I recommend listening to a Leben before you buy -- I would guess that they will sound quite different. I used to own a Leben CS-300x and have had OTL amps in my system at the same time. The Leben sound is quite a bit different than the OTL sound (I know arguments that the ZH is not a true OTL amp). The Leben is warm and I believe a little wooly, while OTLs generally have a clean and open sound.
Leben integrated amps and Merlin VSM
Has anyone tried either the Leben CS-300 or CS-600 integrated amps (or even the CS-660P amp) with the Merlin VSMs?
How do they compare with the Ars-Sonum Filarmonia integrated amp or the Berning ZH-270 (that is the ZH-270 connected to a preamp; not standalone). I have both the Ars and the Berning and before I sent my Merlins to Bobby for an upgrade, I found myself still partial to the Berning/Joule combination. I'm anxious to get my Merlins back so I can spend more time listening to the Filarmonia. Nevertheless I would be curious what others thought of the Leben integrated amps.
Thanks!
dpe
How do they compare with the Ars-Sonum Filarmonia integrated amp or the Berning ZH-270 (that is the ZH-270 connected to a preamp; not standalone). I have both the Ars and the Berning and before I sent my Merlins to Bobby for an upgrade, I found myself still partial to the Berning/Joule combination. I'm anxious to get my Merlins back so I can spend more time listening to the Filarmonia. Nevertheless I would be curious what others thought of the Leben integrated amps.
Thanks!
dpe