The 3dB dip Lyngdorf performs in “Music” mode is called a Gundry dip. Developed by the BBC. Incorporated into BBC specs for monitoring such as the famous LS35A. Basically compensates for the human ear’s high sensitivity in that range, and recording microphones being placed closer to performers than we would listen in real life. Look it up for more details. Ironically this less than flat dip at 3K renders standard recordings more realistic to our ears. Less so with Classical or other recordings mic’d at say 12th row in a hall.
@@DarkoAudio my pleasure. So your ears were saying “this sounds right”! KEF and likely the other Brit speaker companies also followed suit in 70s, 80s 90s. I was a KEF factory rep in the 80s and 90s. As a result Brit speakers sounded better to many in the midrange. Love your channel and videos. Keep up the good, sane audiophile work!
@@edhouck2676 - as you appear to be familiar with BBC-type speakers perhaps I can ask you a question. I purchased a pair of Graham ls 6 speakers (my first ever speakers; 8 ohms; 87db’s impedance; and recommended amplifier power of 50-150 watts) and now I want to choose an amplifier to pair with them. I’m debating between the the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 and the Naim Uniti Atom, and here’s my dilemma: I purchased the ls 6’s specifically for their rich BBC-type mid range. The Lyngdorf is known for allowing the specific sound of the speakers to come through, while the Atom has its own sound and that sound is ALSO rich. They both seem to have about the same amount of power (which I assume is enough to drive the LS 6’s). After sound quality, for me, the priority Is ease of use as I am older and not at all good at technology. Perhaps the answer is that either would be fine, in which case I might go for the Lyngdorf because it supposedly has very good room correction. Anyway, if you have any thoughts, I would very much appreciate them. Thank you.
Finally a reviewer that gets it……gets what Lyngdorf are doing, I’ve been an owner for the best part of 16 years, work for the UK distribution for 6 years and have been a dealer for the last 6 years. Keeping the speakers manufactures sound preservation I think is a key benefit, as most buy speakers for the way they and and some EQ systems can alter the sound of the speakers…..Lyngdorf retains the sound. Speaker and subwoofer integration is seamless and when using a pair of stubs placed in the front corners will make the system so very dynamic and giving the ability to use small speakers with subs to get a full range sound. Thank you John for your review and thoughts, and for a couple of great music recommendations.
Hmmmm. I’ve seen plenty that do, it’s the sound they aren’t as keen on. As he says here, there are different overall sounds and the Naim and Cambridge ones are well established and popular. This is something of a battle for Lyngdorf. If they push for subs then you need to buy a sub. Then you’ll think if the speakers you have have a matching sub, are there subs you like or you just buy bigger speakers? Selling subs to your classic LS3/5a owners isn’t easy. I know because I worked with a real leader in this philosophy. A B&W owner has a huge selection to upgrade to. I like Linn Kans and I like bass so I have some Isobariks. There plenty of people who like the more forensic sound, that isn’t my world. (I’ve got some 1980s B&O sub and satellites in the box room and they’re fine just not in the same league as the ‘bricks. I use Genelecs and subs when needed at work so I’m quite used to this format)
@@maxine2798 I wouldn't call it a forensic sound, like John said, it's a more pure sound. Also, it doesn't require subs, in fact it allows my floorstanding speakers to reach lower than on my previous amp.
@@maxine2798 I auditioned the Lyngdorf vs. the Naim before settling for one of them (think the Cambridge wasn't available yet) and I have to agree that the Unity Atom did sound bigger, fuller, richer, even sweeter. I still went with the TDAI-1120 because after all ... it didn't "sound". I'm very sure it is closer to recorded reality. And that's before applying RoomPerfect, which gives it a huge advantage. Finally, once you start playing with Lyngorf's endless voicing options it puts terms like "bigger", "fuller", "richer" or "sweeter" into perspective ... :)
Steven, looking closer to lyngdorf after this review. Based on your comment I believe you might me able to give me some feedback. Cannot audition to different gear so I'm thinking about going with products from lyngdorf or buchardt to avoid system matching / synergy. Any experience with the FR-1? Can it be placed on stands? Would it work fine, just less lower end? I believe I can compensate that with additional subs. Walls are not possible for me. Tks in advance.
I got my 1120 a couple weeks ago and LOVE it. Great feature set, and IMO an incredible value. We use it for music streaming and vinyl, but also for 2 channel TV over ARC.
I have the larger version in my system called the TDAI-3400. John is spot on with his assessment of the 1120, but after room correction is applied the difference between the first listen and final correction is an absolute revelation.
I LOVE my Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 !!!! So easy to make all the adjustments you will ever need. The sound is clean, pure, and detailed. Sub integration is the best you can ask for. Can't go wrong with a Lyngdorf.
I finally added REL T7X to my Lyngdorf TDaI1120+Dynaudio Special 40 combo, it took me about a week to try different settings, and in the end I did everything according to Lyngdorf manual, and I must say I am blown away every single time by how good this system sounds after proper dialing in. Highly recommend both the amp and the sub.
The comment about subwoofer integration and having a high-pass filter on the mains is spot on and not mentioned enough. If your mains are working full-range, it is much harder to properly integrate a sub because there’s usually a region where the mains and the sub will have to coexist, and in that region you can have all sorts of speed-vs-frequency (ie phase diffs vs frequency - same thing) that can make the system not integrate. Not to mention the lower distortion on the mains when they are not trying to pump out bass.
@@2002holland - And I wouldn't agree with that. There are more brands offering the same feature set as REL when it comes to sub integration. I'm not trying to talk them down, but there is no unique selling point. But even if your sub is able to integrate perfectly with your mains this doesn't automatically mean you're getting the best from your speakers. As @Miguel Barrio has pointed out correctly freeing up the mains (almost regardless of size) from heavy bass lifting will almost always result in less distortion and better overall sound. Add to that the Lyngdorf's capability of combining crossover filtering, bass management by means of custom EQ and/or voicings AND room correction and you get an idea of what makes these amps so special. In particular at the price point of the TDAI-1120.
They ALWAYS coexist in a certain frequency range around the crossover point (filter steepness is not endless). So if you set the subs internal crossover filter to align with the natural roll-off of the main speaker you integrate quite similarly. A dedicated crossover will allow you to experiment with higher crossover frequencies to eliminate IMD on the main speakers.
Nice review John. for me it’s too late however, I picked up a Naim Unity Atom two years ago. OMG I enjoy the sound so much and the esthetic is simply fantastic. That’s being said I was longing for some room correction as well and was even thinking about changing gears, but at the end I kept my Naim streamer simply because of the beautiful sound it produces. For those wanting room correction but being already stuck with some nice pieces at home there is a nice solution with the range of miniDSP devices which integrates a room correction software (Dirac I think). They can be integrated upstream in the chain (digital path) or downstream (analog signal path) really easily and don’t cost a fortune. And when you want to change your streamer or DAC or … whateve,r the room correction is still there, separately from the rest. You don’t need to have everything in one device.
It's been really nice to see your love of subwoofers blossom. It makes me smile. I really feel like there isn't a speaker set out there that doesnt benefit from adding a sub or two, and once you hear that you can't unhear it. Those kef subs are great. I hope at some point you'll review some more budget friendly models as well.
Really glad to see that the TDAI-1120 gets more attention! I've bought mine at the beginning of 2021 and I'm deeply in love with it. I've paired it with two Wharfedale EVO 4.3 speakers and it still blows my mind! I have a very difficult room (it's L-shaped) and RoomPerfect just solved that acoustic problem, it's THAT GOOD! That little amp spoiled me for life.
