Just came on this post, as usual with Zaikesman a good one. I'll add my recent experience which may be of interest. My Jadis JP80 is currently out of the system for repairs and a modification, and my dealer has been kind enough to lend me a Lamm LL2 (non-deluxe version) for the past month and a half to use while the repairs are being made (a good argument for a good dealer, I'd say!). The LL2 is a superb unit, easily better in most respects than my Jadis, particularly transparency, high frequency extension and retrieval of low level detail. I would seriously consider buying it, in its deluxe version (the bigger power supply would improve the unit's dynamics, which aren't as good as the Jadis) as a replacement for my JP80 if it continues to break down on me. And yet, I would say that I am virtually 95% to 100% happy with my system's sound with the Jadis in the system, but I am maybe 90% happy with the Lamm in there. I miss the HUGE Jadis soundstage and bloom, I don't mind the lack of the last word in low-level detail, and I think the Jadis is the more involving unit. Colored, yes, but in a way consistent with music and music as I hear it in the concert hall. The Lamm, I think, is at times revealing more than I want to hear when I listen to music, perhaps making me listen to the system or the technical shortcomings of the recording itself, and that may be the cause of my slightly lessened satisfaction. I will also note that I gave up on my JP80's phono stage (a non-fixable noise problem) and substituted the Lamm LP2 phono stage, again a far more revealing unit, but in that case running it through the JP80's line stage only hightened my enjoyment of the music. Curious; I wonder if any of you out there have enjoyed your systems a little less as they became more revealing?
An unscientific poll: How often are you happy?
What percentage of the time do you just break out in a smile and thoroughly enjoy the music *and* the sound when you fire up your system? 10%? 50%? 99%? (The other times: you hear something wrong, something lacking, needs tweaking, needs upgrading, colorations, distortions, you hear a noise, a tube might be going, not musical enough, can't suspend your disbelief the way you want to, your expectations are disappointed, it doesn't sound like you remember the dealer's system did, doesn't sound like you remember your friend's system did, you made the wrong move with the last upgrade, you doubt the money you recently spent really made a difference, the recording is too flawed, you wonder what it would sound like if you changed this or that, you enjoyed it more in the car, you question whether you've truly got your priorities in perspective, etc...) Give your %, and list the approximate $ investment you have in the system (specify new or used valuation). Mine: happy about 15% of the time, valuation around $17,000 if all bought new. Conclusions - if any - drawn later...