LFD owners thread

We all hear differently. The Sonneteer Alabaster is, IMO, a far better sounding amp than the Exposure 3010S2. I also prefer the Nait XS2 over the Exposure but not by as much. There has been a subtle change in the Naim sound over the years. Enough so that a number of dealers I know have dropped them.
 
I find the "new Naim sound" to be less contrived in a way, and more smooth and even going to my ears. While I loved the older Olive series, I have to say I enjoy the newer black series just as much, if not maybe a bit more.

Maybe some of this is all similar, as I used to think the older Farlow Exposure designs and the then Naim chrome bumper stuff to be similar, now both take a bit more smoother ride with the newer pieces.

In the end, I could probably live with any number of these amps mentioned and build a very good system around each. Different strokes and all that.

I also think some of the dealers that have dropped Naim have other agendas, not all but some, I think change of distributor, the whole Focal thing has changed a few things along the way. If anything I do feel Naim (along with others) are pricing themselves out of reach in some respects, especially when it comes to amplification and one needing more guts/power requirements.
 
In the end, I could probably live with any number of these amps mentioned and build a very good system around each. Different strokes and all that.

:thmbsp: :yes:

I also think some of the dealers that have dropped Naim have other agendas, not all but some, I think change of distributor, the whole Focal thing has changed a few things along the way. If anything I do feel Naim (along with others) are pricing themselves out of reach in some respects, especially when it comes to amplification and one needing more guts/power requirements.

None of the dealers I am working with have this as a reason, though I certainly see how some could. They were complaining about the Naim sound long before the change(s).

Personally I still like the Naim sound and Exposure as well. Very little wrong with any of these amps and as always it just comes down to personal preference as well as what you will have partnered with the amp.

BTW, another brand I really love is Sugden. Not a lot of folks here have them but they are wonderful, in the right context.
 
We all hear differently. The Sonneteer Alabaster is, IMO, a far better sounding amp than the Exposure 3010S2. I also prefer the Nait XS2 over the Exposure but not by as much. There has been a subtle change in the Naim sound over the years. Enough so that a number of dealers I know have dropped them.

I couldn't get past the grain in my Sonneteer. Just couldn't listen into the music like I should be able to.

All that being said, the LFD is certainly in another league then any of the others mentioned. It is a really spectacular piece of equipment.
 
LFD makes nice pieces and I love the whole hand made in the UK vibe. They are smoother than the Sonneteer Campion, probably not the Orton which is in the same price class as the LFD. I find the LFD sound to be a bit glassy and that is even with LFD interconnects and speaker cable. Along similar lines are the Lavardin amps. Clear clean and detailed sound. Very smooth and just this side of glassy. All of these amps are fantastic, IMO. Interestingly I listened to the LFD amp with the C7's long before I owned them. Before I make an amp change I will make it my business to hear all of them again.

It would be fun to have the Croft Phono Integrated in for a demo but I am dead sure that the dual volume controls would drive me nuts...short drive though it may be...:D
 
Art, the Croft is very nice, it is one of those pieces that I think some people make a too quick decision on, it is one of those that you have to let marinate a bit. It certainly is a treat with Harbeth. The dual controls do take a bit to get used to, but works fantastically as balance as well as volume. However if they are a big pain, Glen will be glad to build up single volume control units, and you would be somewhat surprised at the cost direct from the UK. If I was starting over at this point, the Croft and Harbeth would be a strong choice for me, in fact I have even given it some thought, even though technically I am not in that rebuild/redo stage. Just enough to make me think very hard about what really is important in the whole scheme of things. Enjoy your C7's Art, they are a treat!
 
Art, the Croft is very nice, it is one of those pieces that I think some people make a too quick decision on, it is one of those that you have to let marinate a bit. It certainly is a treat with Harbeth. The dual controls do take a bit to get used to, but works fantastically as balance as well as volume. However if they are a big pain, Glen will be glad to build up single volume control units, and you would be somewhat surprised at the cost direct from the UK. If I was starting over at this point, the Croft and Harbeth would be a strong choice for me, in fact I have even given it some thought, even though technically I am not in that rebuild/redo stage. Just enough to make me think very hard about what really is important in the whole scheme of things. Enjoy your C7's Art, they are a treat!

I am loving them and thank you. That Croft is a tempting piece. Just so happens that my Harbeth dealer also carries Croft and of course LFD (as well as Rega and Exposure).
 
It must be very nice to have all of those tasty brands at your disposal, all in one shop. Oh my.....
 
It must be very nice to have all of those tasty brands at your disposal, all in one shop. Oh my.....

Well...so do you. I abandoned the local dealer for those brands after they decided service after the sale was too difficult. Myself and quite a number of others here have decided that the Portland dealer has not earned our continued business. Now I shop with Gene Rubin for those brands.
 
Gene is a good guy. My main problem here is the Naim dealers which there are supposedly two in town, have been the worst at showing the brand, even hardly promoting or having any of it in stock, so demos are non existent.

Harbeth dealers are a couple hours away so doable, and no Croft, LFD, Exposure anywhere close. Rega yes, but it is a real crapshoot here in Indy. Most of my Harbeth and Croft listening has come through work contacts, which in the end is probably a better way anyhow.

In the end, it pays to seek it out and get a good dealer that will actually service and support the gear they sell, although this is getting more and more difficult it seems.
 
It must be very nice to have all of those tasty brands at your disposal, all in one shop. Oh my.....

