After reviewing the LM3 loudspeakers from Lorenzo Audio Labs, I am taking a closer look at the LM1 loudspeakers.
The LM1s are Miguel Lorenzo Castro’s proud flagship speakers, and as you can read in this review, Castro has taken his proud creations to a whole new level with the LM1s, while retaining the core qualities of the LM3s.
But before we dive deeper into the review, let’s take a look at the core of Lorenzo Audio Labs and what makes them so different.
Lorenzo Audio Labs
Lorenzo Audio Labs has embarked on an ambitious journey to create the most exquisite loudspeakers the world has ever seen and heard. Driven by a vision that combines the nostalgia of the golden age of hi-fi with the groundbreaking advances of modern science and technology, the team delved deep into the annals of acoustic excellence. They meticulously scrutinized the revered sound of classic reference products and harnessed the pinnacle of contemporary innovation. Through rigorous research, ideation, and tireless dedication, Lorenzo Audio Labs was born.
At the heart of Lorenzo Audio Labs is the mission to awaken the purest emotions at the heart of music. They strive to capture the ethereal intricacies of a baroque harp, the vibrant spontaneity of a dynamic jazz quartet, the majestic grandeur of a complete philharmonic orchestra, and the mesmerizing allure of the human voice. Each soundscape is reproduced with unparalleled fidelity, transporting the listener into a sonic world where every nuance is rendered with profound clarity and captivating presence.
Production techniques
Lorenzo Audio Labs’ obsession with music and its perfect reproduction inspires them to push the boundaries further and further, with a deep desire to excel and an unbridled perfectionism that forces them to accept only the best.
They achieve their goals by combining classic technology with the latest advances in materials, software, components, and manufacturing techniques. After countless simulations and computer calculations to determine the best circuit design and thousands of hours listening to the results after each improvement and final adjustment, they have concluded that the human ear is the best possible tool and the only one that can give them the ultimate assurance of a perfect result.
The team at Lorenzo Audio Labs firmly believes that only dedicated craftsmanship can deliver an exceptional level of quality. This is evident in the manufacturing of the hand-welded crossover (without PCBs and with the best components available on the market), the bass reflex ports (hand-turned with special tonewoods) and the Panzerholz parts designed in-house and used in critical places (such as the nuts and knobs of the speaker terminals, the insulating discs on the feet or the solid parts that hold the drivers so that no metal screws touch their drivers and transfer the vibrations from the cabinets to the drivers).
The fascinating exterior finish of Lorenzo Audio Labs’ products deserves special mention. It is 100% handcrafted by a fourth-generation artisan whose family has worked with marquetry and inlay techniques since 1888. This masterful art makes the products exquisite, unique, timeless jewels.
The cabinets are wrapped in natural wood veneer, carefully selected for its beauty and durability, as well as handcrafted inlays of various woods and mother-of-pearl. Finally, the cabinets are finished with no less than 7 layers of high-gloss lacquer.
Lorenzo Audio Labs deliberately does not follow trends but goes its way. The paper cones and Alnico magnets are used in the construction of their top speakers for one simple reason: They produce the best sound.
The latest developments have also been used in the manufacture of the crossovers, and only the best quality has been accepted, regardless of cost. The crossovers are made with high-end components from Duelund, Jupiter, Mundorf, and Pathaudio.
The extensive energy control in the Lorenzo Audio Labs loudspeakers allows the drivers to unfold their full potential and reveal even the finest details and delicate overtones. Otherwise, these remain hidden and limit the final listening experience. To achieve this, the solid phenolic plywood cabinets are fitted with a limited elastomer layer that absorbs the disturbing vibrations transmitted by the drivers. The horns, front, and rear parts are manufactured on 5-axis CNC machines.
Lorenzo Audio Labs pays great attention to the internal wiring of the speakers, which consists of high-purity copper and gold wire in various sections.
The solid steel feet are used with a Panzerholz base that filters floor vibrations. If the system is placed on a carpeted floor, these Panzerholz disks can be removed to achieve a firmer stand. (In this case, the feet rest on a steel base).
Lorenzo Audio Labs has paid attention to every little detail in the development of the LM1 speakers from the very beginning, following the philosophy that only laser-sharp focus and dedication in the execution of all the countless details in the design and construction of a speaker can create a product as special and unique as LM1.
The Music
The LM1 loudspeakers from Lorenzo Audio Labs are among the few that can unlock the mysteries of music in all genres without breaking a sweat, even at normal listening levels, that don’t accent the listening space. They find the beauty and bring it to light, opening up the passages and corridors of music that normally remain hidden from the listener, even with speakers in the upper price range, above LM1.
The Lorenzo LM1s not only sound great, but they are thoroughly regal in design, parts, and execution. The reproduced music fills every space in the ear coachele with proper balance. This is not exactly a small task for any loudspeaker to accomplish optimally.
The LM1 plays to its strengths and does not have to coerce the listener into the deep dives. The listener is immediately carried into the endless realms of the music with ease and in the absence of fatigue.
