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Line Magnetic quality

Here we go again…

 

Hej!

I have had my eyes on Line Magnetic Audio for some time, but a friend of mine says that I should stay away from hi-fi and hi-end made in china because they have bad luck when it comes to quality and that they sound bad.

I tell him that I have heard otherwise and that people really like the sound of the LM amplifiers.


So Line Magnetic owners, what do you say? Is he right or is he wrong?

 

By the way; has anyone been listening to LM34AI?

simna

Showing 10 responses by simna

simna OP
165 posts
 
Maybe I’ll try to see if I can test a LM34IA at my home this weekend.

Anyone know if it’s a successor to the LM211A?


@factena I’m in Sweden🙂
simna OP
165 posts
 
@ozzy62 

Mind me asking, why did you sell it?
simna OP
165 posts
 
OK guys, you have convinced me. I’ve found a dealer just 45 minutes away from where I live. And he has the LM34AI. And I can take it home on friday. But it’s brand new, not even unpacked so the tubes need burning in. My experience says about 50 hours, which means I hope I can have it for a week or so.
simna OP
165 posts
 
Now, after a little more than 50 hours burning in, I’ve given the LM34IA a serious listening and I’ve made a comparison with my old Tube Technlogy Unisis Signature with EL84 tubes.
Differences are; 
Treble: TT more extended and more open than LM.
Mids: LM warmer and nicer than TT
Bass: TT tighter and cleaner than LM. LM sounds boomy and too much. But I know the room has a problimatic frequency around 46-48Hz and maybe LM manage to emphasis this. 

I think it sounds very good for the money, but I really need to get rid of this boominess (is there such a word?).
Anyone who knows which brand the stock tubes are and have a suggestion of some tubes that are thighter in the bass?
simna OP
165 posts
 

@shkong78

Thanks for the tip, but the 508 is not in production and the 805 costs three times more than LM34IA and that is a lot over my budget.


simna OP
165 posts
 

@migueca

Your favorites are out of my budget, but I’ve been looking at the 88AI and wonder what the differences between 88AI and 34AI are. I can use KT88 in both, so what makes the 88AI a better choice if I wanna use KT88 tubes? The 34AI seems to be a better choice if I wanna tune the sound by tube rolling due to the many types of tubes I can use. But maybe there are only a few of the choices that really are interesting?

Do you know the brand of the stock tubes in 34IA?

simna OP
165 posts
 
I’ll take my chances and buy the LM34IA and hope that new tubes, (gonna replace them all; EL34, ECC82 and ECC83) helps. If this don’t do the trick I’ll try other capacitors or... something else...😀
simna OP
165 posts
 

I've ordered some tubes for the LM34IA;

4 Tung-Sol EL34B

2 Genalex Gold Lion ECC82
2 Mullard ECC82,1960 (not new)
2 Siemens NOS/NIB (1984-86)

1 Philips ECC83,1967 (not new)
1 Genalex Gold Lion ECC83
1 Elektro Harmonix ECC83

I hope I'll get them all the coming weekend and yes I'm a bit crazy:)

simna OP
165 posts
 
@bjesien 

Yes, I did. But one or more of the Tung-Sol EL34Bs are faulty, so I have to send them back. The Genalex Gold Lion ECC82s and the ECC83 works fine, but they haven't done more than 50 hours so they will change in sound. But I think the sound is a little veiled. I want a more open sound. Maybe it will change when the ECC82s and the ECC83 gets more hours. Or maybe when I get the new set of Tung-Sol EL34Bs. Or maybe some of the other ECC82s and ECC83s I also bought will do the trick.
simna OP
165 posts
 
@willmacc and 2psyop

I’ve changed almost everything in my set up (speakers, interconnects, DAC and amp) so it’s kind of hard to say what does what.

What I can say is that LM34IA gives you very much for the money. I think it sounds almost as good as my old Tube Technology Unisis Signature (but this is a EL84 amp and I miss the EL84 sound that is a little faster and more glimmering treble). 
Unfortunately there is a problem with one of the LM:s power sockets that doesn’t grip the pins tightly enought. But if I don’t touch the tube it’s OK. I’ve talked to the dealer so I will get it fixed.
But I hate the fragile glossy surface. Urrrgh.

The tubes I have installed right now are Tung-Sol EL34B, Mullard ECC82 (NOS) and Electro Harmonix ECC83.
I’ve also tried Gold Lion ECC82:s and ECC83, but it sounded a kind of sterile. Maybe they need more than 100 hours to bloom.
I really like what I hear. Big and deep soundstage, nice treble, sweet mids and warm bass. I have some problems with the bass in my room, so it’s hard to tell how good/bad the bass really is.


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