Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE II SV Edition
Lehmann Audio’s Black Cube SE II SV Edition brings vinyl into crisp, holographic focus, pairing a super-quiet background with fleet transients, deep bass and incisive treble detail. StereoNET United Kingdom found its lucid separation especially persuasive in dense recordings, while flexible MM/MC gain and loading make this an accomplished, high-value phono stage for precision-minded analogue systems.
WATT RECOMMENDS
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Cartridge Compatibility
92/100
Build Quality
86/100
Value for Money
95/100
Pros
Exceptionally quiet and hum-free with ample gain for a 0.5mV moving-coil cartridge.
Crisp, immediate presentation with fine transient speed, detailed treble and deep bass.
Strong separation and holographic imaging make dense vocal and instrumental arrangements easy to follow.
Judged exceptional value at its price by the reviewer.
Cons
Its clarity-first balance prioritises precision over overt warmth or euphony.
DIP-switch gain and loading adjustments are not labelled on the base, and bass-filter changes require opening the unit; the instructions advise expert handling.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
The review finds an exceptionally clean, lucid and immediate presentation, combining finely resolved detail with strong separation and a notably holographic sense of space. Its balance leans toward clarity and precision rather than overt warmth, while remaining engaging rather than dry.
Transparency Noise Floor
94/100
Used with a 0.5mV MC cartridge, the Black Cube SE II SV Edition was reported to be hum-free and super-quiet, with ample gain. The reviewer also repeatedly describes its sound as exceptionally clean, clear and finely resolved.
Tonal Balance Musicality
91/100
The sound is described as lucid, detailed and crisp, with a clean, focused character that avoids sounding antiseptic or threadbare. It prioritises clarity and separation over richness or warmth, so listeners seeking a strongly euphonic presentation may prefer a different voicing.
Dynamics
90/100
Initial listening impressions highlighted immediacy, fine transient speed and clarity. The review also notes strong percussive definition and a crisp, brilliant top end, supporting an agile and lively presentation.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
The reviewer heard a desirable holographic richness, an attribute not found with most of their other phono stages. It clarified layered vocals and made it easy to follow individual instrumental and vocal strands within dense mixes.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
92/100
This is a genuinely flexible MM/MC design, with gain options from 36dB to 66dB and loading provisions including 47k ohms, 1k ohm, 100 ohm, a custom load and a hardwire slot. Its hum-free, high-gain performance with a 0.5mV MC cartridge is particularly encouraging for moving-coil users.
Build Quality
86/100
The supplied PWX power supply separates the power section from the compact audio chassis, and the manufacturer specifies Mundorf capacitors in the output stage. The review says little else about chassis construction, internal layout, shielding or long-term durability.
Value for Money
95/100
At the stated $1,099 price, the reviewer calls it an exceptional phono stage and explicitly judges it excellent value for money. That praise is supported by performance described as unusually quiet, clear, spacious and accomplished with a low-output MC cartridge.
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Specifications
- Sensitivity for output level 775 mV/ 0 dB (with activated high gain switch)
- MM: 3.8 mV/1 kHz; MC: 0.38 mV/1 kHz MM: 46 dB; MC: 66 dB MM: 45 mV; MC: 4.5 mV MM: 71 dB; MC: 63 dB
- Gain
- 36 dB, 46 dB, 56 dB, 66 dB
- Channel separation
- > 80 dB at 10 kHz
- Input impedance
- 47 kohms, 1 kohm, 100 ohms 1 x custom load 1 x hardwire slot
- Output impedance
- 47 ohms
- Input capacitance
- 100 pF
- Channel mismatch
- typ. 0.5 dB
- Bass filter
- 16 settings between 7 Hz and app. 90 Hz
- Power consumption
- < 3 W
- Netzspannung
- 240 V AC
- Sicherung
- 250 mA T
- Outer dimensions W x D x H
- Audio section: 114 mm x 124 mm 50 mm PWX power supply: 93 mm x 233 mm x 45 mm
- Weight
- Audio section: 0.6 kg netto PWX power supply: 1.0 kg netto
Manufacturer's Description — Lehmann Audio
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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- 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)
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- 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)
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