www.line-magnetic.eu/en/products-line-magnetic-en/integrated-tube-amplifier-line-magnetic-en/lm-805ia-amplificateur-int%C3%A9gr%C3%A9-single-ended-805-2x48w-detail related videos: Willsenton R800i review: ruclips.net/video/k_qDijH8B-Y/видео.html NAD C298 review: ruclips.net/video/nEL8TtEqrx4/видео.html Tekton 2-10 Review: ruclips.net/video/7Yg_EQh_6yY/видео.html B&W 606 S2 anniversary review: ruclips.net/video/aemo4hcYXSA/видео.html Triangle 40th Anniversary Comète review: ruclips.net/video/0u6zar4BkAQ/видео.html Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3 Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7-vintage-hi-fi-speaker-stands/ acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/ acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ amzn.to/3chBuFZ other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1 amzn.to/30bsUCH This video is not sponsored for more info on how we work: nbtsmedia.com/about-us/ 0:00 intro 0:40 Line Magnetic Price 2:11 Upgraded Line Magnetic 3:19 Willsenton R800i VS LM-805IA Features 7:58 Line Magnetic Sound review 14:15 Willsenton R800i VS LM-805IA Sound 16:33 Caveats Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jaysoulsik follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jaysoulsik follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jaysoulsik Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: ruclips.net/p/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0
I have one, and it really is a killer. It transcends the speakers, the listening experience is incredible, everything is more defined, bigger, spatial. Its flaw is that it heats up more than it should, the 805 tubes can cause 3rd degree burns to the unwary person who gets too close to them. It's a winter amp, it can be used as an extra heater, but be careful with the back, it weighs 40 kilos...
I actually prefer the 6SL7 as input tube over the 12AX Series. A NOS Tung Sol 6SU7GTY black glass round plate (a WWII-era production, Ultra tightly 1% matched, ruggedized variant of the 6SL7; fully compatible) in the input octal and a platinum matched pair of 1952 Sylvania JAN CHS 6SN7WGT with black bad-boy 3-rivet-hole plates, the LM805IA will do things that the Willsenton can't. Empirical statement. One would have to find vintage NOS Telefunken 12AX's for $1k/tube for the Willsenton to come close. The magic is in the front three tubes of the LM805IA. The Mundorf cap upgrades and /complete/ point to point wiring of the Line Magnetic (fully covered by one's warranty, I might add) are also superior to the Willsenton, if only just. The Willsenton is not a fully balanced amplifier; it just has XLR inputs. It collapses that balanced signal to unbalanced in the other side of the input plate; there's no advantage to running XLR to it in terms of noise rejection, unless one only wants to be able to use the bottom 1/8th of their volume dial. If the R800i's XLR inputs do not offer increased gain, which can suppress the noise floor some, then they have negated the only benefit to having XLR inputs. I'd rather the LM strategy and skip them for an unbalanced amplifier design. There's more magic in the tube rolled LM805IA and, purely subjectively, it looks better. The styling of the LM will age better; much less busy and more classic.
Jay, keep up the videos bro. I turned 40 this year and realized i never got around to making my Hi Fi setup as life happened! Your content is great for helping me catch up to make better decisions! Thanks 😊
Nice job on this review. I’m glad you made the point about tube amps that strive for detail. I’m with you on that. I’d rather buy solid state if I want detail. I’m in my 60s and if I buy tubes I want the warmth and the spacious sound stage. I noticed you changed the name of your channel. I wish you the best moving forward.
I just acquired an LM 805ia. I am surprised how much I like it. Its not as robust as how I usually like my set up, but it plenty powerful. What caught my attention is the presentation. Its fresh and beguiling. It almost sounds like tracks were re-produced, in a good way. The amp also responds readily to tube rolling. Much more so that the dozens of tube gear Ive owned in the past. Im excited to continue listening to it.
@@masher1042 the opportunity popped up to acquire a used unit with NOS tubes for 1000 bucks less than a new Wilsenton. It seemed like a good deal. Very happy with it.
@@masher1042 Ive heard that. To be honest, I bought mine out of curiosity. The price was right such that I could sell in back into the market after playing with it. I ended up selling a pre and power amp, many times the value of the Line Magnetic. I am surprised how much I like the big tube SET sound over push-pull.
@@veniceog btw just noted a minor bug with the LM805ia's pre in. The pre-in on the 805ia doesn't bypass the internal preamp section so the impact of an external preamp will be dampened a bit. Otherwise it is great!
hi, i just wan't to say, it's not only about the usual listening and audio parameters. the Line Magnetic amps have something special , magic in their sound...something more ...that others don't have..., they sound GROUNDY, VISCERAL, ORGANIC and ENGAGING, with more reality, involvement and sensations... a friend of mine sold the audio research Gsi 75 integrated tube amp after he heard the line magnetic lm805....and bought the lm 805ia. somebody can not agree, but after i've been owner of 20 tube amps and listened to other 30 different ones in my life...it's not only my opinion...we have never heard around a sound like this.
I started with the LM805ia. Simply adored it. Upgraded to LM845 Premium. Then to LM503PA monoblocks + LM512CA preamp. I'm just in heaven at this point.
Bought my 508 from China for 2000$ and took a variac for the voltage. At the end it costed me 2100$. It is not double the price of willsenton. If you want to compare apples to apples you should compare both units bought from China. If your justification is that you will not have warranty and after sales if you buy LM from China, then the same applies to Willsenton. So at the end the 2 units are at the same price
@@Jayiyagi let’s be serious for a second: if you have a problem with Willsenton, China Hifi will not accept that you return it to them at their cost, fix it and send it back to you? First of all, they will do everything to make you responsible for the problem. Then if by miracle they accept to fix it, you will pay shipping cost Which is extremely expensive for 40kg to China. At the end, it will be like not having a warranty
@@Jayiyagi I don’t live in the USA. I live in Europe. 80% of the people who watch you videos do not live in the USA. Even you, you are not based in the USA. So if I have a problem with Willsenton I will have to send it to China assuming that China Hifi admits that it is a manufaturer problem (it will be a miracle). To summarise, if you buy any amp from China, you forget about warranty. My personal summary of this video is that at the same price the Line Magnetic is better option than Willsenton. I am also very surprised by your statement that build quality of Willsenton is better than Line Magnetic. I have serious doubts about that. LM 508 is an extremely heavy amp built like a tank. I couldn’t find any QC issues in it whatsoever
@@OSQQ123 actually. 80 percent are in the USA according to youtube analytics that shows me this. That is why I review things with US viewers’ perspective in mind. I am here to report, you are in Europe - the info I provide can be taken in your own ways and you can weigh your own decisions based on what applies and doesn’t apply to you.
