LINE MAGNETIC LM-88IA upgrade to LM-150IA

[ajitmoses]

Hello All from Singapore.

 

This is my first post on this forum though I have read a lot of posts but I decided to become a member because I am on my way to starting my Tube journey and I believe this forum is the bible for tubes!

 

My setup is as follows

 

Speakers - Elac Adante AF61 (87dB/6 ohm)

SS Amplifier - Peachtree Nova 300 Integrated with Phono

TT - Rega Planar 3 with Elys 2 cartridge (Using the built in Phono)

Music Server - Elac Discovery with Tidal.

Speaker Cables - Tellirium Q Black 2

Power Cable – Shunyata Venom HC V2

Power Conditioner – AQ Niagra 1000

Music Taste – Hard Rock, Slow Rock, Acoustic Rock, Indie, Country, Smooth Jazz (Night Time) and Electronic ( House Party)

 

I started my journey with the Andrew Jones designed 99 dollar Pioneer speakers and found my way to the Elac UniFi UB5 before settling for the Adantes. At least in Singapore, I find the price to performance ratio to be excellent for the Elac range of products. I really enjoy the Elac Adante with the Peachtree Nova 300 but I have been toying with the idea to bring in a warmer Amp to sweeten the sound a bit. I got an Ifi tube buffer and that was the first time the idea of tubes struck me but I was always told that for solid state gear is what gives you the dynamics and the details and I was getting all that from my system. However the idea of Tubes were always in my mind. However time went by and I was ready(saved enough money) to upgrade my amp to chase the ultimate sound. I was evaluating the Luxman  Class A and AB flagship integrateds. My mind said Class A was not going to drive my speakers so the 509LX was kind of the ones I had my eyes on. From reviews and forum talk and dealer information, I was sure that the Luxman 509 would give the sufficient sweetness to my speakers which will give me the sound that I was chasing. I had also auditioned the Mcintosh MC252 with the Elac Adantes. I honestly had a lot of expectations from that pairing but it let me down. The MC252 just could not tame my bass and it was all over the place.

 

I then started reading about tube amps and I felt that instead of buying another solid state, why don’t I keep the peachtree as my SS driver and then look for a tube driver. I can divide duties between them. I also use my speakers as fronts for my tv so the peachtree can handle that and when I want to just listen to music, I can fire up the tubes. Line Magnetic is a well known brand in Singapore and I have dealt with the dealer before as he also deals with Mytek and I have had the Mytek Brooklyn in the past.

 

805IA vs 150IA

 

I have read every article about these amps in forums and reviews alike and I have narrowed down my choice to these two. 805IA seems to be a very popular choice and 150IA seems to be a powerful beast. Since both cost the same, cost is not a deciding factor. I have an audition in a few days but I cannot take my Adante to the dealer nor can the dealer bring the amps to my house due to the weight!  So I am going to take my Elac UniFi UB5  85db@4 ohms )book shelves to audition because I feel that they are the starting point of development for the Adantes.

 

I have written to a few LM dealers across the world and they have been super helpful but the opinion has been mixed. Some suggest the 150iA as it will be a better match for my speakers and future speakers since they can drive almost anything. Some was eloquent about the 805ia and that it is just magical and has enough power for my speakers. My dealer also has the ATC SM40 and he says that the 805 can easily drive them to decent sound levels without losing out on bass control.

 

What do you think?

 

Can current owners or tube gurus suggest based on my above description which amp would be a better match? I sit at about 9 feet from my speakers and I will not listen to them above 80 db loudness. My room size is a rectangular open plan about 16x12 will be the listening area. Do I need the 100 watts? Or will the SET amp do the job?

 

Thank you so much.

