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LAMM M1.2 - Feedback - Advice - Please - anyone heard these?

Folks - anyone that can share anything about LAMM or specifically the M1.2 would be greatly appreciated. 
Looking for thoughts on these or LAMM in general. I have never owner this brand and want some advise / feedback and to learn more from actual people / other members.
To provide this you

DON’T NEED TO READ ANY FUTHER.

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If you want to know why and what my thinking then please read on.

Thanks so much for anything you can share. 
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So here’s what I am up against. 
I want / need that tube goodness in my sound but must also have that SS grip, bass control, transparency and image precision.


Have been looking and trying for the right amp and/or Pre combo mix.
SS alone doesn’t get me there - need that tubeness that only tubes can offer but I only want a little or just enough of that tube goodness.

What I also need just as much or even more is that SS transparency and their hold and tightness and precision. My speakers are not hard to drive but still tube amps are too loose - too wide and soft. Not enough specificity and SS is missing something as well. That natural, real closeness only tubes offer. I need the right blend. 
If I was to guess the sound would be say 83% SS and 17% tubes. Transparency, grip, precision and control is so important to me but then bathed in just the right amount of enough tubeness to just hit the nail right on the head. Yes it’s a tough and picky ask. 

The tube sounding SS gear Pass and Soulution doesn’t get me there. 
SS amps and Tube preamp have not got me there. Each time I tried a different combo I ended up liking my DAC direct over the tube preamp and that of course was not getting me. 
My speakers are pretty easy to drive Focal Sopra 2. I love these. They are bright, tight and raw. Their brightness needs to be tamed with a musical and warmish sounding source and warmish sounding sounding amp/Pre combo. 
My source is a Bricasti M1SE DAC / built in Roon End Point Ethernet Streamer and Preamp all in one. I love the Sopra 2 because they act like monitors with bass. They have the transparency and precision like a monitor. I liked better then Sopra 3 that is more like an excellent floorstander then imitating a monitor with bass. I like Sopra 2 better then my former Magico S5 MKII I had before also. I’ve learned over time what I like and what is most important to me. Extension, speed, transparency, image and sound precision and I don’t need all world bass slam but enough decent bass to do the music justice. Monitor can’t do this without subs but I also need coherence which is so important to the precision and transparency. That is why subs don’t work for me and Sopra 3 or S5 MKII didn’t work also. The Sopra 2 is a monitor lovers dream with monitor like everything but better dynamics and bass but I regress.  With all of this said I’m thinking maybe this LAMM M1.2 can pull off what I’m hoping for and if anyone has any info or similar situation would love some advise, feedback or comments. 
Thanks for the time and help !!!!! 
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fsmithjack OP
712 posts
 
Rsf507 - I lucked out and sourced a domestic one. I’m psyched. 
Ok Cables... I think I’m decent for now but I’ll end up probably messing around with those down the road a bit.

I have Nordost Frey 2 SC’s 4m, Nordost Frey 2 XLR IC 1m, I power my Ypsilon Phaethon with an Audience AU23se HP AC Cable and I power my Bricasti M1SE with an Echole Obsession AC Cable. I use Ghent DC cables (oyaide/canare) out from my Linear Power Supplies which are 2 rails from my Uptone Audio JS-2 and 4 rails from my Wyred 4 Sound PS-1 and I use Audioquest Vodka, Cinnamon and Cardas Clear Ethernet cables. I use an Opogee Wyde Eye BNC Clock cable from Uptone Audio EtherRegen and my After Dark OCXO - Queen Square Wave - External Master Clock. For my Linear Power Supplies I use a good build quality cable but those don’t call for anything extravagant so I use ZU Audio Event MKI for my LPS and ancillaries. This covers my cableage. 
inna
7,136 posts
 
This looks good.
thieliste's avatar
thieliste
816 posts
 

Hi guys, do you think pairing Lamm M1.2s with a VAC Master linestage would sound great on my Thiel CS 3.7s or are there any better amps today for my pretty difficult speakers ?

I plan on bying used therfore Vitus SM-103 monos could also be considered.

mitch2
3,706 posts
 

From Stereophile:

The Thiel CS3.7's voltage sensitivity is specified as 90dB/2.83V/m. My B-weighted estimate on its tweeter axis, assessed with DRA Labs' MLSSA system, was slightly above that figure, at 90.7dB(B)/2.83V/m. This may well have been affected by the Thiel's frequency response (see below). The sensitivity is usefully higher than average, which is a good thing considering that the CS3.7's impedance remains between 2 and 3 ohms over much of the audioband (fig.1), and that there is a demanding combination of 3.8 ohms and –40° capacitive phase angle at 60Hz. Thiel specifies the impedance being nominally 4 ohms, with a minimum of 2.8 ohms. I actually found the minimum impedance to be 2.4 ohms at 125Hz. The difference between 2.8 and 2.4 ohms is academic, either mandating use of an amplifier that has no problem delivering high currents.

Depending on which impedance setting you use on the M1.2 (I found the low impedance setting to sound the best) your maximum output current at 4 ohms will only be between about 7-10 amps. 

Comparatively, my Aerial speakers have a similarly difficult impedance between 3-4 ohms (however, with a lower sensitivity of 86 dB at 2.83 Vrms and 1.0 meter on axis), and while the M1.2 reference amplifiers sounded good on those speakers, they ran out of steam too early.   One thing I liked about the M1.2s is that I could essentially hear no strain right up to the point when they simply fell off the cliff and would not play louder, or more dynamic.  I could have lived with them and been perfectly happy 90 percent of the time but instead I found that moving to a pair of very powerful (650wpc @ 8 ohms) monoblocks with bipolar output transistors provided much better control and overall sound with my speakers.  

Regarding the sound, I am not convinced the hybrid design provides any more of a "tube-like sound" than would having a tubed preamp and SS power amp.  I owned both the M1.2 Reference amps you are looking at and the older M1.1s and, while they displayed a nice organic, musical sound in my systems, there were other (solid-state) amplifiers I liked better.  If you want a tubed sound, I suggest getting a tubed amplifier but you would need a pretty big one.  Other opinions may vary.

thieliste's avatar
thieliste
816 posts
 

That's right @mitch2 i want more tube goodness in my system.

I don't know if a tube pre paired with a SS amps would be to my liking.

I have to admit that i'm pretty tired and bored of the non musicality of most SS.

In a week i'm demoing one last SS piece the Apurna Plelude and after that it will be a Jadis DA88S integrated.

Looking forward to the Jadis demo, i have a feeling it will sound great on 3.7s.

If Jadis sounds awsome i will start looking for Jadis monos.

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