Lehmann Black Cube Linear?

No first hand but Lake People G100 is cheaper and at least so good as Lehmann Black Cube Linear (Pro) - if not even better.

I am sure that both Lehman and Lake would be good.

I believe that Norbert Lehmann used the Sennheiser HD6XX in the development of the Black Cube Linear. Sennheiser used the Black Cube Linear in their initial rollout of their HD800. All in all, the Lehmann and Sennheiser are a good match.

Full disclaimer: I own a Lehmann Black Cube Linear, HD650 and HD800 and find this combo to work extremely well.

My Russ Andrews/Kimber Reference Power Cable (not shielded) did a great job for my Lehmann BCL. The v.d. Hul Mainstream (shielded) didn’t work.

I really enjoyed the BCL that I had (I did not use the internal DAC as I had a much better source) paired with Grado PS1000's. I did however feel that the SPL Phonitor beat it out pretty easily but is around $1,000 more expensive so that would be expected.

THe BCL had great resolution, was not harsh in any way, and has enough gain to drive anything. Overall a great match for the HD800 which I have heard on the BCL and used in the development of the HD800 as mentioned.

I would recommend to read this article in full text:
Klangvergleichstest Kofphoerer-Verstaerker: Professional Audio Magazin (cound comparison headphone amps: Professional Audio Magazin)

I use the BCL for a while now and it is wonderful with HD650. Very transparent and neutral. The amp is a great match for Sennheisers. I also listened to D5000 and K702 on it, and have enjoyed both. I am still trying to audition HD800 with the BCL, but so far haven't had a chance. I would easily recommend the amp for any Sennheiser phones, especially since their top tier products were used as a reference.

I just got Lehmann BCL.

It sounds wonderfull with HD800.

I'm considering buying the Lehmann Audio Black Cube Linear USB and a pair of HD800.

Sending lossless music directly from a computer to the BCL.

 

Any ideas or comments on this setup?

The extra cost of a BCL USB should go into purchasing a proper standalone dac to go with the regular BCL,  especially if you intend to pair it with the ultra-transparent HD800.

Thanks for the answer SP Wild!

 

So the DAC part of the BCL USB isn't good enough for the amplifier?

Or is it just a general thought that a DAC becomes better if you have a box which only performs that operation?

 

From my perspective the BCL USB gives me both a DAC and a headphone amp in one box.

So far I haven't heard or read anyone comment on the DAC itself and would be happy to know if there is anything wrong with this component.

If you are recommending a separate DAC to save some money then I can live with paying a bit extra for having it all in one box, but please do tell if the DAC is inferior!

 

Sorry if I sound defensive here, but I'm just confused about why Lehmann would bother with making an amplifier/DAC combination if it wouldn't be a good choice for someone like me.

 

Cheers

 

PS. Could the HRT Music Streamer II be a decent choice of DAC which you simply have plugged in between the PC and BCL? DS.

Edited by perer - 6/8/10 at 8:59am

If you root around the threads you'll find that the general consensus is that the USB DAC on the Lehman is ok but not great. The amp is fantastic. So it might be better to go the seperate amp/DAC route. Another benefit to this approach is that later if you want to upgrade either the amp or the DAC you can keep the one you like and sell off the one you are replacing. That will also defer the costs of the upgrade.

I have been very impressed with my HRT Streamer II, and replaced a Bel Canto DAC2 with it. If you decide to go separates, well worth checking out. And available from MusicDirect with a 30 day trial period. 

 

 

The internal dac is compromised with a USB input only.  This USB input is also restricted to 16 -bit and 48 khz sampling rates, so you could never exploit Hi-res - This particular USB implementation is extremely jitter prone, and from my experiences, these "generic" usb inputs are the worst kinds of digital inputs.  From an audio engineering perspective this design is inherently compromised - is this something you want for the HD800.
 

I am also very interested in the BCL.  I have the QB-9 and 800s.  I'm currently using a Raptor (Mullard short plate CV 4003 and Los Gatos 5687s) - love the musicality, can't get used to the noise.  We need a BCL vs. Rudistor vs. Graham Slee shootout!