@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 sorry, haven't seen your comment earlier! My room is around 35-40 m² as well. That little digital Amp packs more than enough punch for even bigger rooms!
@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 my room is 43 sqm and no problem at all. It plays as loud as you want, without any problem and certainly if you use a subwoofer and using the bass management and crossing your mains at about 70 to 80 Hz.
Hey, I want to go for this amp and also have evo 4.3 and evo center! Os there a way to make this work with av receivers? Also have this enough power for evo ?
One thing which I *think* you missed but which I feel is important; yes it's 60 watts into 8 ohms, but it's also 120 watts into 4 ohms. The ability to double the power into 4 ohms speaks of an amp with plenty of current that will do well with difficult speakers. You're certainly correct that it doesn't give the impression of having a lot of headroom, but being pure digital amplification, it remains clean and not at all harsh at the top end, whereas analogue amplifiers often look as though they have a lot of volume-knob travel remaining, but in reality you can't use it because it sounds horrible. For a more meat-on-the-bones 70's/80's voicing, a parametric EQ curve with a 3db boost at 80Hz with a "Q" of 0.4 is most pleasing to my ears.
Love my TDAI1120+Dynaudio Special 40 combo! After watching this video will consider adding something like REL T7X to my setup. Thanks for a great review.
Been using this amp for 8 months and the Room correction is a game changer, much better compared to Dirac on the NAD M10. Note that MCINTOSH MEN220 licenses the same technology and that costs a good 6.5k in the UK! I am using now as a preamp so get the room correction but upgraded my amp to the Leben CS600, so balance of clean Lyngdorf and tubes is great. My speakers are Klipsch Heresy IV. This has been by lockdown obsession ;)
Have used Lyngdorf for over ten years (the big boy TDAI 2200) on my upgraded Maggie 20.1/line source Dipole Subwoofers. It remains one my best purchases ever! The fact that the sound/technology is now available for $2,000 makes the baby 1120 the steal of the century!!!!!!!!
the Lyngdorf is just amazing. i got my for a year after testing much Amps (Hegel, Yamaha, Technics, Rotel, NAD) My Setup Sounds just insanly good with this Amp, RoomPerfect is just awesome. (Setup are Kef R3 with 2 Aperion Bravus II 12D Subs)
I‘m very happy with my tdai. Superb sound and easy Integration of Ls 50 + kube 8b. Lovely UI. TIDAL integration would be nice. This peace will stay a while.
Hi, does the TDAI 1120 drive the KEF’s loud enough? I am considering this combination but I am slightly concerned with the 1120 won’t have enough power?
Thank you so much for the Atom PopHD and Brendan Moeller Departure Lounge album recommendations. Absolutely loving them. I have no idea how they got the surround effect in the PopHD track "Stop", but it is so awesome.
Tks for the time to put up this review. I have very little knowledge and I believe to have a pretty bad room to work with. Original plan was to target easy to place speakers. After this review I believe a solution like the 1120 can give me an additional safety net. I believe to be very close to.pulling the trigger on my first purchase. Next steps speakers. Have narrowed my seach to: Dynaudio Emit M10 Buchadt S300 Elac Unifi Reference KEF LS50 Meta Lyngdorf RF-1 (direct system matchin, I believe) Triton Goldenear 7 PSB Imagine X2T Zu Dirty weekend Open to any inputs. Need a "low volume king", with a large soundstage. Listem mostly to rock, but not looking for anything too forward. Want to listen to music to relax. So I believe to be looking at "the warm sound of neutral". Lastly, "suggestion mode" here. You probably heard about it, but a similar proposition would be the Buchardt 150 amp. 20% more expensive, different topology but about twice the power. Once again, tks for the hard work. Best
I have TDAI-1120 paired with KEF R3 Meta for quite a while now. It is good but two issues: 1) Volume led lights stopped working after about 3 months of use - does not break functionality but it is basically a hardware failure so not great considering it is not cheap device. 2) Radio stations stop working after a while. You basically switch to radio station input and you are greeted with silence. To fix this, I need to disconnect device from power for about 5min in order to reset it. It's annoying as I need to do it on regular basis. Despite two issues above I still like this device. Its room correction feature paired with treating your room with physical acoustic panels produces really good results. One interesting thing I've noticed is that if you add acoustic panels and run room correction it actually increases low frequencies (basically more bass, but a nice, clear and rounded bass).
**PLEASE READ CAREFULLY** 1) Got a question? Please ask it of the Darko.Audio RUclips community (and not me) as I'm now busy making the NEXT video 2) All comments here are moderated by a third party: instagram.com/p/CTWcokaszpW/ 3) Polite comments that advance the conversation are most welcome (but no URLs, please)
Really appreciate your differentiated reviews! Just one addition: Could you focus on the native apps that come with such streaming devices a bit more? I think they have a high impact on the daily usability when listening to music.
Seriously considering one of these over buying more expensive singular components. I've DIY'ed my end game speakers, but equipment wise I'm fed up of chasing the ultimate now, just want to get something and stick with it. This seems like the ideal solution, as I really like subwoofers for music listening and the ease of which this thing can sort that is impressive. This, in a 2.2 configuration room corrected, just seems like the end game system. Then the PEQ as well, just really is something special really for ultimate control and very reasonable price when considering what it can do.
Hi, John thanks so much for reviewing this one. Just this summer I listened to the TDAI-1120 and the (now discontinued) TDAI-2170. They intersted me for the exact reasons you described. Subwoofer integration plus room correction all in one box. With the TDAI-1120 I experienced the same you are describing vs my resident Audio-GD+Denafrips Combo, namely a good detail and clarity but a lack of body/fulness and dynamics. The difference in the fulness and dynamics department was actually quite huge which is why I did not keep the 1120. The TDAI-2170 on the other hand had the same great detail and clarity/purity plus almost completely closed the gap on fullness and dynamics. As I was able to get that one as a demo unit with a huge discount, I went for it. The main difference appears to be that Lyngdorf's higher models do not use a digital volume control but control the volume by changing the gain of the amplifier itself at the power supply. With that nothing is taken away from the digital signal for reducing the volume and the amplifier always amplifies the full signal at the current gain setting (the original signal is not reduced in any way to meet a certain volume). As I experienced the lack of fulness and dynamics of the 1120 with other devices that use digital volume control in the past, it leads me to assume that this is the main reason for the difference in sound between the two Lyngdorf amplifiers.
I purchased a REL T7i sub to assist my stand mounted speakers, and although REL encourage to use their high level input and let the speakers go full range, i opted to use the 1120´s low level output to filter between highs and lows But the Lyngdorf´s default 80hz/LR 4th order filter didn´t work out for me at all, i ended up with 50hz/BW 2nd order. And yes, it is a joy to sit and tweak your system with the 1120, all inputs takes place immediately, so its really easy to hear the differences Having said that, it doesn´t do magic for your subwoofer. So as always, careful placement of the sub and working manually to find the correct crossings and level tuning according to your setup and room, is highly recommended before doing the Roomperfect tuning. It took me some 4 or 5 try´s before the sub really fell into place
This is a great episode and thanks for everything you publish/making the world of the audiophile accessible to beginners, like me, who are planning their setups / don't necessarily have heaps to invest in all the room treatment, expensive get, but do want to get great audio 🙂 It would be great to see room correction and what's out there revisited as there seem to be some more options e.g NAD C 658 (Dirac) at a lower price point to the TDAI-1120. Look forward to more great videos.
I have Dirac and a pair of Kef Q950's & Focal Chorus 714s. Even when running the same Harman Target curves on both speakers, they are vastly different from each other and the speakers characteristics are still there. The KEFs are weightier on the bottom end, the Focals are brighter and have more air and extension. The Focals are faster and have more detail retrieval in the mid bass region. The 1-2k region is lifted compared to the KEFs which makes electric guitars fatiguing. The KEFs have more weight with male vocals. Same correction, still sound vastly different from each other.
