This thread is 5 years old and more or less dead. But, the LP2 was made for datas of the WE417A, it is a superior sounding tube. I bought them with a Mullard 6x4, they last a few thousand hours. The LP2 does not burn tubes (compared to other Designs).
It uses Jensen Transformers, they are better than most out there from other manufacturers, one reason why this unit sounds like the real thing (when the other parts of the System can show this).
When the stock gain is not enough for your low output cartridge, you can ask Lamm to replace them with higher gain Jensens. He will do it.
Also when you have some preferences for the Impedance of your favorite cartridge (for example 2-9 Ω ...)
A good Phonostage can't be rated on its gain only. For example, on phono stage design, a scratch or bit of dirt on the LP can send a high-amplitude high- frequency transient to the phono stage, and some phono stages will momentarily overload or run into slewing problems because of this. And when an amplification circuit overloads or slews, it usually takes some time for it to recover, which will exaggerate the audible consequences of the LP scratch. In other words, you want a phono stage with high overload margin and very good stability in the ultrasonic range (at least up to 100kHz).
Sometimes other "problems" are responsible, when the "Sound" does not meet the Phantasy of the Listener. For example, Lyra cartridges are designed on the principles of dumping mechanical energy as quickly and completely as possible into the tonearm.
If the tonearm has a good armtube structure and the bearings have been adjusted carefully for minimal play and are solid, dumping mechanical energy into the tonearm will be fine. If the tonearm doesn't have a good armtube structure or there are bearing problems, dumping mechanical energy into the tonearm will obviously cause problems.
The LP2 Performance has to be seen in combination with the Gain from the connected Preamp and the connected amps. When there is no mismatch you can use every cartridge > 0.22mV, I used a 0.25mV Miyabi without any problem for years.
It uses Jensen Transformers, they are better than most out there from other manufacturers, one reason why this unit sounds like the real thing (when the other parts of the System can show this).
When the stock gain is not enough for your low output cartridge, you can ask Lamm to replace them with higher gain Jensens. He will do it.
Also when you have some preferences for the Impedance of your favorite cartridge (for example 2-9 Ω ...)
A good Phonostage can't be rated on its gain only. For example, on phono stage design, a scratch or bit of dirt on the LP can send a high-amplitude high- frequency transient to the phono stage, and some phono stages will momentarily overload or run into slewing problems because of this. And when an amplification circuit overloads or slews, it usually takes some time for it to recover, which will exaggerate the audible consequences of the LP scratch. In other words, you want a phono stage with high overload margin and very good stability in the ultrasonic range (at least up to 100kHz).
Sometimes other "problems" are responsible, when the "Sound" does not meet the Phantasy of the Listener. For example, Lyra cartridges are designed on the principles of dumping mechanical energy as quickly and completely as possible into the tonearm.
If the tonearm has a good armtube structure and the bearings have been adjusted carefully for minimal play and are solid, dumping mechanical energy into the tonearm will be fine. If the tonearm doesn't have a good armtube structure or there are bearing problems, dumping mechanical energy into the tonearm will obviously cause problems.
The LP2 Performance has to be seen in combination with the Gain from the connected Preamp and the connected amps. When there is no mismatch you can use every cartridge > 0.22mV, I used a 0.25mV Miyabi without any problem for years.