/LAMM
rooms at the Alexis Park..." John Upton
Moscow
HI-FI'99 Show "Best
Sound" Award
presented to
TCHERNOVAUDIO
DISTRIBUTION for the following set-up:
LAMM
INDUSTRIES M1.1/ML2 power amps and L1 line stage preamp;
JM
LAB Mezzo Utopia speakers; YBA CD-2a CD player; Tara Labs
The
One interconnect and speaker cables
Stereophile's
Best Sound
at the CES 1993 Show
"...M1
monoblock MOS-FET amplifiers...garnered my vote for best sound.
...Driving Wilson WATTs/Puppies through Purist Audio Design
cables and resting on Microscan amplifier supports,...amplifiers
sounded superb, with tight, bottomless bass, effortless dynamics,
and spacious soundstage. I have never heard the WATTs/Puppies
sound so good." -- Stereophile magazine, Larry
Greenhill (August, 1993)
Audiophile's
Best Sound
at the CES 1993 Show (Hong
Kong magazine)
"For the first
time at the High-End Show, the M1s sounded so good that they had
the best sound at the show and I think it was the best
sound ever!!! ...Regarding the speakers, it was the best
the Watt Puppies have ever sounded; the combination of the M1
amplifiers and the Watts are the best!" -- Audiophile
magazine, Hong Kong, Y.K. Chen (editor) (August, 1993)
ML3 Signature
