Kharma 3.2 to MidiGrand Upgade???

Owl, I recently heard the Grand Ceramiques (a harder load than the Midi-Grand) over a three day period with extensive listening driven by the ML2.1s in a room 35 x 24 with 11 to 12 foot ceilings. I went there fully expecting to hear those amps clipping and groaning or the level so low that it got lost. I was a REAL skeptic on this one. I must admit, when a buddy threw on a Niacin CD and asked the owner to crank it up I thought I would laugh. I was the one they laughed at - that amp drove those Grand Ceramiques to ear busting SPLs and I ate my words. I still cannot believe they did it.

I must disclose, I am a Kharma and Lamm owner and I like that combo VERY much (I have the new 1.2 Refs). As a former owner of the Midis, I do know they are easier to drive than the Grands.

Just my $.02

Gentleman, you guys are spot on about the Lamm 1.2 Refs. Taking into consideration that this hobby is all personal preference in the end, I think that Paul Bolin of Stereophile absolutely NAILED his review of the Lamm 1.2Refs. For my money, I have NEVER heard an amplifier sound more "right" in my life. Yes, synergy and system matching are also of paramount importance. But, this amp gets to the soul and emotion of the music, it is balanced throughout the frequency spectrum and simply does not "show off" or call attention to itself in that "hifi" "look at me" way other amps tend to - it is so organically honest to the timbre of the music and so tonally truthful that, as Paul said, it is not made to impress your friends in a two minute demo but to savor over the long haul. It IS an improvement over its critically acclaimed predecessor, the M1.1. which I owned for 5 years. Right now I also have the Lamm ML1.1s in for audition and, although they sound great, the 1.2Refs are simply better and more neutral without any of the negatives usually associated with solid state gear. I too auditioned the ML2.1s and liked them a lot but decided on the 1.2 Refs. The M1.2 Refs also do not have any of that slightly dark character so many people accuse the former Lamm gear of - but they also NEVER have that glassy or glaring sound either. It is nice to come home again. My hat's off to Vladimir!

If any of you ever get to the Metro Detroit area, you have an open invitation to stop by and bring some of your favorite music! That includes you too Sirspeedy (even though I am one of those dreaded BIG Kharma owners and that lowest life form - a reviewer, no less!!) However, I PAY for my gear up front!

Sirspeedy, no offense taken. Honestly, I am a MUSIC lover first (as a former professional musician whose career was abruptly ended by an accident) and I also confess to having developed at an early age an infatuation with the equipment that delivers the music. However, as I have grown older I have learned much and realize that I make tons of mistakes like anyone else. At times, as I have stated before in this forum, when I have spent more and more money, on what sometimes but certainly not all the time, is better and better gear, the problem is that my expectation level goes up and I listen for that more expensive component to justify its additional cost. Then, I listen too critically for "audiophile tricks" rather than for the emotional content of the music which is why I listen in the first place. Obviously as a reviewer, you are supposed to listen like that to a certain extent - but too much of that, IMHO, is to miss what music is about.

I also think you bring up valid gripes about reviewers - but, as in almost any profession or endeavor, there are good and there are bad and, unfortunately, the bad usually get more press so as to taint the entire group's reputation. I have made a couple of friends who are reviewers and they truly love both the music and the gear.

Personally, I think a reviewer becomes MOST dangerous, when he/she takes him/herself too seriously and forgets that they are JUST another opinion (regardless of technical knowledge or the cultivation of their ear) and that they ALWAYS place the equipment under review into a system with A NUMBER of variables. As such, the review is only a starting point of information and should be not be taken as an absolute but in context of THAT reviewer's tastes, preferences and experiences with other gear.

I also think too may people are a little too sensitive when someone, especially a reviewer, disagrees with their opinion of their gear. It seems as if some people get their identity from their systems. Think about it, how silly would I sound if you come to my home and I get upset that you like Coke because I like Pepsi! Isn't that exactly what many of us do when we get upset that person A hears something different than person B listening to Amp "X?" Worse yet, it would really be like getting mad that I like Parkay maragine instead of butter when it is only part of a bread recipe!!

