I've been using Leben CS600 for nearly 5 years and I love the sound very much. Tubes amplifier that doesn't sound slow, mellow but it was fast with dynamic and slam. well, I must say it matches very well with my Zu Druids MK4/08 and Zu Soul Supreme speakers.
All this while since I enjoying 2 channels audio for 28 years, I always been tempted to own a very good design solid state amplifier. Mark Levinson, McIntosh, Accuphase, Gryphon and few others are always in my wishlist and for tubes that I've used in the past are diy tubes amplifier to high powered VTL MB250 monoblock. Lush midrange, seductive vocal are the forte for almost all tubes amplifier and believe me many audiophile will listen to only what their system can deliver. With 15wpc diy tubes amp, it can drive my druids very well and was not bad at all. The VTL with 22 tubes in total gives more power and scale, but it was a headache to maintain those tubes. The Leben with 32wpc on 6L6GC was the best tubes amplifier I have ever owned. It was fast, dynamic, best vocal/midrange and can go with any music..my music diet are quite diverse.
Back in 2002 while I was in Fukuoka, I managed to listen to a few of Japanese brand product like Luxman, Accuphase etc. I don't have any friends that use those brand back home and I have no idea how is the sound like and my expectation was high, the price tag should justify its performance. To my surprise, those brands are boring to listen to, the sound was flat and nothing to excite me. It doesn't have the quality that I used to listen in my system and my perception towards Japanese audio products are sterile and boring since then.
In the past few years, I have been reviewed/listen and home visits to many high end systems, none of them are on tubes. The experience of listening to a great solid state design with variety of music that deliver everything with ease really make me thinking, this is "the sound" for music should be heard. Yes, I do listen to high end tubes base system but the music selection are not really into my liking. Most of them using the same slow mellow vocal oriented track for a demo...no rock, pop, progressive jazz etc.
I know that tubes are full of distortions, it is not accurate for sure and the bass while some consider it as big and deep, but it is actually flabby and wobbly not tight. It is like a sugar-coated candy that attracts children who doesn't know the ingredients but only the taste. Well, taste that matters almost to everybody, that's fine.
Earlier this year, I went for a home visit of my friend who is using Accuphase monoblock in his system and I liked it very much. In June, I purchased Accuphase E600 (RM37k retail price) while maintaining my Leben just to ensure that I don't make any mistake by selling off Leben if the Accuphase E600 is not up to my expectation. For 3 months I've been listening to both amplifiers, swapping back and forth to find the short coming, the extras on each of them. The Leben is no slouch and I can live happily with, but the Accuphase gives the extras that I didn't notice all this while. Some are subtle but if it was there in the recording, I want it to be heard. The scale of sound staging is bigger, the ambience is nicely layered and the background is darker.
Being a 30wpc in Class A, Accuphase rendered vocal as good as tubes amplifier but I have to give an extra notch to Leben on this, not by much. Most tubes amp just like Leben are emphasize on midrange and that's the nature of many tubes amplifiers...not the flattest response, perfectly imperfect. Accuphase gives me as accurate as playback sound can be achieved in my system. All elements of music are presented in mature manner, elegent full of grace. Accuphase does not emphasize midrange and it has coherent sound throughout the range, from the very bottom to the upper treble unlike the Leben or most tubes amplifier. Accuphase presentation is rich, open, fast, dynamic performance with a lot of drive and there is no emphasis on an attack phase, there is no exaggeration, just the way it is.
After all, it is one of highly respected Japanese product standing for 46 years and still going strong. Something special must be in their philosophy when designing their products and they have received lots of accolades from respected magazines and reviewers.
The longer you listen into high fidelity audio, you will find that accuracy in audio reproduction is essential. Accuphase sound is for mature or seasoned audiophile, and experience is truly invaluable on how to gauge sound quality. So many fake news in this world today, so let the music flows truthfully :)
Accuphase = Accurate Phase
Your boring is my accurate, so it certainly floats the odd vessel for me. Of course your interesting is my horribly colored, so I think we're even.
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