I had been contemplating purchasing a Shindo amp and preamp but could never get past the pricing needed to do so. After hearing that these new LM amps are the "poor mans Shindo" I started to gather more info. about them. Whether the above is true I cannot say. There isn't much info. on the web about these amps but what I did find was very positive.
I bought the LM218 about three months ago and have approx. 300 hours on it so I imagine its burned/broken in by now. Prior to the LM218 I had a 35w EL34 based integrated that I've been told was a bit more linear sounding than the Prima Luna amps. The LM is a bolder sound. It has a heartier, richer, more musical sound with that great midrange magic that tubes can bring out in music. I listen to primarily jazz and the LM218 is amazing with it. You get all the nuances you could ask for. The breath before the singer begins, the fingers on the strings of an upright bass, whether the drummer is using sticks or brushes... It is equally at home with other types of music as well. Just remember that while it has a wonderful organic sound it won't give you that tight, controlled bass that you would get from a solid state amp.
This amp is a beast for its' size. It weighs roughly 80lbs. It comes with 6v6 driver tubes that can be switched out to include 6L6, EL34, KT88, 6550, etc... depending on the sound you're looking for. They have a retro grey styling that is quite pleasing in person. It also has a built-in bias feature that allows you to bias each individual tube, except the small signal tubes, which is a bonus in my book. The LM amps are also point-to-point wired, but I haven't opened mine up to verify this. Another nice feature that it has is a 30 second delay to allow the tubes to gradually warm up increasing tube life. The amp is small space heater though, so be prepared to dress appropriately when listening!
This amp plays very well with Devore speakers. I'm using it with a pair of Devore Super 8's and its' 22 watts drives them with ease. The Super 8 is the perfect size speaker for my room which is approx. 12x20. It's not too big to overpower the space but gives me enough low frequency response to satisfy my needs. The bass is controlled and precise without sounding bloated and boomy. My previous speakers were Salk SongTowers. The Devore's aren't as forward sounding and have just a bit of warmth to them. The pairing is very satisfying to my ears.
I've been very happy with this amp. It gives me exactly what I've been looking for in terms of ease of use, which is good for my wife!, styling, and most importantly the musical pleasure it gives me. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one of these amps to anyone.
