Black Cube Linear, or not? A newbie at a loss

Dec 25, 2008 at 11:03 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 29
wundi

wundi

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Hey guys, I'm one of those people who want something but don't know if it's what they need. So I figured I should put it in writing. I'm sorry if it gets lengthy -- I'm new to this but I'll try to add in jokes and weird arguments. Please bear with me.

Firstly, my current setup is Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro (aka. bass monster phones) amped by Corda Arietta. Sennheiser HD650 are already on their way though, just didn't make it in time for Christmas. PC (X-Fi XtremeMusic, high bitrate MP3s) as source and a Denon PMA-700AE integrated amplifier as preamp. The music I listen to is mostly rock, both indie-type (The Killers) and metal (In Flames).

So I've been drooling over Lehmann's BCL for a while now. The reason for that may be somewhat unprofound for this specific forum: the looks. I'm after a black headphone amp that fits well with the rest of my gear, which is all black. While my current amp, the Arietta, is a good looking amp on its own, it just doesn't "look right" in its surroundings. I could write an essay about my frustration with the whole issue but I think you'd lose your interest pretty soon.
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Let's just say the headphone amp sits on a very visible place in my small apartment and I can't have something there that sticks out.

The other reason why I'm looking for a new amp is that with the DT770 Pro, I can't hear a damned difference between the Arietta and the Denon's headphone output. I suspect this is for one (or several) of the following reasons:
- The Denon has a very good HP output
- The DT770 Pro doesn't "differentiate" between amps that much (pardon my English)
- My source, mostly the X-Fi's DAC, sucks
- I'm not a very good listener
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However I'm confident I'll start to hear differences when my new phones, the HD650, arrive. No, I couldn't simply wait till that to start this thread.
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At this point you are likely thinking of one word: tubes. They are great for my music, are inexpensive, look cool and come in black. True. Wooaudio, Darkvoice, yummy. But, I still don't want them. I don't want to get stressed about remembering to turn them off before passing out on the couch (I do that, a lot), changing tubes every two years, or telling everyone not to burn their fingers. I'm like a mouse ogling a mouse-trap: yes, there's cheese -- but also potential death. Ok, fine, it probably won't burn my house down and kill me. But there's no cheese either. Anyway, tubes are not for me, at this point anyway.

Soooo I was wondering if anyone would like to give me alternatives, talk some sense to me or to at least give the BCL a thumbs-up? I've done my research and I know it has great, if perhaps not the best sound for its price (~600€). I'm also going to keep my DT770, if that matters, and also I'm in Europe.

I'd be grateful for any input.

P.S. I mean, come on!
 
Dec 25, 2008 at 11:24 PM Post #2 of 29
The Lehmann is a good amp in general and very good amp for HD650 in particular.
It is very detailed, but also rather laid back. Refined and easy flowing are the words I would choose to describe the sound signature. It has enough power, but is not agressive.
 
Dec 26, 2008 at 12:18 PM Post #4 of 29
Thank you for your responses. The GS-1 is a good looking amp indeed, but I wonder if it can be bought from anywhere else than straight from the manufacturer? It's 900 USD, and after shipping, customs fees and value-added tax, it would cost me around 50% more than the BCL. It also says availability in 8 weeks. :/
 
Dec 26, 2008 at 9:50 PM Post #5 of 29
Before you blow your cash on an shiney amp, you might want to consider your source. A better DAC could have a much more profound impact on sound than an amp. You could always pick up a combi.
 
Dec 27, 2008 at 12:55 PM Post #6 of 29
Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTony /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Before you blow your cash on an shiney amp, you might want to consider your source. A better DAC could have a much more profound impact on sound than an amp. You could always pick up a combi.


Yes, I've looked into DACs as well, and things like the Lehmann Black Cube Linear USB. However I've come to the conclusion that a USB DAC won't do; it must be s/pdif, mostly due to gaming reasons. So a separate DAC would be in order, but I still have some issues to clear out, such as how (or if) I can utilize a microphone and the digital output at the same time, since they use the same plug on the sound card.

Anyway, thanks for your input. The bottom line is that I'm aware that my source is far less than optimal, but I'd like to get the amp set up properly first.
 
Dec 27, 2008 at 2:09 PM Post #7 of 29
I've owned a Lehmann BCL for more than three years. I agree with Kees' description.

I also think that a source upgrade should be included in your plans. The HD650+BCL is a very good combo and is capable of very good sound. It would be a shame to match this combo with a mediocre source.

I believe a sound card plus external DAC would work very well. You should be able to use a microphone input as well as the sound card's multiple outputs.

An external DAC such as the Lavry DA10 is all-black to match the black BCL.
 
Dec 30, 2008 at 9:01 AM Post #9 of 29
Thanks again for your kind suggestions. I do realise that my soundcard would be bottlenecking the sound quality of my setup quite a bit. I looked into the DACs you mentioned, but I'm afraid they're somewhat off my budget, which is definitely max 1000€ including everything but the headphones. Although I must confess the Stellos especially look really nice.
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I also realised I probably need to upgrade my soundcard to an X-Fi that features optical outputs, since they all seem to share the coax spdif plug with the microphone, which I need. A new X-Fi Titanium costs 80-100€.

So, I had a look at some cheaper DAC alternatives. KECES DA-131, for example, would just about fit my budget. Do you think it would fit the BCL & HD650 well?
 
Dec 30, 2008 at 12:37 PM Post #10 of 29
You could do a Corda Symphony for about $1200USD. It contains a nice head amp section, USB, optical/SPDIF dacs, the works.
 
Dec 30, 2008 at 12:38 PM Post #11 of 29
Also, you said you have a denon preamp, are you using that to double amp or just using it to switch a signal into your Arietta? Might want to get rid of it.
 
Jan 8, 2009 at 9:26 PM Post #12 of 29
Quote:

Originally Posted by scootermafia /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Also, you said you have a denon preamp, are you using that to double amp or just using it to switch a signal into your Arietta? Might want to get rid of it.


Oh bugger, sorry I had missed your second post earlier. Would have replied sooner otherwise. I've tried plugging the Arietta straight to my PC too, but that makes listening comparison even more difficult due to extra hassle with RCA plugs in between. In the end I don't know if the Arietta makes a difference in the sound (I mean, it should, right?), but if it does, it's far from obvious to my ears.

I'm not too excited about Corda Symphony. It's quite expensive and its exterior isn't really my kind of thing either.

The company I ordered the Senns from failed with the delivery big time, so I decided to postpone until early February when I can have them brought to me from the UK and save some money in the process. That is, unless the pound goes up dramatically like it seems to be doing.
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In the meantime, I've been busy researching DACs, and I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on KECES DA-131.1. Would anyone have thoughts on how it might combine with the BCL? (Yeah, sorry I kind of asked already.)
 
Jan 8, 2009 at 10:17 PM Post #13 of 29
I wouldn't know, but I've never heard an unkind word about the Keces, they look pretty sexy and the price is fair, why not?
 
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