Lehmann Black Cube Phonostage

German company Lehmann Audio was founded in 1988 by the young student of audio engineering, Norbert Lehmann, in Cologne. This example of their well-regarded Black Cube Phonostage is a great little specialist item which is a significant step up from the standard inputs on most amplifiers. This unit is in very good condition, and comes in original packaging, with power supply unit, mains cable, manual plus our standard three month warranty.
Lehmann Say….
The Black Cube is the classic among the phono preamps: since its product launch in 1995 it has enjoyed cult status with a vast number of record lovers, causing a sensation in the specialised press with its compact dimensions and marvellous sound. Since 2006 the audio pc board has been on the market in a new and greatly improved version.
Right from the start, the Black Cube has enabled a new encounter with beloved music classics: owing to its excellent components and sophisticated circuit design, the sound is faithfully reproduced and with plenty of ardour, despite its tiny dimensions. The high-grade input stages of the latest generation ensure a low-noise reproduction. The custom-designed power supply provides a high headroom.
Virtually all common pickup systems from high-output MM to MC may be connected to the Black Cube. A free slot for a custom impedance offers a matching termination even for demanding MC systems. And we have also provided an extra hardwired plug-in location per channel for an immediate and direct action with no switch. Likewise, the versatile nature of the Black Cube becomes apparent when mounting the device: you can easily place it very close to the tonearm of your turntable drive. This is enabled by the long cable between power supply and audio section and also by the compact
dimensions of this phono stage.
Features:
Low noise design
Four different gain settings, compatible with all common mm and mc cartridges
Precise passive RIAA equalization network for perfect transient response and channel balance
Custom impedance sockets
Additional hardwire sockets
Non-magnetic aluminium housing with mechanically dampened top cover to avoid microphony and resonances
RCA connectors with gold plated contacts
Shielded cable to the power supply
Specifications:
Sensitivity For Output Level 775 mV/ 0 dB: 3.8 mV/1 kHz (MM); 0.38 mV/1 kHz (MC)
Gain 1 kHz: 46 dB (MM); 66 dB (MC)
Maximum Input Level 1 kHz: 45 mV (MM); 4.5 mV (MC)
Signal To Noise Ratio: 71 dB (MM); 63 dB (MC)
Gain: 36 dB, 46 dB, 56 dB, 66 dB
Channel separation: > 85 dB at 10 kHz
Input Impedance: 47 kOhms, 1 kOhm, 100 ohms
Output Impedance: 47 ohms
Input Capacitance: 100 pF
Channel Mismatch: typ. 0.5 dB
Bass Filter: 50 Hz, 6 dB/oct.
Power Consumption: < 3 W
Dimensions: Main Unit: 113 (W) x 108 (D) x 45 (H) mm; Power Supply: 70 (W) x 115 (D) x 55 (H) mm
Weight: Main Unit: 0.4 kg; Power Supply: 0.3 kg

For a review from Hi-Fi Choice magazine please CLICK HERE