I received my LL yesterday. Overall, a much larger and heftier affair than the LF, it came in top-notch packaging.
It's evident that Alex took good note of some of the LF criticism, both design and build wise. Gone are the Christmas tree lighting, powder coating and perspex windows, and in is a refreshingly minimalist (by comparison) design sporting a thicker and anodized front panel. On the rear, the power inlet is centered. With its base 14" depth, allowing at least 4" for to power cord clearance might pose an issue for those of us using a 3-pole audio rack. There are both single ended and balanced inputs, switchable from the back.
For the brief duration that I listened last night using my SR-009, the LL ran warm, but not hot. The noise floor was undetectable to these ears, though in all honesty some ambient noise in the room was present. My particular unit came with 100 hours, and Alex mentioned that about 200 hours is when the amp will start sounding its best. Right out of the box the LL had some resemblance between it the LF with good dynamics, tight and deep bass and holographic vocals. Much like it's been said that the LF+LCD-3 combo has a tactile feel to bass, such are the vocals of the LL - textured, live, being there. Like you can reach out and touch the singer (presumably on an acceptable place such as the shoulder). A minor qualm, which I hope will go away with burn-in, or my brain adjusting to the LL, is that mids were a tad too warm, and pushed forward. Highs were fast and detailed, as expected. The sound stage was decent, but I felt it a bit congested when compared to my Resolution Audio C50 speaker amp + Woo Audio WEE. Please note that I said "when compared to", as it's definitely not bad on its own. This, however, is something I've experienced with other setups and tended to settle down with burn-in, so I'm giving it some more time before forming a critical opinion.
Overall, my initial impressions are positive, and I'll post back once it has reached 200 hours of use.
