VTL 5.5 vs. Lamm LL2?

Kensetsu, I hear you about the absence of balanced inputs and outputs. Prior to owning Lamm gear, I had a variety of McCormack, Ayre, Aesthetix, and other all-balanced equipment. That changed when I purchased a Tom Evans Vibe/Pulse preamp (se only) and then my single-ended Lector CDP. At least in my case, with either the Tom Evans pre into different SS amps, or with the Lamm LL2 D into Lamm monos, there is no noticable noise - only music. I have built my system around the type of sound I enjoy listening to, and the Lamm gear provides me with more musical enjoyment than anything else I have owned. In addition to the balanced issue, the most frequent complaint I read about the LL2 D, is the "hair shirt" operations requiring users to adjust two volume knobs (by hand!!!), instead of using a remote control. That has never been an issue with me since I am inclined to set the volume based on the individual CD I am playing, and also depending on who else is at home and the time of day or night. Once set, I typically listen at the same volume for the whole CD. I think less about gear and more about music that way. Personally, I am on-board with the Lamm philosophy that the music comes first. However, for others, the absence of a volume remote and/or balanced ins/outs would be a deal-breaker.

Mitch! Great response. Very logical, no nonsense, advice.

Thanks. I guess I could always put a placette in the middle of the preamp and the amp if I was that annoyed by having to get up, huh?

I have heard about some people using the Placette as you described to add a "remote volume." That would also deal with a gain issue that I didn't elaborate on in my earlier post, since it is discussed on the Lamm website. One of the changes with the newer LL2.1 is the ability to reduce the overall preamp gain via a front panel switch. This was in response to feedback that with higher level sources (CDP's) some found the gain too much and the usable range of the volume control was down near the lower end. Your Placette idea, or an overall gain reducer as made by Endler, would take care of that if it were a problem, although both would put an additional device in the signal path (as I presume the switch on the LL2.1 does). I wish the volume control on the LL2/2.1 were a stepped attenuator as on the more expensive L2 Ref, but instead on the LL2/2.1 they use a high quality potentiometer with steps (or detentions) on the control itself - not a true attenuator with discrete steps. If a true stepped attenuator with discrete steps were used, the volume control range would not be such an issue, although the control could then be designed so the steps would ramp up more slowly as done with the "CD Taper" volume control offered as an option on CAT preamps. Personally, this has never been an issue for me with regards to either finding an appropriate listening volume, or as it may affect the overall quality of the sound - it still sounds better overall than the other preamps I have tried.

Hi Mitch,

Great reply!
wondering, how does the LL2 stack up against the Tom Evans Vibe Pre-amp, or the famous Hovland HP100 pre-amp ?

Noli