:)

[HiFi1624705803]

it is quite difficult to advise you as you have been a solid state user and tube amplification is a different ball game in terms of lushness, spatial layering, second harmonics and tonal charateristics.  As a conventional guide, a tube preamp partners a solid state power amp.  You will get the warmest of the tube and the speed of the solid state.  Reviews and recommendations are subjective based on individual preferences. I would suggest you go listen with an open mind, nevermind the speakers; tube pre + ss power, vice versa and full tube pre + power. Bring the source music that you are very familar with for a listening test rather doing piece meal upgrade. Your current interconnects play a part too. Home trial is best if possible as this is your listening environment that you are most familar. Tube power amp are usually high current and don't be fool by the low wattage sometimes as it can drive difficult load. But if you are into classicals, then a 18-tube at 100W/ch jadis defy 7 that i have will be a wonderful surprise. As for the bass, it often is the treatment of the listening area too.

 

I hope this is helpful.

[ajitmoses]

Thank you so much. I actually spoke to Robert Lai from Live Accoustics and he was very honest. I had two major issues which I did not consider since I have very limited idea about Tubes.

 

1) Space - My SS amp is on a rack below my wall mounted TV. I was thinking that I will keep the tube amp in the same spot but I  realised that the Tube Amp is very large and which means I will have to lift my TV considerably higher which will ruin the TV viewing experience.

 

2) Heat - I had no idea that the tube amp that I was short listing produces a really high amount of heat (which I later realised is very common with most tube amps). If I was able to place the amp in a safe place, I would not be bothered about the heat. But since I also have a toddler at home, many have strongly advised me against having a Tube amp which can harm if a child accidentally touches it. I can be very very careful but I did not want even .01% chance of some harm. So I have parked my Tube Amp idea :-(

[hanks9800]

It's also depending on the types of music u are listening. Tube amp gives a warm sound and more suited for vocal. Most tube amps come with a metal cage to prevent children touching on the hot tubes. U also need to warm up the tube amp for about 30 mins before any serious listening.

[blue_starfish]

What is the highest that you stretch your integrated amp budget to?

 

There are good SS and hybrid integrateds out there that can churn out a strong 100W or more of power. But the cost will not be small change. 

 

Looking at the speaker specs, capability of your Elac, your taste in music. My guess is that you will need to spend as a minimum, roughly the same for the amp, as you did on the speaker. 

 

[blue_starfish]

One more thing to add. If you require an on-board phono, it will limit your choices. If you are prepared to get an external phono like those from Rega/MoFi/Lehmann/Whest/Gram Slee/Project/Clearaudio, you will free yourself from the phono constraint.

[Saycheese78]

Do not put tube amp on a metal surface. Imagine u accidentally touch the metal table. Good luck

[ajitmoses]

It's also depending on the types of music u are listening. Tube amp gives a warm sound and more suited for vocal. Most tube amps come with a metal cage to prevent children touching on the hot tubes. U also need to warm up the tube amp for about 30 mins before any serious listening.

 

Thanks Hanks! I have heard a lot about the tube sound and I wanted to experience it myself. Yes I surely was planning on using the metal cage but I was advised that the 805 tubes even with the cage will be very hot and also my TV being near the amp was an issue.

 

What is the highest that you stretch your integrated amp budget to?

 

There are good SS and hybrid integrateds out there that can churn out a strong 100W or more of power. But the cost will not be small change. 

 

Looking at the speaker specs, capability of your Elac, your taste in music. My guess is that you will need to spend as a minimum, roughly the same for the amp, as you did on the speaker. 

 

 

I had a budget of 5k for a tube setup including Phono and Cables. I already spent about 5k for digital setup for the solid state amp and music streamer. I intend to have a solid state and a tube setup.

 

One more thing to add. If you require an on-board phono, it will limit your choices. If you are prepared to get an external phono like those from Rega/MoFi/Lehmann/Whest/Gram Slee/Project/Clearaudio, you will free yourself from the phono constraint.

 

I have a built in phono in my SS but I will surely need a separate phono. I was thinking of a Rega since I use a Rega TT.

 

Can anyone advise if EL34 tubes would be better from a heat perspective?

[ajitmoses]

So today I audition the LM88IA and the LM805IA. I carried my old pair of Elac UniFi UB5 so that I use something that I am familiar with.

