Lavardin is reference integrated amplifier

You know - the feeling that you've been somewhere, or done something before? Well it does happen, and it's just happened to me, in the shape of a slightly average looking amplifier that relatively recently redefined my hi-fi quality parameters, lavardin is reference integrated amplifier, set my ears alight, and completely convinced me that I would never, ever, find any amplifier that could out-perform it. Rule 1: Never say never!

Amazing Grace. July A simple black box with just two knobs on its front panel, the IS Reference could easily be mistaken for a purist, hair-shirt, English design where the inclusion of even a balance control is taken as a decadent frill. The French are well known for making the small details of life an artistic experience. You just have to love a culture where the government subsidizes the baking of baguettes and where small talk is usually a detailed and loving description of a wonderful meal of two nights ago.

Lavardin is reference integrated amplifier

If we look closely, it turns out that there is really no such thing as "lineup" in their case. At least if by lineup one understands the ordered, structured logically fitting to different price shelves set of devices, then only medium and large size manufacturers are able to plan the lineup and refresh it on regular basis. On the one hand, new devices appear spontaneously when the designer - usually the owner at the same time - prepares something that can be called a "new" and at the same time "satisfying" his expectations product. In such a case, we are offered something really new and well-thought-through. This is an advantage that I would call "personal". But there is also the other side of the coin. The bigger manufacturers can do more - it's a truism, but it perfectly shows the importance of the so-called "large scale". Purchasing a larger number of components of a certain kind a given manufacturer is able to negotiate a much better price for them. As a result they constitute a much smaller percentage of the costs of a given device. This is an advantage which we must naturally call a "scale". No wonder that the Lavardin company, which we are talking about this time, does not hurry with new products. It is small, so it can't use the effect of a scale, nor is the brand known to the mass customer, so it is not compelled to regularly refresh the offer.

The sensual aesthetic experience, both in the sonority of the instruments and of the artistic message they relate, is sine qua non for music-oriented designers.

One of my last real jobs in audio was to let down what would become Lavardin. I was working in a well-known audio retailer at the time, and we already had more than our fair share of amplifiers. Although we were always interested in new designs, the chances of the store taking on a new brand both new to the store and new to audio were limited. Sadly, we still had no choice but to turn down Lavardin, but in fairness, it was still very much a work in progress. Fast-forward to the present, and Lavardin has built a small, but loyal, following in the audiophile community.

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test. Never heard of it? The company hardly ever changes its products, making just a couple of revisions to its range over the last two decades. But most of all they are about sound quality, in which they tend to set a standard that few high-end alternatives can approach. Of course. Normally we would scoff at such claims, but in this case we can testify the original called the IS Reference was indeed a superlative product - and Lavardin can point to a survey where The most obvious differences between the two generations of IS Reference are the addition of a silver plate on the front panel and the availability of remote control. Even hardcore purists it seems will no longer put up with having to getting up from their favourite chair for every change of volume level.

Lavardin is reference integrated amplifier

One of my last real jobs in audio was to let down what would become Lavardin. I was working in a well-known audio retailer at the time, and we already had more than our fair share of amplifiers. Although we were always interested in new designs, the chances of the store taking on a new brand both new to the store and new to audio were limited. Sadly, we still had no choice but to turn down Lavardin, but in fairness, it was still very much a work in progress. Fast-forward to the present, and Lavardin has built a small, but loyal, following in the audiophile community. So, when the opportunity arose to test the latest Model ISx integrated from the brand, we jumped at the chance.

Critical role brian foster

Learn how your comment data is processed. So, improving linearity without falling foul of memory effect issues is the reason Lavardin has taken so long to come out with a replacement to its integrated amps. Wife: "What's that then? Necessary Necessary. In the back you can see what I mentioned at the beginning, namely that small companies have to count every penny. We elaborated on it on the occasion of the IT model review, but let me remind you. You want it Mr. The higher frequencies, cymbals, piano etc. Our highest possible recommendation today, and judging at the rate Lavardin changes its products, this will still retain our highest possible reputation a dozen years from today! It's a small device, it does not warm up too much when used, so it can be placed anywhere. Well it does happen, and it's just happened to me, in the shape of a slightly average looking amplifier that relatively recently redefined my hi-fi quality parameters, set my ears alight, and completely convinced me that I would never, ever, find any amplifier that could out-perform it. But there is also the other side of the coin. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Analytics Analytics.

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi?

The production of this album, especially this particular song, can totally confuse many lesser systems, Not with this amp. Four inputs is one more than I need, so that's no big deal. Moreover it does this without sounding labored, analytic, or superficially spectacular. The complete absence of that false hash, while much to be applauded in basic terms of reducing listening fatigue and in eliminating the most common complaint among audio enthusiasts about their systems, serves a much larger musical purpose however. These seemingly all-important audiophile aspects become mere trivialities next to the way it makes music sound like music! Yes, the IS Reference is painfully feature-free, and it looks less glamorous than most budget amplifiers we've reviewed. Cons - Nothing to shout about physically - no remote control. What it does instead is provide a very even, rather than forward balance, but does it with the kind of rare temporal precision and focus that only the very best in audio electronics can muster. But I also know that it is rather distanced and shown further away from listener than newer productions. It's insightful, not just in its ability to dig up lots of detail, but also in the manner with which it ties together all the musical strands to make the resultant whole make sense. I worked my way through the rest of the pieces, and each time, it was obvious that where the IS was merely magnificent, the Reference was staggeringly stupendous.