Jesse Marchant – Jesse Marchant
You could hear and experience this easily and directly on Jesse Marchant’s self-titled album. Especially with the “Snow Chicago”.
It was mesmerizing and enchanting to observe how LM1 allows each note to expand in its own space, with its value, and duration, skillfully avoiding the emergence of cusses even as the music picks up speed with a stronger narrative and denser note layering.
The LM1 is not a speaker that obscures the reality of things. On the contrary, the Lorenzo flagship speakers deliver obvious and factual power in terms of sound and emotional engagement.
Vicente Amigo – Memoria De Los Sentidos
When I played the last track of the album, “Réquiem” (with Niña Pastori, Arcángel, Miguel Poveda, Rafael de Utrera & Pedro El Granaíno), I could immediately hear an audible difference as a few more layers were removed from the sonic sphere.
With the Lorenzo Audio Labs LM1 speakers, it was much easier to synchronize with “Réquiem” and distinguish the correct pitch of the instruments and vocals.
The higher the pitch, the more difficult it is to reproduce the organic, natural feel. It is something that even some of the cost-no-object speakers struggle with.
The Lorenzo LM1 has shown its true colors, mastered pitch with pinpoint accuracy, keeping the flow of the music intact and never distracting from the course and tempo of the music, proving its ability to not only deliver wider dynamic swings but also to properly handle subtleties and move tiny dynamic shifts with feather-light ease.
Buika – Niña de fuego
This was further underpinned by “Volver – Volver”, a personal favorite from the Buika album Niña de fuego.
The LM1’s ability to continuously project such a wide range of dynamic subtleties is undoubtedly due to the enormous number of its given anchor points and acoustic nodes.
“Volver – Volver” is not an easy piece to reproduce and can too quickly unbalance the system and cause fatigue, but as with all other pieces of music, the LM1 speakers were boundlessly rewarding.
Yes, Lorenzo Audio Labs’ LM1 speakers require an upright level matching high-end audio gear to sing freely. But once that’s achieved, the top-of-the-line Spanish loudspeakers give a big oomph to music reproduction with an unforgettable filling of listening space, a great togetherness, always contouring the music as it is.
During my evaluation, the LM1 speakers never produced a wearisome experience, but a genuine exchange of emotion with larger-than-usual musical magnifique at every turn.
Hoist The Colours – Bass Singers
“Hoist The Colors” is one of the tracks that immediately reveals the true potential of the speakers. The sheer power of the music, the pure energy and so many underlying factors not only call for a finely tuned high-end audio setup but also, for the utmost capable last component in the chain, utterly potent sound transducers that can fully convey the dynamics.
The Lorenzo LM1 is a remarkable vessel that not only conveys the pure energy of “Hoist The Colors”, but also sends shivers down the spine with eerie, surreal reproduction that mirrors the abysmal, thunderous force of the song while creating an unagitated, harrowing sonic escapade.
The LM1’s ability to juxtapose higher and lower notes so seamlessly and make an instant sub-harmonic leap across eight octaves was spectacular.
Lorenzo Audio Labs’ flagship speakers conveyed the hauntingly beautiful narrative and submarine depths of “Hoist The Colours” in spades, capturing every moment of sheer drama and poignant emotional nature without adding its sonic watermark.
It was also delightful to watch the LM1’s portrayal of Eric Holloway’s holographic vocals moving with the slow tempo, mimicking the ship swaying and hitting the waves, subtly adding to the narrative but without being too overbearing. Once again, a remarkable balancing act!
The Conclusion
Lorenzo Audio Labs LM1s are one of the most impressive, if not the most outstanding speakers I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing that are capable of reproducing music superbly evenly, and profoundly at normal gain volume. Even at a lower listening level, there is a wealth of information, exceptional sonic depth, and uncongested horizontal and vertical expanse, and the energy of the music never gets clipped nor the essence of the music is diverted.
Lorenzo Audiolab LM1 is one of the rare, larger, box-shaped wooden loudspeakers that have that “magic” that draws you into the music and never lets go. There is no fatigue, the music is evenly distributed across the entire frequency spectrum and there are no frequency jumps.
The Lorenzo LM1 features a refined, well-researched, and designed crossover that provides a seamless crossover point that doesn’t let the music fall apart or push any speaker drivers to peak performance. They effortlessly deliver the music with a grandeur that puts them on a unique level.
LM1 speakers are splendidly looking and impeccably crafted by one of the local Granada woodmakers operating for several generations. The painstaking dedication shows on every inch of the speaker with the most stunning details and wood inlays that elevate the speakers into a remarkable luxurious stratosphere.
Nothing prepares you for your first encounter with the Lorenzo Audiolab loudspeakers design-wise, as this flagship is brimming with elegance, timeless beauty, and magnificent solitude standing that makes them an object of art even before a single note has been played.
But when the music starts, the emotions pour out of these finely crafted Spanish speakers with a striking interactive effect. There is this colossal impact that immediately grabs the attention and puts the listener in the epicenter of the music dynamics.
