[RedBull]

Yes, correct!
She's my favorite singer.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Yes, correct!
She's my favorite singer.

IIRC she owns HL5s, too. Good picks all around.

 

[Anders]

Nice!

 
Do you have any source/link to the pics?
 
Quote:

'Singer's hi-fi setup.  She's using Leben. 
 
Can you guess who is she?
 

 

 

[LarsHP]

Google picture search:
http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=143644.0

 

[LarsHP]

My CS300 landed this afternoon (not the XS model).
 
The headphone output was tested shortly with my LCD-2 and HE-6. On the first few tracks - and at moderate levels - it sounded fine with my HE-6, but then I put on the Prelude from Carmen by Bizet and turned up a little, not much. That was it: Distortion as clear as daylight. This amp is NOT driving the HE-6 to anything beyond quiet to moderate levels. That was frankly surprising to me, because even the Balanced amp card in my HM-801 drives it cleanly and distortion-free to at least the same level if not higher levels.
 
Then I plugged in the Audeze. CS300 has just enough power, maybe not quite - time will tell, to drive the LCD-2. This headphone needs 22.6 times less power than the HE-6 (according to Inner Fidelity measurements). At the same time it isn't dead silent when no music plays. Hmmm. This was not what I had hoped for.
 
The idea was to get the HD800 for it, but if there is hiss from a headphone with a sensitivity of 91dB, then what do I expect from a 102dB 'phone? Of course the Sennheiser is 350 Ohm and the Audeze is about 50 Ohm, but still... Anyone with an informed opinion?
 
Edit: typo's

 

[Anders]

HD800 works fine. Leben is not dead silent when no music is playing, at least with most headphones. I don't understand why that is so important, I never listen to it without music.
It is known that the headphone out is not powerful enough for HE-6 (I have never tried but documented earlier in this thread).
 
Thanks for the link. The pictures are grabbed from a video. Here is a link to the video with Norah Jones playing vinyl and Leben. Interesting video although with some dumb questions in the interview, typical television style.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50134057n

 

[victorcc]

HD800 works fine. Leben is not dead silent when no music is playing, at least with most headphones. I don't understand why that is so important, I never listen to it without music.

It is important because the music hides the noise that is permanently there and obviously the noise affects the SQ one way or another even if you do not hear it.

Thanks for the link to the video!

 

[Anders]

Yes, that is obvious but it is total sound quality when playing music that counts. Those quiet listening sessions seem mostly to make people nervous, especially those that are not used to the noise level of tubes and vinyl and using SS and digital as reference. Leben is either not the most quiet tube amplifier in the world! It has other strengths - for those who like its way of communicating the music.

 

[LarsHP]

I must say that I already have FELT the Leben. What I mean is, when listening to music through it, it conveys an emotional quality that the Soloist simply doesn't. The treble and upper mids has this sweetness which I think is what makes this amp convey the emotion of the music, and I could also imagine that this would pair well with the more clinical HD800 (sorry if I offend any HD800 lovers, it's just the impression I got when listening to it via a SS amp).
 
I perceive an audible noise floor as less resolution and clarity - like an added veil, but this of course is only when listening to a solo instrument or quiet passages in the music.

 

[RedBull]

Google picture search:
http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=143644.0

Smart

Thanks for the link. The pictures are grabbed from a video. Here is a link to the video with Norah Jones playing vinyl and Leben. Interesting video although with some dumb questions in the interview, typical television style.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50134057n

Thanks for the video. I didn't have that.

 

[RedBull]

My CS300 landed this afternoon (not the XS model).

The headphone output was tested shortly with my LCD-2 and HE-6. On the first few tracks - and at moderate levels - it sounded fine with my HE-6, but then I put on the Prelude from Carmen by Bizet and turned up a little, not much. That was it: Distortion as clear as daylight. This amp is NOT driving the HE-6 to anything beyond quiet to moderate levels. That was frankly surprising to me, because even the Balanced amp card in my HM-801 drives it cleanly and distortion-free to at least the same level if not higher levels.

Then I plugged in the Audeze. CS300 has just enough power, maybe not quite - time will tell, to drive the LCD-2. This headphone needs 22.6 times less power than the HE-6 (according to Inner Fidelity measurements). At the same time it isn't dead silent when no music plays. Hmmm. This was not what I had hoped for.

The idea was to get the HD800 for it, but if there is hiss from a headphone with a sensitivity of 91dB, then what do I expect from a 102dB 'phone? Of course the Sennheiser is 350 Ohm and the Audeze is about 50 Ohm, but still... Anyone with an informed opinion?

Edit: typo's

I think Leben headphone out comes with 2 variants, less powerfull and more powerful one, it's a matter of changing one resistor which you can find in some page behind in this thread.
If, you are fine with some small soldering. I am not, but I got the more powerful one.
Or maybe you can get someone to do it for you, just need to tell them how, which the picture is in the earlier page too.
But regardless, it's still won't be enough for HE-6 I believe.

 

[RedBull]

Right, precisely, Leben sound is emotional. Upper mid and treble decay is very nice.

 

[Skylab]

The Leben for sure will not drive HE-6. But it should have no problem with LCD-2 unless you like it very loud.

As for the hiss, try switching the stock input tubes with some nice 5751's.

 

[Happy Camper]

NO.......RESIST.......STAY AWAY!!!!!

Tubes are so hard to resist if you've never heard them before on a quality piece of gear (which the Leben is). Just seeing the glow puts you in a trance.

One suggestion is to go with something other than the AX. There are some great lower gain tubes that would sound great and cut down hiss. AXs are a bit soft and if you're used to SS gear, won't sound as defined as you are used to. I replaced the AXs with a 12AY7 (RCA Command 5 star) black plate. Loved the improved detail and extension.

IMO

 

[LarsHP]

Thanks Skylab and Happy Camper.
 
My father built a 20W tube amplifier which was the amp in our home for many years, but I haven't heard a tube amp since my youth - apart from a short listen many years ago in a shop. So - I'm practically starting from scratch concerning tubes and tube amps.
 
If I change the input tubes to some with lower gain - will this affect the power output also?
 
What is "the AX"? 12AX7?
 
Also - to save you guys from a lot of newbee questions - where would be a good place / ressource site to read about which tubes to get etc.?