Stereophile: Super-Priced Lamm System

Amplification in the Signature system in the Lamm room featured the ML3 Signature power amplifiers ($139,290/pair). Like the LL1 preamplifier, the ML3 isalso a four-chassis system. These 32W, single-ended, pure class-A amp is based on a direct-heated GM-70 triode.

The sound in the Lamm Industries system started with a digital front end from NeoDio, a full complement of Kubala-Sosna cables, and the Wilson MAXX 3. I totally blissed out listening to Arleen Auger singing works by Aaron Copland. The total cost of this system as I heard it was more than $335,000. This doesn’t include the analog front end that wasn’t hooked up yet. I’m still wondering why this system wasn’t under my tree this Christmas.

Jason Victor Serinus comments: In their large suite on the top floor of the Venetian, I think I got closer to the Lamm/Wilson experience than ever before. But what I heard puzzled me. On the one hand, listening to a voice I know very well, that of operatic tenor Fritz Wunderlich, I experienced a realistically scaled operatic voice and an equally credible, large soundstage. That's what big speakers on the order of the Wilson MAXX3s can do. The air around the voice was marvelous, as was the magical beauty of the midrange.

But on both the Wunderlich recording and another of a female jazz singer that was playing when I entered the room, I heard a metallic electronic edge around the voice that to these ears sounded artificially etched. I'm pretty familiar with the ringing sound of a large operatic voice, and how it interacts with acoustic space, but this was something different. Erich Lichte, who had visited this room when the turntable was not yet in operation, told me that he heard nothing of the sort on his CD of soprano Arleen Auger singing Love Songs. Who knows what was going on?

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Reader Comments

Posted Sat Jan 9, 2010, 7:21 PM — By Zombie

Never heard Lamm, but have heard the Maxx3's on a bunch of BAT gear and it was a great system. Dynamics in spades.

Posted Sat Jan 9, 2010, 7:26 PM — By KBK

Look! He's up wit' de efficiency thing! He's put a low output high efficiency lightbulb in the front amps!

Posted Sun Jan10, 2010, 7:12 PM — By truth_seeker

Wilsons are NOT dynamic I've never heard a speaker actually filter out the music with more finesse than Wilson.

Posted Sun Jan10, 2010, 9:04 PM — By Egregious

"truth_seeker" - your comment, like your handle is BS

Posted Wed Jan13, 2010, 7:31 PM — By Fred von Lohmann

Best sound I heard at the show (Holly Cole singing Tango Till They're Sore on CD). For me, beat the YG room, and the Magico Q5 room.

Posted Thu Jan14, 2010, 12:57 PM — By wow

Surprised someone actually preferred this room over the Magico/MIT, or any other for that matter. This was one of the lesser quality sounding rooms in the Venetian. Very etched, sterile and rigid sound from this system.

Posted Thu Jan14, 2010, 6:34 PM — By peb

I agree with wow's remarks above. I couldn't stay in the room for more than a couple of cuts because it just didn't sound anything like music. Very hifi sounding.

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