 

We started with the LM805IA - It was my first ever tube experience and what I heard from these 500 dollar speakers were something special. I was able to relate to things that was described in reviews and forums. The treble sparkled and the mid range was so good that you could think that the sound was live. The only area where I felt the 805IA didnt do very well was probably the bass. I felt that it was a little wobbly for the lack of a better word. You could say that it was not tight compared to my peachtree nova 300 since I cant compare it with anything else. I would think that it could be due to the fact that my speaker was 85db@4 ohms. When I raised this point with the dealer, he mentioned that the 805IA will work best with something in the 89db and above. I will take his word for that since I could not verify that. The 805IA tubes are big and get hot. I surely could not consider it given my curre

 

We then moved to the 88IA because that was what I thought would work well for me. We started in the ultra linear mode. We played the same tracks that we played on the 805IA. My first reaction was that this doesnt sound like tube. It sounded like a good solid state. It did most of the things right but that mid range magic was missing. Then we switched the Triode mode and then the sound changed quite a bit. The lushness was back and it sounded a lot creamier like the 805IA but the bass was well controlled. I still think that if matched with the right speaker, the 805IA would be the better sound for me if I had the room and a rack that was child proof.

 

The 88IA is cheaper, the all rounder and works well with harder to drive speakers. Both the amps played loud enough. The volume was at about 9 o clock and plenty of room to move up so I dont think that it would be an issue for most rooms. I think the 88IA is a great way to get into tubes, get a slice of the SET magic and friendlier option for those with kids and pets. I have paid for the 88IA. The dealer will be upgrading amp and delivery will happen in 10 days.

 

Thanks everyone for your guidance. I appreciate it. Enjoy the music. Cheers

[Eric Teh]

I am glad you found what you are looking for.

 

The two designs you looked at, are very different with a high powered SET (single-ended triode) and a push-pull tetrode amp. The limited damping factor from the SET will have an effect on the bass as you have found out.

 

Heat wise, some large tubes like the 805 / 845 put out a lot of heat. The KT88 runs cooler in comparison.

 

SET amps sound best with sympathetic loads. Try them with high-efficiency speakers and your concerns on the bass control will be addressed. For your current speaker though, I think you are definitely going in the right direction.

[Saycheese78]

Anyone listening to the 805, 219 in non air con roo.m in SG?

[ajitmoses]

I am glad you found what you are looking for.

 

The two designs you looked at, are very different with a high powered SET (single-ended triode) and a push-pull tetrode amp. The limited damping factor from the SET will have an effect on the bass as you have found out.

 

Heat wise, some large tubes like the 805 / 845 put out a lot of heat. The KT88 runs cooler in comparison.

 

SET amps sound best with sympathetic loads. Try them with high-efficiency speakers and your concerns on the bass control will be addressed. For your current speaker though, I think you are definitely going in the right direction.

 

Thanks watchdog. I surely will consider a SET and Horn setup down the line. I wish Klipsch Heritage had a dealer in Singapore.

[ajitmoses]

Anyone listening to the 805, 219 in non air con roo.m in SG?

 

From my experience with while auditioning the 805, I do not think AC would be necessary. The tubes get very hot but the heat also gets dissipated quickly. However it is very important that there is a lot of space around your amp. Placement is important for good ventilation. I decided against the 805 even thought it only slightly more expensive than the 88IA. If you have a safe space to keep these big tubes, you will be well rewarded.

[ajitmoses]

Thanks to all the advice. I had decided on the LM88IA.

 

So my amp was delivered in all its shining piano black glory ( it is also a dust magnet) last week. The dealer personally delivered the amp and he gave me a 15 min dos and donts.

 

This tube amp has 0, 4, 8 and 16 ohm. I was educated that the black speaker wire goes into the 0 ohm (ground) tap and then the red wire goes into a tap of your choice. I put into the 4 ohm tap because my speaker Elac Adante AF 61 was rated for 6 ohms. I am yet to experiment with other taps.

