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I got a forwarded email today containing the Lamm Industry’s release notes about their new SET amplifiers.

http://www.GoodSoundClub.com/PDF/LammML3.pdf
 
The good thing in this is that Vladimir is still Vladimir and he did changed since the Rich Fershtinkiner’s interview above.  Rich Fershtinkiner did not offer this information in his interview but what he left aside well-explains why the ML3 did not hit market many years earlier. It is a big secret but 15 years ago Vladimir Lamm applied to US Borough of Standards and Measures with a request to register his own new official monetary value – One LAMA. One LAMA is an amount of 20 dollars bills that should weight at one side of a scale in order to compensate on other side of the scale the annual amount of writhen and printed Audio bullshit. According to Lamm, the exchange rate between LAMA and US dollar is One LAMA for $30.000.00US. Since in 2000, the Lamm’s beloved President “pushed” the US Borough of Standards  to approved Vladimir’s application. Since then Vladimir stopped to use US currency and use explicitly the LAMA dimensions. His L2 preamp some ½ Lama, his SS amps are 0.7LAMA. The ML2 is 1LAMA and the new “default” ML3 is near 3LAMA. Vladimir also about to announce that a Special Edition, Super Deluxe version of ML3 is be available for 3.7LAMA  and it will feature Uranium plated GM70 and personal autograph of Lamm’s the most beloved people: Dick Chaney and Augusto Pinochet.

The people who know the subject know how little satire in my satire but I would also like to be a serious for a moment and to see into what I can see.  As I know, Lamm talked about the amps for a long time and since I was the most advanced Lamm user I know off I obviously am interested to see what Lamm came up with and I hope my comments will be worth to express. Unfortunately the release note does not say a lot and are pretty much just a marketing “copy and pasts” from description of any Lamm amps taken off Lamm own site. Still the notes give some interesting idea for interests, doubts, suspicions and excitement. I will live aside the general marketing statements that Lamm made in his release notes and would mention only what I paid attention.

Lamm wrote:

The ML3, along with the renowned Model ML2.1 amplifier, is practically the only single-ended amplifier on the market capable of reproducing the entire range of audio frequencies. The ML3’s midrange is beautifully rendered, along with a natural and extended bass, and unparalleled high frequency reproduction, up to now only available in our ML2, ML2.1, and ML3 models.

Actually, I do not know how to you but for me it is very loaded statement. ML2 was fine, but the ML2.1 was completely differently sounding, very poor performing amplifier that was made juts to exploit positive publicity of ML2. By putting ML2, ML2.1 and ML3 models in the same boat Lamm marked himself or ether as lair or as ignorant person. In both cases I do not see that it serves Vladimir credentials. Of course I do not see a manufacture, any manufacture (!) publicly state that s/he has been feeding market with intentional garbage… but this is why I do not particularly care about most of the industry manufacturers.
 

Lamm wrote:

The ML3 is a 32 Watt, no overall feedback pure class-A single-ended amplifier.

Hm…. This is very interesting and I will return to it. Usually Lamm is very conservatively makes power of his amps and it might be even more power then 32W (it is probably into 8R)… Also, are they all 32W without switching into A2 class?
I will return to it…

Lamm wrote:

It’s built on one of the most sophisticated power supplies ever used in audio, and its most prominent features are:    · Separate plate and filament transformers · Six filter chokes · Six rectifier tubes · Highest quality film capacitors used in high-voltage power supply feeding the output stage · Refined soft-start and delay circuits

Well, probably I should pass on  it as a marketing statement as I see absolutely nothing “most sophisticated” in what described. Most of direct heated designs use separate transformers for heaters and plate. The chokes? Big deal, everyone use chokes.  BTW, Lamm in his designs never had guts to go for input chokes … and if he did then he might review his needs to use those rectifier tubes… However, how without the tube sin PPS he will be able to charge 3LAMA for his amp? Some kind of Framer-type-idiot or Valin-type-idiot would kill him if they not see glowing tubes on the ML3’s PS side…. Also, it finny that Vladimir looks like suggests that that his largest B+ caps are on the PS’s side – they should be at amplifier’s side….
 

