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  1. davehg

    Leben CS600 Thread

    I compared my CS600x to the Woo WA5 and WA22. It was very good but not quite as excellent as the dedicated HP amps on more demanding HP like the my LCD3 and HD650, but perfect with the Focal Clear. Now that I’ve gone back to 2 channel, I don’t listen to my headphones much.
  2. Lumin X1

    Lumin X1

    I started my journey in the Lumin ecosystem with the D2, then migrated to the T2. For 2 years I was quite pleased as the T2 provided an ease and effortlessness that was musically compelling. The one missing piece was that the T2 still used the cheaper switching power supplies and I wondered how...
  3. davehg

    Reply to review by 'davehg' on item 'Lumin D2'

    I’ve made the leap now to the Lumin X1. It’s a big step up - much more than D2 to T2. Still loving the T2 but the X1 now handily competes with my $10k vinyl rig, making it a toss up sonically.
    • davehg
    • Head Gear rating reply
  4. davehg

    Leben CS600 Thread

    As a headphone only amp the WA5 was great. But I migrated back to 2 channel and had a set of 300b mono amps and a 300b preamp built with better resolution. The Leben now powers a pair of Chartwell LS3/5as driven by my vinyl and T2 setup. The O/96 system got an upgrade to the Lumin X1. The...
  5. davehg

    Great Deal on AudioQuest Niagara 1200!

    Just a tip - while the included NRG power cord is decent and a great deal with the Niagara ( I use it on some digital gear), I had fantastic results pairing the Pangea AC9SE MkII AC cable with the Niagara to connect to the wall. It’s an anaconda of a power cable, and benefits from cable cooking...
  6. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    Thanks again. They arrived, I swapped them in and voila - they sound great! No more glare or glassiness - wouldn’t have guessed there would that be that big of difference. The Finnisars definitely sound better than the Trendnet SFP modules, using a Trendnet SFP switch.
  7. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    can I ask a favor - can you share the model number of the Finisar SFP module? I’ve seen a few different modules online
  8. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I went back and forth comparing the optical SFP connection vs Ethernet. The SFP sounded much better being wired directly from the modem to the SFP switch (Ethernet) to the X1 (fiber), But…surprisingly I still preferred Ethernet into the X1 vs SFP. The SFP just sounded a tad more siblant and less...
  9. davehg

    Leben CS600 Thread

    The FB group is pretty active and Jonathan Halpern and Yoshi regularly participate. I love my 600x. It powers some Chartwell LS3/5A and Devore O/96s speakers. I’ve tested a few quads and settled on the TungSol 7581 which was cheap until the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I also have some Winged C...
  10. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I tried the SFP and my first impressions were that I greatly preferred Ethernet over SFP. With SFP/fiber, I hear a digital glare and more emphasis on siblants, whereas the Ethernet was smooth and more natural. The SFP/fiber showed a bit quieter background and some greater detail, but my ears...
  11. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I ordered the Trendnet 4 port sfp router linked from the Lumin page, and two Trendnet SFP modules, and the fiber cable they also linked to. Cable shows up tomorrow so I’ll have a few days to tinker.
  12. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I ordered an optical switch and a pair of SFP modules along with the fiber cable to test out the optical input on the X1. Curious how much difference it makes.
  13. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I too started out with a bias against ESS dacs, mostly because the first few examples I heard were cheaper implementations that I didn’t find compelling, and based on various comments I read in forums. When I switched from the D2 which used a well regarded Wolfson DAC, to the T2 which uses the...
  14. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    Well, I pulled the trigger on a Lumin X1. I needed a second streamer to power a second system (Leben 600x and Chartwell LS3/5a) and I started wondering what the gains were in the tier above the T2. Started by listening to a completely different league streamer/ DAC - the DCS Bartok. I’ve been...
  15. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I found the Chord Qutest DACs to sound initially dynamic but eventually fatig on longer listening sessions. The Lumin T2 took a while to burn in, and now sounds very relaxed and musical.My friend just got the T3 and reports similar experiences. I’ve set up a new system and need a second...
  16. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    I love my Lumin T2 and really enjoyed my D2 with upgraded Sbooster power supply, but the T2 was noticeably better. Lumin streamers have no capacity for digital inputs (e.g. to use their internal DAC). The exception is the P1 which is a digital preamp and streamer and supports various inputs. I...
  17. davehg

    Great Deal on AudioQuest Niagara 1200!

    Just picked up a second one for my second system. Nice deal! I put one into my system about a year ago, and was super pleased. My 300b tube amps have a slight transformer hum that disappeared with the Niagara 1200. My experience is similar to other positive reviews. I used Cardas Golden...
  18. davehg

    Woo Audio WA22 Amp Owner Unite

    heads up I am putting my Gen 1 WA22 up for sale. It sports some nice NOS tubes, and I had a shop install a pair of $450 Jupiter copper capacitors which greatly enhanced dynamics and tone. I’ll post a link soon. I’ve loved this system but now that my house remodel is finished I finally have my...
  19. davehg

    Woo Audio WA22 Amp Owner Unite

    I have a Leben CS600x integrated that can be used a power amp only, but it doesn’t sound as good as when used as an integrated. I had eyed the WA22 G2 when setting up my speaker based system given the obvious convenience but I was advised there are better preamp only choices so I went with a...
  20. davehg

    Reply to review by 'davehg' on item 'Lumin D2'

    @JustJames i think it would be hard to covet the D2 after hearing the T2. The T2 has a sense of ease, musicality, and flow that the D2 hints at but not nearly to the extent of the T2. A stock D2 also really needs a linear power supply upgrade too for the sound to reach a level where you’d be...
    • davehg
    • Head Gear rating reply
  21. davehg

    Crack;Bottlehead OTL

    Parts connexxion: https://www.partsconnexion.com/
  22. davehg

    Crack;Bottlehead OTL

    It’s amazing what a difference caps can make. In the 300b amp, things were amazing except the low end felt lightweight. Swapping the coupling caps for much larger Mundorf Silver Gold foil ones (same as the original only 75% larger) made a big difference - suddenly there was the missing low end...
  23. davehg

    The Leben CS300XS Thread

    I have a 600x that hummed a teeny bit. I recently added an Audioquest Niagara 1200 which quieted the hum
  24. davehg

    Crack;Bottlehead OTL

    Not a Crack, but thought you’d enjoy this all-300b Bottlehead system. The Pre Bee 2 is just outstanding, and the amps are variations of an older Parabee design with Magnaquest nickel 2004 transformers and Mundorf Silver foil oil caps.
  25. davehg

    LUMIN - The Audiophile Network Music Player

    save your shekels for a used T2. You’ll avoid the need to upgrade and you won’t need to spend another $500 on an Sbooster that the D2 really needs to sound its best. The T2 was so much more superior than the D2 with the Sbooster. I thought the D2 was a good deal, but the T2 puts it in place...
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