Review of Lamm M1.2 Mono Amps by TheAudioBeat.com...
 

Lamm Industries M1.2 Reference Mono Amplifiers - The Audio Beat - www.TheAudioBeat.com

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Some folks asked about tube alternatives for the M1.2. Check the sidebar: Power, isolation and tube rolling.

Great review Tima, I really enjoyed your perspectives on you going out on a limbic with your listening.

As much as I can find things of worth in reading a variety of reviewers I feel that both you and Myles are genuine standouts in the field with writings of valuable insight, depth and honesty... thanks for your contributions to the learning.

tima...great review :thumbsup: Do you have any sense how the M1.1s sound relative the M1.2s. I occasionally see M1.1s come up on Agon for $6-8K and if it gets in the ballpark to the M1.2 sound that might be an affordable way to go. I am assuming the M1.1 would be an upgrade from my Ref 110 in the areas of bass depth and articulation, tonal density, dynamic range, and overall frequency extension. Paired with a Reference ARC preamp that should be a good combo. Occasionally I see M1.2s come on used market in the $11-14K range and that would be the preferred path to go but 2X the M1.1. So just wandering if you have a sense for M1.1 relative to the M1.2. Thanks.

Wow, Tim. You are like a poet describing musical attributes and recordings. It's great to have someone of your caliber here on AA.

Tim, that was an outstanding review and superbly well written. Congrats!! :thumbsup:

+1.
And I always look out for your music choices. :thumbsup:

Dear Cyril, Randy, Carlos, Bart, Graham and reader friends - my sincere thanks to each of you for reading and for your kind words.

Graham I took advantage of your musings on non-cognitive listening and thank you for those. Cyril, thank you, I responded off-line. Bart and Carlos you have that Maazel/VPO Sibelius 1; I'd love to know your thoughts in the Classical thread.

Tima, I've been non-cognitive for so long now I almost forget that there is any other way...

Tim, I'd like to but I don't have it.
I just looked it up and it is a bit too expensive for me :tears:

Unless Ivan still has some... :scratch2:

Tim...thanks again for your response :thumbsup:

I was thinking you have it on CD in the Decca Analogue Years box!

Hi, Tim. Yes, the Sibelius SACD is outstanding. Here are my thoughts from the Classical Music thread:

Tim ,I just checked and indeed, it's there! Yippee! :banana:
Should be close to the SACD I guess...
I'll give it a spin in the next days.

I read a article about how they did the remastering for the new Mercury Living Presence box.
The May edition of 'Stereo' magazine tells about it, with an extensive interview with remastering engineer Andrew Walter.
It was a real cost no object project.
A lot of care, love and skill went into it.

They compared some of these CDs with the LP versions from Speakers Corner and they beautifully held their own.

I couldn't resist and ordered it... :D

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But I think I'm completely off topic here. Sorry.

We can continue in the Classical listening thread, though I'm not sure how talking about music on a site named Audio Aficionado could ever be off topic. ;)

Great review - thanks for pointing it. Reading the comparison of the M1.2 with a known reference, the REF250's, was very enlightening. Now all we can dream is a followup using a Lamm preamplifier.

A brief update to add to the list of tubes rolled...

Finally had a chance to try a nice pair of Siemens Halske 6922 gray shield 1965 (A0 Series) in the Lamm M1.2 Ref. Very nice definition around performers and instruments that yields excellent dimensional presence. Bass is as good (maybe a teeny wee bit better) as the top-rated Amperex 7308 '63 PQ shield. Maybe not quite the tippy top extension of that tube but close with high resolution without hardness. Ever so slightly cooler but rich harmonics that contrast as ever so slightly lighter than the lush, dense Amperex string tone. Leading edge transients are crisp with definition though maybe not as pizzicato-snap-sharp as the PQ shield though decay will last and last until the end. A wonderful tube, it wedges its way into my top 3.

GREAT REVIEW!! It makes proud to know that my investment those few years ago is still cutting edge - SOTA. In a world where the moment after you make a purchase, it becomes obsolete, my Lamm M1.2 monos and the Lamm L2 preamp is still at the top of the audio pile.

To quote a friend: "The best pursuits in life have little to do with endless ascension. Great audio systems ideally provide an emotional conduit to the transcendent beauty of music."

The Lamms are grounded on Vladimir's studies into the way we hear with the ears we have. That hasn't changed, and no amount of market churn will make it obsolete.

Hopefully you found at least some of the information you sought about pairing the M1.2 and the Wilson Alexia.

Thanks for all your info and support for this great hobby of ours. You are a treasure of knowledge and an asset to this forum.

I used to have the Lamm 1.2 till last year. I did some tube rolling in it as well and ended up with the Amperex bugle boy which was best in my modest opinion.
My lamm liked a tube that reinforces a bit the lower end.

I have yet to get into tube rolling. I'm SO in love with what the system is doing now, I'm almost afraid to fool with it. Who knows, maybe I'll make an attempt at tube rolling in the future. What did you replace the M1.2s with? What preamp did you use with the Lamms?

I suspect that is true for any tube amp. The Bugle Boy opens the door to the Amperex sound and that suits the 1.2 and 2.2 quite well.

Its hard to question satisfaction - you're in a good place! Most of us who've been at this for a while get the intellectual notion of improved sound, but it's only truly known with experience. We're lucky, the M1.2/M2.2 only have One tube each! If you haven't rolled tubes at all, much less with the M1.2, I am confident you would hear genuine improvement with the right tubes. The tube in these amps has a meaningful impact on their sound - that's why Vladimir chose to include a tube and place it where he did in the circuit.