Lehmann Decade Phono Preamp review! Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Strat-Mangler, Jan 23. The Lehmann Decade, which I bought used for $1200. When considering its retail price of $2100, that's a whopping 43% off! (where the knee of the curve begins according to my BCSEII manual).
Due to a temporary personal matter I need sell my analog gear (VPI table/arm, Lehmann preamp and cartridges). I am the original owner of this great phono pre. Purchased new from authorized dealer about 10 months ago and has seen limited use, approximately 250 hours I would guess. Looks and performs as new.
STEREOPHILE CLASS A. Excellent condition, includes everything that came with it - box, manual, etc. The Decade is supplied in two separate enclosures of identical size—one for the power supply, the other for the preamp proper. The former is well stuffed with a toroidal transformer, a generously sized heatsink, and a healthy brace of reservoir capacitors. The preamp contains two class-A, zero-feedback gain stages per channel, sandwiched around a passive RIAA equalization stage. The user selects between moving-magnet (36dB) and moving-coil (56dB) ranges with a front-mounted, miniature toggle switch; another toggle, labeled High, adds another 10dB of gain to whichever range is selected, and thus provides up to 66dB for ultra-low-output cartridges. A third toggle activates Lehmannaudio's Soft Rolloff Filter, reducing sub-60Hz output at a rate of 6dB/octave.
Ranges of input capacitance and impedance are selected with two banks of DIP switches on the bottom of the preamp—a useful alternative to having to open the case time and again—while two pairs of internal sockets allow the user to select and install his or her own loading resistors. User review: Long time Audiogon member with excellent feedback, which I highly value. You won't be disappointed. Thanks for looking.
Norbert Lehmann’s Black Cube phono preamplifiers have surprised and at times amazed for their superior sonic performance at near bargain-basement prices. He’s been designing, building and upgrading his phono preamplifiers for nearly two decades beginning in 1995 with the original Black Cube. The $1099 Black Cube SE II (also available in silver, which seems like a misnomer) connects via a 4 pin Neutrix connector to an upgraded PWX outboard power supply containing an ample toroidal transformer and high quality foil capacitors and metal foil resistors, is claimed to improve dynamics, lower the noise floor and help produce holographic-like imaging compared to the standard supply.
RIAA is passive between two linear gain stages, the first of which is based on the latest op-amp based dual-mono microphone preamp, while the second is a Burr-Brown op-amp.Via dipswitches located on the main chassis bottom, gain can be configured at 36,46,56 and 66dB. Another set of dipswitches selects MM and MC, while another selects MC loading at either 1k or 100 ohms. Two sets of internal slots allow you to insert your choice of resistors or capacitors in two configurations.
In one slot set the caps or resistors are always connected in parallel with the 47k input resistor, the 100pF input capacitor and whichever other switch activated impedance load you might choose. The other slot set is switchable “in” or “out”. And guess what? If you want to set MC loading to 47kHz, you can! In addition Lehmann includes sixteen bass roll-off curves between 7Hz and 90Hz.
If your speakers don’t have extended low frequency response this is a very useful feature that can save amplifier power for audible frequencies instead of wasting it on pointless woofer pumping. You are not likely to hear low frequency response differences if your speakers don’t go much below 60Hz but your amplifier will thank you. Lehmann also offers the ability to bridge the output capacitors so you can D.C. Couple the output, but D.C. Offset voltages present at the output can do serious system damage if your preamplifier isn’t A.C. Coupled and in that case your amplifier will definitely not thank you nor will your speakers. In other words don’t mess with the jumpers!
So let’s get right to the point: how does the Black (or Silver) Cube SE II sound and especially compared to the $1199 Musical Fidelity MI Vinl and the $1500 Rega Aria? Immediately noticeable was the Cube’s superior soundstage dimensionality. The Black Cube SE II produced a deeper soundstage than either of the other two. Its ability to separate and clarify instuments on the stage was also noticeably superior to the other two.
I was surprised by how much greater was the separation between instruments. The Cube’s ability to unravel complex musical passages was also better. The upcoming Analogue Productions reissue of the classic Fiedler/ BSO/Earl Wild “Rhapsody In Blue”/”American in Paris” made clear that the Black Cube SE II split the differences between the tautness and punchiness of the Rega Aria and the M1 Vinl’s softer, smoother, more relaxed presentation. Going back to the Cat Stevens album Mona Bone Jackon referenced in the Aria review, the bass wasn’t quite as well defined, or as deeply felt but it was more supplely textured.