As I always say, in the end, we make our own money and we decide how to spend it based on our own tastes, preferences, experiences and priorities so all that really matters in this hobby is: "Are you happy with what you spent and did you acheive your goal?"

With the Lamm 1.2 Refs, I have learned that I got away from the emotional content of the music. They have allowed me to reconnect to the core of why I started in this crazy hobby in the first place. And yes, Howie, I liked the 1.2 Refs the best as they matched the best with MY gear - however, that may be different for other people.

And NO, the offer to come by and share my love of music is NEVER in jest, it is always serious and my door is always open to people who love this hobby - that is how I learn more about this hobby and new music as well! So, book that flight!

Sirspeedy, YOU SEE, there IS at least one advantage of owning a 635 lb. speaker!!!!! Hell, if you can carry that insanely heavy SOB out and load it up before I either shoot yer sorry butt or call the Police, more power to ya!!

This is also where my job comes in handy - as a bank lawyer by day who chases the bad guys (e.g., fraudsters, money launders, terrorists etc.), I work with the FBI and Secret Service every day so if I ever DO encounter an audio crook, he better LEAVE the country with my 635 lb. beasts REAL fast - or I will call in a favor or two and have a couple of guys with black suits and earpieces on his tail!!! ;-)

To be honest, almost every person I have met through this hobby has been a class act and fun to be around. I just have NO idea why they'd EVER want to hang out with ME!!!

One final thought - you WOULD insult me if your DIDN'T insult my system to my face!! One rule when you come to listen to my system - ya gotta hear my little speech and disclaimer. Namely, "I didn't design or build my system so if you like it, don't compliment me, all I did was buy it! Conversely, if you DON'T like it, I DON'T CARE as I didn't BUY it for YOU, I bought it FOR ME and I will not take it personally if you like dark chocolate while I like milk chocolate (actually I like both!). I WILL be mad if I find out you tell me to my face that my system is good, great, awesome, whatever, and then tell everyone else it sucks behind my back. I simply don't NEED the ego stroke because my system doesn't define me, my character and how I treat others does!! So, just be honest, tell me you'd rather have yer gums scraped than listen to my 'nails on a chalkboard system' and we can then simply agree to disagree!!"

OK, end of lecture, continue on Grasshopper!!!

It's nice to see the support for people in the industry. Tenor did a hell of a job with the 75 OTL and then tried to get the 300 watt hybrids going for people with more difficult loads before things went south. As an owner of Tenor, I can say that Tenor was truly dedicated to good sound and I know the former owners Robert and Francois truly love music. The techs, Stephan and Etienne (sp?) are some of the nicest and most helpful people you'll ever meet and the main designer Michelle was ALWAYS willing to help.

If you think about it, just how many people do you know (say how many out of a thousand?) are into high end audio (say where you spend more than a thousand dollars on a front end piece or >$2000 on an amp or speakers)? One half of one percent, 1/4 of one percent? Probably less? And yet look at all the numerous choices we have of great high end gear. Heck, how many TURNTABLES do we have a choice of today alone? WELL more than when analog was king.

I bring this up because with high end audio being such a small niche market and with so many designers and options available, I submit that MOST of the high end manufacturers are NOT heavily capitalized and many are either still in the basement or barely out. And I applaud their dedication. As such, I posit that MOST high end companies, financially speaking, are not that far from Tenor's position if you had access to their financial picture. As far as I understand such people and companies as Albert Von Schweikert, Counterpoint, ESP, Hales, Genesis, Sonic Frontiers, Threshold, oh heck you know how many gifted designers and companies have gone under - some, thankfully, have resurfaced - either under the same name or with other companies.

Myself, I hope and pray Tenor comes back, not just because I own them or like the guys involved, but for our hobby's sake as well!