The Leben CS300XS Thread
Jun 19, 2015 at 6:00 AM Post #2,146 of 2,299
Any Leben owners here owned a Auralic Taurus before? Love to hear opinions on how they differ as I'm deciding between the two. Will be driving my LCD3 with the amp. Thanks in advance for any feedback you can share.

 
I have both, and prefer the Leben. Both are actually really great matches for the LCD3, but there is something about the Leben... More alive, in a way. 
 
Jun 20, 2015 at 3:15 AM Post #2,147 of 2,299
Any Leben owners here owned a Auralic Taurus before? Love to hear opinions on how they differ as I'm deciding between the two. Will be driving my LCD3 with the amp. Thanks in advance for any feedback you can share.

 
I have both, and prefer the Leben. Both are actually really great matches for the LCD3, but there is something about the Leben... More alive, in a way. 


Nice! That's exactly the way I like my music. Thanks for sharing. I'll probably go with the Leben. At first I thought the Taurus being really powerful would deliver just as good if not better SQ no doubt in a SS sort of way. Incidentally what is the HP output power of the Leben. Don't seem to be specified anywhere.
 
Jun 20, 2015 at 7:46 PM Post #2,148 of 2,299
Nice! That's exactly the way I like my music. Thanks for sharing. I'll probably go with the Leben. At first I thought the Taurus being really powerful would deliver just as good if not better SQ no doubt in a SS sort of way. Incidentally what is the HP output power of the Leben. Don't seem to be specified anywhere.

 
There are two versions of the Leben's output. One is 1W the other is 0.8W. The 1W option is by special order - but it is just a matter of two resistors easily swapped by any tech/DIY. I have the 1W version. See here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/415214/the-leben-cs300xs-thread/1290#post_8731184
 
Jun 22, 2015 at 8:20 PM Post #2,150 of 2,299
   
There are two versions of the Leben's output. One is 1W the other is 0.8W. The 1W option is by special order - but it is just a matter of two resistors easily swapped by any tech/DIY. I have the 1W version. See here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/415214/the-leben-cs300xs-thread/1290#post_8731184

 
That's quite little compared to the Taurus! But I guess it's one of those cases where power isn't everything. And for this the Mjolnir comes to mind. Would you say the Taurus is closer to that–all details and dynamics but less so on musicality which would be the case for Leben?
 
Jun 23, 2015 at 4:54 AM Post #2,151 of 2,299
Thanks for that link to your post about the resistor, ardilla.  I'm getting ready to sell my Leben & tube collection and your post will help me explain the hum I get with my HD800 but not my LCD3.


The hum issue is almost exclusively with high impedance headphones for most people. A DC filter might help, i will ge one after summer :)
 
Jun 23, 2015 at 5:12 AM Post #2,152 of 2,299
That's quite little compared to the Taurus! But I guess it's one of those cases where power isn't everything. And for this the Mjolnir comes to mind. Would you say the Taurus is closer to that–all details and dynamics but less so on musicality which would be the case for Leben?


I actially have compared the Mjolnir and Taurus here: http://www.headphoneer.com/mjolnir-vs-taurus/ I also compared the Taurus to the Conductor, and the Conductor to the Leben om the same site, http://www.headphoneer.com/the-burson-conductor/

Hope it can be of any help :)

About the hum issues mentioned avove, it is the only drawback for the Leben. But i have had no hum with lcd3, 2, He500, q701 among others. But for high impedance and especially sensitive headphones i do notice some hum. Do you have a chance to try it at home before you buy? I believe local mains power conditions matter on this. It is a magical amp, worth a little extra effort :)
 
Jun 23, 2015 at 8:37 PM Post #2,153 of 2,299
About the hum issues mentioned avove, it is the only drawback for the Leben. But i have had no hum with lcd3, 2, He500, q701 among others. But for high impedance and especially sensitive headphones i do notice some hum. Do you have a chance to try it at home before you buy? I believe local mains power conditions matter on this. It is a magical amp, worth a little extra effort
smily_headphones1.gif

 
I have had intermittent hum issues when I use my HD-600 and my ProAc speakers...but nothing on my LCD-3 or Fostex T50RP. What I have discovered is; with my CS-300X this is mainly due to incorrect seating of the tubes within their sockets...mainly the driver tubes. When I switch on the amp if I hear any hum I just give the driver tubes a bit of wiggle and the hum goes away...completely! I normally have to do this only once for each set of driver tubes I roll in...if required.
 
