[Anders]

Quote:

What type of tube dampenereners did make it worse, under which condition?

The same tube dampers that worked in many other cases. People sometimes talk about about overdamping, I don't know if there is a strict definition of the concept or if it just means that the tubedamping doesn't give the desired result. Probably, different persons also have different opinions if the damping gives the desired result in a specific case. You have to try and it is simple to do it.

 

[Raaf]

While using Google I stumbeled across this Leben CS300 thread and I decided to join and share my findings and opinion .
What made me decide to buy a CS300 was the following :
I  used to listen to music on the headphone on a vintage JVC reciever connected to the PC but wasnt really satisfied .
So I decieded I would try a tube headphone amp.
I went to the local HiFi store and asked for such a thing, they were all sold out at that moment so I asked for any tube amp he had ?
He had a 2nd hand chrome plate thing with tubes arranged  on it but with fortunally no headphone socket
He allso had a new tube amp a Leben on stock.....Oh looks good I replied, but what does it cost ?
He mumbeled someting like 2500 Euros and I replied : Whaaat ?
He replied , why don't you take this thing home for the weekend and listen to it ?
That was a offer I couldn't refuse so I took the CS300 home, and as you can guess its still here with me from that day .
I was really impressed , details, so much details and the music just kept on flowing out of that little gold-green-wooden amplifier.
 
My set up has dramatically improved since the arrival of the Leben , and even the Leben itself .
After a a ESI Juli@ soundcard (I listen from a PC ) a separate Dac came and when I removed the opamps and replaced them for a srpp Telefunken 6211 stage that really got things going.
(talking about a microphonic tube but hard to find a better sounding ECC83 replacement.)
The CS 300 itself has now 2 nos Adzam ECC83's and 4 nos Soviet 6P14P EB output tubes and i'm fiddling with capacitors.
And last but not least, apart from beeing a great Headphone amp, the Leben's CS300 12 Watts do a trully stunning job with my 105Db Oberton 15NCX drivers !
But I ocasionally still plug in the Sennheiser 280pro .

 

[Funklezen]

Hi all,

I have a leben cs300xs coming next week with the sovtek tubes. I am complete new to tubes and have been reading through all the post, and I will prolly try som mullards or the setup skylab suggested. But how many of each tubes do I need. Is it 2 * 3 or 4 of one kind and 2 of another kind

New to tubes but so looking forward to it

 

[dminches]

You need 4 EL84s and 2 5751s (or 12ax7a or other variations).  

 

[levlhed]

You can also put 12AT7 and 12AU7 in the front end. Confirmed by Leben.

 

[Funklezen]

Thanks Guys

 

[bigdish]

Quote:

You can also put 12AT7 and 12AU7 in the front end. Confirmed by Leben.

Meaning I can replace the 12AX7 with 12AU7 or 12AT7 without any change of setting?   
    
Coud you kindy share what are the differences with replcing the 12AX7 with 12AU7 or 12AT7? 

 

[levlhed]

Yes.
12AT7 has less gain and 12AU7 has even less.

 

[bigdish]

Quote:

Yes.
12AT7 has less gain and 12AU7 has even less.

Thanks for your reply. Have you tried replacing them? Other than less gain, do you notice any differences in sound? 

 

[Funklezen]

Hi Guys,
 
I just got my leben cs300xs today, but there is a problem with the headphone out.
 
When I started it up, it sounded like there was something loose in the headphone out. There were noise when I touched the headphone cable, then after a little while most of the sound disappeared and there is now only a low volume and kindda distorted sound.
 
Does any know what could have happened?
 
Thanks

 

[DefQon]

I found the sound rather bloated using the EL84 Mullards and they are not anywhere near the cream of the crop of the EL84/6BQ5 line. Get some Amperex or Valvo's in that Leben if you're sticking to the quad 6BQ5 configuration.

 

[Raaf]

When I started it up, it sounded like there was something loose in the headphone out. There were noise when I touched the headphone cable, then after a little while most of the sound disappeared and there is now only a low volume and kindda distorted sound.

 
Was your headphone ok ? Does the normal speaker output sounds fine ?

 

[Funklezen]

Hi,
 
My headphones are okay, I don't have any speakers, so I cant comment on the normal speaker outputs.

 

[Funklezen]

Quote:

I found the sound rather bloated using the EL84 Mullards and they are not anywhere near the cream of the crop of the EL84/6BQ5 line. Get some Amperex or Valvo's in that Leben if you're sticking to the quad 6BQ5 configuration.

I don't think its because of me not liking the EL mullard sound, however I will look into tube rolling later on
 
Its more that the sound disappeared, like how it could sound if the headphones wasnt plugged in all the way, or something like that. hmmm

 

[dminches]

Sounds like a short of some sort.  Have you tried a different set of headphones?