translation
Suddenly, a product from
LAMM that was the talk of the recent Consumer Electronics Show has
arrived in Japan.
LAMM INDUSTRIES, INC. is
an up-and-coming manufacturer based in Brooklyn, NY. It is the
brainchild of engineer Vladimir Shushurin, who is the company
president.
Mr. Shushurin's profile is
unique. He was born in 1945 in the former Soviet Union, and holds a
PhD in electronics. After completing his studies in the Ukraine, he
designed audio amplifiers that used vacuum tubes and solid-state
devices. He had also done work in high-frequency television and
military electronics. Mr. Shushurin, a music and audio equipment
lover, moved to the U.S. in 1988. Looking to become more involved in
audio engineering, he soon started to design high quality audio
amplifiers.
Model M1.1 is the
company's flagship model -- a monoblock power amplifier that is
characterized by hybrid design combining vacuum tubes and MOS-FET
output devices. Indeed, this design is the embodiment of president's
ideal for hybrid audio amplifiers that combine high-quality vacuum
tubes and solid-state components.
I tested the model using
compact discs, with a Denon DP-S1 plus DA-S1, combined with an ST link
and an Accuphase C290 preamplifier. The speaker system I used was a
B&W 901/III with AudioQuest speaker cables (for clear sound).
Playing a female vocal
track that I know well, I noticed that the centrally-focused voice was
very firm. The texture of the voice was in no way vague or
ill-defined. Rather, it was intense and highly satisfactory. I also
listened to a choral piece recorded in a church, and I could feel the
space and authenticity all the way to the corners of the stage. I
imagined that the deviation between right and left monoblocks is quite
small. The quality-control also appears to be excellent. In addition
to the overall high quality, model M1.1 also has aesthetic
characteristics that are peculiar to hybrid products. That is to say,
the expression of the sound is very soft throughout all audible
frequencies. The vacuum tubes undoubtedly take some of the credit for
the polished sound -- as though every single tone was actually shined
manually. But the effect on the listener is neither artificially
expanded nor stuffy. Rather, the sound tone is exceedingly
well-balanced, light, and bouncy. Even when low-pitched notes were
concentrated together, they didn't become muddy. The instruments all
achieved individual resolution in an organized manner.
This amplifier leaves an
overall impression of speed and a contemporary feeling, but the
underlying texture is classical and sensible. I felt that the
engineering work was honest.
LAMM is not a big
operation. It is more like a boutique manufacturer. I have the highest
regard for LAMM's authentic products and their impressive hybrid
characteristics.
M1.2
Reference
