The Black Cube concept in full-width casework, with the gain switching brought out onto the front panel and genuinely adjustable input capacitance. The Decade addresses the two things that most irritate people about small phono stages. First, the adjustments are no longer underneath: gain of 36, 46, 56 and 66dB is selected by front-panel toggle switches operating internal relays, so matching a cartridge no longer means turning the unit over with a torch and a magnifying glass. One toggle picks the moving magnet or moving coil step, a second adds 10dB, and a third switches in a 50Hz bass filter at 6dB per octave. Second, and more consequentially, input capacitance is genuinely adjustable. Where the Black Cube models fix it at 100pF, the Decade offers 47pF to 1,370pF, with DIP-selected values summing on top of a 47pF base. That matters a great deal for moving magnet cartridges, which specify a capacitive load and which sound audibly different when it is wrong — and it is the single clearest reason to choose a Decade over a Black Cube. The rest of the engineering steps up too. Output impedance drops to 5 ohms, more than a tenfold improvement on the Black Cube’s 47, which makes the Decade far less fussy about what it drives and how long the cable is. Signal-to-noise improves to 78dB for moving magnet and 69dB for moving coil, RMS unweighted. Impedance loading offers 47k ohms, 1k ohm and 100 ohms plus two internal R/C slots for custom values. Power comes from the matching PWX II, a separate chassis of identical 110 by 280 by 50mm footprint drawing around 13VA, joined by a shielded cable with Neutrik connectors. Note that while gain is on the front panel, impedance and capacitance remain internal DIP switches. Features Front-panel toggle switches for gain and the bass filter, operating internal relays Gain of 36, 46, 56 and 66dB with no case opening required Input capacitance adjustable from 47pF to 1,370pF — the key advantage over the Black Cube range Loading at 47k Ω, 1k Ω or 100 Ω, plus two internal R/C slots for custom values Output impedance of just 5 Ω Signal-to-noise of 78dB MM and 69dB MC, RMS unweighted Matching PWX II power supply in a separate chassis of the same footprint 50Hz bass filter at 6dB/octave, switched from the front panel Specifications Type: MM/MC phono preamplifier, two-box Gain: 36dB, 46dB, 56dB, 66dB Gain Selection: Front-panel toggle switches operating internal relays. An MC toggle selects 36dB (MM) or 56dB (MC); a High Gain toggle adds 10dB to either. No case opening required Sensitivity for 775mV Output: MM 3.8mV at 1kHz; MC 0.38mV at 1kHz, with high gain active Maximum Input Level at 1kHz: MM 45mV; MC 4.5mV Signal-to-Noise Ratio: MM 78dB; MC 69dB, RMS unweighted Channel Separation: Greater than 80dB at 10kHz Channel Mismatch: Typically a maximum of 0.5dB Input Impedance: 47k Ω, 1k Ω, 100 Ω, plus one custom load. Two R/C slots are provided, each activated by the channel-associated DIP switch Impedance Selection: Internal DIP switches. Note that gain is on the front panel but impedance and capacitance are not Input Capacitance: 47pF to 1,370pF, adjustable. The base capacitance is 47pF and individual DIP switch values sum when activated together Output Impedance: 5 Ω Bass Filter: 50Hz at 6dB/octave, switched from the front panel Power Supply: PWX II, included, in a separate chassis of matching size, connected by shielded cable with Neutrik connectors Power Consumption: Approximately 13VA Mains and Fuse: 120V AC for the USA and Canada with a 500mA fuse; 240V AC for Europe with a 250mA fuse Dimensions: 110 x 280 x 50 mm (W x D x H) for each of the two chassis Weight: 0.87kg audio section; 1.56kg PWX II power supply Connectors: Gold-plated RCA input and output; ground terminal; four-pole Neutrik XLR control and power input for the PWX II Origin: Lehmann states in its manuals that all its products are developed and manufactured exclusively in Germany. The company is Lehmannaudio Vertriebs GmbH of Cologne Warranty: Two years. Lehmann states that the use of only the very best components enables it to grant a two-year warranty, that each device is tested individually, and that the purchase receipt is the proof of warranty. Lehmann Audio is distributed in the United States by Ortofon Inc. of Ossining, New York, who administer service and warranty here Not Published: Lehmann publishes no RIAA accuracy or deviation tolerance, no THD or THD+N figure, no frequency response range and no maximum output voltage — not for this model and not for any product in the range. Its literature describes a precise passive RIAA network but never quantifies the deviation. If you find those numbers on another retailer’s listing, they did not come from Lehmann. Lehmann also does not print a complete per-switch map of the capacitance DIP positions, so we are not going to publish individual increment values or a step count Note: The adjustable input capacitance is the practical dividing line in Lehmann’s range. The Black Cube Statement, Black Cube II and Black Cube SE II are all fixed at 100pF. If you run a moving magnet cartridge that specifies a particular capacitive load, this is the model that can give it to you
