Lehmann Audio Decade Manual Arts
When Lehmann Audio brings an A list phonostage like the Decade to the LP listening experience, the results explain the staying power of the analog medium. And the Decade does so without fanfare or a watch this level of fireworks. Precision selected rare tubes. High-fidelity music systems.
LITHE AND KICKING For our test we used Ortofon’s Cadenza Blue moving-coil [see page 22] and for moving-magnet the Roksan Corus Silver. Starting with the Harry James big band – The King James Version, direct cut on Sheffield Lab – we found the bass subjectively less heavy than it had been with either the £800 Acoustic Signature or £899 Aqvox phono stages also to hand. Soundflower app.
Aside from that, it's a wonderful phono stage I highly recommend to just about anybody able and willing to spend the required $2100. Click to expand.There were lots of options I was considering before landing on the Decade. I could have theoretically spent $300 more for a used Chinook but it could've taken a year to see one at that price. The Adagio was a possibility but I didn't feel like waiting months for one to be built. Same with the Decware ZP3. The great price I got on the Decade sealed the deal. Like I mentioned in my review, I never once regretted not going with a tube unit.
In view of all this, I made out like a bandit! Lastly, would I buy it again?
Its stereo imaging was impressive in terms of width and not without depth at the centre, but somehow did not reveal quite the coherence across the spread that we’d obtained from from the Aqvox. On the other hand, the bass arguably seemed to benefit from a feeling of more precision. When Red Callender kicked off ‘Easy Money’ [ Rickie Lee Jones, Warner] his double-bass sounded clean and firm, plangent and well described, right down to the dodgy intonation on one note. Rickie Lee’s voice was depicted characterfully, but with a presentation that seemed just very slightly recessed. Switching over to the Roksan MM, we found the Lehmann impressive on the Harry James LP with an appealing sense of speed and snap that made you appreciate the precision, musicianship and swing of the brass players.
Power Consumption: App 13VA Dimensions: Decade: 110 x 280 x 50mm PSU: 110 x 280 x 50mm Weight: Decade: 0.87kg PSU: 1.56kg.
For example, listening to “Love For Sale” from Cannonball Adderley’s Somethin’ Else, I found myself noticing for the first time the interplay between Sam Jones and Art Blakey instead of just paying attention to the legendary horn section. The Lehmann, I find, also delivers a thrilling depth.
For my 20X2L cart, 1 kOhm sounds best, using the full 66db gain. The PWX II's design allows for a simple 3-prong cord to be plugged into it, therefore no wall warts. However, it is slightly disappointing that this unit couldn't come with a higher-end power cable that could potentially benefit the sound.
Like I mentioned in my review, I never once regretted not going with a tube unit. Having said that, my next amp will be tube-based so some of that tube warmth will find its way in the chain somehow. Thanks for reading! Awesome review! I agree you missed your calling as an audio reviewer. Mine arrived last night and I have been through a few albums. Initial impressions are that this is a worthwhile (okay, bonkers) upgrade coming from the Lounge LCR/ Copla.
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Isn’t this what the quest is all about? I’m sure there are other thrills to be had in this price range, and it’s likely a SUT could take this to another level, but I’m not in any hurry to part with the Decade or upgrade anything for the time being.
A very low-mass and extremely precisely wound iron cross is affixed to the cantilever/stylus assembly and placed between the magnets and coils; as the iron cross moves in the magnetic field it generates signal voltage. Since only the iron cross moves, more coil windings (higher output) and heavier magnets (more powerful) may be used without penalty. Other advantages to the MI design are very low moving mass (greater resolution) and superior channel separation (better imaging). Have a question about this product? Please email our or call 1-877-929-8729 with any questions or concerns regarding your equipment purchase. Have a question about this product?
The former opting for more perceived detail, the latter, greater spatiality. The Lehmannaudio Decade brings its “A” game to the analog LP listening experience. It does so without fanfare or the “watch this” level of fireworks that works wonders on a first date but the next morning makes you ask, “ What was I thinking?” The last word in phonostages? However I am confident that few will find the Decade to be less than excellent when compared with anything else at anywhere near its price.
The input stages of the Decade can also be found in top notch mixing consoles and high class microphone preamps of professional studio electronics. The highly accurate, passive RIAA equalisation network is placed between two linear gain stages and uses precision MKP capacitors. This results in a very stable soundstage reproduction and pin point localisation of instruments.
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Impedance load adaption is practically infinite as with all Lehmannaudio phono stages: there is a free slot for a custom impedance so that every existing MC cartridge on the market can be loaded properly. Input capacitances are adjustable as well. The Decade virtually sends a challenge for a pickup comparison as it meticulously sticks by its specifications. – Image Hifi Soft bass roll-off filter and PWX II power supply. The Decade is the first phono stage by Lehmannaudio that offers a 'Soft-Bass- Rolloff-Filter' and gain selections accessible via toggle switches at the face plate.
Lehmann Audio Decade Review
This record, and the track “Amigo Lindo Del Alma” especially, goes subterranean thanks to Mateo’s soulful playing and singing and Jorge Trasante’s percussion. I recently added a JL Audio D110 to my system as well, and its ability to plumb the depths with precision and musicality completely changes the experience of listening to songs like “Amigo.” Similarly, listening to Michael Chapman’s album Window was like hearing a choir in a cave lit only by a few candles, and on Laura Marling’s opening track from Semper Femina, “Soothing,” the bass thundered across the soundstage bringing some slam to this nouveau British folkie in the best way. There was more of the same available on Thundercat’s “Them Changes” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Angel.” With the Decade in the system, this depth doesn’t come at the expense of the rest of the listening experience. This depth doesn’t come at the expense of detail. Late Friday night, I found myself listening to Kris Kristofferson’s album The Silver Tongued Devil. One of the great joys of my record collecting journey has been discovering that pretty much everything recorded at Fred Foster’s Monument Studios in its heyday is worth snapping up. I remember buying a ubiquitous Roy Orbison Greatest Hits collection and realizing over time it was one of the best sounding records I owned.
Either that or the P75 exaggerated its bass frequencies. Since I've acknowledged the Decade's penchant for 'truth' in its presentation, I'm inclined to believe the latter. Having put the Decade through its paces, I can say this unit will not output exaggerated boomy bass. For those needs, look elsewhere.
Lehmann Audio Decade
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I don't recall his precise words, but it was something along the lines of: No tubes, no transformersand you'll love the stuff anyway. With that, he sent me a sample of the Lehmannaudio Decade ($2099), a solid-state phono preamplifier from the same German company that made a splash, over 15 years ago, with a phono stage called the Lehmannaudio Black Cube. The Cube received widespread praise for delivering four-figure sound at a three-figure price; the Decade is aimed at a higher niche. Its high level of performance is said to be a result of company founder Norbert Lehmann's expertise with pro audio in general, and microphone stages in particular.