Digital integrated alternatives to SET tube system

I ran a set of Harbeth 40.1s with a Devialet 120 and Lyngdorf 2170 in the same room/system side by side for a couple of weeks. It was really no contest for my rig and room. The Lyngdorf was really considerably better. The real difference maker was and remains the Room Perfect room correction Lyngdorf employs. The 2170 lifted the performance of the Harbeth speakers to another level top to bottom.

This was my experience in a dedicated music room with substantial acoustic room treatments.

I later paired the Lyngdorf with speakers ranging from the effecient Living Voice OBX RW, AZ Crescendo, Tekton Double Impacts highly modified and the Dali Epicon 6s. The Lyngdorf paired wonderfully with each speaker and still remains in my system.

Uncanny way of playing equally well at low and loud volume levels. Amazing how much noise is in our music that goes unnoticed until one uses a unit like the Lyngdorf 2170 or 3400. Lyngdorf’s SOTA room correction brought out the very best of each speaker in my listening spaces.

I tried using the 2170 as a preamp/room correction device only with several tube amps, but each time the 2170 sounded better on its own. Keep in mind this is my subjective experience and preference. However, I love tube amps and preamps having owned and enjoyed all manner of them over the decades. OTLs, SETs, PP and SEPs. I find the 2170 with room correction optimized just sounds like music.....not like tubes, not like SS, not like Class D, not like Class A.........just enjoyable.

Awesome and enjoy! 

The 2170 (170 watts into 4 ohms) is more power than I ever needed with a butt load, yes that is a real measurement, of headroom and extra power. I mean a full butt load. That’s over 100 watts into the 6 ohm 40.1. No way one would ever need more unless they want to damage their ears and speakers. Them there are the facts. Period. I have owned more amps than most people even read about so I am not blowing smoke. Have you even tried the 2170 with the 40.1s ? If not, you really have no idea.  Right? 

Quote from Stereophile

“However, the M40.1’s plot of impedance magnitude and phase angle (fig.1) suggests that the Harbeth is easy to drive in terms of its demand for current. The impedance drops below 6 ohms only in the middle of the midrange, and then only for a short while; and while the electrical phase angle occasionally reaches extreme values, this is only when the impedance magnitude is high, ameliorating the drive difficulty.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/harbeth-m401-loudspeaker-measurements#KmIWZ4ssO4CXlipk.99”

I point this out as the Lyngdorf 2170 has more than enough current to drive this speaker with ease in an average room. 30 amps of output current. The 3400 would also be a good match, but the 2170 at several thousand less is also up to the job. What’s more the 2170 plays this speaker in a way that makes it come alive at low to moderate volume levels. That is a wonderful reality also making it a great match with the 40.1.