LFD NCSE Mk II Break In Period?

Hope it works out Jay. I like you have that ( indoctrinated?) audiophile fear that those extra 'filters' will destroying everything!
You can see from my system thats its the hight of the minimalist approach. No tone controls anywhere in sight!...and it does sound great.

But I'm also a frequent visiter /contributor on the Harbeth HUG forum. Where Alan Shaw really tries hard to talk some sense into us obsessive audiophiles.

I mean how much 'Purity' do we really need in our audio signals! If the end result is that on this piece of music it sounds a bit harsh or bright or too bassy when possible with a little turn of the tone knob would probably fix most of the problems we actually encounter with real world recordings and rooms with the end result being we enjoy the experience even more.... I must try it sometime!.

Luckily one of the Harbeth's (a couple are soft domed by the way) strength is that it doesn't highlight flaws on recording too much.. it is a relatively easy listening speaker.

However I still didn't (contrary to most/all opinions I accept) enjoy the LFD with them.
But then again I certainly didn't give it 200 hours playtime.
Good luck. Philip.

While I have always believed that a suffcient amount of run-in time to hear a particular component at it's best a reality, (especially when it comes to speakers) Like you, I was a bit skeptical how much audible difference it would make with this amp since it already has 100 hrs or so under it's belt, but, the 200 hrs, (minimum) isn't the first I've heard regarding the LFD so we'll see and I'll certainly post my impressions. I was a bit surprised to read that you found the same characteristic when paired with the M30s, was the LFD you were listening to new?

Yes Jay my NCSE was new and I certainly didn't give it the required?! 200 hours. Another deal breaker for me was how manual volume control had a much too restrictive useable range ( from quiet to loud was between around 7 to 8 o'clock if I remember correctly)

Interestingly and it obviously didn't put me trying the LFD I have some recollection of an rare UK HIFI plus review on an LFD int amp that commented on a particular quality ( on the cooler? side of neutral) in a particular frequency range. Can't remember exactly but maybe this is common to the range as a whole that some/most like and others/few don't?.

On paper it should have been a match made in heaven with my Harbeths and again as I mentioned before I'm very much in the minority. There are dozens of very happy LFD Harbeth users out there.. Sam Tellig at Stereophile for one.

But what I learnt the hard way is that a home audition on equipment is much the best way to go to avoid such disappointments.

Home audition is absolutely the ideal way to go, however, unfortunately often times next to impossible to arrange. The NCSE has definitely improved over the last 100 hrs although still a bit on the cool side as you referenced from the article. While this amp is demonstrating some very positive qualities, I am just hoping that within the next 100 hrs or so to hear a little less bite and a little more bloom. Stay tuned!

Any news?