It’s one thing to hear an amplifier in the barn-like space of a show and quite another to hear it in the carefully set up and stable system and listening room. In Munich, the Lohengrin was driving the Wilson Alexx V, one step up the Wilson line from the Alexia V. It used the same cast of electronics, same cabling, same cartridge, but with a Kuzma table and Safir arm. Despite the challenges of the Munich rooms, the Lohengrin produced by far the best sound from Wilson speakers at the show, and there were a LOT of rooms using Wilson speakers. One would expect a significant improvement once the system is transplanted into a better room and given time to get everything dialed in. But the difference was more than significant—it was startling.
The Lohengrins more than match the midrange qualities of the S-400 and extend them considerably, particularly at low frequencies. There’s the control, definition and transparency, expansive soundstage and rock-like stability that I associate with the Siegfrieds, but combined with the “overall life, intent and musical purpose” that RG describes in the stereo amp. Whether the Lohengrin really is the best of both worlds, adding the positive attributes of both the Siegfried and S-400 to create a whole that’s even greater than the sum of its parts, only closer comparison with the Siegfrieds will tell. Absent the flagship’s dominant presence, that’s certainly the way it sounds. Bigger, more power-hungry speakers might change that equation, but the Lohengrin/Alexia pairing is consummately musical, sonically impressive and downright charming! The only hard part was leaving the Lohengrin behind. Back home I’m still waiting for my brain to readjust to what I’m missing. This Lohengrin isn’t going anywhere. It hasn’t just delivered on its promise, it’s reaching out for a permanent place amongst that select group of high-end amplifiers that are both capable and genuinely musical. Definitely a defender of the Grail.
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