 

The sound out of the box was not what I had in mind. I was not very concerned either because in the few years that I have had a decent system, I knew that things need to settle down. The dealer told me that he had about 5 hours of running he did on the amp since he had made some upgrades as well. He told me that it would take 50 hours for things to settle down. The first track I played right after the 30 second blinker stopped was from Tidal and it was Down in the Hole by John Cambell and while the vocal was very raw. This was right after the amp was turned on. My wife who has a sensitive ear also told me that it was very raw and she described it like the singer was practising instead of performing. The bass was also wobbly. Within an hour, I felt that the sound was improving in the mid range. The highs were still quite sharp in some tracks but the signature of the treble was more crisp than bright. I never felt that this could be a bright amp and I was right. I played all sorts of tracks. I tried some infected mushroom and I dont think this amp had any issues with mid bass. One of the things that I noticed was on the strings. The strings for the lack of a better word felt real. The decay was longer..not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but to my ears it was nice.

 

After about 3 hours of listening, it was quite late in the night and I had the entire space for myself and I tried some Sinatra and it was very nice. I have no doubts that the amp will shine in the mid range, I need to find out how they settle down in the upper and lower registers.

 

Update at 25 Hours

 

The mid range has improved quite a bit. The vocals are sounding more natural and airy. The bass seems fine to my ears. I dont see them lacking compared to the solid state. Slow music sounds very good in Triode mode. I have been using Ultra linear for Rock music. when playing Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, the cymbals sounds are edgy/grainy. I noticed the same when there is a distorted electric guitar. The dealer and I have been exchanging notes and his advise is that I need to run it in for a longer time to see if this goes away. I read that capacitors that need to break in and Mundorf capacitors take longer to settle than usual.

 

I also experimented with the taps and I feel that the 8 ohm tap seems to be an easier listen. The bias on 1 tube is slightly off so Ive just ordered a screw driver that is small enough to get through the bias adjustment slot.

 

Input stage: 2x 6CL8A (Mullard) et 2x 12BH7 (Electro Harmonix)

Power stage: 4x KT88 (JJ)

 

I am not able to find much information about the 6CL8A tubes on the internet. Are these the tubes that are responsible for the sound signature? If I were to sweeten the treble, is this the one that should be rolled? I am going to probably get about 200 hours before I think about tube rolling but Ive been trying to understand what tubes do what and what happens when you roll any of them.

 

Hope to hear from LM users and other Tube users.

 

Thanks again.

[Eric Teh]

The 6CL8A tube is rarely used in audio applications. All of the tubes have an effect on the sound signature, although I am guessing that the 6CL8A and to a lesser extent the 12BH7 could be changed. The amp is still breaking in and I would leave all these tubes alone until you understand the amp better.

 

I would also resist the urge to keep fiddling with the bias unless your readings are very far off. The bias will continue to drift as the tubes burn-in. Excessive bias fiddling will wear out your bias pots. Once your tubes are run-in, you should not need to adjust bias except to check every few months to make sure everything is good.

 

Your Furutech Nano power cable and the choice of upgraded parts in this amp are already tuned towards a sweet midrange and gentle top-end. Mullard tubes are also midrange centric and warm. Once the amplifier is run-in, I would look towards using a better 12BH7 tube and possibly other KT88 tubes such as the Genalex reissues or the Shuguang Treasure.

[ajitmoses]

Thanks a lot Watch Dog. That is reassuring. The tubes come as stock on the LM88IA. I will update once I do about 50 hours.

[ajitmoses]

Update at 50 hours:

 

I am happy to share that the top end grain which was annoying me seems to have gone away. I am not sure which tube was the grainy one but the burn in seems to have made it go away. I am still not listening to it critically but I get the feeling that I can extract good sound from the amp. The speaker positioning needs to be re done for sure. The bass delivery is different to that of my Peachtree Nova 300 amp. The peachtree had a better grip on bass heavy tracks. I am referring to the lows and not the mid bass. I feel the mid bass is not affected at all but the bass does feel a little slower but I would not call it as a weakness..just a different presentation.

 

I changed the polarity of the speakers at the speaker end and to my ears, it seemed to have improved the SQ. Not night and day but surely few things are slightly clearer. It could be a placebo but I will keep experimenting since it causes no harm. The amp has good extension in the mids and highs. Good recordings sound good. Bad recordings sound horrible. The peachtree did not extend as much so rounded highs helps with poor recordings ( lots of 70s rock on tidal is not the best of recordings). My elac Adantes are extremely revealing speakers and very unforgiving on bad recordings with this amp. I have to live with it as a wise man said "In a high fidelity setup, garbage in is garbage out".