Lamm wrote:

While the ML3 has no overall loop feedback, the amplifier features an option allowing the user to introduce small amounts of local feedback in the output stage. You can choose between two levels of feedback: NFB1 and NFB2, which differ in their levels. This allows for three feedback options: No feedback, NFB1 or NFB2.

OK, I understand it.  Vladimir decided to precise-load the output tube to accommodate the wider range of speakers.  It is completely OK to match the output impedance of the amp via feedback. Still it is OK solution for 5K amp but not for an amplifier with a price tag of 3LAMA. I understand why Lamm might not want to compromise the output transformer with taps of run the outputs off the ends of different sections of secondary but to use feedback just for THAT? Hm… I have some kind of teeth ache.  At the level of 3LAMA the precise loading of the plate should be done via a custom impedance of secondary. Everything else is not high-end for 3LAMA but hi-fi compromise for 0.00003LAMA!  Also, and it is very important to underrated that the ML3’s entire idea is by nature is A CONCILIATION-TYPE DESIGN. I do stay behind what I say and I will explain it in more details later.
 

Lamm wrote:

Absolutely unique custom-made output transformers, along with our unique output stage and sophisticated power supply, allow the ML3 to drive most real-world speakers yielding tremendous sonic impact and stability under the most dynamic conditions. Although the ML3 can drive most speakers, their full potential is best realized with high-efficiency speakers of 92dB and higher.

Well, as I understand it, it was the Vladimair’s primary objective – to approach the market of the 90dB sensitive speakers. Good for him and I am sure he hopes that many Wilson, Kharma and Utopia Morons will express interest in ML3. It would be ALSO nice for Lamm to make announcement that everyone before mislead and deceived the gullible low sensitivity people staffing them with ML2. Perhaps how the Morosn-reviewers who reviewed the ML2 with 90dB sensitively, the idiots dealer who sold ML2 to 88dB sensitive customers and Lamm himself who was ”comfortably numb” (or ignorant as he himself had no high sensitivity acoustic systems) has to initiate the  “buy-back” or recall program to the customers got essentially not useable with their accustoms systems ML2 amps. I wonder if you go to a auto dealer, asked a car to tow you 36-feet boat and the dealer sold you a two cylinder mini-coupe…. then will be…. “disappointed”
 

Lamm wrote:

The design goal of the ML3 was to use best modern technology and processes in a style reminiscent of equipment from the golden age of vacuum tubes.

Blah-Blah-Blah…

OK, in the end a few comments that I would like to pass. The ML3 is too new and it is not published yet what plate voltage Lamm uses in GM70. The GM70 loves high voltage.  Many people use GM70 at 750-850V but they and up with the typical “rusty sound”. A friend of my who know this tube very well even calls the low voltage GM70 as “SS sound”. I personally did not play with GM70 and have no personal opinion but GM70 is very popular in Eastern Europe (GM70 is Russian made) and many credible designers who used it all-of-them, unanimously commented that all GM70 tubes only begin to sound more or less acceptable from 1000V and up, 1200 the best. So, what voltage Vladimir runs his GM70? The ML3 is 3 stages amp with driver stage around the 4X6N30P. Wow, 4X6N30P  - it is 8 triodes! (it is shame that Vladimir did not have the Milq driver…) However, Vladimir used his 8 triodes – paralleled them or made a divided cathode follower it is apparent that he made the driver stage be able to handle a lot of current. So, we have a design that presumes a LOT of grid current on GM70… So, most likely Lamm go for low voltage… Does switch it into A2 in such case to get 32W at peaks? I doubt that Lamm would go into A2 but why in such case that current built up around the grid? It is mystery so far and the divulging the anode voltage should answer some questions. Still, if Lamm did go for high voltage then will his high capacitance of OPT do not produce the typical “elephant sound” that is so common form the tubes that requires a lot of transformer dielectric.

http://www.GoodSoundClub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=2182

A friend of mine, a credible transform guy, suggested that even with vacuum silicon impregnation it is imposable to make 1500V transformer that does not dry out HF. It is exactly how all GM70, 845 and 211 sound to me so far.
 
