Line
Magnetic Audio LM-216IA
(Taken
from http://www.soundstageaccess.com/,
review by Sid Vootla)
I first came
across Line Magnetic Audio several months ago, while
browsing Internet audio forums. There was a great deal
of buzz about the company, and especially about their
field-coil speaker, inspired by Western Electric’s
755A drive-unit. A search led me to a Chinese website
that had some astonishing designs -- massive horn speakers,
and amplifiers that took up an entire vertical rack,
mounted on casters and sprouting exotic tubes and myriad
gauges. They also had more conventional tube amps, one
of which, the Line Magnetic 211IA integrated amplifier,
I auditioned and used in my recent review of Contrast
Audio’s Model One As3-Ref loudspeaker. I was very
impressed with the fit, finish, and sound quality of
the 211IA, which is based on the EL34 tube. Sridhar
Reddy of ARN Systems, the Indian importer and distributor
of Line Magnetic products, suggested that I consider
reviewing the KT88-based 216IA integrated amplifier
($1850 USD), and was enthusiastic about its sound. I
exchanged e-mails with James Hwang, Line Magnetic’s
director of international sales, to learn more about
the company and its products.
Line Magnetic
Audio is based in Zhuhai,Guangdong province, China,
where it was founded in 2003 by Zheng Xi, an engineer
with 20 years of experience in audio electronics, some
of it with Cayin Audio. Line Magnetic began by repairing
drivers and other products once made by the-now defunct
Western Electric Company. Realizing that many music
lovers still coveted the WE sound, they decided to start
designing and making affordably priced audio components
inspired by original WE models. In 2009, they expanded
their product line from the classic WE products to tube
amplifiers and digital electronics.
Description
The Line
Magnetic 216IA integrated amplifier is fairly small
-- only 14.5”W x 8”H x 13”D -- but
it’s a heavy, lopsided load. Its three transformers
sit at the rear of the chassis, which means that its
43 pounds are prone to tip backward; care should be
taken when lifting it out of its double box. The 216IA’s
striking hammer-tone paint finish lends it a distinctively
vintage air, and makes it an attractive alternative
to the ubiquitous boxes of prosaic black or silver.
The amp arrived with its tubes already installed, the
power tubes wrapped in protective foam and protected
by a sturdy cage. The cage, ingeniously secured with
four banana clips that fit into holes in the chassis,
is removed simply by lifting it straight upward.
The 216IA’s
tube complement consists of pairs of 12AX7 and 12BH7
tubes in the preamplification stage, and four KT88 tubes
for the push-pull amplification stage, all arranged
in two rows. On the left and right of the top panel
are two small Bias Current toggle switches, each with
two positions: V1 and V2 (left), and V3 and V4 (right),
each position corresponding to one of the power tubes.
Next to the outer power tube on each side are two tiny
potentiometers for setting the bias level, these also
labeled V1 through V4. To the right of the preamplifier
tubes is a backlit ampere meter. All of the review sample’s
tubes bore the Line Magnetic logo except for the two
12BH7s, which were sourced from Electro-Harmonix. When
I inquired about the provenance of the Line Magnetic
tubes, James said that they buy tubes from various manufacturers
based on the tubes’ specifications, and that most
of the 216IA’s tubes were supplied by Shuguang.
Line Magnetic
211IA
The front
panel is finished in silver. It has rotary knobs for
Volume (left) and Source selection (right) and, next
to the Source knob, a toggle switch for selecting between
Triode and Ultralinear operation. There are also an
indicator light and an IR remote sensor. The power switch
is on the left side panel, and all inputs and outputs
are on the rear. Plastic dustcaps for the four line-level
inputs are a welcome frill, protecting any unused RCA
sockets from gathering dust and grime; the speaker outputs
are good-quality, five-way binding posts. Each output
connection has taps for speakers of 4 and 8 ohms. Point-to-point
wiring is used throughout the 216IA, which is specified
to output 22Wpc in triode mode or 38Wpc in ultralinear,
with total harmonic distortion of 1% at 1kHz. An input
sensitivity of 220mV and an impedance of 100k ohms round
off the specification list. The remote control is a
nice, substantial chunk of machined aluminum, but has
only Volume and Mute controls.