 

The amp for these speakers work best when I listen to them at about 70 to 75 db. Music loses its vitality at lower volumes. The amp shines with vocals and less instruments. Strings sound great especially acoustic guitars with vocals. I feel when there is a lot of instruments, the amp is not necessarily able to hold all of it together. Noticed only on some complex symphony. This again could be due to my speaker being harder to drive in general. I am yet to do any critical listening. I will give it about 200 hours.

 

I am yet to try Vinyl on them yet I am waiting form my Tellurium Q Black II phono cables to reach me. Bought from Ray of Rain Drop audio.

 

Big thanks to @watchdog who helped with troubleshooting and knowledge sharing.

 

I will update post the 200 hour mark. On a separate note, who are the reliable dealers for buying tubes? Local or Online? Can I also know what pre amp tubes that you recommend for rolling. From what I have read, RCA Black Plates NOS  are quite popular and are in line with my preference in sound signature. I like a romantic sound with decent amount of detail. Rich/Dark/Warm are terms that work well with this speaker. Ideally should also work if I were to have a separate horn loaded speaker (think heresy/forte) down the line. I do not want to change the KT88 right now since I guess they have a shorter life and will need a change sooner than preamp tubes.

 

Thanks

 

[Eric Teh]

Here is a quick list from the top of my head with some commentary :-

 

Local Shops

1. Well Audio Lab, Burlington. Best source for NOS / used vintage tubes. Good selection of new tubes too

2. Martin Electronics, Burlington. Auntie Martin seems to have very little NOS tubes left. Small selection of new tubes

3. Larry Hi-Fi. Never tried them but I believe that they have a small range of tubes too.

4. Live Acoustics. Robert Lai brings in a small selection of tubes, mostly to compliment his Line Magnetic amps. Seems to be concentrated more on directly heated tubes.

 

Overseas

1. Jim Mcshane. Fantastic guy and very reputable. I've exchanged e-mails with him before and he is a true gentleman.

2. Brent Jesse. Formidable range of tubes, at a premium. Very knowledgeable too.

3. Parts Connexion. Decent range of new tubes, but with very little NOS stock. Has good deals once in a while.

 

E-bay ? Luck of the draw. I've got both very good tubes and absolute rubbish. My recommendation is not to buy tubes off E-bay unless you are very experienced and have your own tube tester to verify the seller's claims. DISCLAIMER - I trade in tubes as a hobby. 

[Saycheese78]

Any thanks for one of the most detailed and honest review!

[ajitmoses]

Just wanted to share an update on my journey.

 

The more I listened to the amp, I was convinced that it did a few things very well with my speakers and a few things which left me wanting for more. This is not the problem with the amp but rather it was the nature of my speaker. The pairing was restricting my choice of music and I was listening to slow/easier music. Fast rock music was not something this pair seemed to do well with. I did not want to go down the rabbit hole of trying to tube roll since it was not going to change the power demands of the speaker.

 

After a lot of discussion with the dealer, I have decided to move up to the LM-150 IA amplifier. I feel this is a better match for my speakers. I heard the LM-150 with ATC SM50 and I liked what I heard. I will share my updates once the new beast comes home this Friday.

 

For those who reading this thread, I recommend using the LM-88IA with relatively easier to drive speakers and it would do a phenomenal job.

 

If there are anyone who have experience with the LM-150IA please do share your feedback.

[malsound]

From you natural progression  I thank you will ultimately settle for a LM-805IA ;D

 

https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/analog-reviews/amplifier-reviews/line-magnetic-part3/

 

 

 

 

[ajitmoses]

Hello Malsound! That was something that I would consider if I had to change my speakers. I do not think the 805 would work with my speakers. The 150 and the 805 cost the same so it was an easier decision to make :-)

[ajitmoses]

Finally this brute is home. Much better first impressions compared to the LM-88. Will update once I spend a few weeks with this guy. 

[luvmusic77]

On 9/21/2020 at 11:03 AM, ajitmoses said:

Just wanted to share an update on my journey.

