New LFD Zero LE mkIV

Denjo. The LFD's are great bare bone integrated's (the simple box w/o extras turns off most US shoppers, but their loss), especially a used one with b/i phono stage, the used LE3 is a bargain. I owned an LF3 and had time to A/B with NCSE. Took more than a few weeks to realize the strengths of the NCSE over the LE3 such as the firm control of bass (cello, skin on drum skin, etc.) and revealing of details was better from some of my recordings, but I could have stayed happy with the LE3. P.S. the old Sam Tellig LE3 review irritated me as silly, but it did serve a purpose to make many aware of a small builder like Bews/LFD.

I wonder if the if the NCSE has more current and lower output impedance (damping) than the MKIII - might be that the MKIII works better with easy loads and operates a bit more like a tube amp might, the bass improvement would be more noticeable to users of speakers that benefit from beefier current capabilities.

How does the MKIII, and other LFD integrated stack up against other top flight integrates, tube or SS?

"If it measures good and sounds bad, it is bad. If it measures bad and sounds good, you've measured the wrong thing."

That's true, but the NCSE/MKIII might be better suited to different speakers - damping can be great with some speakers, and choke the life out of others. With my speakers the MKIII might very well be the better sounding amp, a pair of Thiels? maybe not.

I purchased the LFD Zero LE MKIV new about 3 weeks ago.

After a good three weeks of being left on, it looks like it's really come into its own. I've heard many SET amplifiers, including those based on the 45, 421A, 300B, and 2A3. I won't say the the LFD sounds like those -- but then again, every SET amplifier sounds a bit different anyway. But the LFD does sound remarkably similar.

The LFD also has a lit from within quality that I've only heard from a SET 45, a First Watt J2, and an Atma-sphere S-30.

A SET 45 has a bit more presence than the LFD but the LFD has better control. The J2 is more micro dynamically nimble, but on the other hand, the LFD has more body and not even a hint of stridency or fatigue. The S-30 is faster, but the LFD does not drink gallons of fossil fuels.

It has clarity, presence, transparency, speed, sweet and extended highs, micro and macro dynamics, great control over the low end. If I closed my eyes, the LFD would sound to me like one of the finest tube amplifiers and Class A solid state amps out there. Except it runs efficiently and cool to the touch.

My only complaint is that, like most integrated amps, it has pretty high gain -- and 38db of gain is really way over what I need. I wish there were a way to lower the gain and get back more range on the volume control. I've tried a pair of Rothwell attenuators, but it applies a coloration that I don't care for.

But that's my only complaint, and more to do with my system and not likely to be a challenge for most. It's a keeper.

Okay, I've probably said things like this before. But I really do mean it this time ... I'll write again in a few months and we'll see if I still have the same opinion then as I do now.