I would under no circumstance deny Lamm’s ability to make his new amp to sound OK.  Still, would it be like ML2 or would it be like L2, LL2, and ML2.1? The time will show. However, I would also kindly proposed that even if the ML3 is very nice sounding amp… then it is … kind of USELESS AMPLIFIER. Let me to explain.

If a few month or years the ML3 will hit the market with street price of $50-$60K? So, what kind popole buy $60K-$126K amps? Let keep aside the Morons who just have money to burn and who do not purchase audio based upon the actual performance. If a sensible person goes for $100K amplifier then the person is obviously have very high demands and very high capacity to fulfill those demands. Most likely the person will have serious acoustic system… Will he? Have you seen any single driven full-range acoustic system that worth attention? Do not name to me the largest Wilsons, please - I passed this level long time ago.

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?postID=1509#1509

A good set of the best single driven speaker are might be fine for it’s own class but it is very much compromised configuration regardless the brand or topology. Anyone who is in SET wold and who sensibly agree pay a lot of money for a lot of performance go for DSET ™ - Dedicated Single-Ended Triode the implies a parallel operation of the IDENTICAL gain SET channels with the OUTPUT STAGES/TRANSFORMERS OPTIMIZED FOR A GIVEN CHANNEL BANDWIDTH. The DSET configuration converts the entire ML3 objective into necessary amp. If the very same LAMM ML3 was implemented explicitly for LF operation and HF operation with the transformers and plate loading optimized for each range (I can go here into numerous more details in here) then the performance of the ML3 DSET will make ML3 SET very pale, any person who deal with SET OPT know it. Dose a person who pays $126K should be expecting and should deserving better implementation concepts then juts a compromised single SET? If yes, then what is the purpose to pay  $126K juts for amp and get severally compromised configuration – just one full-range amp. Perhaps the purpose of the ML3 is different and Lamm intend at his Pearly gates to justify himself that “I sold the amp for 3LAMA”? Anyhow, I have no problems with high prices of the ML3 and I do not take about it as product but rather as Sound tool.  However, I do have problems with for the ML3 price in context that a prospective user does not get a lot of applied use out of ML3

What I would like to see from Lamm for $126K is a massive shunt-able power supply with 2-3 available gain-chasses-amplifiers available to be attached to that PS. Each amplifier (two stages only, please!!!) has own line-level filter, gain control and own out transformer, made for a given frequency range. Ironically but this configuration would be even cheaper, each OPT will be simpler and WAY better. I can see that the PS motherboard with price tag of $20K and the plug-in amps even for 10K each. This DSET setting, even build around the very same Lamm ML3 will make anybody to accepts the sound of full-range ML3 with smile. Ironically the solution would be even less expansive

A few months ago, I had a discussion about opportunity to use Gm70 in my Melquiades (The 6E5P-GM70 was built before and a single 6E5P drives the GM 70 juts perfectly to 35W). I looked for the inventory of the pars (at 1200V), building techniques, protection and etc and surmised that it will cost ~ $15K to build a pair of 4 chassis Gm70 Milq. The ML3 has one extra stage but less expansive PS, so, I presume that the self-prices of the Gm70ed Milq and ML2 would be roughly the same. Under this light it is perfectly reasonable that Lamm most likely releases his ML3 to dealers for under 2LAMA. Interesting that when I went to calculate the expanses for 4 chassis Gm70 Milq (2PS, 2HF amps and 2LF amps) then I ended up with near identical prices, perhaps 10% more.

So, the ML3 is out, that is good. I hope it will find users who will give to it fairness, not the foolishness that took place around the ML2.1. I said in past  that I believe that audio people did not really “got” even the ML2.

 http://www.GoodSoundClub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=3271

I hope the ML3 would see more serious users then ML2….  And I hope the ML2 deserves it….

If the ML3 turns out to be something that ML2 “might be”, only for the community of the low sensitively speakers then good for Vladimir and audio has found a good amplifier. From a different perspective ML3 is very much different amp then ML2, with direct heated tube, not to mention that ML3 is the Lamm (as a person) version 2006. As I said above I have my interests, doubts, suspicions and excitement. I have also a disappointment that for the people who really would like to push the envelope in sound the ML3 might be unusable… It is remotely possible that Vladimir will customize the ML3 for rededicated frequency operation but I doubts (because multiple reasons)

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