How are the Line Magnetic integrated amps
 

Has any 1 heard the LM Integrated Amps I heard they sound good with Devore
Fidelity Speakers. How would u compare them to similar priced amps like Prima Luna Amps? Pitch Perfect sells them so they must be good in their respective price range i like the the 218 that uses 845 tubes:music:

I had been contemplating purchasing a Shindo amp and preamp but could never get past the pricing needed to do so. After hearing that these new LM amps are the "poor mans Shindo" I started to gather more info. about them. Whether the above is true I cannot say. There isn't much info. on the web about these amps but what I did find was very positive.

I bought the LM218 about three months ago and have approx. 300 hours on it so I imagine its burned/broken in by now. Prior to the LM218 I had a 35w EL34 based integrated that I've been told was a bit more linear sounding than the Prima Luna amps. The LM is a bolder sound. It has a heartier, richer, more musical sound with that great midrange magic that tubes can bring out in music. I listen to primarily jazz and the LM218 is amazing with it. You get all the nuances you could ask for. The breath before the singer begins, the fingers on the strings of an upright bass, whether the drummer is using sticks or brushes... It is equally at home with other types of music as well. Just remember that while it has a wonderful organic sound it won't give you that tight, controlled bass that you would get from a solid state amp.

This amp is a beast for its' size. It weighs roughly 80lbs. It comes with 6v6 driver tubes that can be switched out to include 6L6, EL34, KT88, 6550, etc... depending on the sound you're looking for. They have a retro grey styling that is quite pleasing in person. It also has a built-in bias feature that allows you to bias each individual tube, except the small signal tubes, which is a bonus in my book. The LM amps are also point-to-point wired, but I haven't opened mine up to verify this. Another nice feature that it has is a 30 second delay to allow the tubes to gradually warm up increasing tube life. The amp is small space heater though, so be prepared to dress appropriately when listening! :D

This amp plays very well with Devore speakers. I'm using it with a pair of Devore Super 8's and its' 22 watts drives them with ease. The Super 8 is the perfect size speaker for my room which is approx. 12x20. It's not too big to overpower the space but gives me enough low frequency response to satisfy my needs. The bass is controlled and precise without sounding bloated and boomy. My previous speakers were Salk SongTowers. The Devore's aren't as forward sounding and have just a bit of warmth to them. The pairing is very satisfying to my ears.

I've been very happy with this amp. It gives me exactly what I've been looking for in terms of ease of use, which is good for my wife!, styling, and most importantly the musical pleasure it gives me. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one of these amps to anyone.

http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/s...5/DSC_0631.jpg

Bakerman
Thanks you for your comments it makes want the LM218 & devore speakers more, very insightful comments you made, you gave a very good idea of how the amps sound thanks

JSimberg, glad I could be of help. Good luck! Where are you located?

Doug...very cool! I know john has used the Line Magnetic amps a bunch of times recently at shows. What are you using for sources? Thx

Cyril, I really like the Line Magnetic amp. It's a quality built piece with great sound and ease of use. Made in China but not a mass produced item.

I'm using a Mac Mini w/Pure Music for now but I've been trying out Audirvana Plus for the past few days. We'll see about making a switch as I listen more. I run it through a Wyred DAC2 but may be trading that in for a Wavelength Brick DAC in the near future.

I like that John uses many different amps to drive his speakers. I'm sold on his brand as well. Very natural sounding speakers with a superb build quality also. I believe the Guys at Box Furniture Co. make the cabinets for him.

Doug...I am a big fan of John's work. I liked the Super 8, the Nines, and Silverback a lot. I am interested in hearing the new Gibbon X speakers he is coming out with (I believe $11K). And yes, the folks at Box Furniture are his cabinet makers and I believe they share manufacturing space in Brooklyn :thumbsup:

Interesting that you are going from the Wyred DAC2 to the Wavelength Brick. What's prompting the switch?

Colorado now but I'm moving to Alaska in Oct. hopefully

Well then, you should pick up one of these to keep you warm on that frigid Alaskan Frontier! :D

Cyril, the dealer I bought the Super 8's from got in the new 88's and said they are a nice step up from them. I would imagine the X's will be the same. From photos I've seen they look like they will be quite a full range speaker. I'm very interested in the Orangutan models but they are a little too far out of my price range right now.

I've had the Wyred DAC for a few years now. It has great data retrieval, and the sound is top notch. I've tried a few different DAC's in my system and so far nothing has been a huge improvement from it. I'm very happy with it but I guess I'm just looking to move on and try something else.