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Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE II SV Edition
The exclusive Sven Väth version of the multi-award-winning Black Cube SE II has it all: instead of normal MKP capacitors, Mundorf caps in the circuit's output stage ensure even better transient reproduction. This way, brutal beats as well as fine impulses are reproduced more clearly and with less loss, reverberation effects in the music become more comprehensible, rooms are reproduced more naturally, and proportions are represented more realistically.
As the proud owner of a Black Cube SE II Sven Väth, you can literally bathe in the music and sink into it as if you were on the dance floor. Hardly any other system can be tailored to your listening habits and tonal preferences as individually as this outstanding device. The Black Cube SE II Sven Väth will bring you and your favourite music together even more intensively!
“Also in the SV edition, the Black Cube SE II is what it has always been: an honest-to-goodness purveyor of analogue truths that can make music really "bang" sometimes.”
The Look
The Black Cube SE II Sven Väth is not only technically but also optically a special appearance. The matt black front bears an orange logo print. The lettering Lehmannaudio X SVENVÄTH stands for the cooperation of the legendary DJ and the sophisticated German audio brand Lehmannaudio. The power indicator is also an orange LED. The original Neutrik XLR plug with gold-plated contacts for the connection between the power supply and the audio part is decorated with an orange identification ring.
Goodies
The Black Cube SE II Sven Väth comes with two exclusive goodies:
- 7" single with two important tracks by Sven Väth spanning his entire career:
Side A: Electrica Salsa
Side B: Feiern
Like the unit, the single is also in orange/black: Vinyl and the padded cover are in black, the print is in orange.
- DIN A 4 poster signed in print on especially high-quality paper
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Professional Reviews 90/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Cartridge Compatibility
91/100
Build Quality
85/100
Value for Money
92/100
Fast, ultra-clean and deeply resolving, the Lehmann Audio phono stage brings sharp transient speed, vivid separation and a notably quiet background. James Michael Hughes of StereoNET United Kingdom praised its holographic imaging, silvery treble and deep bass, while also noting it favors lucidity over warmth.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptional clarity, separation and transient speed create a highly focused, revealing presentation.
Very quiet operation with low-output MC cartridges, helping music emerge from a black background.
Strong imaging and layering make vocals and instruments easy to follow in complex recordings.
Offers excellent value for money at its class and price level.
&
Cons
Its tonal balance leans toward clarity and separation rather than warmth or richness.
Adjusting gain, loading and bass settings can be fiddly, with DIP switches and internal access required.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers describe a very clean, immediate and highly detailed presentation with excellent clarity and separation. The main character leans more toward lucidity than warmth or richness, but they also note it is not dry or antiseptic, and one review praises its exceptional cleanliness and transient speed.
Transparency Noise Floor
94/100
The Black Cube is described as hum-free and super-quiet with a Pick It DS2 MC cartridge, and the sound is repeatedly framed as very clean and exceptionally clear. That kind of black, unobtrusive background is exactly what phono playback needs, especially with low-output MC use.
Tonal Balance Musicality
89/100
Its tonal balance is more lucid and precise than warm or rich. Reviewers explicitly say it majors on clarity and separation rather than richness or warmth, though they also stress it is not dry or threadbare.
Dynamics
90/100
The review highlights fine transient speed and an immediate, crisp presentation, which points to strong rhythmic drive and attack. The music comes across as lively and well-defined rather than compressed or sluggish.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
Imaging is a clear strength, with one reviewer calling out holographic richness and the ability to follow individual strands as voices and instruments weave together. It also clarifies double-tracked vocals very effectively, giving the presentation good spatial focus and separation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
91/100
The published gain, loading, and capacitance options show genuine flexibility for MM and MC cartridges, and the review confirms strong results with a low-output MC. It looks well suited to a wide range of cartridges, though the review evidence is still centered on one successful setup rather than broad side-by-side comparisons.
Build Quality
85/100
The reviews say little about long-term durability or chassis execution, so direct build commentary is limited. The separate power supply and mention of Mundorf capacitors suggest careful engineering, but there is not much explicit reviewer praise of construction quality itself.
Value for Money
92/100
At its asking price, one reviewer calls it exceptional value for money and says it is definitely an exceptional phono stage at the price. That is strong praise for a unit in this class and suggests it competes very well against similarly priced alternatives.
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Authorized dealers for Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE II SV Edition
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- ALAIN CHOUKROUN — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Arizona Hi-Fi — in-store — Phoenix, Arizona, United States (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
- AUDIO 2000 — in-store — Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Art Cable — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Audio Creativ — in-store — Riedenburg, Bayern, Germany (website)
and 77 more verified dealers