👍 Hi Jay, thanks for your share on all videos. May I ask @7:11, the right uv meter on right side looks funny. It doesn’t looks like that in your old Willsenton R800i video. What happened? Many thanks. 👍
I'd like to hear the Willsenton 845 version with sensitive speakers to see if that sounds better with analogue. Any chance of getting hold of one of those from a viewer for another review?
In China , the price of the Willsenton ( price was raised US150 ) is the same as the Line Magnetic ( price was reduced US 300 ). So which is a better buy in that situation ? I’m using the Pontus 2 that has XLR output.
Jay, nice review! I have just received an LM-845 Premium, outstanding amplifier, excellent match with Sonus Faber Elipsa and with Harbeth 30.1 (my favourite), pretty poor match with Magnepan 1.7i. Since you like tubes you should seriously consider this amp, maybe the best China has to offer at this stage? Btw, you haven't answered my question from last time: are Line Magnetic and Willsenton owned by the same group or assembled in the same factory? ;) Keep on the great work!
I've been down this rabbit hole: Line Magnetic / Willsenton. Line Magnetic maintains that they are an independent company and not associated w/ Willsenton. Willsenton will not deny a relationship w/ Cayin however !
Jay, great review. I was wondering if you would list the upgraded tubes you prefer and if you have tried this with the Gershman Acoustics. I am running the Willsenton 300B 805 with the Gershman Studio Monitors and it appears a very good match. Thanks again for review!
Love tube amps! When I tell people what a tube amp sounds like… I tell them to look at an Ansel Adams photograph. It’s hard to describe and there are qualities that are unmeasurable. Ansel Adams pictures are old black and white images using old photo technology yet you get a feeling that’s also immeasurable and can’t be touched with modern technology including color.
The fact of the matter is all those old Ansel Adams B&W photos look so good is not because of "old photo technology". All the work that makes those pictures look so good actually occurred in the darkroom, not on the film or with the camera. It's all been "doctored".
The LM805ia is a great amp but over priced in Aus, US, EU etc. Tube roll the 6SN7 and 6SL7 and she will sing. It’s wrong to call them counterfeits. That is bad. It’s just an arrangement to allow the authorized sellers to hike up the price for a crazy margin. The 48w will happily drive something like the Harbeth P3ESR which is a mere 83dB. The Singapore dealer upgrades the 805 with better caps etc and retails for a mere USD3,750. Comes with warranty.
As I have mentioned in another comment. There are counterfeits and gray market. Two different things. I am just letting YOU the viewers know so that you guys can make an informed careful decision. I do not think it was a wrong move on my part to report that. Also, Singapore has great deals but (if you are not in singapore) or buy from another country other than the one you are in, you do not get warranty. Some dealers will arrange so you can get the unit sent back to them to fix if something is wrong BUT you must send it back and it has to be the right seller that agrees to this. This is considered a gray market. I am not arguing whether this practice is right or wrong. I am merely here to report to you viewers so that you are aware.
Odd that more than 60 years onwards vinyl still rules surprisingly even on sound quality...But what a system, really good table and MC, good tube amps and good speakers! Wondering how this system sounds like with the Sonus Faber stand mounts or even the Franco Serblin Accordio. You would have a hard time leaving the sweet spot....
Firstly top review Jay, great to give the LM some time in the spotlight. As an owner of a 508ia for the last 3 years (and a fellow youtube reviewer) I’ll add a few thoughts: a) The NFB setting is magic, it’s so good for changing the sound to match taste or speakers, full romance through to more incisive, bosh! b) Watch out for transformer hum in a small room - it does get a bit annoying with very quiet music c) This amp outputs a TON of heat - double that of my Synthesis tube amp, great in winter, not so much in summer (unless you want a homemade sauna) d) Change up the 6SN7 preamp tubes for NOS Mullard CV181 and oooooohhh 🙏 🤩 ❤️
@@Jayiyagi hey Jay i am completely brand new to the dacs and the audio enhancing equipment what do u recommend i do because i only use spotify for music would it make a difference if i get a dac for the use of spotify?
I have a line magnetic premium which I have had since nov 2020with tannoy Canterbury’s I’m in Uk any one who has the same amp buy the pre amp lm 512c4 wow I’m at the end of my quest for the best I’m play cds but vinyl can’t be bettered can’t stress how big a change putting the pre in no brainer great review top guy
@@NawMan357 I know. I can't remember which setting was low and which was high. BUT, they sound radically different. It's either 1 or 4. The lowest setting sounds radically more open and holographic, with bass slightly softer on some speakers.
Hi Jay! Love your channel and the useful knowledge you provide. Would you recommend the LM for Quad ESL57 speakers? Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
Great review, it's was a please to watch it. How do you compare Hegel H190 to Line Magnetic? I have H190 and I am thinking about replacing it with LM or Cayin to drive Harbeth C7. Thanks!
At 13:10 I think you are trying to say Holographic, that is my favourite feeling. I am looking towards Cayin as an AMP - could you deep dive into 2nd order crossovers and even 3rd order. You can get a holographic sound inexpensively with taylored crossovers. Underlap or overlap are a personal preference, I go with overlap attenuated so it isn't perceivable.
China HiFi sold me 240 Volt wound mains transformer versions of Ming-Da 805 mono's & i had to wait an extra 2 - 3 weeks i was told, but it only took 3 weeks total from placing the order & paying via Paypal to recieve the (u.k.) 240'V versions. Same with my Jungson & Ming-Da 2A3 Pre. Nothing i got from them ever arrived with, nor developed any faults after approx 7 yrs for the Ming-da's & 3 yrs so-far for the Jungson gear. I totally trust them & repairs would be cheaper in u.k. rather than post them (2 x 24'Kg Ming 805's) back to China
Great review Jay! In hifi, a little better cost a lot. A bit refinement in hi and mid can make the cut for someone especially you have a top notch front-end. On paper LM is 87dB noise ratio and 90dB for willsenton. 3dB seems a lot. Did you notice LM is bit noisy? Also there is rectify tube for willsenton but I can not find it on LM on paper. Any idea? Many thanks.
A Musical Paradise MP501 puts out 60 wpc Class A with KT 120 and almost 80 wpc Class A with KT 150. Designed in Canada, made in China. Yes it cost less than the Willsenton or the Line Magnetic. It is on my wish list. I don't need the power but I would like to have volume up and down. I do have MP 301, 303, and 401. They all make me happy.
