New Concert Fidelity CF-080 LSX2-V2

MarinJim

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Feb 2, 2011
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Has anyone compared/contrasted the LS, LSX and LSX V2 with the new boards? I am hard pressed to imagine a big improvement on the awesome CF-080 LX2. Sorry for the LX2 typo in the title.
 
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MarinJim

New Member
Feb 2, 2011
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This is a top 5 preamp in the world and no news?
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I have never heard of this company.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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New York City
I have never heard of this company.

They were at RMAF with the Kaiser Acoustics speakers.

Problem is that they don't have a lot of distribution here. First heard them three years or so ago at RMAF and tried to get them for review. Got nowhere with trying to communicate via email. No answer. They are I think now distributed by Eastwind Imports.
 

MarinJim

New Member
Feb 2, 2011
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They were at RMAF with the Kaiser Acoustics speakers.

Problem is that they don't have a lot of distribution here. First heard them three years or so ago at RMAF and tried to get them for review. Got nowhere with trying to communicate via email. No answer. They are I think now distributed by Eastwind Imports.

I think you will get more help by contacting Mike at Precision Audio in Moorpark, CA. He puts together some of the "Best at Show" at many audio venues, pairing Venture speakers, Concert Fidelity preamps with Hegel amps and Weiss Engineering DACs.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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New York City
I think you will get more help by contacting Mike at Precision Audio in Moorpark, CA. He puts together some of the "Best at Show" at many audio venues, pairing Venture speakers, Concert Fidelity preamps with Hegel amps and Weiss Engineering DACs.

Know Mike well. ;)
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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I have never heard of this company.

FWIW, if you look on A'Gon, Teajay (well known for his excellent and thorough Reference DACS: An Overall Perspective) and Prawax both own and speak very highly of Concert Fidelity pre as well as DAC. some lengthy comments and specific reviews there.
 

MarinJim

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Feb 2, 2011
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Know Mike well. ;)

He is one of the nicest people in audio/video I have ever talked to, and he is directly responsible for my audio progression. He freely gives his time without asking for a sale, even though he does not carry " market/commercial driven" products.
 

ted_b

Well-Known Member
Feb 4, 2011
113
7
405
Teajay is a dear friend of mine. We talk weekly, and he and Mike Kay tuned me on to Hajime, Tsuda San and the folks at CF. I own the latest CF-080 LSX with the latest Rev 2 boards, etc. (before the big expensive Oct 2011 hardware upgrade to V2). Because I need to go XLR, I am selling it, priced to go . It is a wonderful preamp. Anyone interested, or know anyone interested, please PM me. Not gonna make this a classified ad, of course.

The CF-080 is the pre owned by Steve Hoffman, Dick Olsher and others. I haven't heard the V2 version.
 

MarinJim

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Feb 2, 2011
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I hope someone can talk about the virtues of the new CF-80LSX2. I already know how great the LSX is.
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
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I am having a listen to a friends LSX as he has upgraded to a LSX-2.

Sound wise it is excellent. I like the clarity and lack of bass weight yet it does not sound light weight at all. It still sounds nice and balanced with the vocals a bit up front
However the large volume control steps and a total lack of a mute is mind boggling frustrating. There is a mute, but all it does is turn the volume down to zero each time, so you are forced to flick an unused input a best compromise. I know it is all about the music, but this too me is a game breaker.

Does anyone know of a similar sounding pre amp with a good remote , fine volume steps and mute that works.
 

Nevillekapadia

VIP/Donor
Aug 30, 2010
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I have had the LSX 2 coming on close to a year moving up from the LSX.

It just does more of what the LSX gives would be a simple way of putting it across. Most noticable is the darker background.

@turntable - it took Masa-san (owner/designer) about 15 years of his life to get the volume control up to the expectations he wanted. Unfortunately the mute works the way it does, as it does not then interefere with his philosophy of the shortest signal route and probably a degredation to the performance.

When Steve Hoffman and Dick Olsher used it as a reference, and HP viewed the performance in a top 5 component level (this was the LSX version)
it was the sound/performance that got them.