 

The more I listened to the amp, I was convinced that it did a few things very well with my speakers and a few things which left me wanting for more. This is not the problem with the amp but rather it was the nature of my speaker. The pairing was restricting my choice of music and I was listening to slow/easier music. Fast rock music was not something this pair seemed to do well with. I did not want to go down the rabbit hole of trying to tube roll since it was not going to change the power demands of the speaker.

 

After a lot of discussion with the dealer, I have decided to move up to the LM-150 IA amplifier. I feel this is a better match for my speakers. I heard the LM-150 with ATC SM50 and I liked what I heard. I will share my updates once the new beast comes home this Friday.

 

For those who reading this thread, I recommend using the LM-88IA with relatively easier to drive speakers and it would do a phenomenal job.

 

If there are anyone who have experience with the LM-150IA please do share your feedback.

 

Have you listen before to those LM amp based on Western electric design? I used to own the LM As-125 and that was another unforgettable experience, it has such a lustrous, thick and seductive midrange! totally blow the Airtight 300B that was using than. I have positive experience staying at Live Acoustics just to enjoy those magical tube system and full range speakers. Tube amp coupled with Full range single driver speakers is such a lovely combo.

 

I have to give up the amp due to the bulkiness and the heat...it's like sauna machine as don't have the space to house them. IMHO, it even better sounding than the Mcintosh Integrated (personal preference) that i am using now. Life is about compromise unfortunately.

Edited December 24, 2020 by luvmusic77

[ajitmoses]

So here is part two of my LM journey. After a 3 month wait, The amp was finally delivered by Robert Lai and immediately it made a big visual splash. There is something about the big tubes and those Vu Meters. A lot like the red sox and their pin stripes! Quickly fired the bad boy and there was immediately a difference in how this sounded differently to the LM88. The LM88 was warmer(tubey) and the LM150 sounded more neutral maybe with a hint of warmth overall. I did not want to do any critical listening whatsoever and wanted to give the amp good time to settle in. Played it for about 8 hours a day at low volumes and every now and then id play one or two tracks at a loud volume and I would smile and go back to do other things. No amp ever has sounded so good for me out of the box. Upon checking with Robert, the amp was run in for about 50 hours so that explains. I had no doubts in my mind that this amp is the best match for my speakers so that gave me a big relief and I was not ready for another dance with a new amp.

 

So this amp is not a stock LM amp. There has been some mods that is done which is part of an upgrade package that the SG dealer offers. Upgrades include Mundorf Power Capacitors, Vishay Resistors, Mundorf Silver Gold Oil, Furutec Cryogenic Rhodium AC inlet, etc. The amp also is rated for 230V which is what SG uses. The amp comes with Psvane 12AX7 T series Mark II as stock. All other tubes are the same as the ones that are listed on the website. I was also advised to change the 6SN7 to the PSVANE CV-181 TII which are expected to reach me next week.

 

150 Hours:

 

So once I did about 150 hours, I got into a reviewer mode and I was stress testing the amp to make sure that it can do the things I want it to do. 

 

So let me first list out the things that this amp is not.

 

1. It is not a dreamy, syrupy romantic amp which is usually described with tube amps.
2. It will not make bad recordings sound good.
3. Even though it has 100 tube watts, it will not better a solid state amp in the tightness of the bass so the best of both worlds analogy should be taken with a pinch of salt. 
4. This won’t glow like most other Tube Amps. I am stating this because for many the glow is a big appeal. 

