Since some folks in my mailbox asked what’s this all about, I will attempt to translate my own view on the LM sound of my LM219ia a.k.a. the beast, Frankenstein; to name but a few nicknames born in honour and out of dedicated  love of single ended triode sound.
I write ‘his’ since mine turned out to be a boy named SET.
It may loose a lot of translation, but I will do my best. So here it goes.

It has been many years now since I was mercilessly struck by the vintage virus. Ever since, I was more than content with my old and not so old transistoramps in a solid state. What a sound and how enjoyable I found this stereo in high fidelity to be. I still recall this lovely sound as if it was yesterday, the day the first time I hooked on my Japanese battleship the Sansui G-9000. I couldn’t be more happy after all those wasted years of listening to modern surround. I did know better, but somehow time made me forget and those big amps were considered to be obsolete. Tiny amps and even more tiny speakers became the trend. So tiny that subwoofers were needed to compensate for their lack of size. I am the first to admit it is fun to vibrate watching a carchase in surround and yes, great for danceparties. I was apparently conditioned in listening to music and simply needing seven speakers to fully enjoy the tracks had become a logical fact of life. But then I saw this Sansui on sale. I was drawn into her portlights shining ever so bright on ebay and in no time I drove to Germany to become her captain.
I emphasize that I by no means have the luxury of an acoustic setting. The floor is made of stone and lacks carpets, my speakers should stand more of the wall and how I would love to move some furniture around. But the wife would go mad so out of love, for music, I listen with these handicaps. Still I managed to create a sweetspot more or less in the centre of the room. The voices seem to come out of the painting on the wall and all the instruments can be distinguished from each other. There, in my comfortable chair, a good recording becomes a very good recording. For the more analytical sessions I use my Chinese Dussun V8i. These two amps in combination with met the Kef’s ref. mod. II and III and my JBL’s 4311 by Kenrick have made me fully enjoy music every day and for sure this was the best sound for my budget so I was content. And the surroundsystem only is used for movies now, as it was intented all along.

Untill (was it because it was so shiny?) I bought an Audioromy tube-amp from HongKong. At first I admired it because of it’s lamps and ‘golden’ baseplate. I turned out, after so many years of interracial marriage, to be a sucker for blingbling after all? The very thought that Russian MIG’s flew with these tubes was so inspiring to me, which I continuously told myself whenever she gave me that look. Trying to reason in my mind that I did not regret buying an amp just because it had an appealing look? Moreover at night those lamps just looked so damn cosey.
The idea was to use the valves for my JBL’s and the transistores for the KEF’s. After having tried many settings, I simply could not choose a fixed one. So I put a switchboard on the wall that enabled me to switch between speakers and amps at random. All my amps sounded great in my ears but as time went by, I caught myself listening  to the Audioromy more and more.
I began, a complete laymann in valves, to take more interest in the wonderful world of tubes. In secret (how many amps can a marriage take?) I spent so many hours on the web in search of tubewonders, my wife at one point asked me bluntly why I enjoyed porn so much? I confessed my illnes and slowly she began to understand that there are no antibiotics against virusses.  So she decided that time will heal all wounds and let me be. Out in the open I was convinced that my ears grew less tired listening to tubes. I was astonished since I had a great sound already. But, and this is deep but true nontheless,  are we not al in search of some sort of grale?

Why the Line Magnetic 219ia?

I will leave the technical details to those who really know their stuff. For me, in my extended searches over the world wide web, I kept coming back to the LM219ia. It just ‘felt’ right. No scientific explanation or whatever. Just a gut feeling that this had to be the one. And the fact that here in The Netherlands we are blessed with a company that imports audiosonic gems (highendaudioimport) for a fair price. No longer having to hassle with customs, insurance and offshore accounts was a major advantage in my decision. Besides how more vintage can one get? The 300B was the golden standard for sound in the days and actually still is I now think humbly.
De LM219ia’s build is basic like a tank, lifetime for sure! De stocktubes do sound more than okay here. Although I have replaced the valves in the pre-amp section with some n.o.s. tubes. A small gesture but well appreciated by my ears which were opened up just a little bit more by the passed.  I still am in the burning-in period but I do know this; this one’s a keeper. Especially with potential upgrades in the back of my mind that can lift this amp even higher in a worldwide scale of quality sound.
It is an integrated amp with three lines in. This may be on the poor side, but less is more? Inside there is not a print in sight. All point to point soldering by hand.

