Anyone heard Leben separates?

[dirtbag]

I'm curious if anyone has heard the Leben RS-28CX pre-amp and CS660P power amp? I have a CS300XS and I love that little box. The only reviews I found have nothing but good to say about the separates . How would they sound compared to similar priced Shindo?

[TommyC]

I once read on another forum saying the Aureieges sounds better than the RS-28CX. But you can't trust the internet as we all know. Better ask Matt.

[dirtbag]

Hi Tommy,

I was recently at Matt's but he seems more inclined to promote Shindo.
I don't believe he had a Leben amp there, only integrateds. Maybe I just missed
seeing them. my head was spinning in that store. Ran out of time far too soon.
I was invited over to Cucumber Jones (Chris) home yesterday. Had a great time listening to his wonderful system.

[Attilio]

Hi Guys,

First post for me. I use a discontinued Leben power amp model CS200 (6V6 tubes) with a Shindo Monbrison pre-amp and am extremely pleased with its performance. I hope to eventually add the CS-660P or even CS-1000P to my stable for different tube flavours but I’m in no hurry at the moment. I started out with the CS-300X which was also pretty special but the pairing of the Monbrison & CS-200 just elevated the musical enjoyment factor to another level.

I have also considered getting a Shindo amp but I get the impression their amps won’t gel with my speakers as well as Leben amps do. The rest of my basement system consists of TW Acustic Raven One/Graham PhantomII/Lyra Delos and I alternate between Harbeth SHL-5 and J.M. Reynaud Bliss Silver speakers.

A separate living room system includes all Blue Circle electronics (amps & dac) and Tannoy Turnberry SE speakers with the analog source still to be determined.

Attilio

[chessman]

Attilio, welcome aboard!

[Attilio]

Thanks! Good to be aboard. I’ve been reading and learning a lot from this site for a while now and hope to contribute whatever I can from my own trials and tribulations with audio equipment.

[Masterlu]

Attilio... Welcome!

[Scottsmrnyc]

I have booked and have set up a second trip to Osaka and Kyoto, Japan for December , 2013. I hope I won't have to cancel as a result of the North Korean threat; but I have been trying to get an interview/factory tour with Liben. I have e mailed them; but have not gotten any response. If anyone has some suggestions on what to do about this and how to get it all going; that would be great.
Additionally, if anyone has any questions they would like me to ask, let me know. I am interested in this company and would love to put up the information, interview, pictures etc on Audioaficionado as well as my ACA audiophile Club of Athens,

[NeilNZ]

I've owned Leben in the past and we have it at the shop. It is very good gear, hard to fault in many ways when compared with other offerings if that's your sort of thing.
But it is no Shindo. With Shindo there is more sense of a cohesive whole happening, texture and tonality is finer. It just sounds like music.
I am an unabashed Shindo fanboy, but I do love the Leben too, in fact one of my favourite systems of all time was a Leben CS600 into a pair of Harbeth SHL5s. That system could really make music. But when I could finally move into Shindo I have had zero urge to go back to Leben.
Its all horses for courses anyway, both are great depends what you like...

[dirtbag]

NeilNZ,
thanks for your thoughts. I am very happy with the Shindo and you are probably right.
But my Leben is a great little amp and actually out performs other integrateds I have owned that were worth far more money.