My Secondary Rig: Sonnet Morpheus-LM805IA-Falcon LS3/5A

[JaideepGiridhar]

I gravitated toward tubes three amps ago and this is my first Class A SET rig. The other two amps I use are a PrimaLuna Dialog Premium (I switch between EL34s and KT88s as the music demands, and use it mostly as a power amp) and PS Audio BHK Signature stack (this uses tubes on the input stage in both pre (which feeds the PL) and power amps). The LM is something else. It doesn't retrieve as much detail as the PS Audio or present the dynamics of the PL, but it is one of the most musical amps I've heard. The three albums that did it for me (so far) were Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations (1981 remaster), T-Bone Walker's Very Rare (1974) and Sarah Hanahan's Among Giants (2024); all streamed on Qobuz. The LM is butter, jam and toast. It does bass particularly well, throws a wide soundstage and makes you sit up at odd moments. The two control mechanisms that surprised me were the ALPS potentiometer and the Negative Feedback knob. The first shows off why volume control really matters and the second is a handy tool if certain albums need slight pruning of gain (although zero negative feedback works best for almost everything I play, being as it is close to the original recording). Power supply has made a big difference, of course - I use an LHY Audio PSU with my streamer and an Inakustik 3500 for the rest of it; both have wiped the window sparkling clean.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

I gravitated toward tubes three amps ago and this is my first Class A SET rig. The other two amps I use are a PrimaLuna Dialog Premium (I switch between EL34s and KT88s as the music demands, and use it mostly as a power amp) and PS Audio BHK Signature stack (this uses tubes on the input stage in both pre (which feeds the PL) and power amps). The LM is something else. It doesn't retrieve as much detail as the PS Audio or present the dynamics of the PL, but it is one of the most musical amps I've heard. The three albums that did it for me (so far) were Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations (1981 remaster), T-Bone Walker's Very Rare (1974) and Sarah Hanahan's Among Giants (2024); all streamed on Qobuz. The LM is butter, jam and toast. It does bass particularly well, throws a wide soundstage and makes you sit up at odd moments. The two control mechanisms that surprised me were the ALPS potentiometer and the Negative Feedback knob. The first shows off why volume control really matters and the second is a handy tool if certain albums need slight pruning of gain (although zero negative feedback works best for almost everything I play, being as it is close to the original recording). Power supply has made a big difference, of course - I use an LHY Audio PSU with my streamer and an Inakustik 3500 for the rest of it; both have wiped the window sparkling clean.

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Lovely ...that is one beast of an amp. I think the LM 805ia also has direct preamp inputs to act as an external power amp. Maybe you can try the PS audio BHK pre and see how if goes. Maybe just a different flavor or maybe more detail as its preamp section is bypassed. A lot of folks in Hongkong use expensive tubed preamps and use the LM's as power amps, with claimed benefits. And I fully agree about the musicality of these amps. These are not colored like the EL34's, but have smoothness with detail, and just that last bit of rounding off the harshness at the top. Lovely amps if one can live with the heat

And if you installed that amp yourselves, then your goodselves can skip the gym for this week

 

[Nikhil]

The LM is something else. It doesn't retrieve as much detail as the PS Audio or present the dynamics of the PL, but it is one of the most musical amps I've heard. The three albums that did it for me (so far) were Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations (1981 remaster), T-Bone Walker's Very Rare (1974) and Sarah Hanahan's Among Giants (2024); all streamed on Qobuz. The LM is butter, jam and toast. It does bass particularly well, throws a wide soundstage and makes you sit up at odd moments. The two control mechanisms that surprised me were the ALPS potentiometer and the Negative Feedback knob. The first shows off why volume control really matters and the second is a handy tool if certain albums need slight pruning of gain (although zero negative feedback works best for almost everything I play, being as it is close to the original recording).

Congrats on the LM805IA! It's an amp that is on my wish list.
Looking forward to hearing more listening impressions from your side.


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