At 4:45 with the pre in.. Can you use pre in AND the 3 analogue line inputs? ..as NAD do a DAC pre (C510) with HDMi switching (2 inputs / 1 output) and digital inputs BUT no analogue inputs. Would this work?
Hey Jay, may I know the minimum tube amplifier wattage required for the Triangle Comete 40th Anniversary Edition? I own the same speaker but I realise my 6.5 watts amplifier is insufficient for it. I wonder if 20 watts is more than enough to drive it, or in fact 10 watts is enough. If I'm not wrong the impedance goes down to 2 ohms.
@@Jayiyagi I have Triangle Signature Thetas which have similar sensitivity and impedance; I'm driving them with 15 watt tube mono amps. Plenty in my apartment.
Hey Jay, another great video - really love your transparency and ability to articulate something as nuanced as sound characteristics through your words. Quick question - would this amp pair well with my Klipsch Forte IV speakers (PS Audio Directstream JR DAC)?
Line Magnetic is trying to cut the orders from China. The 508 (805 in the west) cost half the price in china (about 2500 Euro to 5000 here) I orderd the 219 Plus (it came via Hong Kong, thats the trick). The 219 Plus is the poor mens top model in asia. Its about the same than the top model here (805 premium, 10000 Euro) with small differences (official six Watt more per channel and Ballanced in). Mr. Lee from China Hifi Audio has stopped selling LM cause the hype about Willsenton (i had the R8 before) is too good at the moment. Some also keep the rumor alive that its made in the same factory....
re: shipping In the U.S. you must also pay import duty. The last administration started a trade war with China which I believe saw the duty fee on electronics like this rise to 35% (from 5% ?). I just bought a Doge preamp & *aside from shipping* I paid $509 to get it into this country.
so, let me ask you this: how all those "un-authorized" dealers getting their hands on the product? someone's stealing it from the factory to resell? or the company itself selling it to so called "un-authorized" channels so they don't have to deal with warranty etc? how does this system work?
Yes, so is the Willsenton a copy of the Line Magnetic or vice versa. I presume the Line Magnetic existed first and perhaps the factory that manufactured it decided to make an off label version or was the design stolen or borrowed outright ? I suppose it's possible the factory already had the basic layout of the Willsenton and Line Magnetic approached them to make an LM branded version.
My terrible Customer Journey with the Line Magnetic Tube Amps Spoiler: Would I recommend buying a Line Magnetic product? Not when you are in Germany or Austria. I don't know how the customer support in the United States is, but my customer journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA Mono Vacuum Tube Amps in Vienna is terrible. In the Summer of 2021, I spent 10k on a pair of Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amps. This was by far my worst decision in 40 years of buying hi-fi gear. So far, I have enjoyed listening with the amps for 11 months. But for 5 months, I couldn't enjoy listening with the amps because of defects and ridiculous customer support. As I'm writing this, my Line Magnetic LM-503PA is defective at the distributor for repair for more than four weeks, and Line Magnetic has not even sent the missing spare parts from China to Germany yet. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of my terrible customer experience with a Line Magnetic product. This is why I wrote a customer report about my journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amp for the Hifi Section Pure Neo Magazine. The report is about many customer-unfriendly emails, a dealer who doesn't answers emails at all, the European Line Magnetic distributor holding my amp hostage, and Line Magnetic in China refusing to answer my questions.
Great job! Have you reviewed the comparable Muzishare R100 805 version? It adds a phono input, as well as having a balanced connection. Purportedly, it is OEMed by LM. The R100 tube complement is almost identical.
Nice review, looks like a good amp! Line Magnetic seems to produce high quality tube amplifiers. I myself I have a Muzishare X7 (KT88 - manufactured my line magnetic, even featuring the same meters) that sounds simply fantastic and even better since replacing the tubes with some gold lions and replacing of the coupling caps with good quality copper foil in oil
@@DBravo29er :) based on which information/source are you saying this? Do some research, the muzishare X7 is made in the line magnetic factory. Google it, also look at the remotes and the VU meters and switches, they are identical ;)
Agreed! My LM805ia got *so much better* with NOS 6sL7's and 6SN7! Then went to Cryo'd Gold Lion 300B's and Linlai 805WE tubes. DEAR LORD. Simply astronomical improvement.
I heard the 805ia only has 220V. I asked the supplier and they said they don't have the 110V version. I need to get a voltage converter . Is that true?
@@ufarkingicehole theres other reasons why people just dont do that but i will stick with stupidity. And yes ive tried it even managing levelling with attenuators but the compromises are there and the timing felt off. Bi amp with the same amps by all means but its still wasting money imo
You know what? I am Chinese, I bought a Linemagnetic 805 in china cost only "$2,000USD". It was just half price than the U.S. retailer offered. I don't know why those US retailers double the price almost up to $5,000. It's not worth that money.
No choice but pay more and power supply is 110v here in the state plus they said better parts？ not worth $2000？ how about paying $25000 for airtight 300B. People in China takes advantage of low cost labors and good for for them I guess.
Nice review, Jay! A little off topic, those Uni-Fi Reference speakers, they are going to need a lot of hours to open up. I've owned two pairs of Uni-Fi UB52's and with the very complex crossover's they have they literally took about 100-150 hours to get close to where they sound once fully broken in. They are much more open and detailed with well over 100 hours of break in. Sorry, just passing that along. I modified my UB52's and upgraded them.
If you have a Dac that can compete with analog RTR TAPE or Turntable With MC pickup played with Tube amplifiers then you something extremely good. Check out Steely Dan Aja Album it,s extremely good Recorded Mixed and Mastered all the way only using Analog Tape machine and mixed on analog Mixerbord. No converters, No computers ,No plugins was used on that recording it's all analog bliss. So listen to it on Vinyl.
Jay, you got more hair now hahahaha. LM-805IA is such a great amp. I believe Muzishare and Line Magnetic both sharing the same factory according to my friends in China. You will notice their built quality quite similar. I personally own Muzishare x7 with Gold Lion KT88 tubes and I love it !
When i was a kid, my dad got into hi-fi & he & his friends would discuss it. I remember being in the room when my dad & 2 or 3 of his friends all agreed that "Tube watts are louder than valve watts" & after working most my life in various general electronics & knowing how different measurements apply, i still don't know what they meant except: if they drove their tube or s/state amps at near maximum vollumes where distortion figures would increasingly rise, the tube amps distortions may be more audibly more benign than s/state hi-vollume distortions. (the odd or even-order harmonics of distortion) But unless you had very inneficient speakers it shouldnt matter tho it was a phrase i'd heard many times & at hi'fi dealers as i got older.
