Leben tube amps from Japan
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:45 pmIntroducing the Leben CS600 integrated amp from Japan. Now available in the Philippines.
the Leben CS-600 is a top-range intergated amplifer utilising the best components and workmanship. By switching
two selectors inside of the cabinet, you can use either of 6L6GC or 6CA7 (EL34), and LED indicators on the front panel will show you which
tube is applied. Pre-amp In terminals on the rear panel allow you to use CS-600 as a power amplifier by switching a selector on the front panel,
you can by-pass all the functions except the volume control. A wide-range and flat frequency response up to 100kHz is capable enough for
digital audio formats such as SACD and HDCD.
Highlights:
Twin-triode tube 6CS7 for the first-stage amplification
WBT type speaker terminals
Heavy-duty output transformer for 50W grade amplifiers
Large capacity choke-coil: 5H350mA
Dumper tube 6CJ3 (for colour TV use) is applied to delay a supply of high voltage (B-Voltage) to output tubes in order to protect output
tubes from damages and to extend the life.
All high-end audio grade electrical components (capacitors, resistors)
Operation lamp indicator
Matching front design of CS-300 / CS-300X
24K Gold-plated knobs
Side wooden panels
Features:
Power amp direct switch (All functions by-passed except volume control)
Muting switch
Stereo / reverse switch
Balance control
Tape monitor
5 selectable inputs
Headphone output
Bass-Boost switch (0dB, +3dB, +5dB)
Speaker / headphone selector
24K Gold plated control knobs
Auto-Bias
Variable output impedance: 4 / 6 / 8 / 16 Ohms
Operation lamp indicator
On switch power indicator LED
Specifications:
Valves: 4x 6L6GC (5881) SOVTEK, (EL34 / 6CA7 - Option); 4x 6CS7; 1x 6CJ3
Output Power: 32W x 2 (6L6GC) at 1KHz; 28W x 2 (EL34) at 1KHz
Inputs: 5 line inputs via RCA plus tape monitor
Frequency Response: 10Hz - 100kHz (-0.1dB)
Distortion: 0.7% (10W)
Input Sensitivity: 900mV
Output Impedance: 4 / 6 / 8 / 16 Ohms (Selectable)
Power Supply: 240V / 50Hz
Weight: 22.5 kg (approx)
Dimensions: 45cm x 36cm x 14.2cm (W x D x H - approx. including knobs and terminals)
Reviews:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/leben2/system.html
“The significant sonic and musical abilities of the Leben CS600 [Leben break-in rack above] are so self-effacing that I didn't immediately pick up on how great this amplifier is. The more I listened to it and the more I tried it with different loudspeakers, the more impressed I became. It is truly one of the greatest amplifier designs I have ever come across. The Leben CS600 is utterly natural and yet extremely transparent, detailed and nuanced. I have found those attributes only rarely combined successfully in one device. Natural sound and the ability to play music usually don't go together in HiFi products that are very transparent. Here they do. Tonal acuity is spot o, as are timbral textures and the way it portrays melody, rhythm and beat is utterly right. Music through the Leben CS600 always comes across in a natural and effortless way. It always caresses this listener with music and draws me deeply into the performance, but never assaults my ears with inhospitable sonic aberrations. It's harmonically rich and portrays timbre superbly. The Leben CS600 offers deep and rich tonal colors that make me feel full of wonder at their beauty. It has tight, deep, and tuneful bass that always comes across as perfectly balanced. Its highs are extended, silky and completely natural. It portrays the subtle aspects of musicianship remarkably well, those cues that differentiate the great from the good.”
http://www.sonicflare.com/archives/revi ... ed-amp.php
SONIC CIRCLE SOUND: Vivid
Being a push-pull tube integrated amplifier of limited wattage (28 wpc on EL34 driver tubes/32 wpc on 6L6GC), one might expect it to belong comfortably in the Smooth category in the Sonic Circle. Yet, its surprising dynamic power and clarity combined with the liquid fluidity of tubes place the Leben CS-600 in the Vivid family.
Leben CS-600 also has a reputation for having an excellent headphone-out, so I decided to test it extensively, using AKG-701 and Sennheiser PXC-450 headphones. The Leben relays the music from the output transformers straight to the headphone-out. I am far from being a headphone aficionado, but I do a fair amount of listening through my headphones, the AKG-701s especially, as I live in a small apartment in Manhattan. Through the Leben, the AKGs’ bass response gained a sonorous depth; the pronounced treble response of the AKGs, which frequently led to listening fatigue, lost none of its clarity while gaining a warmer resonance which eliminated fatigue. As mentioned, I am not a headphone-intensive listener, but in my experience of auditioning headphone amps with my AKG-701s, no other head amp had made the AKGs sound so full and warm as the Leben did, and “full” and “warm” are not the usual adjectives associated with the AKG-701s. Sennheiser PXC-450 noise-canceling cans, which I use primarily for outdoor listening in subways, sounded remarkably close to Sennheiser HD 650 through the Leben, running passive with noise-canceling turned off: pleasantly bloomy mid-bass and crystalline but slightly rolled-off highs. With both headphones, the soundstage became deeper in dimension through the Leben. Strictly viewed as a headphone amp, Leben’s performance is off the charts. To get the most out of the Leben as a headphone amp, I strongly recommend open cans over the closed ones.
the Leben CS-600 is a top-range intergated amplifer utilising the best components and workmanship. By switching
two selectors inside of the cabinet, you can use either of 6L6GC or 6CA7 (EL34), and LED indicators on the front panel will show you which
tube is applied. Pre-amp In terminals on the rear panel allow you to use CS-600 as a power amplifier by switching a selector on the front panel,
you can by-pass all the functions except the volume control. A wide-range and flat frequency response up to 100kHz is capable enough for
digital audio formats such as SACD and HDCD.
