Crazy? Lamm ML2/ML2.1 on Avalon Eidolon?

F1a - they are 25k EUR. That is a lot, but as I said they just BLOW AWAY my Lamms M1.2, which cost almost the same here in Europe. Those amps use some NOS ECC88 tubes and Full Music 300B tubes. Wiring is all-silver, including the silver wired output transformers. It also uses V-Cap teflon capacitors throughout.

There has been a very positive review of their player in one of the latest issues of HiFi News. I have also heard that player, but to me, this is the amp which is the star of the game.

I was to wright a separate thread about that amp, but never had the time.

As a former Eidolon owner, I must chime in with a vote for "crazy". The Avalons are pure magic if driven by the correct amp. They become rather uninvolving and ordinary if not mated to a synergistic piece in a well treated room.

IMO, those amps are relatively few. I will say that the common thread in every one of them is high current, high power. I am a total tube fanatic these days, but would not have run the Avalons with anything generating less than 300W/channel. Given that many consider the Eidolon not to be "tube friendly, I always thought they would "kick @##%" with the VTL 750s, or big ARs. (And maybe the Hybrid 300 Tenors)

Personally, I ran them with Pass 600s, with very nice results (although not spectacular). Boulder, Spectral, and a few others will provide a a special match. Most of the time you will see them mated to SS gear in reference level systems.

I would not dream of mating them to my currently owned Tenor 75s. IMO the Lamms won't be much different, and the load on the amps will likely adversely impact tube life.

Good Luck

Ad03 - Tenor 75s are OTL design - quite a different story than Lamms ML2.1.

Elberoth2:

Thanks. You're correct, as the OTL is going to have trouble with the low and non-stable impedance of Eidolon, however, the main point of my response relates to necessary output power.

The Lamm is simply not going to provide the power necessary to realize the full potential of the Eidolon compared to many other amps. I also still believe you will be taxing the Lamm, regardless of design.

Ad03 - I have just tried a 16W SET amp with my Eidolons, and it was by far the best combination I have triead. Before that I have tried a 30W SET amp based on GM30 tube - also absolutely NO problems.

So IMO it is rather a question of QUALITY not QUANTITY. I know all those stories about 200/300/600W power amps needed for Avalons. And yet, my OWN expirience says otherwise.

My theory is, that If the amp has a SOTA power supply, even 16W is enough.