Lamm Industries ML2.2 Mono Amplifiers

Transcription

1 Lamm Industris ML2.2 Mono Amplifirs by Marc Micklson, January 6, Adozn yars ago whn Vladimir Lamm introducd his ML2 monoblocks, prcption and rality of singl-ndd-triod (SET) amplifirs changd for bttr. At 18 watts, ML2 would nvr b accusd of offring limitlss powr, but it did possss ability to driv ral-world loads at or SET amps could barly budg, and it did so wi pur ton and prsnc for which SET amps wr known but wiout cpriss at frquncy xtrms. Th ML2 draggd SET amps closr to dio mainstram, vn if its pric of narly $30,000 pr pair was firmly anchord in outr rachs. Fiv yars latr, whn upgradd ML2.1 dbutd, amp s powr output and pric rmaind sam, as did its sound in gnral trms. But improvd parts, including a nw powr transformr, also mad for an amp at soundd slightly mor powrful an ML2, mor transparnt rough midrang and mor controlld in bass as wll. Th ML2.1 rtaind all at mad ML2 a spcial amp: signatur Lamm naturalnss at csd so much of its cptition, tub and solid stat, to sound incplt by cparison. Whn ML2.2 was announcd a yar ago, ML2 platform undrwnt much mor an parts improvmnts. This could b forcast aftr Lamm s most xpnsiv and imprssiv amp to dat, twochassis-pr-channl ML3 Signatur, also of SET prsuasion, was unlashd upon diophils a fw yars ago. Th ML2.2 borrows input stag fr is amp, using a singl 12AX7A in drivr stag and paralll 6N6Ps raftr. Th powr supply also ndd to b bfd up to accmodat rquirmnts of 6N6Ps. Th pair of Russian 6C33C-B tubs rmaind -- on providing powr and or acting as voltag rgulator. Th ML3 s output, 32 watts, is gratr an ML2.2 s, which dosn t chang fr 18 watts amplifir has always offrd. Earlir vrsions of amp didn t hav Lamm s rmot turn-on circuit, howvr, and ML2.2 dos. This allows ownrs of Lamm pramps to powr on and off ir amps fr on/off switch of ir pramps. All of changs to ML2.2 man at ML2 and ML2.1 can t b upgradd; is was not a practic at Lamm adoptd in any vnt, prfrring instad to chang ir products far lss frquntly an is industry norm. Vladimir Lamm is adamant about dsigning products right first tim and n laving m alon. Evn so, ML2.2 rprsnts most significant chang fr prvious modl of any Lamm product. 1

2 A s wi ML2 and ML2.1, ownrs adjust bias and idl currnt of ML2.2 wi a high-quality voltohm mtr. This is don via tst points on amplifir s top plat. Input is still via RCA or psudobalancd XLR locatd on lft-front of amp, rquiring an xtra half-mtr of intrconnct to rach. Audio Rsarch Rfrnc Annivrsary, Convrgnt Audio Tchnology SL1 Lgnd and Lamm LL1 Signatur. Bfor swapping among m, I would hav prdictd a draw in trms of my prfrnc. I admir totality of prformanc at all of s pramps rprsnt. Whil y ach hav crtain strngs, non has glaring waknsss, choic of on, so my inking wnt, Byond s ings, or in-us considration for cing down to a mattr of prsonal tast. ML2.2s is snsitivity of partnring spakr. Whil amps can driv spakrs at sm on papr unsuitd for ir 18 watts, lik Wilson Audio Sophia 3, y can t idally driv spakrs at nd a haly amount of powr and currnt to c aliv. Among s in my firsand xprinc ar Tidal Sunrays, which don t rprsnt a particularly punishing load but do nd mor oph an ML2.2s can dlivr in ordr to sound anying but dynamically limp. Whil lat-modl Wilson Audio WATT/Puppis -- sris 7 and 8 spcially -- wr good to go wi ML2s and ML2.1s, Vladimir Lamm dosn t rcmnd ML2.2s for us wi Sasha W/Ps (Lamm M1.2 Rfrnc hybrid amps driv m gorgously, howvr). Spakrs at ar a go wi amps includ my rfrnc Wilson Audio MAXX 3s and, basd on my xprinc at CES, Vrity Audio Lohngrin IIs. Of cours, any of plora of hornloadd and singl-drivr spakrs prfrrd for us wi vn lowr-powr SET amps would b suitabl as wll -as would or spakrs at I m simply not familiar wi. Mor an wi any or SET amps, xprimntation wi ML2.2s will yild s surpriss in trms of which spakrs y can driv wiout xcuss. But is wasn t cas; Lamm LL1 Signatur clarly soundd bst wi ML2.2s. Intrstingly, cbination of ML2.2s and LL1 wasn t a mattr of lik sonic signaturs multiplying to crat a sum gratr an parts, but rar of cplmntary prsonalitis making for an outc at was gratr an ir product alon. Th LL1 s driv and sns of forward mntum brought amps to lif in ways two challngrs couldn t qual, vn wi ir considrabl strngs. Th Lamm cbo soundd mor li and altic, its collctiv signatur imposd on spakrs instad of or way around. As I discovrd whn I rviwd LL1, warm-up is crucial to haring it at its bst, wi an hour Exprimntation will also lad to bst match in trms of pramps. I had r availabl, ach of which would mak it onto many bst-of--bst lists: 2