Many of the tubes i thought were causing the hum problem are now back in circulation!!
Keen to see if others have similar result with this rather unscientific approach to resolving the hum issues
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Just my 2c.
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 2:15 AM Post #2,154 of 2,299
That's quite little compared to the Taurus! But I guess it's one of those cases where power isn't everything. And for this the Mjolnir comes to mind. Would you say the Taurus is closer to that–all details and dynamics but less so on musicality which would be the case for Leben?


I actially have compared the Mjolnir and Taurus here: http://www.headphoneer.com/mjolnir-vs-taurus/ I also compared the Taurus to the Conductor, and the Conductor to the Leben om the same site, http://www.headphoneer.com/the-burson-conductor/

Hope it can be of any help :)

About the hum issues mentioned avove, it is the only drawback for the Leben. But i have had no hum with lcd3, 2, He500, q701 among others. But for high impedance and especially sensitive headphones i do notice some hum. Do you have a chance to try it at home before you buy? I believe local mains power conditions matter on this. It is a magical amp, worth a little extra effort :)


Those are really good reads. Now I can mentally picture where each of them stand in terms of SQ. I find it really hard not to like the Leben even though the Taurus checks off a lot of things I want in an amp. I'm not too concerned about the hum as I'm a dedicated LCD3 guy.

I'm gonna audition it anyway but I think like there's only the 300F model these days. Would you say the 300xs is more magical comparatively speaking? It would mean I gotta look in the resale market is so.
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 4:46 AM Post #2,155 of 2,299
Have
Those are really good reads. Now I can mentally picture where each of them stand in terms of SQ. I find it really hard not to like the Leben even though the Taurus checks off a lot of things I want in an amp. I'm not too concerned about the hum as I'm a dedicated LCD3 guy.

I'm gonna audition it anyway but I think like there's only the 300F model these days. Would you say the 300xs is more magical comparatively speaking? It would mean I gotta look in the resale market is so.


I'glad you got something out of it :)

I have not heard the F-version, so I have no idea. But it would surprise me if it was totally different, from shat I have read the difference between the x, xs an tha plain versions are small. But what seems a bit odd is that the output impedance is 300 ohm for headphones at Lebens specs list. They haven't stated the outp.imp. For the XS, but Leben has stated that it was best for low impedance cans.

From the Leben pages it seems that only the plain version (cs300) is discontinued, the cs300xs is not.
http://lebenhifi.com/products.html
I would try to get hold of a 1w headphone version, Leben told me it was special order. Or just get the resistors swapped.
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 8:24 AM Post #2,156 of 2,299
I have had intermittent hum issues when I use my HD-600 and my ProAc speakers...but nothing on my LCD-3 or Fostex T50RP. What I have discovered is; with my CS-300X this is mainly due to incorrect seating of the tubes within their sockets...mainly the driver tubes. When I switch on the amp if I hear any hum I just give the driver tubes a bit of wiggle and the hum goes away...completely! I normally have to do this only once for each set of driver tubes I roll in...if required.

Many of the tubes i thought were causing the hum problem are now back in circulation!!
Keen to see if others have similar result with this rather unscientific approach to resolving the hum issues :)

Just my 2c.


