Lamm LP2 Deluxe vs. Manley Steelhead

I can't comment on the Manley, but I've owned the Lamm for almost a year now and find it to be as quiet, neutral, dynamic and natural a phono stage as I could ever imagine. I'm going to be comparing it to the phono stage in my newly acquired Jadis JP200MC shortly (I needed a longer phono cable than I had) to see if it can be topped by that unit (I'm kind of hoping it can be, I could use the shelf space and the extra money for my new kitchen), but I'd be surprised if it can be bettered in my system. Both of these pieces you're interested in are reputedly superb, and I can attest that Fremer's description of the Lamm's sound is pretty accurate, but I've will add that I've been seriously impressed by the Lamm's engineering and sonic quality.

I have had both and can say they are both excellent. I do prefer the Manley for a number of reasons. It is a much more flexible phono stage from the stand point of adjustability. It also has the ability to run direct and bypass an additional preamp and additional interconnects and power cords.

Sonically, the Manley was a home run in my system. It had greater dynamics with as low a noise floor as the Lamm, but appeared more neutral out of the two. The Manley has 2 6922 tubes which should be rolled and will make a HUGE difference. They also use 4 - 7044's which can be replaced by 6900's or 5687's. All will take this phono stage to an entirely different level.

The Lamm is wonderful sounding, but in an inefficient system with low output carts, you may not be entirely pleased. It is rich in harmonics and timbre, but not as resolute as the Steelhead.

As far as cartridges go, without any doubt, you should pick up a van den Hul Colibri 0.85 mv from the user "Colibri". They are remarkable when it comes to speed, dynamics and musicality. If you want to go with a really low output cart, another contender is the Audio Tekne at 0.01 mv.

I am a proud dealer for Manley and Audio Tekne. I am also a fan of Lamm and van den Hul.

Rvlardon, i've not 'yet' had the chance to compare my much-loved Lamm LP2 Delux with the Manley but hope to soon. like Rcprince, i have a hard time imagining a better phono stage than the Lamm......but i also agree with jtinn that the Manley is more flexible and less probematic with low-output cartridges and inefficient systems.

i also agree with Fremer's comments....you might also read Dick Olsher's comments on www.enjoythemusic.com regarding the Lamm.

the Lamm is very quiet and highly resolving.....but always natural and un-mechanical......it has worked flawlessly for 10 months now and is the real deal. i think there is something to be said for the simple design and non-adjustability of the Lamm.....in a phono stage everything matters a great deal and Lamm does not compromise to attain adjustability.

i also highly recommend the Colibri XCP 8.5 cartridge as absolutely stunning with the Lamm. it has bettered all comers in my system (i am also enjoying the Colibri XWG 6.5).

I can't do a comparison, but I've used the Lamm for more than a year and love it. I use it with a Koetsu Rosewood Signature, which is a pretty low output cartridge, and it has been fine. One point, which might be of interest: even with sources that have more than enough output, I find that increasing the input gain on the line preamp can sometimes have a startling effect on dynamics. If you increase the input gain on my Synergy IIi and decrease the master output volume, it sometimes makes a noticeable improvement on certain inputs, and the LP2 was one of them. Of course, it helps a lot if you have individual gain settings for each input. Also, it could be that it is the line preamp which is working better with the gain increase, but that's another question.

I think the mechanical sound referred to is a result of the Sovtek 6922s in the Manley--I've retubed mine and found it to be absolutely stunning. Though I should say it was a winner out of the box.
I'm tired of phono stages like the Lamm that are a pain to deal with as far as cartridge loading issues. Fine-tuning the adjustability is a real plus on the Manley.