Richard, I’ve been reading a lot about DSP lately. DSP mini I understand would be the least expensive, I’m looking for the simplest route, don’t have a computer either. Would be nice If they made a preamp only version.
I love your channel! Great review! It would be very nice to hear your opinion on my Lyngdorf question …I have the 1120+ KEF R3 Meta and I would like to know if changing to the TDAI 3400 would make a noticeable impact in sound quality. Many thanks
I love my TDAI-1120. That is all I can say. Okay, to add more info, I bought this after wanting a Hegel H120 for a couple of years. I realised that my room has lots of bass problems, and the Hegel would not be able to get around that issue. I knew the Hegel might sound better (maybe objectively), but my room wouldn't care, so I opted for the Lyngdorf, as it had all the streaming capabilities, plus the added options of MM turntable integration and most importantly, Room Perfect. It has no headphone output, which was a downside, but I don't listen to headphones much anyway. Since using it for a few months now, I've tuned the voicing to full capacity (minor adjustments, mostly) and I have a sound that I really love and I can listen to it for hours. My speakers are modest Tannoy XT6f floorstanders, and the Lyngdorf manages to push them to lower frequencies than my previous amp, the Cambridge CXA60, so that's good too. I have nothing but good things to say about it.
Thank you for doing this one. I listen in a room with a sloping ceiling on one side (not ideal but it is home). I have been thinking about this amp for a while as a way of trying to improve the issues I have.
Thanks for the video! Huge potential like add a driver of the same sort driven by an other amp (tube/class A/AB for a maximum smart result) or vise versa . It does not stop there, man kan transform a two way speakers into 2.5 or 3 ways speakers + high level input subwoofer thanks to the dsp and actif crossover. This is a revolution
🤗THANKS JOHN, I REALLY DO LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE 👍 and in MHHO … I THINK 🧐 YOU ARE GETTING BETTER…EXPLAINING ,EDUCATING FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE HELPING US MAKE DECISIONS ACCORDING TO OUR PERSONAL PREFERENCES AND SHARING YOUR OPINIONS IN A GOOD WAY 😍😍😍
It’s good to hear that! What in the chain that matters the most. I’ve always felt like this. But the audiophile society feels otherwise. So I am not alone
room correction can be made also with cambridge or naim with roon convolution filters ... i like that path better because it can evolve , i can have a lot of different convolutions filters available and i can turn it on and off instantly
My Yamaha has YPAO and a mic you plug it in place the mic at the sweet spot and run the room correction program it calibrates the subs you can run 2 and all the speakers it will even tell you if you accidentally wire a speaker out of phase. And the party mode when your doing housework and moving around is great
Nice review. Even though I've had the 1120 since last October still watched the whole thing. Absolutely adore my 1120/Focal Aria 906 in my family living room (no options for speaker placement or room treatment). Yet to integrate a sub, but that'll be the next thing.
I want to buy Aria 906 and integrated Amp with Chromecast and Spotify and HDMI. Is it eARC in TDAI -1120? Can you tell sth about any problem with apps? I want to pair IT with REL T5x or new REL HT 1003 MK2.
Loving the Atom HD album and the Pop HD track in particular. I get a sonic experience out of it where you can almost touch the sound (I'm running LS50meta + kef kc62 + hegel h95 + bluesound node 2i streamer.) I really love it! When I was younger I used to listen to squarepusher and aphex twin way more than I do now, but I'm now, by your videos, revisiting those genres more often, but now through my new (just getting started in) HiFi lense. Thanks for that! I'm not even in the market for a new amp, but music suggestions like that makes a product review double as interesting Thanks, and keep it up!
Thank you once again and - Yes - I truly like you attitude towards Hi-Fi / High End Audio. Q: Can you please review the Buchart i150? - At 2,500, it is has Room correction, Bass Management, and built in DAC (no streamer) yet lots of good external streamers are available. How does it compare to the Lyngdorf, and NAD M10 V2? - Inquiring minds....😊 Thank you!!
I`ve got a difficult room for sound, especially the bass, and was hoping room correction might help. I'm glad to hear of the results you got. This will probably be my next amp, and hope I might get good results too.
Bas problems in small rooms is problematic. In my case crazy boomy 43Hz and a single subwoofer will not fix that. You can EQ and pinpoint your problem frequency to drop the gain there. It will make it a lot better, but it will not fix the wave (decay/ringing) itself. To to really fix it you need specific acoustic panels.
🤣🤣🤣 Yes!!! You are allowed to change, you are supposed to change/ evolve, kind of one of lifes purpouses🙊 This room perfect seems very interesting. I like to tweak, and have multiple profiles, music, gaming, atmos movies, non atmos movies....and soon🤪
In terms of the order what is most important when it comes to sound quality - there should be asterisk - room -> speakers (choice depending on presence of sub) -> sub -> amplifier (enough power primarily and low enough distortion, otherwise little difference) -> dac (might have much bigger impact if coming from AVR cheaper multichannel to separate stereo one -> streamer (again bigger impact if it enables you to stream higher quality music like coming from 44khz to 96 on quality setup is distinguishable)
I hesitated for a long time between the Lyn and the naim. Finally I took the naim simply for aesthetic questions. And above all I didn't need any acoustic correction of my living room. Super review, very interesting but I would sell my naim atom for nothing 😀
You made an interesting choice...I sold my Lyngdorf tdai-3400. The bass is not as velvety, as John might say ;-), as my RME ADI-2 FS Pro +Denon combo which is 1/2 the cost.
When I see videos on innovation and tech like this, the Buchardt A500 and other forward thinking audio, I cannot help but think that the non-traditionalist, minimalist and music first future is exciting and bright for me and some of us that lean that way. All going down while I am now starting to spend energy and money on inefficient speakers, high-temp amps, vinyl and analog this and that 😝
Everything hinges on the DAC Digital processing makes DSP correction very easy, with few AD/DA hops. Room correction becomes simpler. This may be the start of an entirely new direction.
It's funny because I thought the same thing with the Lyngdorf, the sound was really pure. I did not keep it because it was not powerful enough with my Buchardt S400 compared to the Atoll IN200 Signature I have. Room correction was a nice addition but not that different (bass were cleaner for sure). Overall nice amp but not a great match with my speakers
Oh, I‘m planning to buy the same setup: Buchardt S400 with Lingdorf TDAI-1120. Do you think the Lyngdorf‘s 60 Watts per channel wird also be insufficient in a small room with moderate volume levels?
@@patriktakacs Yes! All these rumors about lack of power are simply not true (well as long you don't hook it on huge electrostatics).. It plays more powerfull than the NADC700 which I also have tried and at higher volumes the Lyngdorf keeps control where the NAD is losing control.
Glad i wathced this. I have ordered the Sonus Faber Lumina II (but the Amator edition), and was thinking of this amp, since I have to sit at an asymetrically placed listening position. But now that This amp does not seem to work with the spearkers, any suggestions? I was also looking at the Naim uniti Ato, but expensive, and also it has no Room correction, and i thank I need that, also haveing it in my current System Audio Lengend 5.2 Silverbacks. Than there is the NAD's C368 or even C399, with appropriate MDC. I really need that HDMI ARC input also.but looks like it might be also getting expensive.
FWIW, the volume curve on the Lyngdorf I believe was purposely designed to put most of the gain near the end of it's rotation... why? Because it allows for more finite control by third part steaming apps. I can control mine using the toggle buttons my iphone, or with the spotify slider with confidence. My previous Nait 5i features Naim's long standing tactic of putting most gain at the start of the volume knob, giving the impression of much more headroom (like the accelerator pedal on a small 'zippy' car). Maybe it's similar with the Atom?
