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?
My first serious amp is LM 508ia. Been enjoying since last week on my pair of 10+ year old Paradigm Studio 40v3 pair of speakers. I got a demo version from a dealer and it sounds good to me. It is heavy and seems very well built it does perform better than my Marantz SR7005. Does put out a lot of heat just like any other class A amp I guess.
You should consider your speakers, how far you sit from them, how loud you like to listen to etc before going the tube way. But you may already know that.
Speaking of great Chinese gear, I've tried heaps of valves in my Line Magnetics, JJ's, EMs, Shuguangs, Tung-sols, Sovteks, JAN, Mullard, SED's, Golden Lion. Some I hated, some I liked a lot. But the ones that I've been most impressed by for both sound and reliability are Psvanes.They are fabulous tubes, and have replaced most of the tubes in my two systems. I've bought around 30 over the last four years including 300B, 6SN7, 310A, 12AX7, 12AT7. Not a single dud, every tube has been perfect. And they have really transformed my LM gear.The top end valves are pretty pricey, but they have several ranges at different price points and their more basic versions are still really good.
I have line magnetic 300b set mono blocks and a matching line magnetic pre from their old classic line, as my second system. It’s a Western Electric replica system with a very unusual layout (compared to modern valve systems), but it’s beautiful sounding gear that has given me a lot of pleasure over the last 4 years. It looks lovely too, not just my opinion, my wife has matched some furniture to it, who could ask for more.
I had a transformer problem on the pre in the first year I had it, but it has played flawlessly since the transformer was replaced. I bought from a reputable dealer and the repairs were all done under warranty.
I would say the stock tubes were pretty ordinary as with a lot of new gear I’ve seen. They were quickly replaced, both the amps and pre are capable of much more than the stock tubes would suggest. They are a tube rollers dream.
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.
Hi I have the LM-508 and I bought it (much cheaper than in USA) from a authorized dealer directly from China because there's no Line Magnetic dealer here in Argentina. The amp is amazing and the dealer is very profesional. Also Audio-gd is a chinese brand with a extraordinary quality price ratio and warranty. I have the Audio-gd R2R-2 DAC and the Master 1 pre and the are really a bargain for the quality of sound you get. My system costs about 15K and only my speakers (Q Acoustics Concept 500) and cables (Kimber and DH Labs) are not from China. Recently I heard a denish Bang & Olufsen almost 100K system and mine sounded much better. Dont fool yourself, these two chinese brands are great and not always more expensive is better.
I recently heard a Line Magnetic Integrated Amp rated at 25 wpc. This was an older two stage looking model. (Unsure of model) It was a shop I visit weekly to see whats new. This LM produced by far the best sound of any amp he has operating to date. He sold it that week so were are back to his Quicksilvers. Based on that one session I would say they are great!!
I have a 216 integrated from LM Audio that I bought after auditioning with a local audio dealer. I listened to it for a long time after I had listened to Leben, AR, Primuluna and Rogue amps. I was impressed and my dealer assured me the company will stand by their stuff. I enjoyed it for three years and a transformer went out. True to their word, LM Audio replaced the part, while my dealer gave me a loaner. I play the amp and enjoy it very much. I don’t think all Chinese audio is of poor quality. After all, many American, European and Japanese hi-fi companies manufacture parts and whole components in China or Taiwan. LM Audio has begun by the influence of Western Electric of the old days in American audio. I think that is why their products sound so good. They also make some esoteric and fantastic speakers. If you like the old tonal sound of tubes and a sweet midrange LM Audio will deliver. IMHO.
I own a Line Magnetic 518IA (845 based tube) , have had it for 3 years, excelent build quality and sound. If you need info about the compaby or product contact the US distributor, Jeff Halpern, through the email below
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