Highlights:
Twin-triode tube 6CS7 for the first-stage amplification
WBT type speaker terminals
Heavy-duty output transformer for 50W grade amplifiers
Large capacity choke-coil: 5H350mA
Dumper tube 6CJ3 (for colour TV use) is applied to delay a supply of high voltage (B-Voltage) to output tubes in order to protect output
tubes from damages and to extend the life.
All high-end audio grade electrical components (capacitors, resistors)
Operation lamp indicator
Matching front design of CS-300 / CS-300X
24K Gold-plated knobs
Side wooden panels
Features:
Power amp direct switch (All functions by-passed except volume control)
Muting switch
Stereo / reverse switch
Balance control
Tape monitor
5 selectable inputs
Headphone output
Bass-Boost switch (0dB, +3dB, +5dB)
Speaker / headphone selector
24K Gold plated control knobs
Auto-Bias
Variable output impedance: 4 / 6 / 8 / 16 Ohms
Operation lamp indicator
On switch power indicator LED
Specifications:
Valves: 4x 6L6GC (5881) SOVTEK, (EL34 / 6CA7 - Option); 4x 6CS7; 1x 6CJ3
Output Power: 32W x 2 (6L6GC) at 1KHz; 28W x 2 (EL34) at 1KHz
Inputs: 5 line inputs via RCA plus tape monitor
Frequency Response: 10Hz - 100kHz (-0.1dB)
Distortion: 0.7% (10W)
Input Sensitivity: 900mV
Output Impedance: 4 / 6 / 8 / 16 Ohms (Selectable)
Power Supply: 240V / 50Hz
Weight: 22.5 kg (approx)
Dimensions: 45cm x 36cm x 14.2cm (W x D x H - approx. including knobs and terminals)
Reviews:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/leben2/system.html
“The significant sonic and musical abilities of the Leben CS600 [Leben break-in rack above] are so self-effacing that I didn't immediately pick up on how great this amplifier is. The more I listened to it and the more I tried it with different loudspeakers, the more impressed I became. It is truly one of the greatest amplifier designs I have ever come across. The Leben CS600 is utterly natural and yet extremely transparent, detailed and nuanced. I have found those attributes only rarely combined successfully in one device. Natural sound and the ability to play music usually don't go together in HiFi products that are very transparent. Here they do. Tonal acuity is spot o, as are timbral textures and the way it portrays melody, rhythm and beat is utterly right. Music through the Leben CS600 always comes across in a natural and effortless way. It always caresses this listener with music and draws me deeply into the performance, but never assaults my ears with inhospitable sonic aberrations. It's harmonically rich and portrays timbre superbly. The Leben CS600 offers deep and rich tonal colors that make me feel full of wonder at their beauty. It has tight, deep, and tuneful bass that always comes across as perfectly balanced. Its highs are extended, silky and completely natural. It portrays the subtle aspects of musicianship remarkably well, those cues that differentiate the great from the good.”
http://www.sonicflare.com/archives/revi ... ed-amp.php
SONIC CIRCLE SOUND: Vivid
Being a push-pull tube integrated amplifier of limited wattage (28 wpc on EL34 driver tubes/32 wpc on 6L6GC), one might expect it to belong comfortably in the Smooth category in the Sonic Circle. Yet, its surprising dynamic power and clarity combined with the liquid fluidity of tubes place the Leben CS-600 in the Vivid family.
Leben CS-600 also has a reputation for having an excellent headphone-out, so I decided to test it extensively, using AKG-701 and Sennheiser PXC-450 headphones. The Leben relays the music from the output transformers straight to the headphone-out. I am far from being a headphone aficionado, but I do a fair amount of listening through my headphones, the AKG-701s especially, as I live in a small apartment in Manhattan. Through the Leben, the AKGs’ bass response gained a sonorous depth; the pronounced treble response of the AKGs, which frequently led to listening fatigue, lost none of its clarity while gaining a warmer resonance which eliminated fatigue. As mentioned, I am not a headphone-intensive listener, but in my experience of auditioning headphone amps with my AKG-701s, no other head amp had made the AKGs sound so full and warm as the Leben did, and “full” and “warm” are not the usual adjectives associated with the AKG-701s. Sennheiser PXC-450 noise-canceling cans, which I use primarily for outdoor listening in subways, sounded remarkably close to Sennheiser HD 650 through the Leben, running passive with noise-canceling turned off: pleasantly bloomy mid-bass and crystalline but slightly rolled-off highs. With both headphones, the soundstage became deeper in dimension through the Leben. Strictly viewed as a headphone amp, Leben’s performance is off the charts. To get the most out of the Leben as a headphone amp, I strongly recommend open cans over the closed ones.