Very interesting indeed. I will investigate this. No hum at all with HD600?
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 9:36 AM Post #2,157 of 2,299
I actially have compared the Mjolnir and Taurus here: http://www.headphoneer.com/mjolnir-vs-taurus/ I also compared the Taurus to the Conductor, and the Conductor to the Leben om the same site, http://www.headphoneer.com/the-burson-conductor/

Hope it can be of any help
smily_headphones1.gif


About the hum issues mentioned avove, it is the only drawback for the Leben. But i have had no hum with lcd3, 2, He500, q701 among others. But for high impedance and especially sensitive headphones i do notice some hum. Do you have a chance to try it at home before you buy? I believe local mains power conditions matter on this. It is a magical amp, worth a little extra effort
smily_headphones1.gif


Very nice job on the comparisons and fwiw, it agrees completely with my own opinion, owning the V200/V800 combo and having compared them with the Conductor on my HD-800, HE-500 and HE-6.  For the 6 neither combo brings out the best but otherwise, yeah, the Vio's are more laid-back, darker (although that's not the exact term I'm looking for).  Unfortunately for me, with most of the classical music I listen to, I prefer a lighter/faster/more airy touch.  So I ended up owning the 'wrong' stack
biggrin.gif
.  Never compared with the Leben and I've become a bit gear-tired over the last year, nowadays I listen mostly to my HE-6 plugged into a FirstWatt F5 clone being fed from the V800.  Hard to imagine anything bettering that setup (with the HE-6, I hasten to add).
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 4:14 PM Post #2,158 of 2,299
Very nice job on the comparisons and fwiw, it agrees completely with my own opinion, owning the V200/V800 combo and having compared them with the Conductor on my HD-800, HE-500 and HE-6.  For the 6 neither combo brings out the best but otherwise, yeah, the Vio's are more laid-back, darker (although that's not the exact term I'm looking for).  Unfortunately for me, with most of the classical music I listen to, I prefer a lighter/faster/more airy touch.  So I ended up owning the 'wrong' stack :D .  Never compared with the Leben and I've become a bit gear-tired over the last year, nowadays I listen mostly to my HE-6 plugged into a FirstWatt F5 clone being fed from the V800.  Hard to imagine anything bettering that setup (with the HE-6, I hasten to add).


Thanks, good to hear that my impressions are shared by other qualified ears :)

The HE6 is maybe my "if you had to live with only one" headphone. Using it with the m9 which is great, but I am really curious about those Firstwatts...

Actually, to get back to the Leben - for music that doesn't require much bass control (like slow jazz, chamber music etc), the CS300xs and HE6 is quite delicious
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 10:19 PM Post #2,159 of 2,299
   
I have had intermittent hum issues when I use my HD-600 and my ProAc speakers...but nothing on my LCD-3 or Fostex T50RP. What I have discovered is; with my CS-300X this is mainly due to incorrect seating of the tubes within their sockets...mainly the driver tubes. When I switch on the amp if I hear any hum I just give the driver tubes a bit of wiggle and the hum goes away...completely! I normally have to do this only once for each set of driver tubes I roll in...if required.
 
Many of the tubes i thought were causing the hum problem are now back in circulation!!
Keen to see if others have similar result with this rather unscientific approach to resolving the hum issues
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Just my 2c.

 
Very interesting indeed. I will investigate this. No hum at all with HD600?

 
Yes indeed...No hum with HD600 or my speakers.
 
You will need to press down on the tip of the tube and move it gently from side to side, front and back, circular etc. At some point the hum should just disappear...just let go of the tube. If it starts humming again repeat the process.
 
I'd be interested to hear if you get any success out of this.
 
Jun 30, 2015 at 1:02 AM Post #2,160 of 2,299
I just acquire a Leben CS300 with 4 Telefunken El84 tubes , the two 12AX7 are also from Telefunken. However my local tube supplier just offers me a good deal on Mullard EL84 tubes. So anyone here have any experience with Mullard and Tele El84 and which one is better? Thank you
 

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