 

And what will be your first impressions

 

1. The LM88 could throw a pretty wide sound stage by itself but the LM150 went much wider. It is also the function of the speaker so if your speaker can keep up then you are in for a treat. I also found the sound stage to be taller.
2. Resolution is intense. Like it picks up the minutest of things. It is really a special feeling when you hear something new in a track that you have been hearing for a long time. It was always there but this amp just presents it to you and then you cannot just unhear it. In billie Jean, you can clearly count the number of times MJ is snapping his fingers throughout the track. 
3. Big Sound – This amp sounds powerful. It sounds big. Everything is life like or even bigger whether it is something you want or not is your choice. The sound just surrounds you. In HFO by Eagles, when the audience claps, you get a feeling that the crowd is clapping from behind you. I have not heard this before anywhere. 
4. Fluid – The amp is super fluid. The music just flows fast. The dynamics are just insane. Even the micro dynamic swings are so easily picked up. It can keep up with Master of Puppets by Metallica.  Foot Tapping guaranteed once you set up the entire chain as per your liking. I found that the power cable made a difference with this amp than the rest of my amps. 
5. Slam – This amp SLAMS hard. It hits you like a sledge hammer. It is not the most accurate bass which one might be used if you had a good solid state amp. The bass is rounded more like what a Mcintosh solid state amp produces. I honestly didn’t find it flabby. In fact, I feel this amp will put many SS amps to shame when it comes to slam.
6. Layering – This amp can layer very well. Each performer clearly has his place in the sound stage and it gives a good sense of distance. 

 

So if I were to break it down to how this amp performs in the diff ranges

 

Highs – The highs extend a lot more than the LM88. Treble is airy and detailed with no sense of harshness at the top. As I had mentioned previously, my wife is uber sensitive to anything that pierces her ear and not once did she ever say that the amp was bright or harsh. This one statement made a big difference for me as I know that if she doesn’t like what she is hearing, I am not going to be listening to music as much. 

 

Mids – Mids are very open. You can hear the air. The mid-range is rich and meaty but not necessarily warm or dark. It has a lot of clarity.  My wife said this amp is a vocalist’s dream. Vocals sound spectacular. Frank Sinatra and Leonard Cohen kind of vocals are surreal. 

 

Lows – The bass hits you hard. Round fat bass but not woolly or flabby. Does not have the tightness that you will get in some good SS amps. If you choice of music is EDM then clearly a tube amp is not going to cut it for you. 

 

Strings, Piano , Electric guitars – Sound Excellent. 

 

Percussion – It is not pin point accurate but for most people it would be acceptable. Some might prefer the fatter presentation of the drums. 

 

Heat: If you are new to tubes, how hot tubes get will be a big concern and I searched the internet but I could not find a simple answer. The LM88 with smaller tubes get hotter than the LM150 with the bigger tubes. If I had known this, I probably would have got the LM150 in the first place. With grills on, they are hot to touch but It won’t burn your pet or kid. I will recommend keeping the grill on at all times (it doesn’t affect the sound ) for the safety of your kid or pet. The LM805  on the other hand is just not meant to be kept within the reach of anyone who it can harm. 

 

LM150 vs 805 – This will all boil down to your speaker and living conditions (heat/safety) The 805 has a golden midrange that is very addictive. You can listen to any source material for hours and not feel tired. The LM150 has a different type of midrange but I can understand why people like the 805. The lows and highs are easily better on the 150. The 805 does not extend at both the extremes. It is the midrange king and it will play to that strength for hours and hours and it is addictive. With an easy to drive speaker, the 805 will be quite the winner but it surely has its restrictions. One cannot say one is better than the other and I guess that is why LM decided to price them exactly the same.

 

One might ask why go with a tube amp if you have a difficult speaker instead it is easier and cheaper to find a good solid state amp and I was on the same boat as well before I made the plunge. There are things no matter what you would like to imagine in your head, only a tube amp can do compared to a similarly priced SS amp. The 3d sound stage is effortless on a tube amp. The layering is much better on tubes. The low level details and the openness that tubes give is quite hard to get on similarly priced SS gear. This is not a SS vs Tube debate. SS have plenty of advantages as well and I’ve been with SS for the longest time. But the more I have heard this amp, I keep asking myself, will I got back to SS and if yes, will I have to spend a lot more? Please also remember that if you are first time tube user, then there is a cost involved. Tubes have to be replaced. Bigger the tubes, more they cost. The Total cost of ownership over a period of time will be much higher than SS so do factor all this in.

 

I hope this helps those entering the world of tubes for the first time or who are confused with the diff offerings of Line Magnetic. Picking the right LM amp for your speaker is very important. 

 

May the Glow be with You! 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by ajitmoses