What preamp for Lamm M1.2 ?

Ethannnn,

Did you have a chance to compare the L2 to the cheaper LL2 Deluxe ? I know that the LL2 is much cheaper, but it is also an all tube design and as such it appeals to me more than the L2 which is a hybrid.

From your description, both LL2 and L2 sound very tempting ... if only they were equipped with a remote :-(

CJ ACT 2 also sounds like a good idea. The CJ 350SA, which is a natural partner for ACT2, has 35dB of gain - 3dB more than my Lamms - so there is a chance that it will work with Lamms too.

Kurt,

I'm thinking about getting a linestage simply 'cos AA sounds better through a GOOD pre with its onboard attenuation set to 0dB than direct. Besides, I was thinking of upgrading a CDP too, and not having a linestage limits my future choice quite considerably.

But now my plan of getting ARC Ref 3 and ARC CD7 just fell apart.

Well, getting the CD7 is just one of the options I'm considering. The other option I seriously consider is Reimyo CDP777 and EMM DCC2/CDSD. In both cases I will need a preamp though.

Kurt,

Beeing 29, I unfortunately missed the great vinyl era. Since I remember, CDs were with me. As a resoult I do not have a single LP. On the other hand, I have over 800 CDs. I think it is too late for me to start assembling a vinyl collection, not to mention spending big $$$ on a vinyl rig.

Thom_y,

I am aware of the fact, that the DCC2 has an inbuild preamp. The problem with DCC2 (or AA Capitole for that matter) is that it sounds much better through an external preamp (preferebly tubed one) than direct. That was my experience, anyway.

So I would like to get a preamp first, and then look into the Meitner combo again.

Cytocycle,

Thanks for the sugestion. A close friend of mine has the Jeff Synergy II, so I think I will borrow it from him for a couple of days and listen for myself.

Glai -> I was considering CAT amps too ... to be honest, JL-2 Sig was on top of my wish list for quite a while. I think it still is one of the best, maybe even better than the Lamms I got, but it is a tubed design and as such generates A LOT of heat. It may create a serious problem where I live in the summer months, so I eventually went hybrid.

I belive he ment LL2 Deluxe, not L2.