Digital is processing analog sound and music.........music does not need this extra processing........natural sound is ANALOG............don't ask questions that do not need an answer........because we know the answer !
I'd love to know how it compares to Muzishare R100 Supposedly made in the same factory similar tube 1/2 the price of the line magnetic Has anybody tried it? Another great review!
I own it, bought it from China HiFi back when they were $1700. I got the 845 output tube version. It is top notch, truly top notch. I have no need for any other amp.
It looks like there is one extra valve (8 in total) on the Willenston amp, i can't quite see what type it is but it's 1 valve extra that is not present on the Line-Magnetic amp (7 in total) But if there is an extra similar valve to also total 8 on the Line-Mag' ...but somehow not visually obvious in the pictures, then ignore this comment instantly & now! If that is an extra valve (5Z3P? / GZ32?) inbetween & in line with the two 805's on the Willenston, then i assume it's a rectifier valve (& If so, likely connected to 1 or 2 chokes under the Willenston chasis. I see no rectifier valve on the Line-Mag' so presume it's s/state powered but all things being the same, s/s verses valve/ choke rectification alone would swing me towards the Willenston ...if it is a valve rectifier / choke connected power-supply (which i think sound better for bass guitar & Hi-fi valve amps. I suppose it could less likely be a voltage regulation valve but even so, that would also swing me towards the Willenston, or is it a double triode maybe needed for gain of true XLR connection? ...my knowledge stops before that last point but gimme the Willenston anyday. (The wonkyness of the Line-Magnetic lay-out looks extremely odd & would much bug me, lame desig there, were they in a rush?!) Sevicing? ...with such a saving pn the Willenston & valve amp service folk are still plentiful in u.k. cities (& i presume across the Atlantic) anything short of a very rare output or mains transformer meltdown, (ive only ever heard of 1, mine 25'ish yrs ago pre-net, from a dumb clown come audio-engineer's entirely wrong valve-equivalent advice & not the equipment's fault at all) ...no other fault will cost much at all with any valve amp, not without being greatly & wrongly overcharged.
Why would you call the similarities scary? They both look like fine amplifiers, but I'd go with the Willsenton. You should say US dollars, not USD; that's a silly affectation.
www.line-magnetic.eu/en/products-line-magnetic-en/integrated-tube-amplifier-line-magnetic-en/lm-805ia-amplificateur-int%C3%A9gr%C3%A9-single-ended-805-2x48w-detail
related videos:
Willsenton R800i review: ruclips.net/video/k_qDijH8B-Y/видео.html
NAD C298 review: ruclips.net/video/nEL8TtEqrx4/видео.html
Tekton 2-10 Review: ruclips.net/video/7Yg_EQh_6yY/видео.html
B&W 606 S2 anniversary review: ruclips.net/video/aemo4hcYXSA/видео.html
Triangle 40th Anniversary Comète review: ruclips.net/video/0u6zar4BkAQ/видео.html
Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3
Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7-vintage-hi-fi-speaker-stands/
acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/
acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM
BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ
amzn.to/3chBuFZ
other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1
amzn.to/30bsUCH
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0:00 intro
0:40 Line Magnetic Price
2:11 Upgraded Line Magnetic
3:19 Willsenton R800i VS LM-805IA Features
7:58 Line Magnetic Sound review
14:15 Willsenton R800i VS LM-805IA Sound
16:33 Caveats
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Jay where can i see your own hifi system?
Hi sir Jay MayI ask if this kind of amplifier is good to drive my wharfedale evo 4.4? My room size is just small around 5meters x 4meters only
Jay, good job! What will you recommend when their price is about the same from China Hi-Fi?
I would like to see a comparison of these amplifiers with Decware Torii Mk5.
I have one, and it really is a killer. It transcends the speakers, the listening experience is incredible, everything is more defined, bigger, spatial. Its flaw is that it heats up more than it should, the 805 tubes can cause 3rd degree burns to the unwary person who gets too close to them. It's a winter amp, it can be used as an extra heater, but be careful with the back, it weighs 40 kilos...
I actually prefer the 6SL7 as input tube over the 12AX Series. A NOS Tung Sol 6SU7GTY black glass round plate (a WWII-era production, Ultra tightly 1% matched, ruggedized variant of the 6SL7; fully compatible) in the input octal and a platinum matched pair of 1952 Sylvania JAN CHS 6SN7WGT with black bad-boy 3-rivet-hole plates, the LM805IA will do things that the Willsenton can't. Empirical statement. One would have to find vintage NOS Telefunken 12AX's for $1k/tube for the Willsenton to come close. The magic is in the front three tubes of the LM805IA. The Mundorf cap upgrades and /complete/ point to point wiring of the Line Magnetic (fully covered by one's warranty, I might add) are also superior to the Willsenton, if only just. The Willsenton is not a fully balanced amplifier; it just has XLR inputs. It collapses that balanced signal to unbalanced in the other side of the input plate; there's no advantage to running XLR to it in terms of noise rejection, unless one only wants to be able to use the bottom 1/8th of their volume dial. If the R800i's XLR inputs do not offer increased gain, which can suppress the noise floor some, then they have negated the only benefit to having XLR inputs. I'd rather the LM strategy and skip them for an unbalanced amplifier design. There's more magic in the tube rolled LM805IA and, purely subjectively, it looks better. The styling of the LM will age better; much less busy and more classic.
Jay, keep up the videos bro. I turned 40 this year and realized i never got around to making my Hi Fi setup as life happened! Your content is great for helping me catch up to make better decisions! Thanks 😊
Nice job on this review. I’m glad you made the point about tube amps that strive for detail. I’m with you on that. I’d rather buy solid state if I want detail. I’m in my 60s and if I buy tubes I want the warmth and the spacious sound stage. I noticed you changed the name of your channel. I wish you the best moving forward.
I just acquired an LM 805ia. I am surprised how much I like it. Its not as robust as how I usually like my set up, but it plenty powerful. What caught my attention is the presentation. Its fresh and beguiling. It almost sounds like tracks were re-produced, in a good way. The amp also responds readily to tube rolling. Much more so that the dozens of tube gear Ive owned in the past. Im excited to continue listening to it.
Any reason why you prefer the LM805ia over the R800i?
@@masher1042 the opportunity popped up to acquire a used unit with NOS tubes for 1000 bucks less than a new Wilsenton. It seemed like a good deal. Very happy with it.
