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In Reply to: Lamm ML2s just arrived. posted by paul_s on October 4, 2006 at 20:35:07:
The ML2s are, by some margin, the best piece of electronics I've owned. I have the Wright 2A3 amps, too, but relegated to my office system.
"Your liver suffers dearly now for youthful magic moments...so rock on completely with some brand new components"
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...but to me, "Pressure Chief" fell pretty flat. What's with the drum machines?!?!?!
"Your liver suffers dearly now for youthful magic moments...so rock on completely with some brand new components"
The ML2s have TONS of gain, don't they!As you know, the Wrights like a good kick in the a**, so I was surprised when I had to turn the pots on my AI M3A almost all the way down, even though its 40k Ohm output suggests automatic attenuation into the ML2. If I keep the AI I will certainly do a volume shunt, bypass all those nasty little resistors.
Is there perhaps a more synergistic match with a particular pre-amp or pre-amps (got to have pots and phono; could be potted phono alone)?
I use a Cary SLP-98 (direct coupled version)...had to turn the gain down quite a bit to find the sweet spot - have the L&R gain knobs about 1/4 of the way up. No noise issues with my 108dB Duo Omegas, once I retubed the Lamms (the 12AX7 input tube seems to be especially critical, I used Tele smooth plates but others have reported the Tele ribbed plates also slay in this application).
"Your liver suffers dearly now for youthful magic moments...so rock on completely with some brand new components"
I first thought of the 12AX7 as a likely culprit. I guessed it would be the driver in this circuit, and I know 12AX7s are prone to noise.While I imagine others can match the 6C33Cs, I have read that they are a tempermental lot, so there may well be more to matching them than a quickie on a generic tester. I just wondered how it could be that Lamm matches "his" tubes "amp-specifically", because that is what I understand him to be saying. The big difference between NOS 300Bs and 6C33Cs is that the WEs, etc., are truly rare birds, while there are literally millions of NOS 6C33Cs out there. IF Lamm charges $300/pr, then, frankly, I think he is being opportunistic, and I don't take kindly to that. Likewise with the 6N6Ps. These should be dirt cheap, "no substitutions" notwithstanding. It's like the Hunt Brothers trying to corner the silver market...
As for pre-amps, I can't see running so far onto the pots, so either I take the easy route and shunt my AI's pots or I start looking for a more suitable phono/pre. Sigh.
you're about to ungo a shift in paradigm with your tastes in gear and understanding of recorded music...enjoy the ride...
When you say, "I have Wright 2A3 amps, too", did you know that I also have Wright 2A3s (now as my 2nd amps)?Anyway, it's obvious that I have some ground issues, no phono yet, and the tubes that came with the amps are suspect, so I'll reserve judgement on the ML2s for the nonce. So far, I have to say that what they've done right puts them in another category from other amps I've heard. One thing I've not heard anyone else mention is the way the "background" is so completely natural. It's not "black", it's just the part that "isn't the music", just like live, and this is aided by transients that makes the term "fast" seem antiquated. No sound from the amps takes up more space or time than it should. Nothing is spotlit, yet everything is plainly "there".
Do you happen to know if there are any special requirements for the ML2's tubes other than gain matching the V2s (6C33Cs)? It appears that the tubes can be had at reasonable cost from sources other than Lamm, who pretty much says that only he has the key to proper tube selection.
I bought mine from Lamm, I guess they weren't exactly cheap but after being a 300B guy for years, the 6C33C seems downright reasonable. Vladimir seems quite meticulous and as you noted, the manual is adamant about precisely matching tubes. The people there are super and Vladimir was happy to take the time to chat with me about my pair of amps, even though I bought them second hand.
"Your liver suffers dearly now for youthful magic moments...so rock on completely with some brand new components"
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