Category: Tubes

This blog post, focusing on the Leben CS-600 and CS-600X tube amplifiers, began as a thorough introduction to vintage tubes after I bought a Leben CS-600 in 2024. It expanded to cover other Leben Hi-Fi Stereo Company amplifiers, from early models to their latest tube-based products, with a focus on integrated amplifier designs.  In addition,… Continue reading The Leben CS-600 ~ An Introduction to Leben Tube Amplifiers

Here is my first tube photo in a while: a Russian 5U3C (Cyrillic: 5Ц3C) rectifier tube from 1976. It’s what’s known as New Old Stock (NOS), meaning that the tube has never been used. The tube was bought for a Kondo Audio Note KSL-M7 preamplifier clone produced and sold by the Chinese brand Sunbuck on… Continue reading Sunbuck Kondo Audio Note KSL-M7 preamplifier clone

Originally designed for use in televisions and radios, 6CS7 tubes are rarely used in audio products. The chief designer and owner of Leben Hi-Fi Stereo Company, Mr. Taku Hyodo, who is often referred to as one of the eight best tube amplifier designers in Japan, has a fondness for the 6CS7 type, presumably because of… Continue reading 6CS7 Tubes: Data, Specifications & Usage