@@veniceog Cool! Also, the internal components supposedly better. Thanks for sharing.
@@masher1042 Ive heard that. To be honest, I bought mine out of curiosity. The price was right such that I could sell in back into the market after playing with it. I ended up selling a pre and power amp, many times the value of the Line Magnetic. I am surprised how much I like the big tube SET sound over push-pull.
@@veniceog btw just noted a minor bug with the LM805ia's pre in. The pre-in on the 805ia doesn't bypass the internal preamp section so the impact of an external preamp will be dampened a bit. Otherwise it is great!
hi, i just wan't to say, it's not only about the usual listening and audio parameters. the Line Magnetic amps have something special , magic in their sound...something more ...that others don't have..., they sound GROUNDY, VISCERAL, ORGANIC and ENGAGING, with more reality, involvement and sensations... a friend of mine sold the audio research Gsi 75 integrated tube amp after he heard the line magnetic lm805....and bought the lm 805ia. somebody can not agree, but after i've been owner of 20 tube amps and listened to other 30 different ones in my life...it's not only my opinion...we have never heard around a sound like this.
man i've got the 219IA and there is simply nothing better
I started with the LM805ia. Simply adored it. Upgraded to LM845 Premium. Then to LM503PA monoblocks + LM512CA preamp. I'm just in heaven at this point.
A friend let me borrow a 216IA. I'm sold lol. Yah it's special, with that magic dust.
you described LM's sound qualities so well, thanks for that.
Yaas! A LM review is really what I was waiting for on yt!
Bought my 508 from
China for 2000$ and took a variac for the voltage. At the end it costed me 2100$. It is not double the price of willsenton. If you want to compare apples to apples you should compare both units bought from China. If your justification is that you will not have warranty and after sales if you buy LM from China, then the same applies to Willsenton. So at the end the 2 units are at the same price
It does not. Willsenton comes with warranty and servicing centre in the USA
@@Jayiyagi let’s be serious for a second: if you have a problem with Willsenton, China Hifi will not accept that you return it to them at their cost, fix it and send it back to you? First of all, they will do everything to make you responsible for the problem. Then if by miracle they accept to fix it, you will pay shipping cost
Which is extremely expensive for 40kg to China. At the end, it will be like not having a warranty
@@OSQQ123 there is a service centre in the USA… you don’t need to ship it back to China… same thing with line magnetic
@@Jayiyagi I don’t live in the USA. I live in Europe. 80% of the people who watch you videos do not live in the USA. Even you, you are not based in the USA. So if I have a problem with Willsenton I will have to send it to China assuming that China Hifi admits that it is a manufaturer problem (it will be a miracle). To summarise, if you buy any amp from China, you forget about warranty. My personal summary of this video is that at the same price the Line Magnetic is better option than Willsenton. I am also very surprised by your statement that build quality of Willsenton is better than Line Magnetic. I have serious doubts about that. LM 508 is an extremely heavy amp built like a tank. I couldn’t find any QC issues in it whatsoever
@@OSQQ123 actually. 80 percent are in the USA according to youtube analytics that shows me this. That is why I review things with US viewers’ perspective in mind. I am here to report, you are in Europe - the info I provide can be taken in your own ways and you can weigh your own decisions based on what applies and doesn’t apply to you.
i heard the LM 30W class A this afternoon with the new Mytek Liberty 2 DAC. it was mind blowing. the LM 30w is $7500
It must be a 219ia? Does LM has dealers in northern america？ thanks.
👍 Hi Jay, thanks for your share on all videos. May I ask @7:11, the right uv meter on right side looks funny. It doesn’t looks like that in your old Willsenton R800i video. What happened? Many thanks. 👍
Try adding the Innuos Zenmini MK3’s own LPSU; for me it made an enormous difference, just as replacing my Qnap NAS with the Zenmini.
I'd like to hear the Willsenton 845 version with sensitive speakers to see if that sounds better with analogue. Any chance of getting hold of one of those from a viewer for another review?
Any opinions on Primaluna integrateds compared with Line Magnetic and Willsenton?
In China , the price of the Willsenton ( price was raised US150 ) is the same as the Line Magnetic ( price was reduced US 300 ). So which is a better buy in that situation ? I’m using the Pontus 2 that has XLR output.
Jay, nice review!
I have just received an LM-845 Premium, outstanding amplifier, excellent match with Sonus Faber Elipsa and with Harbeth 30.1 (my favourite), pretty poor match with Magnepan 1.7i.
Since you like tubes you should seriously consider this amp, maybe the best China has to offer at this stage?
Btw, you haven't answered my question from last time: are Line Magnetic and Willsenton owned by the same group or assembled in the same factory? ;)
Keep on the great work!
I've been down this rabbit hole: Line Magnetic / Willsenton. Line Magnetic maintains that they are an independent company and not associated w/ Willsenton. Willsenton will not deny a relationship w/ Cayin however !
@@davidboston4136 Line Magnetic produce the Muzishare Amplifiers in their factory
I am wondering how does the LM-845 compare with the LM-503 and LM 523 mono blocks? Have you compared them before purchase?
@@pasqualevulaj2565 Line Magnetic uses better parts.
The square transformers in LM are better than the round ones you find in Wellington, the Chinese themselves rate LM higher than the rest. 😁😁
Jay, great review. I was wondering if you would list the upgraded tubes you prefer and if you have tried this with the Gershman Acoustics. I am running the Willsenton 300B 805 with the Gershman Studio Monitors and it appears a very good match. Thanks again for review!
Love tube amps! When I tell people what a tube amp sounds like… I tell them to look at an Ansel Adams photograph. It’s hard to describe and there are qualities that are unmeasurable. Ansel Adams pictures are old black and white images using old photo technology yet you get a feeling that’s also immeasurable and can’t be touched with modern technology including color.
The fact of the matter is all those old Ansel Adams B&W photos look so good is not because of "old photo technology". All the work that makes those pictures look so good actually occurred in the darkroom, not on the film or with the camera. It's all been "doctored".
@@artkulak9802 You’re correct about that.
Do you have any opinion on the DIY type amp kit like the Elekit TU-8900, 300b tube amplifier?
The LM805ia is a great amp but over priced in Aus, US, EU etc. Tube roll the 6SN7 and 6SL7 and she will sing.
It’s wrong to call them counterfeits. That is bad. It’s just an arrangement to allow the authorized sellers to hike up the price for a crazy margin.
The 48w will happily drive something like the Harbeth P3ESR which is a mere 83dB.
The Singapore dealer upgrades the 805 with better caps etc and retails for a mere USD3,750. Comes with warranty.
