Lamm's recent introduction of the LL2.1 brought with it the opportunity for Stereophile to listen once again to the company's analog stalwart, the LP2 Deluxe phono preamplifier, which Mikey Fremer wrote about in his December 2002 "Analog Corner" column. The LP2 Deluxe is itself unchanged, although the price has gone up: from $6690 in 2002 to $7290 in 2009. (As with the LL2.1, Lamm's phono preamp is also available in a non-Deluxe version, for a few hundred dollars less.)
The rear panel of the…
Description: Tubed phono preamplifier with MM and transformer-coupled MC inputs. Tube complement: two 5842 miniature triodes. Gain: 38dB (MM), 58dB (MC). Input impedance: 47k ohms (MM), 40 ohms (MC). Output impedance: 3.5k ohms.
Dimensions: 4.5" x 19" x 15.25" (inc. handles) H x W x D. Weight: 41.5 lbs.
Price: $6800 (2002), $7290 (2009).
Manufacturer: Lamm Industries, Inc., 2621 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235. Tel: (718) 368-0181. Fax: (718) 368-0140. Web: www.lammindustries.com.
The 48" cable is a little long for…
Description: In-ear headphones. Drive-unit: dual balanced armatures with passive crossover. Frequency range: 8Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 95dB SPL. Impedance: 39 ohms. Maximum input power : 30mW. Features: padded travel case, 3 pairs silicone eartips in 3 different sizes, adapter for airplane-seat outlets.
Dimensions: Weight: 0.176 oz (5.9gm) without cord. Cable length: 48" (1220mm).
Finish: Black and silver.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: None found.
Price: $249. Approximate number of dealers: online only. Warranty: 30-day satisfaction or money back, 1…
Digital Sources: Apple iPod, iPod Touch; Ray Samuels Emmeline Hornet & The Tomahawk portable headphone amplifiers; Benchmark DAC1 D/A converter–headphone amplifier driven by S/PDIF optical output of MacBook laptop, or by dual-core Pentium PC using a Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 to convert USB datastream to S/PDIF, both computers running iTunes.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650, Ultimate Ears UE-5c.—John Atkinson
Deciding what is the optimal frequency response for a pair of headphones is neither obvious nor trivial (see www.stereophile.com/features/808head), compounded by the fact that I don't have a microphone small enough to be inserted in my ears. The only measurement I perform on headphones, therefore, is of their electrical impedance, to determine how difficult they are to drive. To take these readings, I inserted each set of 'phones in my ears.
The Phiaton PS 200's impedance and electrical phase are shown in fig.1. The impedance meets the 39-ohm specification…
Description: Earphones with Tuned BassPort. Drive-unit: Hi-Definition MicroSpeaker (balanced armature). Frequency range: 22Hz–19kHz. Sensitivity: 111dB SPL/mW. Impedance: 28 ohms at 1kHz. Features: travel case, flex tips, 3 sizes of silicone sound-isolating sleeves, 36" extension cable, cleaning tool.
Dimensions: Weight: 0.99oz (28gm). Cable length: 18" (450mm); with supplied extension, 54" (1360mm).
Finish: Black or white and gray.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: None found.
Price: $299.99. Approximate number of dealers: sold online, plus through…
Digital Sources: Apple iPod, iPod Touch; Ray Samuels Emmeline Hornet & The Tomahawk portable headphone amplifiers; Benchmark DAC1 D/A converter–headphone amplifier driven by S/PDIF optical output of MacBook laptop, or by dual-core Pentium PC using a Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 to convert USB datastream to S/PDIF, both computers running iTunes.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650, Ultimate Ears UE-5c.—John Atkinson
As I wrote in the "Measurements" sidebar that accompanies Jim Austin's review of the Westone 3 in-ear headphones elsewhere in this issue, deciding what is the optimal frequency response for a pair of headphones is neither obvious nor trivial (see www.stereophile.com/features/808head), compounded by the fact that I don't have a microphone small enough to be inserted in my ears. The only measurement I perform on headphones, therefore, is of their electrical impedance, to determine how difficult they are to drive. To take these readings, I inserted each set of 'phones…