3 bing minimum, as is choic of powr has a dino ffct, csing prformrs to cords -- row-ins at c wi it bing sound dismbodid instad of prsnt, flat and bttr an s of pricy cords I had. Wi flimsy instad of roundd and ral. Givn all inadquat warm-up and wrong cords, r of is, it would b asy to argu at word is s highlighting in uppr midrang at may accuracy has no maning. I would simply say at nlivn a dark-sounding spakr but didn t improv any bcs of misus it has wrong maning. of os I usd. Many of ings I considr armarks of accuracy My point in rambling on about pramps is at your c fr my longtim us of Lamm amplifirs. I v choic of spakrs to us wi ML2.2s isn t only ownd a numbr of diffrnt modls ovr cours of ing to considr in ordr to min most fr m. fiftn yars, including ML2s and ML2.1s. To a pic, This is slf-vidnt prhaps, but also wor stating, givn y hav all gottn ton quality and ovrall balanc at diffrnc wi LL1 Signatur, vn whn right, prsnting music wi tru r-dimnsional cpard wi two or stllar pramps, was significant prsnc in procss. Lamm amps nvr sound tiltd nough to b considrd imprativ. or hypd, and y always prsnt a middl prspctiv -- nir forward nor rcssd. If is applis to vry Lamm amp, why considr ML2.2s whn, for instanc, M1.2s offr mor powr at a considrably lowr pric? ik vry diophil, I hav cpild a running list of sonic qualitis at mattr most to m. Ths ar ings at bst suspnd disblif, as y most closly approximat liv sound -- to my ars at last. Among m -- and at top of tally -- ar ralistic ton and spctral balanc, along wi imag wight and dimnsion. In cplx ways, all of s ings work in concrt, succss or failur of on affcting sam wi ors. So many of amplifirs at consumrs and prss alik tag as tonally nutral and wll balancd ar dvoid of warm and fullnss displayd in liv music. Ths amps oftn sound tonally radbar, ir balanc invariably laning toward trbl, which mans r is no tru balanc. This fundamntal skwing of rality Bcs what I dscrib abov is only starting point for ML2.2s. Thr ar spcific ways at y surpass Lamm hybrid amps, not to mntion so many tub and solid-stat contndrs fr or makrs. It may sm illogical to bgin a discussion of sound of a SET amp wi bass, but, onc again, ML2.2 isn t a run-of--mill SET amp. Its bass is acutly alignd wi rst of sonic spctrum: xacting in trms of dynamic shifts and pitch dfinition, and abl to impart xprssiv txtur of instrumnts roughout its rang. Whil it s mor bloy an tightly drawn, r is no mush or flab. And amps wr abl to achiv all of is whil daling wi larg woofrs of Wilson MAXX 3s -- and wr nvr short of powr ndd to push quick-pacd, dynamically challnging far such L 3

4 as Mobil Fidlity SAC of Patricia Barbr s dimnsion -- and dnsity ar in full rdolnc, Modrn Cool [Mobil Fidlity USAC 2003]. giving voics spcially a sns of immdiacy Th soundscap of Touch of Trash is broad at s not a function of transint spd, for and frquncy and dynamic rangs wid, but instanc, but rar xtrm physicality ML2.2s nvr smd taxd by any of it, vn of prsntation. Th ML2.2s ar physical, as cut progrssd and music bgan to prcolat. which is all mor notwory bcs of ir Could anor SET amp handl is? my listning nots dozn and a half watts of powr. Along wi is, askd rhtorically. In my xprinc, only Lamm howvr, is vitality -- a vast amount of musical ML3s can, and ML2.2s shar part of ir circuitry. information at is sign of anor intricat balanc is amp achivs: btwn shr rsolving powr and standard- stting naturalnss. Th ML2.2s ar crtainly dtaild amps, but y achiv is wi grac, not rulssnss. Analog was spcially imprssiv, as is is its stock signatur as wll. Playing s of 45rpm sts cing fr Chad Kassm s nw rcordprssing plant, Quality Rcord Prssings, was an Modrn Cool also shows off ML2.2 s kn tonality. act of nar-constant rvlation, as small but musically Thos usd to so many of solid-stat amps availabl rlvant dtails -- a light touch on piano, a today will ink at ML2.2 sounds a touch -- or bra takn in or lt out -- smd to hav grandr mor -- dark, but os or amps hav skwd circumstanc and mor lmntal maning. collctiv rang of tonality toward trbl, altring prcption of listnrs. In past whn discussing Lamm amplifirs, I v suggstd following tst: listn to son talk (or, vn bttr, sing) in your listning spac, and n put on just about any rcording -- spcially a C. osn t music sound lightr and lss substantial in ton an liv voic? It almost always dos to m -- xcpt whn I m listning to on of Vladimir Lamm s amps, and spcially ML2.2, whos sound is substantial by dflt, not to mntion spctrally corrct fr top to bott. In mids, r is no highlighting, vn as rgion rminds us again why SET amps ar prizd. Roundnss -- sns at imags ar not flat and lacking in If you want gnrous dtail and bodily prsnc fr vocalists, r is only on amp in sam lagu as ML2.2. You gussd it -- ML3. Whr s 4