As I have mentioned in another comment. There are counterfeits and gray market. Two different things. I am just letting YOU the viewers know so that you guys can make an informed careful decision. I do not think it was a wrong move on my part to report that.
Also, Singapore has great deals but (if you are not in singapore) or buy from another country other than the one you are in, you do not get warranty. Some dealers will arrange so you can get the unit sent back to them to fix if something is wrong BUT you must send it back and it has to be the right seller that agrees to this. This is considered a gray market.
I am not arguing whether this practice is right or wrong. I am merely here to report to you viewers so that you are aware.
Counterfeits? LM805 came out much much earlier than Willsengton. 😁😁
Always lusted after line magnetic!
Odd that more than 60 years onwards vinyl still rules surprisingly even on sound quality...But what a system, really good table and MC, good tube amps and good speakers! Wondering how this system sounds like with the Sonus Faber stand mounts or even the Franco Serblin Accordio. You would have a hard time leaving the sweet spot....
Firstly top review Jay, great to give the LM some time in the spotlight.
As an owner of a 508ia for the last 3 years (and a fellow youtube reviewer) I’ll add a few thoughts:
a) The NFB setting is magic, it’s so good for changing the sound to match taste or speakers, full romance through to more incisive, bosh!
b) Watch out for transformer hum in a small room - it does get a bit annoying with very quiet music
c) This amp outputs a TON of heat - double that of my Synthesis tube amp, great in winter, not so much in summer (unless you want a homemade sauna)
d) Change up the 6SN7 preamp tubes for NOS Mullard CV181 and oooooohhh 🙏 🤩 ❤️
Thank you for the extra input !
@@Jayiyagi hey Jay i am completely brand new to the dacs and the audio enhancing equipment what do u recommend i do because i only use spotify for music would it make a difference if i get a dac for the use of spotify?
I have a line magnetic premium which I have had since nov 2020with tannoy Canterbury’s I’m in Uk any one who has the same amp buy the pre amp lm 512c4 wow I’m at the end of my quest for the best I’m play cds but vinyl can’t be bettered can’t stress how big a change putting the pre in no brainer great review top guy
What NFB setting value do you prefer on LM 805ia?
I preferred the lowest amount of feedback when I owned mine.
@@DBravo29er, I am pretty sure he was asking for a value setting. 1-4
@@NawMan357 I know. I can't remember which setting was low and which was high. BUT, they sound radically different. It's either 1 or 4. The lowest setting sounds radically more open and holographic, with bass slightly softer on some speakers.
@@DBravo29er I totally agree!
However, this is a true magnificent amplifier!
For the record, I toggled between 2 and 3.
Hi Jay! Love your channel and the useful knowledge you provide. Would you recommend the LM for Quad ESL57 speakers? Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
Great review, it's was a please to watch it. How do you compare Hegel H190 to Line Magnetic? I have H190 and I am thinking about replacing it with LM or Cayin to drive Harbeth C7. Thanks!
At 13:10 I think you are trying to say Holographic, that is my favourite feeling. I am looking towards Cayin as an AMP - could you deep dive into 2nd order crossovers and even 3rd order. You can get a holographic sound inexpensively with taylored crossovers. Underlap or overlap are a personal preference, I go with overlap attenuated so it isn't perceivable.
great new look jay.
China HiFi sold me 240 Volt wound mains transformer versions of Ming-Da 805 mono's & i had to wait an extra 2 - 3 weeks i was told, but it only took 3 weeks total from placing the order & paying via Paypal to recieve the (u.k.) 240'V versions. Same with my Jungson & Ming-Da 2A3 Pre. Nothing i got from them ever arrived with, nor developed any faults after approx 7 yrs for the Ming-da's & 3 yrs so-far for the Jungson gear. I totally trust them & repairs would be cheaper in u.k. rather than post them (2 x 24'Kg Ming 805's) back to China
Excellent review. Gig Harbor Audio
I would also love to see you get a Cayin/Primaluna and tell us what you think I have heard great things .
Super review Jay! Hope you will talk about the WT table, such a special design.
Great review Jay! In hifi, a little better cost a lot. A bit refinement in hi and mid can make the cut for someone especially you have a top notch front-end. On paper LM is 87dB noise ratio and 90dB for willsenton. 3dB seems a lot. Did you notice LM is bit noisy? Also there is rectify tube for willsenton but I can not find it on LM on paper. Any idea? Many thanks.
LM uses transformer choke against tube rectifier, which thru my years if experience ....just better.
Having heard both (and owned the LM at one point for over a year), it is 100% the quieter amp.
A Musical Paradise MP501 puts out 60 wpc Class A with KT 120 and almost 80 wpc Class A with KT 150. Designed in Canada, made in China. Yes it cost less than the Willsenton or the Line Magnetic. It is on my wish list. I don't need the power but I would like to have volume up and down. I do have MP 301, 303, and 401. They all make me happy.
This is a pretty thoughtful video to make because your screwed if u buy from a non authorized dealer or seller
At 4:45 with the pre in.. Can you use pre in AND the 3 analogue line inputs?
..as NAD do a DAC pre (C510) with HDMi switching (2 inputs / 1 output) and digital inputs BUT no analogue inputs.
Would this work?
Please classify the amps , Class A or B or? Thanks
hey man, love your channel
I have the wilsenton R8 and it’s the best amplifier I’ve ever had . Connected to Heresy IVs ( with sub) Ifi Zen Phono , Thorens TD166 ( Ortifon Blue).
Can I ask what sub are you using with your setup?
Very informative and thorough review!👍🏼
I drive two set of Klipsch, can you drive two sets of speakers with a splitter or will it ruin the Amp or tubes ?
Personally I massively prefer the finish of the Line magnetic. But its good that you dont think its worth the premium price!
Likewise, I found the appearance of LM more classy, just can't bring myself to like the cheena look of Wellington....even the "name". 😁😁
Wonderful review I always enjoy listen to them
Next time try out a Caiyn amp please
Jay would this be a good amp for the JBL L-300 ?
Hell yes
I’m driving the L-300s with my
Hegel H-390 absolutely insane!
@@Jayiyagi I think Jay meant H E L L Y E S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Jay, may I know the minimum tube amplifier wattage required for the Triangle Comete 40th Anniversary Edition? I own the same speaker but I realise my 6.5 watts amplifier is insufficient for it. I wonder if 20 watts is more than enough to drive it, or in fact 10 watts is enough. If I'm not wrong the impedance goes down to 2 ohms.