The LM1 speakers have undoubtedly been designed from the ground up to offer a completely different way of reproducing music. Unlike many other high-end loudspeakers, exotic and esoteric materials and components are used where they are needed and not randomly placed for the sake of it.
Many strategic choices have been carefully made in the Lorenzo LM1 to provide a seamless musical presentation. They just work in harmony and balance with the music rather than against it, which is not the case with many speakers, regardless of price.
What sets the Lorenzo Audio Labs LM1 speakers apart from others is the unparalleled sensitivity with which they reveal layer upon layer of musical material and narrative in a tantalizing storytelling way. That alone is worth all the high praise, accolades, and acclaim. Added to this is a highly intimate connection with the core of the music that comes from deeper than usual depths.
The LM1s are tonally well-balanced, allowing a seamless blending of micro and macro detail while maintaining the flow of the music without sacrificing sonority. Their natural liveliness makes it immediately clear that you can not resist emotions when they’re evoked.
LM-1 is bold, daring, and vivid, a glass box of emotion that never sounds idiomatic but creates repeated happy encounters.
The Lorenzo Audio Labs flagships deliver organic timbre, tone, and color with authority, presenting vivid textures, a firm and focused bass, and crisp highs without overloading the speakers, and music expressiveness emerge with distinctive immediacy.
Music gets to the listener faster when the speakers are not in the way, and that’s exactly how Lorenzo Audio Labs speakers behave, rendering the balanced beauty and emotion of music in a flowing state rather than as a stop-gap.
There’s something celestial about the LM-1, a lot of homework has been done on Lorenzo Audio Labs’ flagships, and it shows at every turn, easing the music with an extra layer of authenticity, a kind of clockwork precision in the absence of mechanical imprint.
The sound is intimately connected to the moving energy and is immediately felt through the emotional impact, and this is exactly what the LM1 so ably and profoundly delivers.
Lorenzo LM1 bypasses the logical, sensual gatekeepers and aims straight for the heart. With too many speakers, you don’t connect with the music, regardless of the various combinations and high-end audio system permutations. Oppositely, the LMs do not make it hard to listen to music. They are as engaging as they can be with one of the best flow states I’ve experienced so far.
Careful voicing of the LM1 speakers brings them into the realm where technology, the drivers, crossover, and cabinet disappear to give the music the freedom it needs. Another rare virtue that deserves all the high praise.
While too many modern loudspeakers lack the immediacy and explore other areas instead of exploring the depths of the music by zooming in on the particulars, lasering out artificial details, etc., the Lorenzo LM1 speakers free the brain from such hype and you can instantly lose yourself in the music within a few notes.
As I wrote in my review of the Lorenzo Audio Labs LM3, Miguel Lorenzo Castro seeks the beauty of music’s purity with profound acumen, and the LM1s represent an even higher level of objective materialization of state-of-the-art music reproduction. Lorenzo cost no object top-of-the-line- speakers can yield endless hours of unadulterated musical enjoyment that can raise the listener’s temperature on the emotional barometer in a flash.
I’ve tried several combinations of top-of-the-line high-end audio electronics, but I’ve found a special synergy with the ubiqaudiolab ubicube MONO power amplifier in conjunction with the Ubiquitous 300B, a cost-no-object hybrid high-end preamplifier featuring the iconic Western Electric 300B tube, designed to work seamlessly with ubiqaudiolab power amplifiers.
The loudspeaker market today is very polarized and saturated, but Miguel Lorenzo Castro has managed to keep an upper hand in the landscape of different offerings with loudspeakers that combine classic elements with modern sophistication.
LM1 was destined to be a classic, and with its sonic versatility, dazzling, ethereal sound, and timeless appearance it will be.
For what they represent musically and esthetically, I am pleased to recognize Lorenzo Audio Labs’ LM1 speakers with the prestigious 2024 Mono and Stereo Editors Choice Award. ❖
Price
- Elm root finish (reviewed pair): €225,000 RRP EUR
- Ebony finish: €215,000 RRP EUR
- Black with 24K gold horn: €225,000 RRP EUR
Technical specifications
- 4-way-system with phase-optimized crossover.
- Drivers: Woofer 16 inches, Midrange 11 inches, Treble 1 inch compression drive unit, Superteeter
- Sensitivity: 96 dB.
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohm.
- Enclosure Type Woofer: Double rear vented.
- Enclosure Type Midrange: Sealed.
- Enclosure Type Tweeter: Sealed.
- Frequency response: 20 Hz to 35 kHz.
- Recommended amplifier: 20 to 500 Watts.
- Dimensions: Height 68 inches (172,5 cm), Width 21,85 inches (55,5 cm), Depth 24,61 inches (62,5 cm).
- Weight: 441 lbs (200 kg) each.
Contact
Lorenzo Audio Labs
Paseo De Los Basilios 8
18008 Granada, Spain
Tel: +34 655 820452
Email: info@lorenzoaudiolabs.com
Web: www.lorenzoaudiolabs.com
