Quote:
Originally Posted by Breakdown7
Anyone own both the LP-3a and LP-27a? I was curious of the differences in sound quality, gain etc....
I use and LP-27a and really enjoy it with my PSE (IIPS) amp. Would the LP-3a sound quite a bit different beings it uses 6SN7's? I know the gain of the LP-27a is 12db with 27 tubes and 14db with 56's.
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BD7,
I do own both a 27a and a 3a, though my LP-3a is a 2013 vintage LP-2 modified in 2016 to the 3a circuit in 2016. As a LP-2 it was designed around the 6h1n tube, a 6dj8 variant. After the mod Dennis told me to try 6cg7s (a 6sn7 in a smaller bottle) which I did. I settled back on the 6h1n-eb Russian Rockets. My tube of choice in this pre. None of this answers your question but it does clarify that my LP-3a is not quite the same as a current production but is is the same circuit using different med mu dual triodes. It also has many thousand more hours on it than my 27a.
I have not spent much if any time doing direct a/b listening sessions. The two get swapped back and forth between office and house, PSE and KT Inspires respectively. Currently the 3a is paired with the PSE. The 3a does provide significantly more gain than the 27. I think maybe twice as much. If that is necessary or even desirable would depend on the rest of your setup and ears. Both definitely came from the same designer, obviously, but the voicing is very familiar between the two. The best Way I can relay the level of difference between the two is with an output tube analogy. Say you swapped between 6v6s and kt-77s in your inspire amp. The difference is significant but you can tell you are listening to the same Inspire amp. It's like that.
The lp-2 to lp-3a mod was a significant upgrade. Between the 27a and 3a I cannot say one is better than the other, just different... and both are simply awesome. Thank you Dennis.
I think there is a 2016 LP-3a for sale on one of the Marts for $950 BTW.
Scott