Impedance goes down to 4.2 ohms. 20-40 watts depending on your room should be sufficient. Always depends on your room size so keep that in mind
@@Jayiyagi I have Triangle Signature Thetas which have similar sensitivity and impedance; I'm driving them with 15 watt tube mono amps. Plenty in my apartment.
@@Jayiyagi That's perfect. Thank you. :)
Hello. Do you know what is the difference between Lm 805ia and Lm 508ia? Are they the same?
Hey Jay, another great video - really love your transparency and ability to articulate something as nuanced as sound characteristics through your words.
Quick question - would this amp pair well with my Klipsch Forte IV speakers (PS Audio Directstream JR DAC)?
Yes that would pair well
@@Jayiyagi Thank you!
Hej Jay Thank you for the great video, I saw A50 MKIII 300B on the shelf there, are you reviewing that one also if yes when it be ready? Thanks
Line Magnetic is trying to cut the orders from China.
The 508 (805 in the west) cost half the price in china (about 2500 Euro to 5000 here)
I orderd the 219 Plus (it came via Hong Kong, thats the trick). The 219 Plus is the poor mens top model in asia. Its about the same than the top model here (805 premium, 10000 Euro) with small differences (official six Watt more per channel and Ballanced in).
Mr. Lee from China Hifi Audio has stopped selling LM cause the hype about Willsenton (i had the R8 before) is too good at the moment. Some also keep the rumor alive that its made in the same factory....
Enough power to drive the dynaudio special forty on high volume?
re: shipping In the U.S. you must also pay import duty. The last administration started a trade war with China which I believe saw the duty fee on electronics like this rise to 35% (from 5% ?). I just bought a Doge preamp & *aside from shipping* I paid $509 to get it into this country.
Jay, good job…. And I just love the sound of LP’s….
so, let me ask you this: how all those "un-authorized" dealers getting their hands on the product? someone's stealing it from the factory to resell? or the company itself selling it to so called "un-authorized" channels so they don't have to deal with warranty etc? how does this system work?
China, it's what they do.
Thats a great question. I am assuming its sold behind the company via resellers or distributors. Again, a total assumption
With china hi fi , my asumption is that they are authorized for selling in China, but not outside
Yes, so is the Willsenton a copy of the Line Magnetic or vice versa. I presume the Line Magnetic existed first and perhaps the factory that manufactured it decided to make an off label version or was the design stolen or borrowed outright ? I suppose it's possible the factory already had the basic layout of the Willsenton and Line Magnetic approached them to make an LM branded version.
@@entity279 it's prolly the reverse. China hifi sells exclusively to us overseas folks not to the mainland folks.
I can get a used line magnetic for 1100 usd what should i look for when i audtion it? If it sounds good its ok?
Another brilliant review Jay!
Would you recommend the Willsenton R800i with something like the Burchadt A500? Otherwise what would you suggest?
Oh yeah. 👍
My terrible Customer Journey with the Line Magnetic Tube Amps
Spoiler: Would I recommend buying a Line Magnetic product? Not when you are in Germany or Austria.
I don't know how the customer support in the United States is, but my customer journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA Mono Vacuum Tube Amps in Vienna is terrible.
In the Summer of 2021, I spent 10k on a pair of Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amps. This was by far my worst decision in 40 years of buying hi-fi gear.
So far, I have enjoyed listening with the amps for 11 months. But for 5 months, I couldn't enjoy listening with the amps because of defects and ridiculous customer support. As I'm writing this, my Line Magnetic LM-503PA is defective at the distributor for repair for more than four weeks, and Line Magnetic has not even sent the missing spare parts from China to Germany yet. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of my terrible customer experience with a Line Magnetic product.
This is why I wrote a customer report about my journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amp for the Hifi Section Pure Neo Magazine. The report is about many customer-unfriendly emails, a dealer who doesn't answers emails at all, the European Line Magnetic distributor holding my amp hostage, and Line Magnetic in China refusing to answer my questions.
Great job! Have you reviewed the comparable Muzishare R100 805 version? It adds a phono input, as well as having a balanced connection. Purportedly, it is OEMed by LM. The R100 tube complement is almost identical.
Jay is on his way to a Cable Channel.... Enjoyed Thoroughly!!!!! Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello. Maybe someone here knows the difference to the 508ia? Thanks
China Hifi has stopped selling Line Magnetic recently, any explanations? I bought my Lone Magnetic LM211ia from them.
What model are those grey bookshelves speaker behind him ?
Those are the elac unifi reference
@@Jayiyagi Thanks. Not sure how they sound but they look darn good.
love line magnet
Nice review, looks like a good amp! Line Magnetic seems to produce high quality tube amplifiers. I myself I have a Muzishare X7 (KT88 - manufactured my line magnetic, even featuring the same meters) that sounds simply fantastic and even better since replacing the tubes with some gold lions and replacing of the coupling caps with good quality copper foil in oil
Line Magnetic doesn't OEM for any other brands.
@@DBravo29er :) based on which information/source are you saying this? Do some research, the muzishare X7 is made in the line magnetic factory. Google it, also look at the remotes and the VU meters and switches, they are identical ;)
@@ivanr5315 I have researched it. Extensively. Buying parts from the same OEM does not make two amps the same.
@@DBravo29er it's not just the same parts - they are made in the same factory
@@bilbs87 they are not. Not sure why this myth keeps popping up.
Are you the same guy in the next best thing studio?
yes we went through a channel name change recently
If you didn't use upgraded tubes in the Line Magnetic, you haven't heard it.
Agreed! My LM805ia got *so much better* with NOS 6sL7's and 6SN7! Then went to Cryo'd Gold Lion 300B's and Linlai 805WE tubes. DEAR LORD. Simply astronomical improvement.
I heard the 805ia only has 220V. I asked the supplier and they said they don't have the 110V version. I need to get a voltage converter . Is that true?
Heck no!! Run from whoever told you that!!
@@NawMan357 What do you mean? So the manufacturer can make 120V ? Can we use a voltage converter ?
@@ceddy1031, If you live in the US 🇺🇸, then yes you can get a 120v. I own a 120V
@@NawMan357 Where did you buy yours from ?
@@ceddy1031 depending on your location, you can reach out to Pitch Perfect Audio, in California. They can point you in the right direction.
Keep up the good work
Seems to reason that you can biamp using SS to drive bass and tube for mids and highs to get the best of all worlds
Different input sensitivities.... stupid idea.
