.....sometimes the classics....just keep wringing true.

....my unit:
http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649353546-audio-research-ls2b-mkii-line-stere...

I have had quite a few Line Stages in here. FINALLY, one I can live with when I'm not running my ZMA direct.....it is the LS2.

Big and F'n bold wide and deep soundstage and the images on that soundstage .....forgetta about it'!!!

I think this Reviewer put it best:

"But however much one might wish to down-play the thermionics, this is one high-emotion performer. For all of the precision, detail and 'colourlessness', the LS2
laughs and cries and sighs and wails with abandon. Naturally, no concoction of nuts'n'bolts'n'resistors'n'wires comes complete with its own soul; the secret is in not stripping the music signal of the subtleties which contain the emotion within the performance. Far from stripping the music of ambience and warmth, it showcases these aspects."

.....If you can find one....on the used market in great un-swollen shape...snap it up. I'm, fortunately only 30 mins drive across town if I need to revamp her.

Sheer, Ode to Joy.............driving my Zen Mystery Amplifier.







Listening Room:



Room Treatments from Michael Green & Home Brew


Sony as Transport (DVP-NS57P)

Illuminati D-60 Digital Coax IC ~.5 meter


Shunyata Research Zitron Alpha Digital Power Cord to ZDSD {Significant}


Decware ZDSD DAC / Recorder ++
***************************************************************
W/Steve's Output Transformer's/kicking to the Curb quite a few superb DAC'S
***************************************************************
(@ -20 Ref Level, 0.0 Input volume and @ 16/192)


WBT Kimber KS1030 ~.5 meter


Audio Research Pre w/remote volume & mute LS-2B MkII
NOS Platinum/Mullard 7308/E188CC / Cryogenic
(ARC Pre rotated in and out)


WBT-0102Ag RCA Kimber Select KS1030 ~.75 meter


currently.....Tungsram PCC88/7DJ8 ~ 1 pair....in for Inputs/ZMA

Decware Zen Mystery Amplifier
~BIASED at *56* mA~
NOS/Platinum/Mullard E188CC/7308's in my A12 an B12 Input positions Cryogenic~NOS/Platinum/Telefunken E88CC for Inverter Tubes~NOS RCA 0A3's & matched Quad/Tung-Sol KT66's
ZMA adjusted at 20% to 30-40% max ~ from 0 Gain ~ w/ZDSD running direct to ZMA only
ZMA adjusted at  80-90% or 100% gain ~ w/ARC Line Stage, running via Remote Control



***************************************************
Kimber Select KS6063 Speaker Cable 8ft WBT-0681-Ag Spades
***************************************************
Kimber 8TC new/white & clear jacket/to remind me of how fluid/timbre correct and good the KS6063 are



Acoustic Zen Adagio - Black Pearl (Modified)
.....enjoying from 8 ohm ZMA Taps


Caintuck Audio Eminence Alpha 15" OB BASS Unit
at 53Hz, with my Velodyne CHT 130 watt plate amp and 0 degree phase.....at 1/6 volume on plate
Plate Amp....regen'd clean ~ plugged into P3







Acoustic Zen Adagio's x-over's Modified/Full Range with Mundorf MCap Supremes-single Cap to each Tweeter/4.5k cross
(Gutted: 3kHz/18dB/Octave, Linkwitz/Riley Crossovers....with all crappy parts = gone)


XLO Pro Power Cord to ZMA
PS Audio P3 Power Plant / Pangea AC-9SE from wall to P3
(Transport, ARC Pre, and ZDSD, Regenerated/*120*~ Multiwave off...ZMA on High Current Output).

++ ZDSD DAC, kicked to the Curb: Auralic Vega, PS Audio PWT & PWD, PS Audio Direct Stream DAC, Chord Qute, NAD M51 (twice) & Schiit Yggdrasil.


~NOS Platinum Tubes from Upscale Audio/Kevin:

(Great Britain) Mullard 7308/E188CC ~  2 pair (both pair Cryogenic)
(Germany) Telefunken E88CC ~ 1 pair (painfully expensive/worth it)
(US/Great Britain) Ediswan CV2492/6922 ~ 2 pair (one pair Cryogenic)
(Hungary) Tungsram 6922/E88CC ~ 1 pair
(Hungary) Tungsram PCC88/7DJ8 ~ 1 pair.

From Cryoset:
(Russia) 6N23N/P-EB ~ 2 pair

(Russia) 6N23P's ~ 2 pair/came with ZMA.    

I have found the Pre for the rest of my days.

It is the LS-2B MkII....with its definition of density and air, running through my ZMA's class A as well, honesty.

6922 variants matter too:

~Mullard 7308/E188CC ~ Cryogenic.....in the LS-2B

~Ediswan CV2492/6922 ~ pair, for inputs/ZMA
(just switched to these from Tungsram's...which are stellar)

~Telefunken 6922/E88CC ~ 1 pair (painfully expensive/worth it)
.......as my inverter's
.................................all NOS Platinum.








