LV Argento

**browellm** · 13-11-2011, 07:27 PM

I have been seduced back to valves and recently went on a mission to find a new power amp to drive the AG's. I heard some lovely kit, including Kondo and some unobatnium DIY stuff, but finally settled on Living Voice's reworking of the Argento. This unit has some of Kevin's finest handiwork and components inside and is intended to appeal to the buyer that doesn't have the £50k+ budget needed to get into Gaku-on/Gaku-oh territory.

The most obvious addition is a separate external filament heater power supply connected by an umbilical to the main unit. Art Audio supply the Argento to LV 70% built and Kevin does the rest. Inside is the full complement of foo and faerie magic.

The amp was primarily designed with OBX-RW speakers in mind, so the specs naturally favour that speaker - PSE 300b kicking out 20W. On paper this shouldn't really work with the Nano's having too high an input sensitivity, too much gain and too much power. But despite everything, it does!

I often felt a vague sense of confusion and disappointment on leaving Definitive's wonderful listening rooms, that room differences aside, I could never really get close to the musical presentation they achieve there. However with the M7/Argento combination I feel I have made huge strides towards it. The sound carries the wonderful SET characteristics of beautiful tone, ease and naturalness. Crucially though, the Argento has a massive room-filling quality to the presentation, and it has the balls needed to really rock out when needed. Until the next forum fad appears, this one has certainly cured the box swappingitis.

Thanks to coco-san, I have some great pics from a listening session we had on Friday night. Cheers matey

**bigdur** · 13-11-2011, 07:31 PM

Nice one Mark! Quick question, when's the bake-off?

**drbun** · 13-11-2011, 07:31 PM

phoarrrrrrrrrrr

**rabski** · 13-11-2011, 07:35 PM

Gorgeous Mark.

I listened to this quite extensively recently at Definitive. Tonally I thought it was stunningly good. Superbly even-handed with wonderful mids. With the AGs, it ought to be an absolute belter.

Lucky man!

**i_should_coco** · 13-11-2011, 07:38 PM

Heard this on Friday and Mark's system is sounding absolutely lovely.

We were also fortunate enough to compare it to a Kondo Neiro. In the context of Mark's system, the Argento definitely had more of that room filling quality and a bolder overall sound. More vivid than the slightly softer sounding Neiro.

Mark's system is sounding wonderful, beautifully balanced, to the point where I have no idea where the next upgrade would come from, at least without spending tens of thousands, so I think that's that! Well, a decnet turntable, perhaps.

**alfie2902** · 13-11-2011, 07:38 PM

Nice one Mark!

If this sounds half as good as it looks it will be stunning!

**i_should_coco** · 13-11-2011, 07:39 PM

Oh, and it is unfeasibly shiny and hard to photograph.

I would request a tube of Autosol for Christmas.

**bigdur** · 13-11-2011, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by i_should_coco

Well, a decnet turntable, perhaps.

**rabski** · 13-11-2011, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by i_should_coco

Heard this on Friday and Mark's system is sounding absolutely lovely.

We were also fortunate enough to compare it to a Kondo Neiro. In the context of Mark's system, the Argento definitely had more of that room filling quality and a bolder overall sound. More vivid than the slightly softer sounding Neiro.

Mark's system is sounding wonderful, beautifully balanced, to the point where I have no idea where the next upgrade would come from, at least without spending tens of thousands, so I think that's that! Well, a decnet turntable, perhaps.

You and your sodding 'decent turntable upgrade'.

Leave the man alone. That's bloody superb

**It Cost How Much!?!** · 13-11-2011, 07:43 PM

Nice one Mark, a bit of bling

**i_should_coco** · 13-11-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by rabski

You and your sodding 'decent turntable upgrade'.

Leave the man alone. That's bloody superb

I'm just jealous, because Mark's system is sounding effing brilliant!

**rabski** · 13-11-2011, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by i_should_coco

I'm just jealous, because Mark's system is sounding effing brilliant!

I bloody bet it does too. Seriously, I loved the presentation of that amp. Really, really beautiful.

**silencio** · 13-11-2011, 07:48 PM

Never even saw, let alone heard one, but this is strikingly beautiful. Congrats Mark

**Ian** · 13-11-2011, 07:50 PM

Hi Mark,

How close we live. How lovely your dog is ! Ahem........

**bigdur** · 13-11-2011, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by i_should_coco

Mark's system is sounding effing brilliant!

I bet! It's a serious setup now, moved on a lot since the days of those boxy sounding LVs.

**i_should_coco** · 13-11-2011, 07:53 PM

Uh oh...

**rabski** · 13-11-2011, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by bigdur

I bet! It's a serious setup now, moved on a lot since the days of those boxy sounding LVs.

Last spring it was ear-licking. Carry on in that vein and you're in deep shit...

**bigdur** · 13-11-2011, 07:55 PM

You know I'm only joking........

**rabski** · 13-11-2011, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by bigdur

You know I'm only joking........

Me too.

Maybe...

**unclepuncle** · 13-11-2011, 08:02 PM

Yowzers - that is a thing of beauty.

Can't wait to hear (and see) this at Scalford - if only you'd get yourself a turntable to match the rest of your system I could give you some rep

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