@@tomwebb7091 their are simple ways around that
@@ufarkingicehole theres other reasons why people just dont do that but i will stick with stupidity. And yes ive tried it even managing levelling with attenuators but the compromises are there and the timing felt off. Bi amp with the same amps by all means but its still wasting money imo
I was unimpressed by the quality of soldering in the Willsenton. The Line Magnetic soldering looks better. Might not be important for some....
Line Magnetic 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
You know what? I am Chinese, I bought a Linemagnetic 805 in china cost only "$2,000USD". It was just half price than the U.S. retailer offered. I don't know why those US retailers double the price almost up to $5,000. It's not worth that money.
No choice but pay more and power supply is 110v here in the state plus they said better parts？ not worth $2000？ how about paying $25000 for airtight 300B. People in China takes advantage of low cost labors and good for for them I guess.
Shipping/seller repair, service?
Well, how about the parts? From what I know ....the overseas parts are of higher specs, it's kind of comparing Mercedes and AMG.
It's called money grubbing
@@ghostnoterboomboom9119 parasitism
Good Job. I cant get past the 100 pounds. Those days are in the past like my old Dynaco MkIII tube amps.
Try fezz audio, or unison research
Jay, you are a very good video reviewer. Where are you located? Reach out to me if you want to go up market.
Nice review, Jay! A little off topic, those Uni-Fi Reference speakers, they are going to need a lot of hours to open up. I've owned two pairs of Uni-Fi UB52's and with the very complex crossover's they have they literally took about 100-150 hours to get close to where they sound once fully broken in. They are much more open and detailed with well over 100 hours of break in. Sorry, just passing that along. I modified my UB52's and upgraded them.
If you have a Dac that can compete with analog RTR TAPE or Turntable With MC pickup played with Tube amplifiers then you something extremely good. Check out Steely Dan Aja Album it,s extremely good Recorded Mixed and Mastered all the way only using Analog Tape machine and mixed on analog Mixerbord. No converters, No computers ,No plugins was used on that recording it's all analog bliss.
So listen to it on Vinyl.
Amazon has got a version too...
Jay, you got more hair now hahahaha. LM-805IA is such a great amp. I believe Muzishare and Line Magnetic both sharing the same factory according to my friends in China. You will notice their built quality quite similar.
I personally own Muzishare x7 with Gold Lion KT88 tubes and I love it !
Yes, I have the Muzishare R100 845 and it's basically the same as the LM 805. Infact you can get the R100 with 805 tubes.
When i was a kid, my dad got into hi-fi & he & his friends would discuss it. I remember being in the room when my dad & 2 or 3 of his friends all agreed that "Tube watts are louder than valve watts" & after working most my life in various general electronics & knowing how different measurements apply, i still don't know what they meant except: if they drove their tube or s/state amps at near maximum vollumes where distortion figures would increasingly rise, the tube amps distortions may be more audibly more benign than s/state hi-vollume distortions. (the odd or even-order harmonics of distortion) But unless you had very inneficient speakers it shouldnt matter tho it was a phrase i'd heard many times & at hi'fi dealers as i got older.
What's the best DAC!!!!???
Tube amps simply sounds great when playing reggae music.Treble,mid range & bass just jumps out @ you.
Like your style .
Peace out..
The Willsenton R800i is a much better looking amp... Wish I had one.... lol :-)
Wny isn't the ideal amplifier one that recreates what is in the recording, without "warmth" or "brightness" or any kind of color at all?
But where are the "night and day" differences that audiophiles claim to hear? I appreciate your honesty.
They tend to exaggerate everything.
Hi Ihave CayinCS 100 tube amp you think Linen Magnetic 508 much better? Or what different sound or sound stage?
Good job.
Prefer the look of the 805 but the sound of the 518
Digital is processing analog sound and music.........music does not need this extra processing........natural sound is ANALOG............don't ask questions that do not need an answer........because we know the answer !
How’s the noise floor for each amp? And was either amp ‘quieter’ than the other?
Nope not really
Neither has pre-outs (it should have two IMHO) which is total drag
The video is very good, and the product looks very beautiful, just like ours. ha-ha
Willsenton is the way to go. They make great amps.
I'd love to know how it compares to
Muzishare R100 Supposedly made in the same factory similar tube 1/2 the price of the line magnetic Has anybody tried it? Another great review!
I own it, bought it from China HiFi back when they were $1700. I got the 845 output tube version. It is top notch, truly top notch. I have no need for any other amp.
Basically all audio equipment on this channel is worth more than it costs.
Uh… 3:40
I would not buy it just because I won’t feed the greedy „authorized“ dealers. Shure, service is not for free but almost double the price ....
The DISTRIBUTOR is the one who jacks up the price. Not the Dealer. Get your facts straight before talking nonsense!!
Nice review. When their price is almost the same from China-HiFi and others, what will be your recommendation?
It looks like there is one extra valve (8 in total) on the Willenston amp, i can't quite see what type it is but it's 1 valve extra that is not present on the Line-Magnetic amp (7 in total) But if there is an extra similar valve to also total 8 on the Line-Mag' ...but somehow not visually obvious in the pictures, then ignore this comment instantly & now!
If that is an extra valve (5Z3P? / GZ32?) inbetween & in line with the two 805's on the Willenston, then i assume it's a rectifier valve (& If so, likely connected to 1 or 2 chokes under the Willenston chasis. I see no rectifier valve on the Line-Mag' so presume it's s/state powered but all things being the same, s/s verses valve/ choke rectification alone would swing me towards the Willenston ...if it is a valve rectifier / choke connected power-supply (which i think sound better for bass guitar & Hi-fi valve amps. I suppose it could less likely be a voltage regulation valve but even so, that would also swing me towards the Willenston, or is it a double triode maybe needed for gain of true XLR connection? ...my knowledge stops before that last point but gimme the Willenston anyday. (The wonkyness of the Line-Magnetic lay-out looks extremely odd & would much bug me, lame desig there, were they in a rush?!) Sevicing? ...with such a saving pn the Willenston & valve amp service folk are still plentiful in u.k. cities (& i presume across the Atlantic) anything short of a very rare output or mains transformer meltdown, (ive only ever heard of 1, mine 25'ish yrs ago pre-net, from a dumb clown come audio-engineer's entirely wrong valve-equivalent advice & not the equipment's fault at all) ...no other fault will cost much at all with any valve amp, not without being greatly & wrongly overcharged.
😊
I don't know about these guys man, time to round em up and do a blind audible A / B test betwen 300 dollar amp and 6000 amp
Why would you call the similarities scary? They both look like fine amplifiers, but I'd go with the Willsenton.
You should say US dollars, not USD; that's a silly affectation.