Biasing and
setup
Biasing the
216IA’s power tubes consists of setting one of
the Bias Current toggles to the tube to be biased and
then, with a small flathead screwdriver, turning the
corresponding pot while observing the ammeter, the objective
being to get all four tubes to measure the same amount
of bias current. The procedure is relatively easy except
for the fact that the 216IA must be turned on for at
least ten minutes before setting the bias, and by that
time the tubes are quite hot -- trying to position and
turn a screwdriver only an inch or so from a hot tube
is tricky. The manual, which is passably translated
and adequately informative, recommends the use of matched
power tubes. At first I used the 8-ohm taps for my reference
speakers, Harbeth Super HL5s, but found that the 4-ohm
taps gave better grip and authority. James recommended
that I burn in the tubes for 100 hours for the best
sound, and ARN assured me that my demo sample had already
been adequately conditioned. One more thing: When the
216IA is turned on, its mute circuitry is activated
for a few seconds while the tubes warm up.
Listening
I began by
luxuriating in the alluring, smoky voice of Melody Gardot
singing “If the Stars Were Mine,” from her
My One and Only Thrill (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Verve/Qobuz).
The 216IA portrayed the sultry Gardot with all the authenticity
and three-dimensionality of a real human voice. The
reproduction of her voice was pristine, with no hint
of grain or sibilance, and sounded smooth and lush.
The densely orchestrated arrangement of “Mother
Father,” from the Dave Matthews Band’s Everyday
(CD, RCA 67988-2), was depicted cleanly, with excellent
separation of instruments, adequate air and openness,
and no congestion. The soundstage itself was quite expansive,
its dynamic envelope stretching significantly across
and behind the speakers’ positions and with height
that extended at least 3’ to 4’ above the
loudspeakers. It was as good as I have experienced with
my Harbeth SHL5s. Imaging was good, with guest artist
Carlos Santana’s distinctively wailing guitar
clearly highlighted at the right rear of the stage,
and Matthews’s voice front and center, albeit
with a slight fogginess.
Joshua Redman’s
sumptuous saxophone lines were mesmerizingly sweet and
silky in “Courage (Asymmetric Aria),” from
his Beyond (16/44.1 FLAC, Warner Bros./Qobuz). The reproduction
of the mid-treble and high frequencies was not reticent
or laid-back, nor was it sizzling and aggressive --
it sounded just about right. In triode mode, the saxophone
sounded slightly richer and more refined; I ended up
preferring this setting for jazz and small ensembles,
as it helped create an impression of a snug, intimate
atmosphere. However, rock and big bands were better
served by ultralinear mode, the added power generating
larger scale and wider dynamic range. Ultimately, however,
such variables as type of music, speaker sensitivity,
and size of listening space will dictate which mode
will work best for you.
Though its
appearance is retro, the 216IA’s sound was definitely
not soft or polite. The perspective was clearly front-of-hall,
the music appearing at or slightly forward of the plane
described by the speaker baffles, and creating a desirable
sense of immediacy and palpability. “La Derniére
Bergére (The Last Shepherdess),” from Chasin’
the Gypsy, saxophonist James Carter’s excellent
tribute to Django Reinhardt (CD, Atlantic 83304-2),
begins with a guitar solo. The 216IA presented this
very cleanly, deftly stepping out of the way without
smearing the transients of the plucked strings, which
sounded well defined without being etched or exaggerated.
Hank Jones’s melodious piano in the Great Jazz
Trio’s Standard Collection Volume 1: Summertime
(CD, Limetree 8711458003131) was depicted with accurate
timbral fidelity, the sound replete with tonal color
and harmonic overtones that alternated between solemnity
and levity, as the composition dictated. However, the
size of the instrument was a bit smaller than what I’m
accustomed to hearing from this recording.
Line Magnetic
211IA
In the Claudio
Filipini Trio’s Facing North (16/44.1 WAV, CamJazz),
the kick drum in “Scorpion Tail” was sufficiently
visceral, with enough pace and rhythm, to underpin the
tune. The double bass was well extended, with excellent
pitch definition. Indeed, the 216IA reproduced the bass
frequencies of all the recordings I listened to exceptionally
well -- they were taut and well articulated, never flabby
or mushy. The title track of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet’s
Autumn Leaves (CD, King CDJ625) is a mellow composition
but nonetheless has some explosive interludes from drummer
Steve Gadd. Though I’ve heard this passage often,
the sudden percussive attacks were very startling, the
216IA grabbing hold of the signal and reacting swiftly,
controlling these macrodynamic shifts with ease.
