Hello all,
JLH 1969 vs LM3886
I did this test for 8 days I wanted to be sure that my opinions below would reflect the time spent. I was also concerned not to use the daft metaphors one sees on, for instance six loons.
I used the setup you can see here;
Input = One channel from my CD/DVD player through to a switch with two metres of wire
Output = left loudspeaker from the JLH 1969, the right one from the LM3886
By doing this I am able to switch from one amplifier to another instantly and can use the return on the CD/DVD remote to repeat a passage in seconds.
My first reaction was there's not that much difference. After half an hour or more I realised that the JLH sounded a little brighter. This was with Mahler's 1st symphony. The following day I tried some old Jazz, Bessie Smith and Clarence Williams's acoustic recordings from the early 1920's and Lady Day's from 1937, both sounding a bit clearer on the JLH.
I'd listened to these recordings many times and realised that I was listening to what I expected to hear i.e. the 3886 and 3876 before it and not what the JLH was giving me. The JLH still sounded a bit brighter though.
Next up was Norah Jones and 'What am I to you' this time I listened to her and realised that her voice was more up front with the JLH, this is where the switch came into it's own, being able to swap amps instantly identifies ones thoughts like nothing else.
The piano version of the Enigma Variations was next and one particularly loud and fast variation sounded quite brighter on the JLH but a little dull from the 3886. Oh dear I thought there must be something wrong with my speaker on the right.
I removed the drive units and the input lugs from both, resoldered them and undid and re-tightened the cables, I then swapped the speakers left for right and right for left.
Back to the variations and the same result, it wasn't my speakers at all! I thought now I'm on to something here.
@Poultrygeist mentioned shimmer in a post with reference to Cymbals. My goodness! A bright light in ones brain, that awoke a recent memory, I'd never heard of the term as aural only as pictorial and thanked him.
Straight back to Norah Jones and yes there it was, a rather dull Cymbal from the 3886 and a clear and fast Shimmer from the JLH. What's going on here I thought and back to the Variations, there it was again that instant brightness as I listened carefully to the JLH.
It then dawned on me what was going on (forgive me I'm just a slow old cheapskate git) it was the ADSR the JLH gives me the spike between A and D the 3886 doesn't;
After that I tried Glenn Gould's Goldberg's I could hear him better on the JLH, maybe not such a good thing! Then Julian Breams BBC series Guitarra I could hear his breathing and his jacket rustling and his fingers sliding up the fret (not just the squeaks) at first I didn't believe it and played them over and over again on a couple of days to make sure.
Back to Mahler and the 1st symphony by this time I was used to the brighter sound and listened for the bass drums in the background, a dull rumble on the 3886 I'd never taken much notice of, on the JLH a clearer more concise sound, by this time I wasn't surprised at all everything the 3886 did was a little better on the JLH.
I'd saved Tangerine Dream for a few days, this is the new trio with their wall of full frequency sound recorded at high volume (into the red as I found out in Audacity), deep bass to high treble and everything between. Clarity is what I got from the JLH and a slight confusion from the 3886.
I tried other recordings of course I won't bore you with the names the ones above were the occasions when something dawned on me and was repeated with lots of other music.
The last eight days have been rather strange I did have to look for differences they were not immediately apparent. The 3886 is a fine amplifier no doubt about that, the JLH is slightly better being brighter, faster and more analytical.
What will I be listening to now for the foreseeable future, the JLH :-)
Cheers -J
[edit] onto the box and the finish next