Hello. I am aware that 2 years have passed since this review. However, in reference to this particular review and your several others, I would like to ask for your advice. For several months I have been thinking about returning to "good sound". The room is not very big and not very suitable for "audiophile" listening (among others: 2 windows, sloping roof on the right side), but that's the way it is. Initially, I wanted to buy Klipsch the Nine and Eversolo AMP 8, but in the end I hesitated between Buchardt Aniversary 10 with Primare Prisma SC MK II and Lyngdorf TDAI - 112O with KEF R3 meta. I know you haven't tested the Buchardt A10, so I'm asking what you think about the Lyngdorf/KEF combo - what kind of sound do you think I would get (yes, of course I know, with a passive system there are still cables, etc.). I would also like to add that I am definitely planning streaming, vinyl and CDs as sources. I also plan to implement it. Counting on your advice, thank you for your reviews.
Useful video. I would be interested to see how this compares to the NAD c399 as well. I don’t understand the comment regarding all digital and therefore no DAC. My loudspeakers aren’t digital? Shouldn’t the comment be that the DAC sits further down the signal path after the pre-amp?
In my experience with the Lyngdorf TDAI-2200, TDAI-2170, and the TDAI-3400 amps, they all required a considerable break-in period (the time of which varied by model). Each sounded a bit thin out of the box and filled out after a 100 or so hours. The 2200 took the longest, almost 400 hours before it settled into its full sonic signature.
I enjoyed listening to your podcast about the audiolap 6000a play. If you drop a video about it, can you kindly make reference to how it's pairs to LS50 meta /sonus faber II
Hi John, have you ever used Jyngdorf TDAI-1120 as a preamp on an active speaker, e.g. KEF LS50 Wireless? Would that give the same benefits as with a passive speaker? Thanks for your inspiring channel Stefan
Good point on influence on sound, room, speakers, sub and so on. I think Linn with albeit fantastic marketing stood everything on its head. I was always amazed at this nonsense considered sacred in the HiFi world over this.
Thanks for the great review. I am very interested in the lyngdorf to downsize my home audio by replacing my Denon avr-x4400h. But may I ask you a question. I read the lyngdorf manual and there it is explained that I have to setup my speaker/subwoofer distance to my focus position manually before starting room perfect. Furthermore it says that I have to setup subwoofer amplifier delay and so on. Coming from a Denon AV Receiver with audyssey xt 32 this doesn't make sense to me. Isn't it the purpose of automatic room correction to determine speaker distance, delay, frequency response and so on by measuring? Furthermore the room perfect instructions explain that I can setup up to eight focus positions, e.g. my TV chair, home cinema, sofa, and so on. Does that mean that I have eight sub menus to put in speaker distance, delay and so on? Or is the lyngdorf manual just a little bit unprecise and it's just two ways to set it up, manually and automatically via room perfect? Thank you very much and kind regards Andreas.
Hi. Thank you for the nice review. I am very curious about a comparison with the nad m10. Both amplifiers appear to be to be in the same class. In the end i chose the nad m10 because a very nice offer. Now it drives a set of BEC-Akustik AI 1002 and a Dali E-9f. this gives a extraordinari soundstage and joy for the music.
Thanks for the detailed review on this Lyngdorf. I watched a couple of other reviews on this unit but none said anything about the quality of the phono output. Have you had a chance to try it?
For lots of people with smaller rooms having bas problems (room modes or nulls +10-20 Db), I don't think it'll work very well with automatic room correction. It'll lower the bass, but the problems with ringing and decay though... they're still there. I'd love to know what you think about that. I mean given that we both agree that room is the most important thing to deal with first and EQ is probably not the best thing for that. So maybe experience a bit with smaller rooms and acoustics?
For smaller rooms this is much more effective than any physical treatment, unless you put something around 10 k into your room treatment. The wavelengths of the problematic bass content are too large to install any effective absorbers. Furthermore, you have to treat all walls (incl. ceiling and floor), impossible. The only chance you have for reduction of room modes is to get some very specific resonance-based countermeasures, either passive or with active electronics. Any person who sets up bass traps in their corners is basically off much worse than someone without these but a decent room calibration instead. Furthermore, any absorbance you install kills your high frequency to a greater extent than your low frequency (usually), so these people are only exaggerating their low-frequency issues by reducing the top end.
Thanks for the awesome content! Are those woody "pictures" above your sideboard art or a means of room correction (or maybe both)? And where could I buy them?
Im getting a pair of KEF'sL50 Meta and Im between some options of amplifier... Naim Uniti Atom or Lyngdorf 1120, knowing that KEF's are difficult to move and need power, and at the same time can get the best posible audio quality. My third option is the classic naim nait but needs a streamer...
The 3dB dip Lyngdorf performs in “Music” mode is called a Gundry dip. Developed by the BBC. Incorporated into BBC specs for monitoring such as the famous LS35A. Basically compensates for the human ear’s high sensitivity in that range, and recording microphones being placed closer to performers than we would listen in real life. Look it up for more details. Ironically this less than flat dip at 3K renders standard recordings more realistic to our ears. Less so with Classical or other recordings mic’d at say 12th row in a hall.
That's super interesting -- I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing. :)
@@DarkoAudio my pleasure. So your ears were saying “this sounds right”! KEF and likely the other Brit speaker companies also followed suit in 70s, 80s 90s. I was a KEF factory rep in the 80s and 90s. As a result Brit speakers sounded better to many in the midrange. Love your channel and videos. Keep up the good, sane audiophile work!
This sort of comment makes comments worth reading. Thanks.
@@edhouck2676 - as you appear to be familiar with BBC-type speakers perhaps I can ask you a question. I purchased a pair of Graham ls 6 speakers (my first ever speakers; 8 ohms; 87db’s impedance; and recommended amplifier power of 50-150 watts) and now I want to choose an amplifier to pair with them. I’m debating between the the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 and the Naim Uniti Atom, and here’s my dilemma: I purchased the ls 6’s specifically for their rich BBC-type mid range. The Lyngdorf is known for allowing the specific sound of the speakers to come through, while the Atom has its own sound and that sound is ALSO rich. They both seem to have about the same amount of power (which I assume is enough to drive the LS 6’s). After sound quality, for me, the priority Is ease of use as I am older and not at all good at technology. Perhaps the answer is that either would be fine, in which case I might go for the Lyngdorf because it supposedly has very good room correction. Anyway, if you have any thoughts, I would very much appreciate them. Thank you.
Finally a reviewer that gets it……gets what Lyngdorf are doing, I’ve been an owner for the best part of 16 years, work for the UK distribution for 6 years and have been a dealer for the last 6 years.
Keeping the speakers manufactures sound preservation I think is a key benefit, as most buy speakers for the way they and and some EQ systems can alter the sound of the speakers…..Lyngdorf retains the sound.
Speaker and subwoofer integration is seamless and when using a pair of stubs placed in the front corners will make the system so very dynamic and giving the ability to use small speakers with subs to get a full range sound.
Thank you John for your review and thoughts, and for a couple of great music recommendations.
Hmmmm. I’ve seen plenty that do, it’s the sound they aren’t as keen on. As he says here, there are different overall sounds and the Naim and Cambridge ones are well established and popular. This is something of a battle for Lyngdorf. If they push for subs then you need to buy a sub. Then you’ll think if the speakers you have have a matching sub, are there subs you like or you just buy bigger speakers?
