Line Magnetic LM 215 CD Player

[RGA]

Man this little mini218 might be worth my time investigating. I know it's youtube and everything but sounds pretty darn good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfJgkmwS0OU

 

[RGA]

Hi Art - i think other owners would like to know about the modes - here is what I have found on the net between the SHA and SLO mode on the CD 215:

I found this on another forum about the mode "SHA corresponds to 20 KHz high frequency quick drop filtering while SLA corresponds to 20 KHz high frequency slow drop filtering. 215CD only has tube output and there is no separate solid state output selection." (http://www.hifivision.com/av-lounge/43909-lm-audio-mini-meet-kolkata-4.html)

This unfortunately means zilcho in English to me. Could it be that the SHA is a hard brickwall filter while the SLO mode uses a slow analog filter? I do not know. I will post it on Audio Asylum perhaps an engineer will know? I have never seen these terms in audio and the explanation LM provides may as well be Chinese.

But at least we know it is tube only - it is not switching between SS and Tube.

 

[Art K.]

Hi Art - i think other owners would like to know about the modes - here is what I have found on the net between the SHA and SLO mode on the CD 215:

I found this on another forum about the mode "SHA corresponds to 20 KHz high frequency quick drop filtering while SLA corresponds to 20 KHz high frequency slow drop filtering. 215CD only has tube output and there is no separate solid state output selection." (http://www.hifivision.com/av-lounge/43909-lm-audio-mini-meet-kolkata-4.html)

This unfortunately means zilcho in English to me. Could it be that the SHA is a hard brickwall filter while the SLO mode uses a slow analog filter? I do not know. I will post it on Audio Asylum perhaps an engineer will know? I have never seen these terms in audio and the explanation LM provides may as well be Chinese.

But at least we know it is tube only - it is not switching between SS and Tube.

Sounds very similar to the terms used by Cambridge Audio and NAD with their CD players. Thanks for looking into this.

In case folks are wondering I have been asking about this since I owned the player and recently PM'd Richard. Thank you for looking in to it Richard. My dealer has an email in to the distributor as well.

 

[TimF]

Yes, will be interested in what this setting is or does, my inquiring mind has been wondering about it for awhile now.

 

[RGA]

I have only played one CD so far to compare so preliminary results and YMMV but I prefer the SLO mode so far. The CD was primarily vocal compositions but I get a sense of deeper decay more stage and more reverb. It also however seems to have a bit more noise and perhaps sounds less accurate in the way accuracy is currently used. I don't think the difference is massive much of the time but my review was based on the SHA mode.

I stress that my feeling on this could just be the initial "new flavour" like and that after awhile it will bug me and I will want the SHA mode. In some ways this reminds me a bit of amplifiers that have ultralinear and triode mode. Each mode may suit different music better.

 

[RGA]

Thanks to Thorsten of AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) to give me the answer on the modes in English.

"The Burr Brown DAC used in the LM Player has two different digital filter characteristics build in.

One is the classic "brickwall" filter, the other is a "slow rolloff" type, there are many different names for that, "soft filter", "minimum phase filter" etc.

These kind of filters were pioneered by Wadia (Digimaster) and Pioneer (Legato Link). Nowadays they are pretty common.

Personally I like the labels Ayre puts on that switch on their gear, it says "measure" on the position that selects the "brickwall" filter and it says "listen" on the other."

I have to laugh at Ayre's description here as well - Charles Hansen obviously has a sense of humour. The first setting will be to make the measurement plot look good and the second one "sounds better."

Although the supposed worse sounding one sounds pretty darn good so I will investigate further of course.

 

[Fusion]

So both Chris and Dale turned up at my door, LM-215 in hand and after some mindless chit chat we hooked the player up to my system and let it warm up for a bit. Physically its a smaller player than I'm used to seeing but in the hand it has a decent amount of weight and solidity about it.

I gave the player a bit of an uphill task in that the interconnects were a 20 year old cheapish pair from the Ecosse range of cables and nowhere near state of the art, warm and full but not particularly detailed or precise. Of course I told them this from the outset and if the quality of the player shone through we could then improve things with cabling and its situation on the rack.

Playing the LM-215 firstly through Dynaudio's X12 I was greeted by a very solid crisp sound that I hadn't expected to hear knowing it had a valve in the signal path. There was no hardness at all, but treble was still nice and detailed with plenty of zing up top. What grabbed me was the solidity in which this player managed to convey music in a way I've not really heard from digital to this date, this was a lot closer to my vinyl rig than my Arcam. It was very similar in character to my Arcam in terms of its priorities, majoring in depth, layering, acoustic ambience and deep driving rhythmic bass. The difference between the two was the LM-215 had much more physical presence and dimensionality, not as thin or papery and it was still very agile. After swapping out the Dynaudio''s for my ES11's as well as changing the Ecosse interconnects for Chord the sound really opened up in a way that had both Chris and Dale nodding in approval, that this player could still make these vintage speakers boogey was an absolute joy.

Conclusion is it looks like I'm going to be buying one.

Interesting comments...would love to hear the 215 one day, especially how it stacks up to my old Triode Corp. CD player, which I gather was built by Line Magnetic and also features a single tube (this one a 6922).