Regardless
of the music or recording, I rarely turned the volume
knob past 9 o’clock. The manual provides no gain
specification, so I checked in with James and learned
that the 216IA has a gain of 36dB -- perhaps one of
the reasons I couldn’t be too heavy-handed with
the volume. I also had to experiment with cables. At
first I used Signal Cable’s Silver Resolution
Reference interconnects and speaker cables, but in extended
listening sessions -- perhaps due to the Line Magnetic’s
big, bold, upfront sound -- listening fatigue began
to creep in. Substituting Audio Art’s IC3SE interconnects
and Signal Cable’s Ultra speaker cables greatly
mitigated my discomfort. And when I used an Audio Art
Power 1 Classic instead of the 216IA’s stock power
cord, I heard superior sound. Trying to further improve
the sound, I replaced the 216IA’s stock 12AX7
preamplifier tubes with a pair of NOS Mullard 12AX7s
borrowed from a friend. There was a definite increase
in overall midrange lushness, the highs sounded silkier
and more soothing, and the imaging was more precise.
Any prospective buyer should consider a small investment
in better tubes. James encourages this, but reminds
tube rollers that adequate burn-in time will be needed
to achieve optimal sound quality.
Comparison
I compared
the Line Magnetic 216IA with an all-solid-state combination
of preamp and power amp. Admittedly, I was concerned
about the price gap between the 216IA and my Parasound
Halo JC 2 preamplifier and Belles Audio Soloist 5 power
amplifier -- together, the latter cost more than 2.5
times as much as the Line Magnetic. However, at 65Wpc
into 8 ohms, the Soloist is not hugely overpowered,
and having enjoyed the 216IA’s performance thus
far, I was optimistic that it would make a convincing
case for itself.
The first
thing I noticed, and right away, was that the Parasound-Belles
combo had more of a mid-hall perspective than the upfront
Line Magnetic, and with this, some of the pleasing immediacy
that the tube amplifier created was diminished. The
expansive soundstage that the tubed integrated threw
was still somewhat narrower than the solid-state combo’s,
which also produced more holographic, better-defined
images.
Tube amps
often lose their composure to solid-state in the area
of bass slam; though there wasn’t much difference
in overall extension, the Soloist 5 exhibited even better
control over the bass and thus produced tighter, more
textured lows. The treble sounded equally smooth and
extended through both rigs, but the Line Magnetic was
a touch grainier. I never perceived any shortage of
power with the 216A, which was significantly superior
at large-scale shifts in dynamics, but the solid-state
duo was better at addressing microdynamic nuances. Where
the 216IA was decisively a cut above was in the midrange
warmth and lushness so eagerly sought by tube aficionados
-- it outdid the slightly cooler-, leaner-sounding solid-state
pairing. Though this exercise might seem a textbook
example of the differences between the respective virtues
of tubes and solid-state, I found no clear winner. What
impressed me was the Line Magnetic’s strong showing
against formidably priced competition.
Summary
The Line
Magnetic 216IA’s sound showcases the classic strengths
of tubes while avoiding most of their pitfalls. It had
a rich tonal palette and a musical warmth in the midrange
without being analytical or sacrificing musical details,
and managed to coax from my speakers a huge soundstage
and remarkable dynamic response. Nor did its reproduction
of the high and low frequencies take a back seat, sounding
smooth and extended in the treble, with bass that was
exceptionally taut and textured. Further, the 216IA’s
engaging forwardness made the sound come alive -- voices,
especially those of women, were remarkably realistic.
Its 38Wpc output in ultralinear mode gripped my speakers
and drove them relentlessly, with prodigious bass and
loudness, while triode mode enhanced smoothness and
transparency. With its effortlessly fluent musical flow,
the Line Magnetic 216IA integrated amplifier more than
made up for its minor shortcomings of providing not
quite the ultimate levels of control and refinement.
Factoring in the 216IA’s outstanding build quality
and its low price of $1850, its ratio of value for money
is right up there with the best.
. . . Sid
Vootla
Price
:
(including VAT)
Line
Magnetic Audio LM-216IA
|
€
2200.00
|
|
|