Selling subs to your classic LS3/5a owners isn’t easy. I know because I worked with a real leader in this philosophy. A B&W owner has a huge selection to upgrade to. I like Linn Kans and I like bass so I have some Isobariks.
There plenty of people who like the more forensic sound, that isn’t my world. (I’ve got some 1980s B&O sub and satellites in the box room and they’re fine just not in the same league as the ‘bricks. I use Genelecs and subs when needed at work so I’m quite used to this format)
@@maxine2798 I wouldn't call it a forensic sound, like John said, it's a more pure sound. Also, it doesn't require subs, in fact it allows my floorstanding speakers to reach lower than on my previous amp.
@@maxine2798 I auditioned the Lyngdorf vs. the Naim before settling for one of them (think the Cambridge wasn't available yet) and I have to agree that the Unity Atom did sound bigger, fuller, richer, even sweeter. I still went with the TDAI-1120 because after all ... it didn't "sound". I'm very sure it is closer to recorded reality. And that's before applying RoomPerfect, which gives it a huge advantage.
Finally, once you start playing with Lyngorf's endless voicing options it puts terms like "bigger", "fuller", "richer" or "sweeter" into perspective ... :)
Steven, looking closer to lyngdorf after this review. Based on your comment I believe you might me able to give me some feedback. Cannot audition to different gear so I'm thinking about going with products from lyngdorf or buchardt to avoid system matching / synergy.
Any experience with the FR-1? Can it be placed on stands? Would it work fine, just less lower end? I believe I can compensate that with additional subs. Walls are not possible for me.
Tks in advance.
I got my 1120 a couple weeks ago and LOVE it. Great feature set, and IMO an incredible value. We use it for music streaming and vinyl, but also for 2 channel TV over ARC.
What speakers are you running for tv use?
I have the larger version in my system called the TDAI-3400. John is spot on with his assessment of the 1120, but after room correction is applied the difference between the first listen and final correction is an absolute revelation.
I am so happy with this amp. Room Perfect helped out massively for my room, both in integrating 2 subwoofers and dealing with room modes
Does it mean you can turn the low-pass filter off on the sub if you use roomperfect? And what about the volume on the sub?
I could literally watch JD all day. Love this video.
I LOVE my Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 !!!! So easy to make all the adjustments you will ever need. The sound is clean, pure, and detailed. Sub integration is the best you can ask for. Can't go wrong with a Lyngdorf.
This video brought me to the brand Lyngdorf and I bought the TDAI 1120, very happy!
I finally added REL T7X to my Lyngdorf TDaI1120+Dynaudio Special 40 combo, it took me about a week to try different settings, and in the end I did everything according to Lyngdorf manual, and I must say I am blown away every single time by how good this system sounds after proper dialing in.
Highly recommend both the amp and the sub.
Hi, may I know how do you connect the rel t7x with lyngdorf? via high level connect?
The comment about subwoofer integration and having a high-pass filter on the mains is spot on and not mentioned enough. If your mains are working full-range, it is much harder to properly integrate a sub because there’s usually a region where the mains and the sub will have to coexist, and in that region you can have all sorts of speed-vs-frequency (ie phase diffs vs frequency - same thing) that can make the system not integrate. Not to mention the lower distortion on the mains when they are not trying to pump out bass.
@@2002holland - And I wouldn't agree with that. There are more brands offering the same feature set as REL when it comes to sub integration. I'm not trying to talk them down, but there is no unique selling point. But even if your sub is able to integrate perfectly with your mains this doesn't automatically mean you're getting the best from your speakers.
As @Miguel Barrio has pointed out correctly freeing up the mains (almost regardless of size) from heavy bass lifting will almost always result in less distortion and better overall sound.
Add to that the Lyngdorf's capability of combining crossover filtering, bass management by means of custom EQ and/or voicings AND room correction and you get an idea of what makes these amps so special. In particular at the price point of the TDAI-1120.
They ALWAYS coexist in a certain frequency range around the crossover point (filter steepness is not endless). So if you set the subs internal crossover filter to align with the natural roll-off of the main speaker you integrate quite similarly. A dedicated crossover will allow you to experiment with higher crossover frequencies to eliminate IMD on the main speakers.
Nice review John.
for me it’s too late however, I picked up a Naim Unity Atom two years ago. OMG I enjoy the sound so much and the esthetic is simply fantastic.
That’s being said I was longing for some room correction as well and was even thinking about changing gears, but at the end I kept my Naim streamer simply because of the beautiful sound it produces.
For those wanting room correction but being already stuck with some nice pieces at home there is a nice solution with the range of miniDSP devices which integrates a room correction software (Dirac I think). They can be integrated upstream in the chain (digital path) or downstream (analog signal path) really easily and don’t cost a fortune. And when you want to change your streamer or DAC or … whateve,r the room correction is still there, separately from the rest. You don’t need to have everything in one device.
Can you give an example
Of a mini DSPdevice? Thx
It's been really nice to see your love of subwoofers blossom. It makes me smile. I really feel like there isn't a speaker set out there that doesnt benefit from adding a sub or two, and once you hear that you can't unhear it. Those kef subs are great. I hope at some point you'll review some more budget friendly models as well.
Really glad to see that the TDAI-1120 gets more attention! I've bought mine at the beginning of 2021 and I'm deeply in love with it. I've paired it with two Wharfedale EVO 4.3 speakers and it still blows my mind! I have a very difficult room (it's L-shaped) and RoomPerfect just solved that acoustic problem, it's THAT GOOD! That little amp spoiled me for life.
@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 sorry, haven't seen your comment earlier! My room is around 35-40 m² as well. That little digital Amp packs more than enough punch for even bigger rooms!
@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 my room is 43 sqm and no problem at all. It plays as loud as you want, without any problem and certainly if you use a subwoofer and using the bass management and crossing your mains at about 70 to 80 Hz.
Hey, I want to go for this amp and also have evo 4.3 and evo center! Os there a way to make this work with av receivers? Also have this enough power for evo ?
One thing which I *think* you missed but which I feel is important; yes it's 60 watts into 8 ohms, but it's also 120 watts into 4 ohms. The ability to double the power into 4 ohms speaks of an amp with plenty of current that will do well with difficult speakers.
You're certainly correct that it doesn't give the impression of having a lot of headroom, but being pure digital amplification, it remains clean and not at all harsh at the top end, whereas analogue amplifiers often look as though they have a lot of volume-knob travel remaining, but in reality you can't use it because it sounds horrible.
For a more meat-on-the-bones 70's/80's voicing, a parametric EQ curve with a 3db boost at 80Hz with a "Q" of 0.4 is most pleasing to my ears.
I was at Dutch Audio Event, and this thing was everywhere... For good reason, I might add.
Just pulled the trigger and ordered one after watching this video 6-7 times 🤣 got a good price of 1800 Euros from my local dealer
Love my TDAI1120+Dynaudio Special 40 combo! After watching this video will consider adding something like REL T7X to my setup. Thanks for a great review.
Peter Lyngdorf is a legend in the hifi-world. Things he has done and owned.
Been using this amp for 8 months and the Room correction is a game changer, much better compared to Dirac on the NAD M10. Note that MCINTOSH MEN220 licenses the same technology and that costs a good 6.5k in the UK!
I am using now as a preamp so get the room correction but upgraded my amp to the Leben CS600, so balance of clean Lyngdorf and tubes is great. My speakers are Klipsch Heresy IV.
This has been by lockdown obsession ;)
I have NAD M10, paired with Dynaudio Evoke 20s. I am getting this upgrade BUG and trying to see if getting this is an upgrade.
FYI, Peter Lyngdorf owned NAD some years ago.
Are you still able to add subs if you add an amp?