I think a lot of what Spektre heard is what I'd heard from the Triode player, although I would guess the Triode player tended to a more softer and less crisp sound. It didn't feel like the highs were rounded off but they were certainly not as clean as my current Denon. What a treat to listen to that player though...music just flowed rightly and the sound was more like a nice turntable than other players I'd heard before (most notably Rega's, which always struck me as sounding a little unnatural in their attempt to sound analog).

The Denon sounds more honest to me, but also requires greater care in partnering with components further down the chain. I feel it's here to stay given my SACD collection, but I sometimes think of grabbing that Triode player again (or perhaps the LM215) if and when I have the cash to do so. Two CD players does seem a little excessive though.

 

[vortrex]

If you have the LM 215 you should try a NOS Mullard CV4003 from Upscale Audio. Quite an improvement over the Gold Lion I was using.

 

[avanti1960]

My CD 215 review is finally up - they posted it out of order since I wrote that one before the 219 but it's there.

I am not allowed to direct link to my own review but nothing stops any of you from doing it if you wish.

cheers,

No offense but this is probably the single best audio component review I have ever read. It seems as if it is genuine and honest, possibly to a fault. I get the overriding impression that this is a very good if not excellent CD player (as CD players go) but that there will be no magic, no epiphany, because unless you spend to the reference level amount (e.g. 10X) there can be no magic among the various offerings, subject included.
In other words, I find little inspiration to upgrade from my recent entry level Yamaha player with Burr Brown DAC (that may offer value at its price point based on economies of scale) - if I were to upgrade strictly for sonic reasons.

 

[Art K.]

No offense but this is probably the single best audio component review I have ever read. It seems as if it is genuine and honest, possibly to a fault. I get the overriding impression that this is a very good if not excellent CD player (as CD players go) but that there will be no magic, no epiphany, because unless you spend to the reference level amount (e.g. 10X) there can be no magic among the various offerings, subject included.
In other words, I find little inspiration to upgrade from my recent entry level Yamaha player with Burr Brown DAC (that may offer value at its price point based on economies of scale) - if I were to upgrade strictly for sonic reasons.

It would have been a better review had Richard realized that there is a mode button on the remote and used it. As he stated outside of the review, his impressions would have been even more faviorable had he knew and used the mode function. His review is based on the least favorable mode (to both he and I). I would hope that the review is or will be revised to include that information.

 

[davidro]

This thread with Erik's previous praise on AN DAC makes me want some nice tubed DAC...

 

[avanti1960]

It would have been a better review had Richard realized that there is a mode button on the remote and used it. As he stated outside of the review, his impressions would have been even more faviorable had he knew and used the mode function. His review is based on the least favorable mode (to both he and I). I would hope that the review is or will be revised to include that information.

So what you're saying is this CD player really kicks a$$?

Too bad because I cannot find one locally.

 

[RGA]

It would have been a better review had Richard realized that there is a mode button on the remote and used it. As he stated outside of the review, his impressions would have been even more faviorable had he knew and used the mode function. His review is based on the least favorable mode (to both he and I). I would hope that the review is or will be revised to include that information.

I will likely do an update when I get the time - Getting toward the end of the school year which unfortunately means a lot of exam prep/marking/English festivals/play rehearsals. Have not even started the KEF review and have owned them since mid December. Heck I've had the AX Two since March 2012 and haven't finished that one.

The SLO mode is better and worthy of an amendment. I was thinking of trading the 215 in for the 515 - but I may keep the 215 for bedroom and use it for headphone listening. May trade/sell the Audio Space for the 218mini

 

[RGA]

Heading to the Line Magnetic dealer today. II may be coming home with this

If they have it in stock and in Gold. Sounded real real good last time I auditioned it.

 

[avanti1960]

What a write up, this is the kind of product I am looking for. The closest dealer to me (Chicago) is in Cleveland, but they will ship!

Unfortunately planted on the fence, one side this one, the other an SACD player (e.g. Sony xa5400es or Marantz SA8005 / etc.

 

[Spektre]

Has anyone seen the frequency curves between SHA and SLO modes?

 

[Spektre]

Can't make my mind up about whether I prefer SLO or SHA mode, the differences are subtle but they are there and its nice to have a choice between the two.

 

[Art K.]

Has anyone seen the frequency curves between SHA and SLO modes?

I have not.

Can't make my mind up about whether I prefer SLO or SHA mode, the differences are subtle but they are there and its nice to have a choice between the two.

It really depends for me. In my small room with the Sonneteer amp I preferred the SHA mode. Now in my living room with the Brio-R on my Box Furniture rack I prefer the SLO. As things in your system change it's good to check in on which mode you prefer.

 

[Spektre]

Regardless it just makes me want to sink a whole load of cash on CD's, this is the best digital source I've heard to date. I'm really impressed with how this player can portray depth with good classical recordings.

 

[Spektre]

A great pair of sources.

Comparing them side by side and the CD player doesn't have the heft, dynamics and sheer excitement of the turntable but the price differential reflects that, the LM215 is ridiculously good for the money.