Rich,
Note I am disclosing from the start that I have a Steelhead on the market for sale. That said, my opinion of phono stages - I had the IO Signature, the LP 2 Deluxe, the Groove, and the Steelhead at the same time for comparison and could A/B each without depending on memory or a dealer's system with which I was not familiar in order to make an opinion. I had a Lamm L2 and a Tom Evans Vibe with the Pulse power supply to use as line stages in the comparisons.
The IO had good dynamics and a tube presence that is quite enjoyable. It, however, was the noisest of the group and the most prone to RF problems. Hum was a constant battle and the more boxes it has the more prone. It lost out to the marked reduction of background noise of the others. The number of tubes to replace or to upgrade to NOS is staggering and almost doubles the price of the unit.
The Groove was clean, clean clean. It had neither tube coloration nor solid state sterility. It has a phase correctness that is not equaled by any other component I have heard except the Vibe. It had a bit of a haze over it in comparason to the Steelhead. Most are loaded improperly for most systems and the higher loaded units CANNOT be reduced to low loading in a simple manner. As I understand other components (op amps) are of a different characteristic so the boards themselves are different and need to be changed. It lost a bit of fullness and dynamic to the others. It performs best with the Vibe.
The LP 2 Deluxe was a wonderful unit with a low end that was dynamic and thrilling. It gave the music a foundation and realism that made most others sound a bit bare and anemic. It was the low end champion. It also is a fixed loading that is not optimum for many systems. It also had a bit of a haze over it in comparison to the Steelhead. It was overall a bit more congested than the Groove or the Steelhead.
Of the group I ultimately prefered the Steelhead. I found I could "tune" it to get the best from my system. It is more transparent than the others. This took some listening time to adapt to, but the others became somewhat subdued and congested in comparison. At the same time it is not thin and has excellent dynamics. It can be used as a line stage and eliminate another component and set of cables.
I could find specific records to synergize with the characteristics of each unit and make the choice more confusing (or fun).
Short answer to your original question IMO I would prefer the Lamm to the IO or the IO Signature if the Lamm is the LP 2 Deluxe version. I would probably prefer the IO Signature to the LP1. I have not had the LP1, but base my thoughts on the relative comparison of the IO and the LP 2 Deluxe.
Why, then am I selling the Steelhead? I want to try something else - it is a hobby. I have been thinking about the Boulder or Connoisseur and certainly cannot have number of units at the same time if I go with one of them. The new Groove with the beefed up power supply would be another possibility, tho little is known about it at this time.
Take this as you may from someone selling, but that was my experience. Each of the above are excellent and would make a good long term choice with many years of enjoyment. I think this entire group is a good step up from many other popular units that I have tried.
My system - Rockport Serius ll table and arm, VdH Colibri, Steelhead, Vibe, Wavelength Venus and Tenor amps, Avantgard Trio horns with bass mods driven by Krell. Cables are all Jena Labs.
Note I am disclosing from the start that I have a Steelhead on the market for sale. That said, my opinion of phono stages - I had the IO Signature, the LP 2 Deluxe, the Groove, and the Steelhead at the same time for comparison and could A/B each without depending on memory or a dealer's system with which I was not familiar in order to make an opinion. I had a Lamm L2 and a Tom Evans Vibe with the Pulse power supply to use as line stages in the comparisons.
The IO had good dynamics and a tube presence that is quite enjoyable. It, however, was the noisest of the group and the most prone to RF problems. Hum was a constant battle and the more boxes it has the more prone. It lost out to the marked reduction of background noise of the others. The number of tubes to replace or to upgrade to NOS is staggering and almost doubles the price of the unit.
The Groove was clean, clean clean. It had neither tube coloration nor solid state sterility. It has a phase correctness that is not equaled by any other component I have heard except the Vibe. It had a bit of a haze over it in comparason to the Steelhead. Most are loaded improperly for most systems and the higher loaded units CANNOT be reduced to low loading in a simple manner. As I understand other components (op amps) are of a different characteristic so the boards themselves are different and need to be changed. It lost a bit of fullness and dynamic to the others. It performs best with the Vibe.
The LP 2 Deluxe was a wonderful unit with a low end that was dynamic and thrilling. It gave the music a foundation and realism that made most others sound a bit bare and anemic. It was the low end champion. It also is a fixed loading that is not optimum for many systems. It also had a bit of a haze over it in comparison to the Steelhead. It was overall a bit more congested than the Groove or the Steelhead.
Of the group I ultimately prefered the Steelhead. I found I could "tune" it to get the best from my system. It is more transparent than the others. This took some listening time to adapt to, but the others became somewhat subdued and congested in comparison. At the same time it is not thin and has excellent dynamics. It can be used as a line stage and eliminate another component and set of cables.
I could find specific records to synergize with the characteristics of each unit and make the choice more confusing (or fun).
Short answer to your original question IMO I would prefer the Lamm to the IO or the IO Signature if the Lamm is the LP 2 Deluxe version. I would probably prefer the IO Signature to the LP1. I have not had the LP1, but base my thoughts on the relative comparison of the IO and the LP 2 Deluxe.
Why, then am I selling the Steelhead? I want to try something else - it is a hobby. I have been thinking about the Boulder or Connoisseur and certainly cannot have number of units at the same time if I go with one of them. The new Groove with the beefed up power supply would be another possibility, tho little is known about it at this time.
Take this as you may from someone selling, but that was my experience. Each of the above are excellent and would make a good long term choice with many years of enjoyment. I think this entire group is a good step up from many other popular units that I have tried.
My system - Rockport Serius ll table and arm, VdH Colibri, Steelhead, Vibe, Wavelength Venus and Tenor amps, Avantgard Trio horns with bass mods driven by Krell. Cables are all Jena Labs.