Have used Lyngdorf for over ten years (the big boy TDAI 2200) on my upgraded Maggie 20.1/line source Dipole Subwoofers. It remains one my best purchases ever! The fact that the sound/technology is now available for $2,000 makes the baby 1120 the steal of the century!!!!!!!!
Hi, the TDAI-2200 is quite old by now, how does it stack up to more modern amplifiers if you've tried so? Usually they sells for 1.000 euros 2nd hand.
the Lyngdorf is just amazing. i got my for a year after testing much Amps (Hegel, Yamaha, Technics, Rotel, NAD) My Setup Sounds just insanly good with this Amp, RoomPerfect is just awesome. (Setup are Kef R3 with 2 Aperion Bravus II 12D Subs)
I‘m very happy with my tdai. Superb sound and easy Integration of Ls 50 + kube 8b. Lovely UI. TIDAL integration would be nice. This peace will stay a while.
Hi, does the TDAI 1120 drive the KEF’s loud enough? I am considering this combination but I am slightly concerned with the 1120 won’t have enough power?
GOOD MORNING !!!
EXCELENTE TRABAJO
MUCHAS GRACIAS
UN FUERTE ABRAZO DESDE SANTIAGO DE CHILE
Thank you so much for the Atom PopHD and Brendan Moeller Departure Lounge album recommendations. Absolutely loving them. I have no idea how they got the surround effect in the PopHD track "Stop", but it is so awesome.
Tks for the time to put up this review. I have very little knowledge and I believe to have a pretty bad room to work with. Original plan was to target easy to place speakers. After this review I believe a solution like the 1120 can give me an additional safety net.
I believe to be very close to.pulling the trigger on my first purchase. Next steps speakers. Have narrowed my seach to:
Dynaudio Emit M10
Buchadt S300
Elac Unifi Reference
KEF LS50 Meta
Lyngdorf RF-1 (direct system matchin, I believe)
Triton Goldenear 7
PSB Imagine X2T
Zu Dirty weekend
Open to any inputs. Need a "low volume king", with a large soundstage. Listem mostly to rock, but not looking for anything too forward. Want to listen to music to relax. So I believe to be looking at "the warm sound of neutral".
Lastly, "suggestion mode" here. You probably heard about it, but a similar proposition would be the Buchardt 150 amp. 20% more expensive, different topology but about twice the power.
Once again, tks for the hard work.
Best
Neat to see someone else who enjoys Thin White Rope.
The intro music had me right there. I love electronic music.
I have TDAI-1120 paired with KEF R3 Meta for quite a while now. It is good but two issues:
1) Volume led lights stopped working after about 3 months of use - does not break functionality but it is basically a hardware failure so not great considering it is not cheap device.
2) Radio stations stop working after a while. You basically switch to radio station input and you are greeted with silence. To fix this, I need to disconnect device from power for about 5min in order to reset it. It's annoying as I need to do it on regular basis.
Despite two issues above I still like this device. Its room correction feature paired with treating your room with physical acoustic panels produces really good results. One interesting thing I've noticed is that if you add acoustic panels and run room correction it actually increases low frequencies (basically more bass, but a nice, clear and rounded bass).
Lyngdorf seems good value
ZUUUUUUUUUU!!! Can't wait to see and hear what you tell us about those Soul 6's!!!
What a wonderfully explained video. Much appreciated.
**PLEASE READ CAREFULLY**
1) Got a question? Please ask it of the Darko.Audio RUclips community (and not me) as I'm now busy making the NEXT video
2) All comments here are moderated by a third party: instagram.com/p/CTWcokaszpW/
3) Polite comments that advance the conversation are most welcome (but no URLs, please)
Really appreciate your differentiated reviews! Just one addition: Could you focus on the native apps that come with such streaming devices a bit more? I think they have a high impact on the daily usability when listening to music.
Seriously considering one of these over buying more expensive singular components. I've DIY'ed my end game speakers, but equipment wise I'm fed up of chasing the ultimate now, just want to get something and stick with it.
This seems like the ideal solution, as I really like subwoofers for music listening and the ease of which this thing can sort that is impressive. This, in a 2.2 configuration room corrected, just seems like the end game system. Then the PEQ as well, just really is something special really for ultimate control and very reasonable price when considering what it can do.
Hi, John thanks so much for reviewing this one. Just this summer I listened to the TDAI-1120 and the (now discontinued) TDAI-2170. They intersted me for the exact reasons you described. Subwoofer integration plus room correction all in one box. With the TDAI-1120 I experienced the same you are describing vs my resident Audio-GD+Denafrips Combo, namely a good detail and clarity but a lack of body/fulness and dynamics. The difference in the fulness and dynamics department was actually quite huge which is why I did not keep the 1120. The TDAI-2170 on the other hand had the same great detail and clarity/purity plus almost completely closed the gap on fullness and dynamics. As I was able to get that one as a demo unit with a huge discount, I went for it. The main difference appears to be that Lyngdorf's higher models do not use a digital volume control but control the volume by changing the gain of the amplifier itself at the power supply. With that nothing is taken away from the digital signal for reducing the volume and the amplifier always amplifies the full signal at the current gain setting (the original signal is not reduced in any way to meet a certain volume). As I experienced the lack of fulness and dynamics of the 1120 with other devices that use digital volume control in the past, it leads me to assume that this is the main reason for the difference in sound between the two Lyngdorf amplifiers.
A MiniDSP SHD would offer that.
I purchased a REL T7i sub to assist my stand mounted speakers, and although REL encourage to use their high level input and let the speakers go full range, i opted to use the 1120´s low level output to filter between highs and lows
But the Lyngdorf´s default 80hz/LR 4th order filter didn´t work out for me at all, i ended up with 50hz/BW 2nd order. And yes, it is a joy to sit and tweak your system with the 1120, all inputs takes place immediately, so its really easy to hear the differences
Having said that, it doesn´t do magic for your subwoofer. So as always, careful placement of the sub and working manually to find the correct crossings and level tuning according to your setup and room, is highly recommended before doing the Roomperfect tuning. It took me some 4 or 5 try´s before the sub really fell into place
This is a great episode and thanks for everything you publish/making the world of the audiophile accessible to beginners, like me, who are planning their setups / don't necessarily have heaps to invest in all the room treatment, expensive get, but do want to get great audio 🙂
It would be great to see room correction and what's out there revisited as there seem to be some more options e.g NAD C 658 (Dirac) at a lower price point to the TDAI-1120.
Look forward to more great videos.
At 8:21 is there a chicken creaming. 🤣 and great video again!
Great review of Lyngdorf tdai 1120. You have answered all the questions on my mind regarding this amp. Many thanks! Great selection of music as well👍
Thanks for the AtomTM recommandation. Brought the very best out of my Rel T7x and showed where in my room things start shaking :D a very good album!!!
I have Dirac and a pair of Kef Q950's & Focal Chorus 714s. Even when running the same Harman Target curves on both speakers, they are vastly different from each other and the speakers characteristics are still there. The KEFs are weightier on the bottom end, the Focals are brighter and have more air and extension. The Focals are faster and have more detail retrieval in the mid bass region. The 1-2k region is lifted compared to the KEFs which makes electric guitars fatiguing. The KEFs have more weight with male vocals. Same correction, still sound vastly different from each other.
Richard, I’ve been reading a lot about DSP lately. DSP mini I understand would be the least expensive, I’m looking for the simplest route, don’t have a computer either. Would be nice If they made a preamp only version.
Great Review as always ! Thank you!
