I'm in love, with an amplifier.

[Rockmeister]

About a week or a bit ago I opened two boxes on an 8 year old Leben CS600 (not the new X, the older one)
It came with some soviet 66 valves installed and four EL34 Sophias to try when the mood hits. It will in fact allow almost any valve you fancy via two internal switches...
6L6's sir? No probs.
KT 77's? tick
350B's? tick
KT 88's? 6550A's? tick tick tick...
and EL 34's? Oh my. Oh yes.

Hard to explain how this amp has gone and made everything good. It's my fifth valve amp, but I've heard a dozen more, from Kondo 'down' to a chinese kit that cost £250 or so. None did everything right. If i got timbre and atmosphere to make me cry, it fell apart on Wagner. If it gripped a bass line like the devil had it in a vice, it made violins sound plastic.
etc
etc
But this?
OFC it's my system that needed the Leben. put it somewhere else and you might think I was on the happy weed, but with tannoys that were always crossover rolled off? Now they are flat and it sounds amazing. Bass is 90% of the best I've heard and on and on.
Simple summary
The best sounding integrated i ever heard across a wide range of music? Yes.
And used, it's expensive but blimey!

 

[The Bish]

Excellent! It's great when it comes together like this and shows how much the amp part of the chain can make a difference. I'm having a similar revelatory experience with some recently acquired speakers.

 

[ToTo Man]

About a week or a bit ago I opened two boxes on an 8 year old Leben CS600 (not the new X, the older one)
It came with some soviet 66 valves installed and four EL34 Sophias to try when the mood hits. It will in fact allow almost any valve you fancy via two internal switches...
6L6's sir? No probs.
KT 77's? tick
350B's? tick
KT 88's? 6550A's? tick tick tick...
and EL 34's? Oh my. Oh yes.

Hard to explain how this amp has gone and made everything good. It's my fifth valve amp, but I've heard a dozen more, from Kondo 'down' to a chinese kit that cost £250 or so. None did everything right. If i got timbre and atmosphere to make me cry, it fell apart on Wagner. If it gripped a bass line like the devil had it in a vice, it made violins sound plastic.
etc
etc
But this?
OFC it's my system that needed the Leben. put it somewhere else and you might think I was on the happy weed, but with tannoys that were always crossover rolled off? Now they are flat and it sounds amazing. Bass is 90% of the best I've heard and on and on.
Simple summary
The best sounding integrated i ever heard across a wide range of music? Yes.
And used, it's expensive but blimey!

Presumably the Leben has a high-ish output impedance which is interacting with the Tannoy's falling impedance at high frequencies and is thus causing roll-off similar to that provided by the LSU crossover's Roll-off control? This is exactly what I experienced when I auditioned my Tannoys MGs with a SET amp, it balanced their response very nicely indeed. However, when partnered with speakers with a neutral treble response and low impedance at high frequencies, the roll-off caused by the SET's output impedance made them a bit too dark-sounding for my tastes. Something to keep in mind if you intend to use the Leben with other speakers.

 

[Rockmeister]

Thanks Bish...even Spotify sound wonderful. And it's built like a brick outhouse so should 'see me out' I think.
What were those speakers if i can ask?

Cheers ToTo but having spent 2 years making and tweaking the Tannoys, they too are IT now.

 

[The Bish]

Thanks Bish...even Spotify sound wonderful. And it's built like a brick outhouse so should 'see me out' I think.
What were those speakers if i can ask?

Falcon LS3/5a gold badge recently purchased from Yives of this parish. I can see what all the fuss is all about, and I haven't got them placed in anything like the optimal space or with a particularly special amp. Looking forward to trying out a few different electronics with them.

 

[Tigerjones]

Bourney of this parish once bought a Leben amplifier - think it was the 300 - down to my gaff. Played through some small Harbeths the sound was beautiful. They also make extremely good looking gear which, if you’re like me, is very important when you’re handing over a lot of dollar.

 

[Rockmeister]

Falcon LS3/5a gold badge recently purchased from Yives of this parish. I can see what all the fuss is all about, and I haven't got them placed in anything like the optimal space or with a particularly special amp. Looking forward to trying out a few different electronics with them.