5 amps, mightist fr Vladimir Lamm, good for tub amps, but ML2.2 s surpass ML2.2s is in trms of ir transint low frquncis ar a littl bttr intgratd spd and dfinition, ir shr driv (y into totality of music y mak. offr almost twic powr) and, for lack of a Thr is a strong lmnt of mutual xclusion bttr way to put it, ir musical savoir far -- a crtain to ML2.2s and MA-2 Mk 3.1s, cing hard-to-dfin sophistication at is nonlss asy to bo fr vast diffrnc in output powr and har and apprciat. Oh, and r s also ir sonic prsonalitis. Bo put a diffrnt spin on accuracy dbat and only undrscor fact at ach of us who priz musical rproduction is an island, crator and kpr of our prsonal list of important sonic qualitis. I would b surprisd if on or or of s amps didn t achiv os ings at top of most lists. small mattr of a sixfigur diffrnc in pric. As son who hard ML3s in my systm a fw yars ago said, I want m. I can t afford m, but I want m. Amn to at. Mor cptitiv in trms of pric ar Atma-Sphr MA-2 Mk 3.1 monoblocks ($41,600 pr pair) at I rviwd in Octobr. Ths output-transformrlss amps ar xtraordinary ovrall and prlss in a coupl of ways. Lik ML2.2, Atma-Sphr MA-2 Mk 3.1 crtainly has an imprssiv midrang, but two amps sound vry diffrnt rough is most important rgion. Wi Atma-Sphr amps, it s transparncy, sns of noingnss btwn quipmnt and music, at is ir most distinguishing fatur. It s unmatchd as wll, at last in my xprinc, and probably mor attntion-grabbing an ML2.2s tonality and balanc. Th Atma-Sphr amps ar crtainly mor powrful an ML2.2s, but aftr a crtain point at s wiin ML2.2 s cfort zon, is is not at all noticabl. Th Atma-Sphr amps display mor rsolut attack, portraying gratr lading dg and lss imag mass an Lamm amps. Th bass of bo is T hr ar many ways to sum up Lamm ML2.2s. Thy rprsnt mor an a wory upgrad to ML2 and ML2.1; y can driv spakrs at would chok or SET dsigns; y offr a narly uniqu collction of traits, including ralistic ton and balanc, copious wight and dimnsion; y hav rar un-set-lik bass. What maks m most mmorabl to m, and I suspct to you if you gt to dition m, is at y quickly ovrrid part of brain at cooks up s oughts to bgin wi. You may sit down to listn to amps, but in short ordr you ll raliz 5

6 FROM RE at you r actually listning to music, so quickly do y mak you forgt about m. This may b an ovrusd rviwing convntion, but it s also highst goal of hi-fi -- to transcnd quipmnt, what ML2.2s do as a mattr of cours. diobat.c In his inimitabl way, Vladimir Lamm onc told m yars ago at idal rviw of his quipmnt would b just on word long. Howvr, I don t rcall at h vr told m what at magic word is. Right and ral sm lik good gusss, and y bo fit ML2.2. Pric: $37,190 pr pair. Warranty: Fiv yars parts and labor. Lamm Industris 2513 East 21 Strt, Brooklyn, NY (718) Associatd Equipmnt Analog: TW-Acustic Ravn AC turntabl, Graham B-44 Phant Sris II and Tri-Planar Mk VII UII tonarms, ynavctor XV-1s (stro and mono) and Allnic Puritas cartridgs, AudioQust LoPard and Nordost Odin phono cabls, Allnic Audio H-3000V and Audio Rsarch Rfrnc Phono 2 phono stags. igital: Audio Rsarch Rfrnc C8 C playr, Ayr Acoustics X-5 A/V Engin. Pramplifirs: Audio Rsarch Rfrnc Annivrsary, Convrgnt Audio Tchnology SL1 Lgnd, Lamm Industris LL1 Signatur. Powr amplifirs: Atma-Sphr MA-2 Mk 3.1 and Lamm Industris M1.2 Rfrnc monoblocks. Loudspakrs: ProAc Rspons K6, Wilson Audio MAXX 3 and Sophia 3. Intrconncts: AudioQust William E. Low Signatur, Shunyata Rsarch PowrSnak Sris Anaconda and Pyon. Spakr cabls: AudioQust William E. Low Signatur, Shunyata Rsarch PowrSnak Sris Anaconda and Pyon. Powr conditionrs: Essntial Sound Products Th Essnc Rfrnc, Shunyata Rsarch Hydra Triton. Powr cords: Essntial Sound Products Th Essnc Rfrnc and MusicCord-Pro ES, Shunyata Rsarch CX-sris (various). Equipmnt rack and platforms: Silnt Running Audio Craz 2 8 quipmnt rack and Ohio Class XL Plus 2 platforms (undr Lamm M1.2 amps), Harmonic Rsolution Systms M3 isolation bass. 6