Others have gone on to more dearer pre-amps due to a need for balanced designs, but here I am talking about AR anniversary, Ypsilon?, etc. one I knew who did still felt that the CF was up there without a doubt in that level.

Enjoy the performance while you have it.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,376
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I am having a listen to a friends LSX as he has upgraded to a LSX-2.

Sound wise it is excellent. I like the clarity and lack of bass weight yet it does not sound light weight at all. It still sounds nice and balanced with the vocals a bit up front
However the large volume control steps and a total lack of a mute is mind boggling frustrating. There is a mute, but all it does is turn the volume down to zero each time, so you are forced to flick an unused input a best compromise. I know it is all about the music, but this too me is a game breaker.

Does anyone know of a similar sounding pre amp with a good remote , fine volume steps and mute that works.

How does it compare to your GAT?
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
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How does it compare to your GAT?

On sound quality alone it is quite similar on my prem8a's. The gat has more bass weight, the cf more forward in the vocals area. The cf is more open between the upper bass and mids. The cf is more responding to tube changes.
I preferred the cf over the gat on the ss prem350.

Both excellent sounding pre amps.
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
3,581
2,550
1,860
Sydney
I have had the LSX 2 coming on close to a year moving up from the LSX.

It just does more of what the LSX gives would be a simple way of putting it across. Most noticable is the darker background.

@turntable - it took Masa-san (owner/designer) about 15 years of his life to get the volume control up to the expectations he wanted. Unfortunately the mute works the way it does, as it does not then interefere with his philosophy of the shortest signal route and probably a degredation to the performance.

When Steve Hoffman and Dick Olsher used it as a reference, and HP viewed the performance in a top 5 component level (this was the LSX version)
it was the sound/performance that got them.

Others have gone on to more dearer pre-amps due to a need for balanced designs, but here I am talking about AR anniversary, Ypsilon?, etc. one I knew who did still felt that the CF was up there without a doubt in that level.

Enjoy the performance while you have it.

Hi Neville

No doubt you are enjoying the cf pre amp. It sounds wonderful.
Funny my audio notes on the above referred to the cf with Mazda 12au7 tubes. With Sylvania tubes it was warmer and rounder and closer in tone to my gat, whereas with the Mazda the sound was drier and leaner. The cf had a lighter touch to the gat in the bass frequencies which is pleasing in my system.

For me, with 4 different turntables and teenage daughter who is starting to spin vinyl, the lack of mute and the rather large volume steps is a no go for me. Having to shove my arm through the rack to the back of the cf, just to switch it off was a pita as well.
I guess I have been living with the luxury of full functionality in my current pre amp for too long.

Cheers
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,376
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On sound quality alone it is quite similar on my prem8a's. The gat has more bass weight, the cf more forward in the vocals area. The cf is more open between the upper bass and mids. The cf is more responding to tube changes.
I preferred the cf over the gat on the ss prem350.

Both excellent sounding pre amps.

thanks...with the pre350, i could believe the CF would be preferable based on what i have read about the CF. Good stuff. Are you thinking of keeping CF?
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
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Not keeping it Lloyd. It is back with the owner who is doing the upgrade. I cannot go back to no mute or large spaced volume steps.

Sounded very good thou.
 
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MarinJim

New Member
Feb 2, 2011
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I believe the stand bye switch is on the back because they is no need to use on a daily basis. Good luck with your sale. I listened to both and feel the LSX2 is not worth the extra $4K, imho.
 

Bill Hart

Well-Known Member
May 11, 2012
2,683
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I very much wanted to hear this linestage but didn't get the chance. There were used LSX available in the States for 6 grand or so, but I thought sending it back to the factory for an upgrade to "2" spec was more like 6 grand (which, frankly, still wasn't bad compared to 24k for a new one, other than the logistics of dealing with all that).
I bought the Veloce and am quite pleased with it, but obviously did not compare it to the CF. I don't know if it is distributed down under though.
 

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