ebay: Current auctions that look interesting to us – LFD / Trio L07C / Vandersteen

[Neil McCauley]

http://www.hifianswers.com/2016/10/ebay-three-current-auctions-that-look-interesting-to-us-lfd-trio-vandersteen/

[Jeff Wood]

I've seen that LFD PA2M.

That's a bargain.

Only thing that puts me off that is that it's probably 20 years old, but that's not a problem of course its still working.

PA2M's are great amps, not the smoothest of the LFD amps but they certainly know how to party :)

(I probably made that amp btw)).

[walpurgis]

Yes. Certainly interesting items compared to the run of the mill dross that clutters most of eBay audio listings. The Vandersteens in particular. They are very rare in the UK. Only a mile or two from me too. Wish I had room! :)

[Neil McCauley]

Yes. Certainly interesting items compared to the run of the mill dross that clutters most of eBay audio listings. The Vandersteens in particular. They are very rare in the UK. Only a mile or two from me too. Wish I had room! :)

Thank you.

I can't take credit though because Howard (features editor) picked these. He has owned all three items and still uses the Vandersteens like the ones you see featured and an LFD PA2M(SE). He told me that the Trio LO7C pre with their LO7M mono power amps were one of the finest combos of the late 1970s and might - even today - give quite a few modern units a run for their money.

Meanwhile ..... http://lfd4u.com/ and http://www.stereonow.co.uk/buying-from-us/demonstrations/in-the-studio/ for more information.

[Jeff Wood]

there was an LFD PA2M (SE) from a French hifi shop on ebay, that was a better buy I'd say, 2006 model, £850 I think...that's a good deal !

[Neil McCauley]

there was an LFD PA2M (SE) from a French hifi shop on ebay, that was a better buy I'd say, 2006 model, £850 I think...that's a good deal !

Yes, here in the office we agree with you 100%.

However, it is difficult for the inexperienced to determine - just by looking - for sure the differences between the PA2M and the more advanced PA2M(SE). This is not helped by the fact that as is traditional with LFD, the only distinguishing marking on the rear panel is a hand-written sticky label which, given time, usually falls off!

The PA2M cannot be internally upgraded to the PA2M(SE) although we are informed that anything and everything ever built by LFD (other than the CD player and the DAC3 chipset - which cannot be replaced) can be serviced / repaired. http://www.lfd-audio.co.uk/

[Jeff Wood]

yeah, the PA2M wont be any trouble, its actually a very simple circuit, if its all working then no worries.

even if it did go wrong, it couldn't be easier to fix as there's two identical pcb's and transformers inside, so easy to compare voltages etc, any electronics tech could fix it.

Lfd's are very reliable, never had to fix any tbh, sometimes the fuse on the board would blow, but that's about it.


And I don't really know much about the SE, that was developed after I left, but the components used and the wiring on the original PA2M was all good, no compromises, its a stunning amp.

Personally I always preferred the PA2 though.

an LS0 and PA2 was my favourite combination, that was just perfect.

[Neil McCauley]

John - thank you. What was it like, working for LFD Audio?

Thanks - Neil

[Jeff Wood]

John - thank you. What was it like, working for LFD Audio?

Thanks - Neil

you mean Jeff :) and working for Richard, omg where do I start...

it was good, I enjoyed it, Richard was a challenge that's for sure :) but lucky I'm a tolerant person.

[Neil McCauley]

you mean Jeff :) and working for Richard, omg where do I start...

it was good, I enjoyed it, Richard was a challenge that's for sure :) but lucky I'm a tolerant person.

Hi Jeff. Oops. Sorry about that.

I was chatting with Howard Popeck about Dr. Bews. He told me that although Richard doesn’t design speakers, his PhD was in speaker design where his academic supervisor was Dr. Malcom Hawksford. https://www.essex.ac.uk/csee/staff/profile.aspx?ID=1486

Moreover for all LFD Audio designs he uses modified (crossovers outside the cabinets) Celestion SL6 speakers. He also went on to say that on the one occasion he met the Dr. he immediately knew two things. First, he was in the presence of a very powerful intellect and secondly, that communication was not the man’s strong point.

Such a pity that the UK audiophile press have no interest whatsoever in the man, his thoughts nor his products. It's not about 'advertising' apparently. Bews say it's 'the politics'. Without evidence to the contrary I guess he's correct.

Regards - Neil

[Jeff Wood]

Hi Jeff. Oops. Sorry about that.

I was chatting with Howard Popeck about Dr. Bews. He told me that although Richard doesn’t design speakers, his PhD was in speaker design where his academic supervisor was Dr. Malcom Hawksford. https://www.essex.ac.uk/csee/staff/profile.aspx?ID=1486

Moreover for all LFD Audio designs he uses modified (crossovers outside the cabinets) Celestion SL6 speakers. He also went on to say that on the one occasion he met the Dr. he immediately knew two things. First, he was in the presence of a very powerful intellect and secondly, that communication was not the man’s strong point.

Such a pity that the UK audiophile press have no interest whatsoever in the man, his thoughts nor his products. It's not about 'advertising' apparently. Bews say it's 'the politics'. Without evidence to the contrary I guess he's correct.

Regards - Neil


yes, he did his PHD in speaker design, and then he went to Japan to work for Cannon, designing an Omni directional speaker for them.

But he is an absolute genius no doubt about that, its as if he's from another planet.

The SL6 speakers were just something he had in his house, and he always said they sound better with the crossover network outside of the cabinet to avoid the effect of , and at this point ive forgotten what he called it, electrophony or something.

He also owned a pair of electrostatics, but I don't think he listened to hifi much at home.

Funnily enough he wasn't really that interested in Hifi :) He was much much more interested in Antiques.

On a typical day, I'd be building stuff, answering the phone etc, dealing with enquiries, generally being his right hand man, and he'd be in the downstairs part of the unit French polishing an old table, or getting stuff ready for an antiques fayre or something.

Btw, also on the subject of speakers, we just used any old speaker really, Richard always said he didn't need an expensive speaker to tell what was going on , and the amount of times me and him would listen to the same piece of music over and over again, each time he'd make a little tweak or change a component, he certainly did have superhuman hearing,

Malcom was a great guy, its Professor btw, not Doctor :), he was a brainiac aswell when the two of them were chatting together it was like another language.


And yes, communication, not his strong point, so yeah he's a bit weird, far from a normal person, but a nice guy and an absolute genius.