Listening Room:



Room Treatments from Michael Green & Home Brew


Sony as Transport (DVP-NS57P)

Illuminati D-60 Digital Coax IC ~.5 meter


Shunyata Research Zitron Alpha Digital Power Cord to ZDSD {Significant}


Decware ZDSD DAC / Recorder ++
***************************************************************
W/Steve's Output Transformer's/kicking to the Curb quite a few superb DAC'S
***************************************************************
(@ -20 Ref Level, 0.0 Input volume and @ 16/192)


WBT RCA Kimber KS1030 ~.5 meter


Audio Research Stereo Line Stage Amplifier w/remote volume & mute LS-2B MkII
NOS Platinum/Mullard 7308/E188CC / Cryogenic


WBT-0102Ag RCA Kimber Select KS1030 ~.75 meter


currently.....NOS Platinum Tungsram PCC88/7DJ8 ~ 1 pair....in for Inputs/ZMA

Decware Zen Mystery Amplifier
~BIASED at *56* mA~
NOS/Platinum/Mullard E188CC/7308's in my A12 an B12 Input positions Cryogenic~NOS/Platinum/Telefunken E88CC for Inverter Tubes~NOS RCA 0A3's & matched Quad/Tung-Sol KT66's

ZMA adjusted at  70-90% Gain ~ w/ARC Line Stage, running via Remote Control



***************************************************
Kimber Select KS6063 Speaker Cable 8ft WBT-0681-Ag Spades
***************************************************
Kimber 8TC new/white & clear jacket/to remind me of how fluid/timbre correct and good the KS6063 are
Also Read.....the lowest noise floor you will ever witness....that a $5180 pair of speaker cables should have....and they do.....(I was fortunate to get them for $2680/Demo pair/mint, from the CableCo....worth every penny/extraordinary realism.....)



Acoustic Zen Adagio - Black Pearl (Modified)
.....enjoying from 8 ohm ZMA Taps


Caintuck Audio Eminence Alpha 15" OB BASS Unit
at 53Hz, with my Velodyne CHT 130 watt plate amp and 0 degree phase.....at 1/6 volume on plate
Plate Amp....regen'd clean ~ plugged into P3







Acoustic Zen Adagio's x-over's Modified/Full Range with Mundorf MCap Supremes-single Cap to each Tweeter/4.5k cross
(Gutted: 3kHz/18dB/Octave, Linkwitz/Riley Crossovers....with all crappy parts = gone)


XLO Pro Power Cord to ZMA
PS Audio P3 Power Plant / Pangea AC-9SE from wall to P3
(Transport, ARC Pre, and ZDSD, Regenerated/*120*~ Multiwave off...ZMA on High Current Output).

++ ZDSD DAC, kicked to the Curb: Auralic Vega, PS Audio PWT & PWD, PS Audio Direct Stream DAC, Chord Qute, NAD M51 (twice) & Schiit Yggdrasil.


~NOS Platinum Tubes from Upscale Audio/Kevin:

(Great Britain) Mullard 7308/E188CC ~  2 pair (both pair Cryogenic)
(Germany) Telefunken E88CC ~ 1 pair (painfully expensive/worth it)
(US/Great Britain) Ediswan CV2492/6922 ~ 2 pair (one pair Cryogenic)
(Hungary) Tungsram 6922/E88CC ~ 1 pair
(Hungary) Tungsram PCC88/7DJ8 ~ 1 pair.

From Cryoset:
(Russia) 6N23N/P-EB ~ 2 pair

(Russia) 6N23P's ~ 2 pair/came with ZMA.    

...I'm rolling back my previous post. This is a great Line Stage for the ZMA.

The ZMA has adjustable input gain.....a must.

Riding the gain's of both: ZMA/Audio Research LS-2B MkII.....and with a Mullard 7308/E188CC ~ Cryogenic.....in the LS-2B.....and my PCC88 Tungsrams for inputs in my ZMA
.......+NOS/Platinum/Telefunken 6922/E88CC for Inverter Tubes~NOS RCA 0A3's & matched Quad/Tung-Sol KT66's .....

.......+ my Kimber Select Loom.........sound staging and dynamics....are second to none!  

Now, run this Line Stage into a Class A/B Amp with less than my Select and NOS Platinum Tubes.....well, you won't get to hear.......wha this Line Stage can do.  Not being a snob....just the facts of the matter.

Happy Camper.

In a higher price bracket I have found two preamps that make very nice music with my ZMA. Interesting enough, they are both from Japan. On the solid state side of things is the Luxman C-800f and on the tube side is the Zanden Model 3100.

Both units exhibit great purity that mates well with the 'liquid honesty' of the ZMA. They can be found used in the $5-6K range. Oh, and the both look stunning, especially the Zanden.

I had her for sale in the month of April. I had two offer's and one was fair. However, I did not sell her!
This Line Stage, is to damn good to let go.

I owned an 6H30 based ARC Pre....Stone no like.
The 6922 tube variant .....way better to me.


This Line Stage is a keeper. However, the ZMA driven direct....is damn Special.

.......here is my order of Listening (keeping each scenario in one to two weeks at a time):

ZMA direct from ZDSD with Ediswan pair (Cryo'd) CV2492/6922 ....as inputs/ZMA

ZMA direct from ZDSD with Mullard pair (Cryo'd) 7308/E188CC ....as inputs/ZMA

ARC LS-2B/single Mullard 7308/E188CC (Cryo'd) to Tungsram pair PCC88/7DJ8 ...inputs/ZMA

.....I have my best pair of Cryogenic Ediswan's in right now/direct as above mentioned....Heaven....with Gold Lion Cryogenic KT88's. However, the Tungsram's/ZMA inputs, I think are the best with these output tubes. Fun!

What makes the magic happen for the Mullard's, Ediswan's, Tungsram's as input tubes/ZMA & Mullard/single tube in my LS-2B MkII?
......this Telefunken for inverter/ZMA:
https://www.upscaleaudio.com/collections/vacuum-tubes/products/telefunken-e88cc-...

6P's, KT66's & KT88's for output tubes.
NOS RCA 0A3.