Shoule I replace the Lumleys?

Should I replace the Lumleys?

Well that's the question...
They sound absolutely brilliant, all the valve mid-band attributes with killer bass (well there's 120 valve watts), huge but believable sound-stage and AR type life..
But the problem is I'm listening to less music with them in the system - nowt to do with the sound but because they take 20 mins to warm up just to switch them on, then 20 mins warm down to switch off which can be difficult to remember after a few jars of Mount Adam '98..
So anyone suggest any power amps with the oomph to drive my speakers (the Ditton 66s are quoted as 87dB efficient but I reckon they're nearer 84 after trying them with a Lavardin IT - it didn't quite have it when it got heavy metal loud)? The only other problem is it's got to look good for WAF reasons (I only got the Clearaudio past for that reason, oh, and it's sound), and be driveable by a passive pre as I won't have the money to replace the Lumley pre as well, which means yet more power.
Budget would be £2k-ish, preferably 2nd hand or similar.. Gamut, or Pass labs 150?
Waddya reckon?

 

Re: Should I replace the Lumleys?

Well, since you ask, I think that, as they sound so good in your system, you should keep them until you have thoroughly auditioned and lived with their replacements and are completely happy with them. It's much easier to get rid than to get back afterwards.

Anyway, everything needs to warm up. Even some solid state stuff needs to be left on the whole time and sulks for days if it's switched off for longer than 10 minutes.

What about the Sugden Masterclass power amp?

 

Len, Henry T is selling his Gamut D200 for a very fair price of £1700, worth a PM I feel. Tone

 

I've just had a thought.. Isn't the Gamut balanced inputs only? If so my Luley pre is single ended out, and I don't want to faff about with DI boxes and a number of types of cable - I have that already with my Revox!
And the Sugden Masterclass is one I know works with my Dittons, as I tried one at Walrus.. Went surprisingly loud considering it's lowish power output.. And the Mrs liked the look of it!
So that's a thought...
Still undecided on getting rid of the Lumleys - I wouldn't mind if I could leave them on all the time without having to call out the fire brigade twice a week.. But I remember the Masterclass having quite a similar sound to them - only thing is passive pre.. Would the Sugden give sufficient gain so that my neighbours 200m away have to complain?

 

Hey Leonard and fellow Lumley user.

You don't have to worry about the 20 minutes warm down. This is just the manufacturer being very cautious. Just switch the power tubes off first and then the heaters and you'll be ok.

Even if you switch off the heaters first it won't hurt because that is the mains switch (the power tubes switch switches the 450v to the tubes) and so you cut all electricity from the circuit.

 

Cheers Lee!
That's a slight weight off my mind...
The only other problem is that both have so far blown up, which means couriering them to Tunbridge Wells, paying £120ish, then couriering back here (if they can find it).. Cost me nearly £400 so far, without even having had a valve blow!
Maybe now that JJ has sorted them both out they should be reliable for some time to come? Pretty please with a cherry on top!!

 

The secret is readjusting the bias evry month or so to make sure the valves are balanced. It is usually this that upsets the amps.

I have to say that these are particulary sensitive to inbalance and indicates underspeced biasing circuit. I've been tempted to run with variable biasing by bypassing the biasing circuit with one big resistor. This doesn't mean optimal bias current but it stops the faffing around.

 

That much money and you still have to do the re-engineering of it yourself !!

Cheers

 

My oh my, this reminds me TTs... :latte:

 

Hi Len,

The Gamut has both balanced and single ended RCA inputs. The XLRs are the default and prefered method of input interconnection. To use the RCAs you simply pop some shorting plugs into the XLR sockets (which are provided with the amp) and hey presto you can thus make use of the single ended inputs no probs.

A couple of people who on this forum have heard the LM120's directly against the D200 in the same system, namely mine, and they were Lee's Lumley's too so he should be able to comment - at the same event we also used his single-ended output pre-amp into the Gamut too.

I know I'm supposed to be doing a sales job here as I'm supposed to be flogging the D200, but I will say one thing, the D200 is not be any stretch of the imagination a "euphonic" sounding amp. It's unshamedly solid state in its production values, but in the best possible example as embassador for its kind of course.

For a valve lover, the two suggestions you've already come up would certainly seem much less of a culture shock, as far alternatives from the SS camp are concerned i.e. Pass Labs X series and Sudgen Masterclass.

One more thing about the Gamut though, it has configureable sensitivity settings which can be changed by moving internal jumper pins inside the amp. This should mean that it'll mate well with a wide range of driving sources, including passive pre's I would have thought.

If you find yourself at a loose end on a weekend and wish to cart current amplification and Dittons down to Devon, then I'd be happy to host a no obligation dem.

 

Leonard - why dont you pay a local guitar amp repairman (who will know all about valves of course) 25 quid or thereabouts and ask for a lesson in how to adjust the bias on your Lumleys?

All you need tool-wise is a multimeter.

Like Lee said, a minute or so between the two power switches is ok.. you dont have to wait 20 ! I never did!

Seems a shame to change if you like the sound and the problems are fixable.

Chris