The pre-amp can be disconnected by a frontal switch giving the option to use the 300B’s and 845’s in combination with an external pre-amp. I myself use my SansuiCA3000 to connect amongst other sources my different turntables. The LM is made in China but do not hesitate when quality is an issue. Comparing build quality to let’s say McIntosh, this Chinese rests at least in the same class, with ease I might add.
Speaking for myself, I could not be happier. Hearing this wonderfull class-A amp of ‘just’ 24Watt I still cannot comprehend how just a few Watts of current can produce such an amount of sound. My solid states also can give me a wall of sound but they read 175 Watt and more? Everyone experiences sound in their own unique way. But holymoly, my voices have never sounded this natural and live alive.
Finally this amp will contribute in a positive and big way to my gasbill.  It does emit some heat. This amp has to make an inhuman effort to bring his or her magic to listening ears, that I find this to be only natural. I find it not to be a disadvantage at all.
In a very short time this amp, baptized SET just a few days ago, has conquered my heart.  Even the wife now comes with the occasional requests. So yes it plays all sorts.
I bought it on a feeling but can honestly state, no regrets. Below a short impression of SET’s practical performance

Ear tubes for the elderly.

Just the other day I tried out some n.o.s. Raytheon in SET. 
Well, that was a major disappointment. An obscure mix of sound lacking every detail. It did have the characteristic ‘warm’ sound but temperature was not a problem with SET. Disillusioned I put the stock tubes back in and refused to let my disappointment be known to my little Pearl a.k.a. the wife. I could do without her sarcastic remarks concerning my hearing.
“… I simply do not understand why in Gods’ name you have to buy all this stuff when you damn well know age is not your friend here …”
In hindsight I was a fool not to have patience, but I am but a mere layman still in tubes.

Tonight she went of to her fitness. Which gave me the peace of mind to give Ray another try. I was determined to sit this one out not wanting to give in to a poor buy. It took some tracks for the rays to begin to shine, but shine they did! Almost without noticing I was struck by this grand opening of a … concert hall! The painting on the wall seemed to become alive with different kinds of artists. One after the other tried to come out of the canvas and this session of audiosonic determination only just began?  
Everybody seemed to be really enjoying themselves but I almost fell of my chair when Jerry, all the way from Puerto Rico, entered my living room in his truck! He pulled over in the corner, pushed all the other artists aside and began to sing about his life as a lorrydriver in the most prominent spot of the painting.
Impertinently bold he detached himself from the oil paint and took a seat in the couch in front of me! My mind was going crazy in how to explain all this paint on her couch, but I simply was not given the time.
On the sidetable to my left everybody from percussion began hitting their instruments like madmen. And on the edge of my flatscreen to my right this complete hornsection appeared dangerously trying to keep their balance such was their passion to finally blow one in all freedom still maintaining a fixed position despite their insane moves. This whole gang of musicians were making what they do best at just a few feet in front of me!? Such passion that I could swear I saw some sexy ladies in need of clothing doing the chachacha from left to right and back again.
I do not have to tell you that things got out of hand. The little microphone in my smartphone does not do justice to this live-performance, but believe you me; I was flabbergasted during the whole show. 

Who was not flabbergasted at al, was the secret audioagent on Facebook. This fantastic show was denied and I could prepare myself for yet another uploadban. Jerry Rivera was bluntly censored adding to the paradox of this once open book. Thankfully the show was all about tubes, so YouTube was the place to upload.  The party did not continue on my timeline but my channel made up for Zuckerbergs’ loss big time. 
Very much impressed by this amount of audio violence, I failed to hear my little Pearl come in. So she raised her voice in her well known manner since I did not react fast enough to her “kiss kiss”. I immediately said that I did hear her come in.
In nothing but pure sarcasm she came steaming over to stand in front of me, little hand on big hip and tapping her lovable little creole foot giving a rithmic sound to her annoyance.
“So how my dear? How did you hear me come in? In company you are alone and alone you have to put the volume up to deafening level. So how exactly did you hear me come in then?!” 
“Eh well …  With tubes honey! I have put some new ear tubes in and I tell tou love, it works! I now can hear so much more!”

Conclusion
For now I am just at the beginning of this road. But I am even more convinced that if there ever was one regret, it has to be that I did not take in SET much sooner, or is ‘earlier’ a more proper translation?
I love the soundstage, his natural high twinkling notes on top of a well contained bass. He eats jazz and acoustic tracks for breakfast. Has vocals to truly die for! And for lunch he already enjoyed a punksession. He liked it so much, that I cannot garanty to give up on pogo, which was a bit of a surprise to me as well.
My SET is a more than 50K heavy apparatus made of metal and glass which extends a warm glow of heavy air of good ole fashioned nononsense. And since I seem to be more and more in need of nononsense, SET is turning out to be a lifesaver as well.
But as all things in life, different strokes for different folks which is just as well. Taste is a personal thing as Charles just now put it ever so nicely. And I am now looking forward to Brook, man he can not only sing but also set audiofreaky records in SET.
If this translation sounded badly to you I apologize but this LM219ia will definitely make that up for you and then some!