I love your channel! Great review! It would be very nice to hear your opinion on my Lyngdorf question …I have the 1120+ KEF R3 Meta and I would like to know if changing to the TDAI 3400 would make a noticeable impact in sound quality. Many thanks
I have this pair and after hearing it I felt like I’ve saved myself 3k because what I’ve heard was more than enough.
Love the sub piece in the video. Great review.
I love my TDAI-1120. That is all I can say. Okay, to add more info, I bought this after wanting a Hegel H120 for a couple of years. I realised that my room has lots of bass problems, and the Hegel would not be able to get around that issue. I knew the Hegel might sound better (maybe objectively), but my room wouldn't care, so I opted for the Lyngdorf, as it had all the streaming capabilities, plus the added options of MM turntable integration and most importantly, Room Perfect. It has no headphone output, which was a downside, but I don't listen to headphones much anyway. Since using it for a few months now, I've tuned the voicing to full capacity (minor adjustments, mostly) and I have a sound that I really love and I can listen to it for hours. My speakers are modest Tannoy XT6f floorstanders, and the Lyngdorf manages to push them to lower frequencies than my previous amp, the Cambridge CXA60, so that's good too. I have nothing but good things to say about it.
Thank you for doing this one. I listen in a room with a sloping ceiling on one side (not ideal but it is home). I have been thinking about this amp for a while as a way of trying to improve the issues I have.
Thanks for the video!
Huge potential like add a driver of the same sort driven by an other amp (tube/class A/AB for a maximum smart result) or vise versa . It does not stop there, man kan transform a two way speakers into 2.5 or 3 ways speakers + high level input subwoofer thanks to the dsp and actif crossover. This is a revolution
🤗THANKS JOHN, I REALLY DO LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE 👍 and in MHHO … I THINK 🧐 YOU ARE GETTING BETTER…EXPLAINING ,EDUCATING FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE HELPING US MAKE DECISIONS ACCORDING TO OUR PERSONAL PREFERENCES AND SHARING YOUR OPINIONS IN A GOOD WAY 😍😍😍
It’s good to hear that! What in the chain that matters the most. I’ve always felt like this. But the audiophile society feels otherwise. So I am not alone
It's a hobby, so of course people will want to chop and change bits.
room correction can be made also with cambridge or naim with roon convolution filters ... i like that path better because it can evolve , i can have a lot of different convolutions filters available and i can turn it on and off instantly
I own the 1120 with Harbeth P3ESR XD speakers and a Velodyne DD10 subwoofer and could’t be happier. This review totally nails it!
Atom and Maurizio are regular customers as well, we know already for a long time :))
Great content as always.
I’m doing it, I’m getting a Rel sub and a lyndorf. Both are cheaper than a naim uniti.
Plus Naim are about to raise all their prices in December
How do you know about the prices of the Naim to rice in december? Are there new types coming?
will you be connecting the rels high level?...I'm hoping to, but Lyngdorf seems against it.
@@theswans4181 the integration software probably only works via the aux outputs.
Love the review and some truly good tunes!
Those speakers are the bomb! :)
Great honest review!
My Yamaha has YPAO and a mic you plug it in place the mic at the sweet spot and run the room correction program it calibrates the subs you can run 2 and all the speakers it will even tell you if you accidentally wire a speaker out of phase. And the party mode when your doing housework and moving around is great
Nice review. Even though I've had the 1120 since last October still watched the whole thing. Absolutely adore my 1120/Focal Aria 906 in my family living room (no options for speaker placement or room treatment). Yet to integrate a sub, but that'll be the next thing.
Same set here, but with a subwoofer (XTZ 10.17 Edge)
I want to buy Aria 906 and integrated Amp with Chromecast and Spotify and HDMI. Is it eARC in TDAI -1120? Can you tell sth about any problem with apps? I want to pair IT with REL T5x or new REL HT 1003 MK2.
Loving the Atom HD album and the Pop HD track in particular. I get a sonic experience out of it where you can almost touch the sound (I'm running LS50meta + kef kc62 + hegel h95 + bluesound node 2i streamer.)
I really love it! When I was younger I used to listen to squarepusher and aphex twin way more than I do now, but I'm now, by your videos, revisiting those genres more often, but now through my new (just getting started in) HiFi lense.
Thanks for that! I'm not even in the market for a new amp, but music suggestions like that makes a product review double as interesting
Thanks, and keep it up!
Really curious to hear this compared to the NAD M10 v2.
Thank you once again and - Yes - I truly like you attitude towards Hi-Fi / High End Audio. Q: Can you please review the Buchart i150? - At 2,500, it is has Room correction, Bass Management, and built in DAC (no streamer) yet lots of good external streamers are available. How does it compare to the Lyngdorf, and NAD M10 V2? - Inquiring minds....😊 Thank you!!
I`ve got a difficult room for sound, especially the bass, and was hoping room correction might help. I'm glad to hear of the results you got. This will probably be my next amp, and hope I might get good results too.
Bas problems in small rooms is problematic. In my case crazy boomy 43Hz and a single subwoofer will not fix that. You can EQ and pinpoint your problem frequency to drop the gain there. It will make it a lot better, but it will not fix the wave (decay/ringing) itself. To to really fix it you need specific acoustic panels.
🤣🤣🤣
Yes!!! You are allowed to change, you are supposed to change/ evolve, kind of one of lifes purpouses🙊
This room perfect seems very interesting. I like to tweak, and have multiple profiles, music, gaming, atmos movies, non atmos movies....and soon🤪
In terms of the order what is most important when it comes to sound quality - there should be asterisk - room -> speakers (choice depending on presence of sub) -> sub -> amplifier (enough power primarily and low enough distortion, otherwise little difference) -> dac (might have much bigger impact if coming from AVR cheaper multichannel to separate stereo one -> streamer (again bigger impact if it enables you to stream higher quality music like coming from 44khz to 96 on quality setup is distinguishable)
Great Video!
Listening to Pop HD on Tidal, they way that track pushes my headphones 😱
Ohhhhhhhhh. The HD album really pops. I checked it out.
It's a shame that the Lumina II don't get along with the TDAI-1120, but that's exactly the pairing that I was curious about...
Thank you...
I hesitated for a long time between the Lyn and the naim. Finally I took the naim simply for aesthetic questions. And above all I didn't need any acoustic correction of my living room.
Super review, very interesting but I would sell my naim atom for nothing 😀
You made an interesting choice...I sold my Lyngdorf tdai-3400. The bass is not as velvety, as John might say ;-), as my RME ADI-2 FS Pro +Denon combo which is 1/2 the cost.
@@quattr03 Which Denon ?
When I see videos on innovation and tech like this, the Buchardt A500 and other forward thinking audio, I cannot help but think that the non-traditionalist, minimalist and music first future is exciting and bright for me and some of us that lean that way. All going down while I am now starting to spend energy and money on inefficient speakers, high-temp amps, vinyl and analog this and that 😝
Another top-shelf video review, in the North American sense.
Cool speaker
Everything hinges on the DAC
Digital processing makes DSP correction very easy, with few AD/DA hops.
Room correction becomes simpler.
This may be the start of an entirely new direction.
I'm still confused as to how this doesn't even have a DAC. But it works great, nonetheless. :)
It's funny because I thought the same thing with the Lyngdorf, the sound was really pure.
I did not keep it because it was not powerful enough with my Buchardt S400 compared to the Atoll IN200 Signature I have. Room correction was a nice addition but not that different (bass were cleaner for sure).
Overall nice amp but not a great match with my speakers
@@crookedbiden6163 yes it is, but it is also the only one I can afford 😂
Did you have the S400 MKII?
@@jasonsutton3813 nope, they were not out at the time
Oh, I‘m planning to buy the same setup: Buchardt S400 with Lingdorf TDAI-1120. Do you think the Lyngdorf‘s 60 Watts per channel wird also be insufficient in a small room with moderate volume levels?
