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Paul S wrote:

So, does anyone know anything about "good" sockets for the ML-2s? I forget when and where I saw some sort of boutique Teflon jobbies that are pretty darned expensive. Maybe DIY Hi-Fi, in Hong Kong? Also, although Teflon is a great di-electric it cold forms pretty readily, too. Does anyone have long-term experience with the Teflon sockets? It is hard for me to picture myself with the ML-2s cracked open and gutted on the project table, with no music until i finally get them sorted out. I suppose if I ever get them open I will also change out the cheaper Electro Cube caps that Lamm had inserted by the time my pair got built. Also, if Onix makes a copper female IEC socket, then i will do that, as well.

Paul, I think you need to be a bit more rational with your desire to update ML2. The ElectroCube 950 caps are a very arguable element that I would consider to update. The stages in ML2 are capacitive-coupled and yes, putting the best caps in there shell be very critical. The ElectroCube 950 are VERY good capacitor and it would be very hard to beat them. You might experiment with some Teflon with copper foil caps of the same volume but you need to do some after break-in testing before within another project. Still, I feel that ElectroCube 950, as good as they are, are perfectly suitable for the amp. The old ML2 has a very good and very delicate balance of everything and I would like not to see people get it ruined. Saying all of it I do admit the facts that it might be better caps out there. ElectroCube 950 sound-wise they are in the same scale as RTX Multicaps. Both are very good capacitors, RTX has a bit more dymick sound but ElectroCubes has a bit more reacher midbass. Still, they are roughly in the same scale of quality of sound.  I do think that it might be something better then they are but the key in it to find “something better” that would offer an improvement in the same direction where you feel the ML2 weakness are. Identify for yourself what you do not like in ML2 and see if the change of your coupling caps would address your dissatisfactions. Any other reason to upgrade any audio element is completely idiotic in my view and shall be discussed on DIYaudio.com forums but not at my site.

Regarding the subject of better sockets. The small tubes have fine sockets and I would not touch them. The 6C33C do use very bad Russian sockets, I have written about the way to deal with it before. You can put the Johnson or Yamamoto sockets – it is very simple procedure.  I would argue that 30K amp shall not have this problem but I think at the time Lamm start to make ML2 the Yamamoto sockets were not around and Johnson is hard to source for production. It is not to mention that ML2 was selling fine with no complaints from customer or reviewers- so why to bother. BTW, I need to note that Lamm does send the regular sockets replacement for free. What my sockets on ML2 got burned Lamm send me free replacement even with no shipping change. For anyone who dealt with Lamm’s “customer service” it shall be shocking news as to learn that Charles Manson would gave blood to save life of his victims.

Also, be advised that the Teflon sockets for 6C33C are not the key. The key is in the design of pin not in the material of the sockets; even Teflon can press the pins to hold the tube more firm.

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