VAC and LAMM

I have two favorite high powered amplifiers, and you've just mentioned
both of the manufacturers of them.

(Note: Due to the speakers that my friends and I use, we have only
auditioned high powered amplifiers, (100+ wpc). The SET amps have not
been auditioned by us, as we can not use them, as our speakers are not
efficient enough.)

For solid state, (hybrid actually), I like the 220 wpc Lamm M2.2
monoblock amplifiers. They are very powerful, and yet can retrieve even
the most delicate sounds. They have excellent bass response, (deep,
tight and quick), and I have not heard an amp this refined that has bass
response like this. The treble response is both well extended and quite
refined. The mid-range is quite nice, and has an organic sound, that a
true solid state amplifier can not quite match. (FYI: Due to the one 6922
tube in each monoblock, they can be tailored to each person's taste - my
friend uses Amperex pinched waist 6922's in his). This was my absolute
lone favorite high powered amplifier, until I heard the VAC Phi 300.1
stereo amp.

The fully tubed 150 wpc VAC Phi 300.1 stereo amp, while not quite
matching up with the Lamm in terms of both deep bass response and
quickness, (i.e. piano strikes are slightly faster on the Lamm), is better in
both the mid-range and the treble response. The mid-range has that
mid-range magic that only tubes seem to provide. Vocals are just
incredible with the VAC! The treble response is even more refined than
the Lamm is, (which I thought was impossible, as the Lamm had beaten
all comers up until the VAC came along).

IMHO, for high powered amplifiers, you can do no better than these two.
They have their differences, (albeit subtle ones), but for my money, they
are the best of the best!

Hello Inna,

Yes, Lamm makes a push-pull 90 wpc tube amp. However, I have never heard it. It seems somewhat rare, as most people either go for the 18 wpc SET tube amp, or the 110 wpc full Class "A" hybrid M1.2 reference, when choosing lower powered Lamm amps.

(The M1.2 is quite good too, and sonically, slightly better than the M2.2 I previously mentioned. The only problem being that it is only 110 wpc. And being full Class "A", it gets pretty hot, whereas the M2.2, being merely heavily biased into Class "A", (for the first 41 wpc), is merely very warm.)

FYI, one thing I forgot to mention is that the VAC Phi 300.1 amp does run hot. (It will raise the temperature of the room by several degrees, whereas the M2.2 will only raise it a few degrees. And, I should also point out that in speaking to another Audiogon member who uses the 300.1, that they can be bridged, and he uses two of them that way, as 300 wpc monoblocks, which he says completely eliminates the minor lack of bass response. Of course the cost then doubles, which puts them way above the cost of the Lamms.)

PS Another friend at one point owned the 110 wpc VAC Beta integrated amp, after having owned the 200 wpc hybrid Lamm M2.1 monoblocks, (the same amps that I use, btw). He loved the sound, but unfortunately, at only 110 wpc, it was underpowered for the speakers he was using, and he has since moved on.

Good Luck in your search!