@@patriktakacs Yes! All these rumors about lack of power are simply not true (well as long you don't hook it on huge electrostatics).. It plays more powerfull than the NADC700 which I also have tried and at higher volumes the Lyngdorf keeps control where the NAD is losing control.
Thank you for the review. I'd like to ask how this amp compares to Technics SU-G700 MK2 to pair with LS50 Meta. Wich would you choose?
Glad i wathced this. I have ordered the Sonus Faber Lumina II (but the Amator edition), and was thinking of this amp, since I have to sit at an asymetrically placed listening position. But now that This amp does not seem to work with the spearkers, any suggestions? I was also looking at the Naim uniti Ato, but expensive, and also it has no Room correction, and i thank I need that, also haveing it in my current System Audio Lengend 5.2 Silverbacks. Than there is the NAD's C368 or even C399, with appropriate MDC. I really need that HDMI ARC input also.but looks like it might be also getting expensive.
FWIW, the volume curve on the Lyngdorf I believe was purposely designed to put most of the gain near the end of it's rotation... why? Because it allows for more finite control by third part steaming apps. I can control mine using the toggle buttons my iphone, or with the spotify slider with confidence. My previous Nait 5i features Naim's long standing tactic of putting most gain at the start of the volume knob, giving the impression of much more headroom (like the accelerator pedal on a small 'zippy' car). Maybe it's similar with the Atom?
Appreciate the comparisons to the Naim and Evo. Is there a reason the M10 isn’t being discussed as well?
Simple: I don't have an M10. 😉
@@DarkoAudio Yet! Would love to see a V2 or C700! Appreciate the good work John. The amp matching video for the Lumina 2s was one of my favorite!
Hello. I am aware that 2 years have passed since this review. However, in reference to this particular review and your several others, I would like to ask for your advice. For several months I have been thinking about returning to "good sound". The room is not very big and not very suitable for "audiophile" listening (among others: 2 windows, sloping roof on the right side), but that's the way it is. Initially, I wanted to buy Klipsch the Nine and Eversolo AMP 8, but in the end I hesitated between Buchardt Aniversary 10 with Primare Prisma SC MK II and Lyngdorf TDAI - 112O with KEF R3 meta. I know you haven't tested the Buchardt A10, so I'm asking what you think about the Lyngdorf/KEF combo - what kind of sound do you think I would get (yes, of course I know, with a passive system there are still cables, etc.). I would also like to add that I am definitely planning streaming, vinyl and CDs as sources. I also plan to implement it. Counting on your advice, thank you for your reviews.
Useful video. I would be interested to see how this compares to the NAD c399 as well. I don’t understand the comment regarding all digital and therefore no DAC. My loudspeakers aren’t digital? Shouldn’t the comment be that the DAC sits further down the signal path after the pre-amp?
In my experience with the Lyngdorf TDAI-2200, TDAI-2170, and the TDAI-3400 amps, they all required a considerable break-in period (the time of which varied by model). Each sounded a bit thin out of the box and filled out after a 100 or so hours. The 2200 took the longest, almost 400 hours before it settled into its full sonic signature.
I think you're right. I noticed improvements over time with my 1120.
How does this Lyngdorf compare to a Bluesound Powernode 2021 ? Which also integrate a high pass filter for the speakers but no room correction
Just came back from the Bristol HiFi show and heard the 3400 with room perfect on and off. Wow! John, can you review the 3400, please?
@darko don't the lumina 2 go down to
I enjoyed listening to your podcast about the audiolap 6000a play. If you drop a video about it, can you kindly make reference to how it's pairs to LS50 meta /sonus faber II
Hi John,
have you ever used Jyngdorf TDAI-1120 as a preamp on an active speaker, e.g. KEF LS50 Wireless?
Would that give the same benefits as with a passive speaker?
Thanks for your inspiring channel
Stefan
The speakers remind me of "The Day of the Tentacle" My stereo speakers go down to 30hz. Enough bass for me.
Good point on influence on sound, room, speakers, sub and so on. I think Linn with albeit fantastic marketing stood everything on its head. I was always amazed at this nonsense considered sacred in the HiFi world over this.
Thanks for the great review. I am very interested in the lyngdorf to downsize my home audio by replacing my Denon avr-x4400h. But may I ask you a question. I read the lyngdorf manual and there it is explained that I have to setup my speaker/subwoofer distance to my focus position manually before starting room perfect. Furthermore it says that I have to setup subwoofer amplifier delay and so on. Coming from a Denon AV Receiver with audyssey xt 32 this doesn't make sense to me. Isn't it the purpose of automatic room correction to determine speaker distance, delay, frequency response and so on by measuring? Furthermore the room perfect instructions explain that I can setup up to eight focus positions, e.g. my TV chair, home cinema, sofa, and so on. Does that mean that I have eight sub menus to put in speaker distance, delay and so on? Or is the lyngdorf manual just a little bit unprecise and it's just two ways to set it up, manually and automatically via room perfect?
Thank you very much and kind regards Andreas.
Hi. Thank you for the nice review. I am very curious about a comparison with the nad m10. Both amplifiers appear to be to be in the same class. In the end i chose the nad m10 because a very nice offer. Now it drives a set of BEC-Akustik AI 1002 and a Dali E-9f. this gives a extraordinari soundstage and joy for the music.
Thank you. This will be the one to try with my Kef R3 meta speakers. Anyone who did that already? Please tell.
Thanks for the pointer to PopHD! Enjoying it right now.
Ugh, it's making stuff elsewhere in the house resonate.
It's freaking my dog out too...
Decided this is what I want ! Have to wait for a price drop though as out of reach at the moment 😢
Thanks for the detailed review on this Lyngdorf. I watched a couple of other reviews on this unit but none said anything about the quality of the phono output. Have you had a chance to try it?
Curious about this too. Can't find any analysis or opinions on the phone stage in Lyngdorf.
For lots of people with smaller rooms having bas problems (room modes or nulls +10-20 Db), I don't think it'll work very well with automatic room correction. It'll lower the bass, but the problems with ringing and decay though... they're still there. I'd love to know what you think about that. I mean given that we both agree that room is the most important thing to deal with first and EQ is probably not the best thing for that. So maybe experience a bit with smaller rooms and acoustics?
For smaller rooms this is much more effective than any physical treatment, unless you put something around 10 k into your room treatment. The wavelengths of the problematic bass content are too large to install any effective absorbers. Furthermore, you have to treat all walls (incl. ceiling and floor), impossible. The only chance you have for reduction of room modes is to get some very specific resonance-based countermeasures, either passive or with active electronics.
Any person who sets up bass traps in their corners is basically off much worse than someone without these but a decent room calibration instead. Furthermore, any absorbance you install kills your high frequency to a greater extent than your low frequency (usually), so these people are only exaggerating their low-frequency issues by reducing the top end.
Thanks for the awesome content! Are those woody "pictures" above your sideboard art or a means of room correction (or maybe both)? And where could I buy them?
Those are called ‘binary abfusers’, cheers
Hello! Please tell me how to connect lyngdorf tdai 1120 via DAC and tube amplifier for roomperfect ? in what order ?
Given the fully digital design, does a better phono pre still a difference soundwise?
Im getting a pair of KEF'sL50 Meta and Im between some options of amplifier... Naim Uniti Atom or Lyngdorf 1120, knowing that KEF's are difficult to move and need power, and at the same time can get the best posible audio quality. My third option is the classic naim nait but needs a streamer...
for someone already with a system, but no eq would a minidsp flex 8 be a better investment?