Last weekend I was invited to hear the latest Master Series LFD amplification at the dealers place who I sometimes purchase from. I was told these were being run in for a customer who had been waiting 18 months for them to be manufactured. I thought I would make an effort and have a listen so I went along a bit apprehensive to say the least. These new amps are meant to be custom ordered and not a normal stock item I was told, the system is a system I do know very well comprising of very large flagship 400kg Rockport Loudspeakers with a 15" driver.
The source as always at this dealers is Analogue only and comprised of the flagship SPJ ALBA TURNTABLE with a custom made Carbon arm and top diamond cantilever koetsu coral stone. I had heard the system recently with some solution amplifies and previously some agastino amps both times came back not so impressed. This system comprised of the most recent LFD Master Reference amps at 25k a pair and two pairs were used biamped and a special £20000 pre amplifier that has special engineered inputs so each input produces a different sound perspective the sound difference between each input was rather shocking more on that later.
The phono stage was a heavily modified LFD battery disc preamp, cable for the system was some custom massive lfd pure silver ribbons which uses different ribbons for the positive and a series of silver cores for the positive at a breathtaking £50000 a set together with flagship Diamond Vipor interconnects around 10k a pop. Not cheap by any standard I have to say I left rather shocked as I had never associated LFD with such a sound just did not get in the way of the music I have been told that this range of amplifiers has been in the making for many years and has had vast ammount of part selection on another level using totally custom wiring and rare components. We tried some flagship Zensati cables in the system and the whole experience was not so pleasant so i have been told that one has to use the exact cables etc which does make this a very expensive system. I have been told some of this new lfd thinking is to be used in cheaper LFD models in the near future. Lfd has always been one of those very quiet underrated companies never looking for any praise just quietly producing nice amps this new series most certainly makes an jaw dropping impressive sound. I always think of Lfd as very good rather weak sounding amplifiers not this system. The sound was breath taking just simply jaw dropping to say the least it was so fast and dynamic with a sence of ease and drive the midrange was so sweet and natural voices sound just simply amazing no glare or brightness what so ever the overall sound was very open and transparent and balanced with a good amount of warmth. The most shocking part was the bass in terms of quality and quantity it was so so so deep and powerful yet so controlled it touched my chest with the sheer weight not something you would ever associate with LFD. Going back to the preamp each input has a very different sound using very different crazy lfd designed cable configurations so one can tune ones system. I was speechless to hear each input and how different they sound if cables do this I am shocked as each input had its own charm. I thought input 4 with uses large siver ribbons and lots of other conductors was most to my liking, All I can say the sound experience was very very very special indeed.
Last edited by Vrajbasi; 04-09-2018 at 08:16.
Most important and used Walker Black Diamond Etsuro Gold, Micro Seiki 8000mk2 Kondo special V12 Tiger Eye, Fidelity Research FR 66 Shindo spu, EMT 927, sme 312 aluminium. Fidelity research fr66, Sme 3012 mk1, Sme V, Ikeda 407 IT Sme Model 30/2/Dynavector 507 Kodo Beat Turntable Airtangent 10B modified Fidelity fr66s Etsuro Cartridge . Kondo Gakuoh Mk1 powers G70 Pre,Audio Tekne TFA-8695PCS pre Audio Tekne TEA 8695 Phono. Lfd Battery Phono Stage heavily custom rebuilt by Dr Richard Bews, Tharx Phono Stage. Lfd Master Dual Biamp power amp, Lfd Anniversary master preamp. Shindo Latour Field Coil. Rockport Cygnus Biamped, Voigt Domestic Corner Horns/ Feastex Fildcoils. LFD Custom silver Ribbons. LFD Diamond Vipor Mk2 interconnects, Lfd Golden Cobra interconnect. Koetsu blue lace mono special order, Koetsu burma jade mono special order.