Lumley - Anyone Still Using These Great Valve Amps

[Rush2112]

A number of years ago, well the mid 90's to be more accurate, I was running Lumley 120 monoblocks fed by Acoustic Research LS7 and to be frank it was without doubt one of the most musical rewarding combinations I have owned. Is anybody still enjoying these great amps ?

http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?u=http%3a%2f%2fi1052.photobucket.com%2falbums%2 fs451%2fozzy-osbourne%2fLUMLEY%2fEPSN0027.jpg&ehk=NdEp8PrGBfRFz%2bEwCVeWpQ&w=372&h=279&c=7&p=0&dpr=2&pid=1.7

[Darren]

I remember ken kessler reviewing a pait of lumley mono blocks in the late eighties - he loved them.

[User211]

I has the 120s for a while driving Martin Logan Aerius. Then I had the ST70 which I have to say sounded really quite a lot better - with those speakers at any rate. I very nearly bought the ST70 but kept my Beard BB100 instead. In all honesty the ST70 had the power the Aerius needed, the 120s had so much grip they never seemed able to sound relaxed with them - like they were trying to grip too hard.

Going back some though - 23-4 years maybe.

Nice amps. The ST40 was very good too driving Hornings.

[Rush2112]

I had 120's with initially B&W Matrix 805's and the Sonus Faber Alecta Amators I never felt they were anything other than totally musical but I have to say I did borrow Martin Logan SL3's and didn't get on with them which I put down to a low ceiling and room issues rather than the amps.

[User211]

It is all about speaker matching. I wasn't really knocking the 120s. I can believe with the right speakers they will be fab.

[Rush2112]

Absolutely agree speaker matching can make or break the sound of a system I've heard great speakers sound awful in the wrong system something that never affects source or amps to the same degree !

[paskinn]

I agree with the comment that the 120s 'try too hard'. I found them a touch tiring, as so many 6550 based designs are....they are just drive too hard.
And, in my limited experience the lumley was an unreliable amp, too easily prone to problems. Not a favourite of mine.....

[Reffc]

I had the ST40/PP40 combo for a fair few years. Musically extremely rewarding and one of the best valve amps I've owned. Bears no relationship to the less reliable ST70 power amp and M120 monos. The ST40 was part designed and built by Ben Carter for Lumley. If you ever get the chance of one, snap it up would be the advice! According to Ben (who rebuilt mine for me after someone had bodged it) the Mk1 version (manual bias) remains one of the best valve amps ever commissioned by John Jefferies for the Lumley brand.

[jandl100]

Another one here who had 120 monos for quite a while. I found them best with Sovtek 6550WE valves - a Western Electric knock-off. They took the 'edge' off the hard driven sound of the amps and worked really well.
Hard to remember, but I suspect I must have used them to drive ProAc Response 3 speakers.
I liked them a lot.

[User211]

The 120s and ST70 I had both had NOS GE 6550 in.

When I got an Air Tight ATM2 some NOS GEs were just bloody awful in it. Imagery all over the place. Just dire. In the ST70 they seemed to be a fine match, not displaying the aforementioned problem. That said, rolling may have found even better alternatives for the '70.