It sure is. Even nicer to have them in your home, especially at the same time. Being able to compare LFD vs Sonneteer vs Exposure vs Naim in your own home at length was certainly a wonderful luxury. I had a Redgum there too actually. Not a stack of gear I could ever afford, but it's nice to have good friends. :)

And as far as the LFD sound goes, in all the ones I've heard (which is everything they make), with all the different speakers, in all the different rooms, if there is one thing they have never been, it's "glassy" sounding. LFD usually sounds like the best combo of tubes and SS. Bloody brilliant gear.
 
Glassy, glossy, over smooth. I'm not sure quite how to describe it but that's what I heard when listening to the LFD amp. Just as I don't hear the Sonneteer amps as overly grainy. They have a hint of grayness at the top that isn't exactly accurate but for my ears it beats any kind of glare. We all value something different in the sound that we prefer.

I'm always looking for the most natural sound I can get, to my ears. When I listen to live unamplified music, which I hear often, I do hear a bit of grain. It isn't all that smooth. It's dynamic without being fatiguing. The top, to a hifi enthusiast, may seem rolled off a bit. The low end has an immediacy that is rarely even hinted at with hifi. Heard it a couple of times with a home stereo.

One thing is for sure, I want to try an LFD at home before I make my next amp purchase. Were I to short list the amps I am interested in they would be the Sonneteer Alabaster, LFD's present offering and a Lavardin.

I'll talk to Gene and see what he has to say. He is a big fan of the LFD amps. He is also a big fan of their cables which I hated. Never heard a solid core cable I could live with. Gene has told me that the LFD cables are as good as mandatory with LFD amps.

Erik, were you using the LFD cables with their amp? Could you share what you were using.
 
Hmm, what don't you like about solid core cables, Art? Any particular sound characteristic?

I was using Atlas cables with my old Exposure amp and a local dealer suggested LFD to get better sound. He was so right. It was like the music just flowed better.

Since then I have not felt the need to change my speaker cables, however it's also true that as I have changed amps and speakers over time the sound of my system hasn't always been what I wanted. Perhaps different cables would have helped. So I do feel that it is system dependent...LFD cables probably work wonders in some systems but less so in others. The LFD sure isn't hindering the performance I am getting now with the Bryston/ProAc pairing.
 
I was using Atlas cables with my old Exposure amp and a local dealer suggested LFD to get better sound. He was so right. It was like the music just flowed better.

That's what Gene said as well. I really liked much of the presentation, again like I do so often with solid core, but I am super sensitive to brightness and that struck in spades for me with those cables.
 
Got it. I think I am less sensitive to brightness than some are, so I can tolerate a brighter system. My system has sounded bright at times...I wouldn't characterize it that way now though. Highs are open and clear, with just the right amount of sheen.

But the B60R is definitely not a bright amp...warmer than most I have owned and unlike other Bryston products from what people have told me. So I guess solid core with this amp is a good fit.
 
Yes my LFD sounds smooth, but the Alabaster sounded more impactful with nice bass.

I did use all DNM solidcore cabling, till I got LFD with Harbeth (4 yrs ago)
I still use the DNM stereo-interconnects between my sources and LFD.
But changed from DNM LS solidcore to ArtSpeak 5mm2 in 6 twisted strings of copper.
Liked it more for bass and openess/soundlayers of the sound ;-)
 
Yes my LFD sounds smooth, but the Alabaster sounded more impactful with nice bass.

I did use all DNM solidcore cabling, till I got LFD with Harbeth (4 yrs ago)
I still use the DNM stereo-interconnects between my sources and LFD.
But changed from DNM LS solidcore to ArtSpeak 5mm2 in 6 twisted strings of copper.
Liked it more for bass and openess/soundlayers of the sound ;-)

If I may quote you from PFM.

"The Alabaster is imo a very good sounding amp in my setup with Harbeth C7

Tried it with different netpower setups and sometimes changing back to LFD.
I always listen for longer periodes, after warmingup > hours, days

Listened to FMradio, CDplayer and Turntable and always listened for longer times: louder, low volume, relaxed (sitting behind my computer) and intensly listening in the stereospot.

I could live with the Alabaster as much as with the LFD now

In contrary I had an Exposure 3010s2 on demo and after 2 days I knew I would not get along (less 3D, less listenthrough, too full sounding)
I also had a Croft Phono Integrated for a few weeks and found that somewhat lacking in warmth and not pulling me into the music as much.

Global description of differences are that the LFD is smoother, warmer, broader? and gives somewhat more feeling of space/room?

The Alabaster has more powerful, clearer sound, with very good bass and voices and sometimes surprising me with some details that I already knew, but are now presented in a more obvious way?

So I want to thank Sonneteer UK and Riverside Audio NL for the possibility of listening to this very good amp for almost a week.

I will let it all sink in and maybe will decide on an Alabaster in the near future."
 
Seeing as how this is the LFD owners thread, maybe we could get back to discussing LFD?
 
A comparison to an LFD amp from an "LFD owner". Not sure it could get any more appropriate on an LFD owners thread. Especially since there are probably a number of potential LFD owners reading this thread. I certainly intend to listen to one again before I pull the trigger on an upgrade. Just so happens that the Alabaster will be the one to beat, for me, when I do get a chance at an in home audition. Cyregs comments both here and at PFM are insightful, IMO.
 
Back
Top Bottom