VTL 5.5 vs. Lamm LL2?

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

Nolitan,
I have owned two Lithos 7 Vibes and a Lithos 6 Vibe and operated them with both the Pulse and with the standard power supplies. They all sounded very nice, although the Pulse PS kicks it up a notch with regards to dynamics and depth. The Vibe is one of three preamps I have tried that I could live with (the others being the LL2 Deluxe and the CAT Ultimate MkII). The Vibe/Pulse offers a very clear and musical presentation for a SS preamp, with the midrange being the strong suit, followed closely by the bass performance. Minor weaknesses were in the high frequencies, which were slightly dark sounding and maybe just a touch "strained" if you really crank it up, and perhaps very slightly lacking in drive compared to some of the better performers such as the CAT. The LL2 D beats it in dynamics, drive, midrange richness and texture, and high frequency purity and extension. The Lithos 7 model is an improvement over the 6, but not night and day, although having the Pulse PS is mandatory if you want the best sound from this preamp. If I were to give up tubes (probably will not) then the Lithos 7 Vibe with Pulse would be a top choice. Although just my opinion, I hope this helps.

I've had the LL2.1 in-house for several months and tried it with a variety of NOS 6DJ8 family tubes. Along with the expected gain in 'air', timbre, etc., these older tubes (Valvo 7308s, Amperex Orange Globes, Telefunkens) deliver real improvement to image specificity versus the stock tubes.

Wrt 'dark sounding' - I understand how that can be an initial characterization some folks will use, but its not the way I'd describe the LL2.1. What I hear is a slight mid-bass lift (coupled with the preamp's excellent resolution) that yields deeper tonal colors - harmonics, overtones - in the mid-bass frequencies. In lower registers there is more emphasis on the notes' fundamental - deep bass is weighty and distinct but not as tonally nuanced. Its the contrast or difference between the tonal character of the mid-bass and low bass that that may lead to the 'darker' description. It takes a certain analytical cast to hear it this way - definitely not the direction the LL2.1 leads the ear, but that's how I parse it for now.

For its cost I think its a helluva preamp.
 

Kensetsu,
Actually this particular preamp thread has been around much longer than the Audio Horizon thread. See any similarities between the two?

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1016931418&openusid&Sherod&4&5&st0