[Manifest]

My first post on Head-Fi. I’ve been a long-standing Grado RS2 owner and have just bought some GS3000e. I’m awaiting a Leben CS300XS landing on 2 days time. Really excited to see, hear and own one.

 

[Manifest]

I’m sorry for the newbie question but I just wanted to be 100% certain. Is if definitely ok to use the Leben CS300XS with only headphones and no speakers connected? It’s usually lethal to a valve amp not to have speaker connected, so I thought it worth being safe and asking.

 

[stringgz301]

There is a switch to select Headphones or Speakers. Set it to Headphones and you're good.

 

[Manifest]

Thanks, I spoke to the importer in the UK. He tells me that the headphone socket is fed by the preamp stage and the only “risk” to using it without speakers connected is running the el84s un-necessarily. Apparently if you are only using the amp for headphone listening, you can remove the el84s altogether and not wear out the valves un-necessarily.

 

[seenc]

has anyone ever tried to listen to meze Empyrean with Leben cs300?
are there any problems with humm hiss ?

 

[Dr. Roberts]

The Leben Integrateds are wonky when it comes to using cans. Fresh out of the carton several years ago, my CS-600 exhibited a slight buzz with whatever headphone was used. Sent the unit to Arizona Hi-Fi for a completely separate issue and when it came back, the buzz was gone. Finicky gear that now sounds fantastic powering the Abyss.

 

[stringgz301]

I have a Leben cs300 and there is always a tiny bit of transformer hum through headphones irrespective of which one. I have both the Empyrean and an original LCD2 and there is a small amount of hum through either, but completely unnoticeable once music starts to play. In my opinion, the Empyrean needs a tube amp to drive it, otherwise it's a bit flat sounding.

 

[fcdvpds]

Quote:


Apologies. I'll fill out the profile when I figure out how. I'm all CD based. Right now I use a Meridian G08.2, and HD800s. The G08.2 was an easy pick after audition. So were the HD800s, although I bought the LCD-2s, Denon AH-D7000, and Beyer T1s also, just for fun. But I strongly favor the HD800s. As far as amps go, with the exception of a long excursion to the Headroom Blockhead, which I still like and use elsewhere, I have always gravitated toward low- to medium-powered integrated amps for headphones. I keep an eye out for what's available, which led me to the Leben and the Luxman SQ-N100. I use the Leben with 1950s Amperexes and the SQ-N100 mostly as a test-bed for trying current production tubes. (I enjoy all the NOS hoopla as much as the next guy, but rationally ... one day they'll all be gone, and some knowledge of the new market will help.) But I have tried both amps apples-to-apples, i.e. all new or all NOS, side-to-side. (And I should report a glitch with the Luxman, which was that one set of NOS tubes that worked fine in the Leben produced fearful microphony and RFI in the Luxman - don't know why. Possibly a serious weakness somewhere?) But apples-to-apples when all was working well - the Luxman was extended at both ends, energetic, vibrant, and powerful ... not at all tube-like in the conventional SET sense, but not remotely hard or harsh either. It's a really, really good amp, and I'm glad I have it. But ... the Leben is better. It's possibly not as extended in the very low bass or the very high treble, but what it does in between is truly terrific. It has all the virtues you could want - muscular, powerful, sweet, etc - plus tremendous ... and I mean uncanny ... separation and stability in terms of musical strands. What a techie would call low intermodulation distortion, I guess. I think I said upthread that there can be a singer belting it out and a guitar thrashing away, but you can literally (well, not literally literally, but as good as) tiptoe through the sonic image and listen to a quiet high-hat figure or the bass player's pull-offs - or anything - and I mean you can walk right up to the guy, walk around him, really check it out. You can spend time there. It sounds like a gimmick thing, maybe, but it isn't ... the whole structure and foundation of the music is so solid, so immoveable, that it creates total relaxation in the listener. I feel it's a huge step forward - for me, anyway - and I couldn't live without it now.

I suppose it's down to the transformers, really. The Leben uses custom pieces, and the Luxman (yes, I pulled it apart) uses what seem to be more generic items. My tube amp tips (and I bought my first in 1969) are: point-to-point is better than circuit boards; pretty much any classic circuit can be made to work well; and given all of that, then 99% of what you hear is down to the output transformers.

The Luxman sq-n100 is fixed bias that needs to be adjusted to 32-35ma every time you change the tubes. Have you adjusted the bias in your tube rolling? If not you were not listening the Luxman at it's maximum performance. I entirely agree with yourself view on the Luxman using more generic parts. In fact since long ago they've cone up with all kinds of strategies to make money out of the business including manufacturing in China instead of focusing more on performance like Leben, Shindo, Air-tight etc. Nowadays Luxman is a Chinese company and they have moved the production to Japan as things were not really going well. In the first years of Chinese Luxman they literally used the brand name to sell chinese products that had nothing to do with Luxman Japan. The logo on these products was different and they ended up being a total disaster in terms of reliability. Examples are the sq-n10 amplifier and the sq-d10 cd player. It's chinese stuff hidden behind Luxman brand. Don't take me wrong, I have nothing against Chinese products but I do prefer honest Chinese stuff than Chinese stuff pretending to be Japanese high-end. I would not be surprised if present made in Japan luxman products were made with Chinese transformers. That being said, I have both the Luxman sq-n100 and the Leben CS300xs. I haven't audited the Leben long enough for a conclusion but I do find the Luxman an outstanding amplifier and will report more later on.

 

[StillaStillsFan]

If need be, where can one purchase rca input connector block for Leben 300x? I have one channel on input that does not do the best job of accepting the interconnect. Since there are effectively six inputs including tape monitor, I can live with this but eventually would like to take care of this. I don’t ever really want to ship this so would rather get the part and take care of it locally. Thanks, Don

 

[Loftprojection]

I have both the Luxman sq-n100 and the Leben CS300xs. I haven't audited the Leben long enough for a conclusion but I do find the Luxman an outstanding amplifier and will report more later on.

What great news, those two amps have been tempting me for quite a while, really looking forward to read your comments.

 

[fcdvpds]

The majority of the hum is coming from the output transformers mounted to close to the power/mains transformer.
A choke is not going to get rid of this the only thing is to put the power transformer in a separate box.
Or replace it with a high quality C core transformer. Both of these would be quite a undertaking for the average person.
If the transformer was replaced with a Lundahl C core transformer no more hum. The Lundahl transformers do not
make a large magnetic field like cheep E-I core transformers.

My Leben is super quiet

 

[davehg]

I have a 600x that hummed a teeny bit. I recently added an Audioquest Niagara 1200 which quieted the hum

 

[pspentax]

The Leben CS300X Limited in it’s preferred place

 

[fr9ncisco]

Thanks, I spoke to the importer in the UK. He tells me that the headphone socket is fed by the preamp stage and the only “risk” to using it without speakers connected is running the el84s un-necessarily. Apparently if you are only using the amp for headphone listening, you can remove the el84s altogether and not wear out the valves un-necessarily.

Hello,
Well I red the same thing somewhere else.

I have a strong issue with this: If you make a mistake with the headphones switch position, I am not sure it won't damage the amp.

With kids around, touching things here and there, this risk with the wrong switch position is increased(well i noticed it they do

I have no special concerns my self as I use my cs300 with headphones and speakers. So I feel ok with kids fooling around.

However, I always wondered if some of leben cs300 headphones only users here run effectively their amp without any el84. Anyone doing this ?

 

[Matro5]

The Leben CS300X Limited in it’s preferred place

Would love to hear more about this setup. Congrats on what must be a wonderful room.