Leben cs300xs & Integrated amp demos: to tube or not to tube?

Rafer X -The Harbeths are biwireable-correct? Have you thought about Biamping them? On my Von Schweikert VR4jr mrk3s I have a Coincident Audio Dynamo 34se (8 watts se) for mids/hi and and a Emerald Audio 100.2 se class D amp (150 into 4) for my woofers.Stellar midrange/tight bass-the best of both worlds! And a lot cheaper way to get it than with some high dollar integrateds.That being said I wouldn't mind replacing my separate line and phone stages in front of it with a good integrated like the ONO with phono and still keep my class d for bass.

 

I was surprised to see this stat for the Sudgen — Signal/noise: >83dB

 

The 30.1 are not bi-wireable.

 

OK, while I'm waiting for my Audio Note Oto SE Line to arrive from the UK, I gratefully and thankfully (and very sadly, they will be missed – absolutely brilliant, gorgeous amps) returned the Sugden A21AL and A21SE amplifiers to Don at Don Leman Audio in Surrey, and he continues to be the one of the greatest dealers around.
When I arrived bearing the two boxes of Sugdens he asked me what I was going to use until my Oto arrived, to which I said "I have no idea. Nothing I guess."
To which he promptly responded, "Want to borrow something to tide you over?"
Please go see this man for your Sugden, Blue Circle, Skylan or Harbeth needs. This industry needs more people like Don.
So, I now have the very heavy and very well-built Blue Circle CS integrated amp in my home. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but will definitely post my thoughts in the days to come.
The classic Blue Circle CS integrated amplifier is what started a big part of the buzz for Gilbert Yeung’s little Ontario-based company. Yeung’s philosophy is that it’s better to spend money on a product’s sound than on its looks. While I agree to a point, I find the CS very charming-looking indeed.

 

I think he has suceeded.

jeff

 

What would hi-fi be without funky logos?

 

Blue Circle have made some very funky things. Didn't Gilbert, just for fun, make an amp inside a woman's shoe? I think it was blue (not surprisingly).

 

That makes perfect sense to me, and sounds in nothing but good taste.

 

With only about 30 minutes warm-up (I find SS sounds much better after a couple days of being on), this little amp sounds very laid back and inviting. A classic sound for sure: all about the midrange. Not a ton down low, but the mids and highs are very smooth and neutral. Keep in mind it also listed for roughly 1/4 of what the Sugden A21SE lists for.

 

Seems like custom, in-house designed and built pots for everything below the M9 in the pre's and the Ongaku in the integrated's with stepped attenuators above that...

http://www.acoustic-dimension.com/audionote/Audio-Note-volume-control.htm

 

It's time I contact Don again to discuss Blue Circle amps. The Katlas looks like it might fit the bill and I'd love to "buy Canadian" if possible. In the past when listening to Harbeth speakers the possibility of a home demo was never brought up. Perhaps his viewpoint on this has changed.

 

I'm sure Don would be happy to hear from you.

 

You should at least hear how the Harbeths sound with an LFD integrated before you buy anything else.

 

I wish I could have heard the LFD with my M30.1s, but none available in Western Canada that I know of.
Only LFD dealer is in Ontario – 2,000 miles away – so couldn't even go and demo one. I really wish someone in Vancouver would bring them in. Same goes for Croft.
The Oto SE is really something special, and I have zero regrets going the Audio Note route.
The Oto created the widest, deepest and most holographic sound stage I've heard through Harbeths yet, the realism to the sound was palpable. Physically and emotionally, the most engaging amplifier for me so far.
Tubes are like a drug.

 

After watching the Kondo Ongaku video I posted in another thread I started doing a bunch more research into Kondo, and the Overture looks incredible. But with a list of roughly $35,000 US, it will be kept out of my hands indefinitely... which is probably for the best

http://www.audionote.co.jp/en/products/integrated_amplifier/overture.html

 

Sorry...I didn't read far enough into the thread before responding. The Audio Note Oto SE is an incredible choice.

 

What amp are you using?

 

You said regardless of efficiency the volume knob stayed pretty much between 9 and 11 o'clock?
How would you characterize the difference between the M30.1s and the AN-Js with the Leben 300?

 

I owned a cs300. The plain version. I bought it out of the retro look initially. Gradually love the tube sound. I am a sucker for Japanese equipment. Drove it with harbeth P3 and it sounds nice. It sounds nice with SHL5 too. Why I sold it? Because the unit is running hot. I don't know why and worried that component life will deteriorate further with the heat inside.

Of course I'm still very keen on CS300XS and trying to get one. Anybody keen to touch on the internal temperature of the cs300? Last time I don't turn on air conditioning while using. Maybe with aircon, it will cool off a bit.

 

Power wise with P3 is ok. But the control is not as good as a class A SS amp. Maybe it is the P3 small driver, as I drive it very hard with demanding music. Vocal wise, it is sweet sounding.

I still kick myself for selling it and wonder if I should explore other tube amp against leben. I wonder heat issue in tube amp is an issue in long term.

 

Tubes run hot, just their nature. But my class-A tube amp doesn't run even close to the temps that previous solid state class-A amps did.

 

Had a Line Magnetic LM-211.

 

Beautiful!!!

 

Had? Ok what gives ... your profile is empty? I remember you had great things to say about the LM gear, are you in the midst of a change up?

 

I've since switched to a Leben CS-300XS. Works great with the 30.1 (no matter what Alan Shaw may think )