LEBEN CS600 OR CS300X

My feeling is that the value is in the 300...once you get to the 600, you're in a price range where going towards Shindo starts to make sense. Just because your budget goes to $5K, doesn't mean that $5K is what you should spend...IMHO, in these lines, a 300 makes sense around $3K, and an Aurieges-L/Montille makes sense at around $7K.

That being said, the 600 probably has the power you need...these things are never easy!

I haven't heard LM Audio, but my understanding is that they are a less expensive Chinese brand, that is aimed at people who like the Shindo/Leben type of sound but want to spend less money. In the US, they are imported and distributed by the same distributor, who definitely keeps a "house sound" among the gear he represents. Matt at Pitch Perfect Audio, who carries all 3 lines, has stated that as much as he likes the LM products, they are not really comparable to the Leben and Shindo gear, as might be expected given the price difference.

In terms of the Shindo vs. Leben sound - I'd say that Leben is a bit sweeter, and Shindo is a bit more layered and detailed. Shindo is generally a more punchy and dynamic sound than Leben, and is more to my liking - however, both work extremely well with Devore. It's a matter of how much you need in terms of dynamics and volume in your room.

Again, I'd probably shy away from a CS600 - even if it has a bit more power than a Montille, a Montille/Aurieges L is a better sounding combo at a similar price, and I suspect that the lack of power that you might occasionally feel would be offset by the fact that the Shindo combo has more layers to uncover as you listen to your music. And then if funds allow at a future time, you can upgrade to a bigger amp - which is a nice benefit of separates.

I agree with Bongofury that Leben has a sweeter midrange than Shindo, whereas Shindo lets you hear deeper into the music. I see Leben as more of the "classic" tube sound and Shindo as a master of detail - both are excellent at what they do IMHO.

Two things though -

1) Jonathan has far more experience with this gear than any of the rest of us, especially in the context of listening to Devore speakers, so if he says that he doesn't hear Leben as being more "sweet" sounding, then I would certainly put more value in what he says than it what I say.

2) I don't think that Shindo gear is for classical only, at all. I've seen that type of thing mentioned repeatedly, and I don't think it's accurate. I enjoy the depth of detail that you get with Shindo - that ability to have absolute clarity down to the last detail of a recording - and I do not listen to classical, virtually ever. The special ability that Shindo has with small-scale performances can be enjoyed with anything from pop to classic rock, from jazz to indie rock, etc. A good piece of gear is not dependant on the type of music it's playing to display it's strengths.

Fjn...for sure there's no harm in questioning an opinion, that's what this board is all about. My opinion is really only valid for my experience, and am sure that others have different opinions when hearing the same things.

I've heard Devore speakers with a variety of different amps in the Leben/Devore lineups over the last few years, both at the Montreal audio show and at Coup de Foudre. The Shindo combo they usually have on display at the store (when they can keep them in stock) has been Aurieges/Montille (though I may have heard other combos at other times - when the Shindo wasn't something I was looking at buying, I wasn't paying as much attention to model names, though I do remember listening once to a Giscours preamp), and at the audio show they've tended to bring Leben integrateds with the Devore speakers. So...my experience isn't scientific, as the room is a notable variable to consider.

With the P/E's, I do usually run my amp in tetrode as you mention, but for smaller scale recordings switch it over to triode. When I was comparing the ST150 to the MB125 EL-34 monoblocks in my system, the added power and control of the ST150 was a significant enough improvement that the triode mode had sufficient power for most types of music. But I still use tetrode about 75% of the time.

BTW...nice system that you have there. Do listen to the Leben amps if you get a chance one day, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts in comparison with the Shindo that you're used to.

I've heard those Nines many, many times, with lots of different equipment - all Shindo, Leben, Shindo-VTL (which I've also hear with some Wilson speakers and, of course, my own), and probably others that I don't recall. They're kind of my "go-to" speaker at this point at CDF, as I'm comfortable enough with them that I can get an idea of what gear does when I hear them. But of course I haven't done any strict "comparison tests" with any of this gear - I've just listened for enjoyment.

IMHO, the Nines are capable of an astonishingly high level of detail retrieval in the midrange, but are less refined at the frequency extensions, which are subtly rolled off in order to mask that deficiency. That's a pretty good way to design a speaker like this to be excellent in one area, without really having any audible downsides.

My point with all this...every piece of gear with a more developed, detailed midrange makes these speakers sound better, because those assets will shine right on through the speakers. I would be aiming for increases in midrange detail and texture with every piece of electronics that I buy for Nines (which I came quite close to buying before ultimately going with the Parsifals).