[Double F]

Quote:

hi guys, please allow me to ask a stupid question, is it true that cs300 can be used to drive headphone while cs300xs doesn't?

Not true, both drive headphones.  The x and xs have upgrades and different tubes than the cs300.

 

[stef50millbay]

Just was wondering ,how does the leben sound with lcd2 and is does it have any weakness,because I have never seen a bad word about it.

 

[Skylab]

The Leben and the LCD-2 together are a terrific pairing.  The Leben isn't perfect of course - I wish the gain were just a touch lower, as I can only use the volume control up to 9:00. And it's kind of expensive, and kind of hard to get.

 

[Double F]

Quote:

The Leben and the LCD-2 together are a terrific pairing.  The Leben isn't perfect of course - I wish the gain were just a touch lower, as I can only use the volume control up to 9:00. And it's kind of expensive, and kind of hard to get.

My Leben is just the opposite, can't seem to get as much gain as a want with the LCD-2.  I am currently running Vintage Mullard el84 and Sylvania 5751.  Thinking of switching the 5751 to 12ax7 to pump it up a little. 

 

[Skylab]

What source are you using?  With the LCD-2 I can sometimes get as much as 9:30 on the volume control, but that's it.  I'm using Sylvania 6BQ5's and JAN-Hytron 5751's.  But could it be your source has a low output voltage?

 

[Double F]

I am using the DAC in my CD player for both CDs and Sonos.  Mcintosh mcd500, not sure of the output voltage but I never had a problem when I was using the WA2.

 

[Skylab]

Interesting.  Well maybe you just listen a lot louder than I do.  For sure trying the 12AX7 is a good idea.

 

[godog]

Jot the cs300xs recently. this power amp/headphone amp is so interesting that hi-z cans(in my case T1) need lower volume than low-z cans. I get 9 o'clock with T1 but need to get as much as 10:30 with D5000. the rs1i should get the same position as D5000's in tradition hp amp, but I only need 10 with rs1i. 
question 1: anyone hear very very small buzz on this amp with T1(unnoticeable when music is playing)? So weired that my most sensitive headphone T50P is completely silent on cs300xs.
question 2: I find the sound stage is not as wide as I expected using T1 on cs300xs. I am using stock sovtek tubes. What tubes do you guys recommend me to change?
ps The denons sound great with the leben!

 

[Skylab]

Hi Godog:
 
I get a very slight buzz that is just barely audible with no music playing, and when the room is quiet, with a couple of my very high-sensitivity headphones, like the JVC DX1000 and the AT W1000X.  But it's not audible with music playing, as you indicated.  I don't hear it on my T1's, though, curiously.  Also none at all with the D7000, LCD-2, HE-5LE, or Edition 8.  Note that the Leben's headphone output is actually optimized for low impedance headphones, not high-impedance ones.
 
IME, Sovtek EL84's are better than their 12AX7's.  I would change those out first.  Get some nice NOS 5751's (which typically will be quieter with headphones than 12AX7's).

 

[mrarroyo]

You may want to search for NOS 7025, the military counterpart to the 12AX7.

 

[RedBull]

Quote:

Jot the cs300xs recently. this power amp/headphone amp is so interesting that hi-z cans(in my case T1) need lower volume than low-z cans. I get 9 o'clock with T1 but need to get as much as 10:30 with D5000. the rs1i should get the same position as D5000's in tradition hp amp, but I only need 10 with rs1i. 
question 1: anyone hear very very small buzz on this amp with T1(unnoticeable when music is playing)? So weired that my most sensitive headphone T50P is completely silent on cs300xs.
question 2: I find the sound stage is not as wide as I expected using T1 on cs300xs. I am using stock sovtek tubes. What tubes do you guys recommend me to change?
ps The denons sound great with the leben!

Not sure about the volume, but fyi, I have it installed with Sovtek EL84 & GE 5751 stock, I usually listen at 7, 7.30 for long listening period, max is 8.30 for 1-2 tracks only, that with HD650.  Interesting, I should try it with Grado then, see what happen.
 
1. Small buzz? not at all with those tubes, but when I audience at the shop (I don't know what tubes they're using), it even buzz with HD650, very very slightly, even my friend and shop owner couldn't hear it at first, but I keep convincing them that I hear something, then finally they agree with me.   The buzz issue is so small in comparison with the sound quality it produce, I still buy it anyway, luckily mine is dead quite.
 
2. Totally agree, the soundstage is not as large as Darkvoice 337, but considering the other PLUS-ES, sound refinement, smoothness, timbre, attack, speed, I still prefer Leben by FAAAAAAR (price comparison totally aside).

 

[Double F]

I switched out the 5751 for RCA 7025.  As expected there is more gain and the sound is good.  Guess I will be sticking with these for a while.  Curious if Leben made some design changes between the cs300x and the cs300xs.  The tube socket in my XS does not list 5751 tubes but  the X version did.  In any case still digging it.  Lou Reed's Take No Prisoners live is phenomenal with the Leben and the LCD-2s.

 

[RedBull]

Eagle's Get Over It - Hell Freezes Over is phenomenal with Leben and HD650

 

[Clayton SF]

I found out this afternoon that the HD650's are a very good match for the Leben. Yes!
Stevie Nicks - Trouble in Shangri-La.

 

[RedBull]

I'm quite amazed with HD650, it always scale up with upgrade, I haven't found its limit yet, next is DAC, see how the old-school HD650 respond to that.