It was his Leben!!! Haha. Buy one for the Falcons and grin forever

 

[hifinutt]

Yes saw you get the leben. It was a bargain . Previous owner of my speakers used leben c6000 for a long time . He exhibited them at scalford in 2015 I think with that amp. Never heard interstellar or riders on the storm sound so good

If they had remotes I would buy one ...Now I think the Norma 70b might just give the leben a run for the money . Be great to compare them

 

[hifinutt]

Bourney of this parish once bought a Leben amplifier - think it was the 300 - down to my gaff. Played through some small Harbeths the sound was beautiful. They also make extremely good looking gear which, if you’re like me, is very important when you’re handing over a lot of dollar.

yes the 300 is very popular with harbeth owners

 

[k90tour]

I'll tell my wife that it was all your fault if I end up with one. Beyond my control.

 

[Yivez]

About a week or a bit ago I opened two boxes on an 8 year old Leben CS600 (not the new X, the older one)
It came with some soviet 66 valves installed and four EL34 Sophias to try when the mood hits. It will in fact allow almost any valve you fancy via two internal switches...
6L6's sir? No probs.
KT 77's? tick
350B's? tick
KT 88's? 6550A's? tick tick tick...
and EL 34's? Oh my. Oh yes.

Hard to explain how this amp has gone and made everything good. It's my fifth valve amp, but I've heard a dozen more, from Kondo 'down' to a chinese kit that cost £250 or so. None did everything right. If i got timbre and atmosphere to make me cry, it fell apart on Wagner. If it gripped a bass line like the devil had it in a vice, it made violins sound plastic.
etc
etc
But this?
OFC it's my system that needed the Leben. put it somewhere else and you might think I was on the happy weed, but with tannoys that were always crossover rolled off? Now they are flat and it sounds amazing. Bass is 90% of the best I've heard and on and on.
Simple summary
The best sounding integrated i ever heard across a wide range of music? Yes.
And used, it's expensive but blimey!

John well this is nice to see that you are enjoying the Leben it truly is a wonderful amplifier. Glad you found the synergy with Tannoys it took me some time to come to terms with selling it!

 

[Yivez]

Falcon LS3/5a gold badge recently purchased from Yives of this parish. I can see what all the fuss is all about, and I haven't got them placed in anything like the optimal space or with a particularly special amp. Looking forward to trying out a few different electronics with them.

Rare to get two mentions ..... and positive ones! Well, I would of course recommend Leben for the Falcons, also the Line Magnetic LM-518 IA and Primare I35 are worth listening to. Glad you are enjoying them!

 

[Yivez]

Yes saw you get the leben. It was a bargain . Previous owner of my speakers used leben c6000 for a long time . He exhibited them at scalford in 2015 I think with that amp. Never heard interstellar or riders on the storm sound so good

If they had remotes I would buy one ...Now I think the Norma 70b might just give the leben a run for the money . Be great to compare them

Interesting I heard the Norma 70b powering Audio Note AN-Js and thought it controlled the bass extremely well with a nice mid and top. I'm a valve amp fan and the Norma being SS still appealed to my tastes.

 

[Rockmeister]

John well this is nice to see that you are enjoying the Leben it truly is a wonderful amplifier. Glad you found the synergy with Tannoys it took me some time to come to terms with selling it!

A bit more like love than enjoyment haha. No seriously it’s a very fine amp. My memory was that the 300 was even lovelier through the mid and top, but the 600 was much stronger in the bass dept. Anyway, it’s staying. A good look inside reveals it it built beautifully as well. It even makes Spotify sound good

 

[CTank]

Gorgeous looking amps, and my end game is a return to valves.

Does anyone have a hierarchy for Leben amps?

 

[hifinutt]

Interesting I heard the Norma 70b powering Audio Note AN-Js and thought it controlled the bass extremely well with a nice mid and top. I'm a valve amp fan and the Norma being SS still appealed to my tastes.

yes i can see why . i have one here on demo used with 93db speakers . its very quiet , has a big soundstage and is certainly one of the most accomplished amps out there .