Lehmann Audio - Black Cube Statement Phono Stage

Lehmann’s smallest and most affordable phono stage — and despite the name, the entry point to the range rather than its summit.

Let us deal with the name first, because it misleads people. The Black Cube Statement is Lehmann’s entry-level phono stage: the smallest box the company makes at 103 by 108 by 45mm, the lightest at 280 grams, and the only one in the family powered by a simple external 24V adapter rather than a dedicated power supply chassis. If you are looking for the top of the Lehmann range, that is the Silver Cube.

What it is, though, is a proper Lehmann. The circuit is its own design rather than a cut-down Black Cube II, with a gain structure of 31, 41, 51 and 61dB, an output impedance below 100 ohms, and consumption of about 1VA. Equalisation is a precise passive RIAA network, and the casework is the family’s non-magnetic aluminium with a mechanically damped top cover to keep microphony and resonance out of the signal.

Gain is set in two places, which is worth knowing before you buy. A DIP switch on the underside picks between 41dB for moving magnet and 61dB for moving coil. Internal jumpers add a further 10dB and are fitted active from the factory — so reaching the 31dB and 51dB settings means opening the case. Loading offers 47k ohms, 1k ohm and 100 ohms plus a custom slot for a user-fitted resistor, with input capacitance fixed at 100pF.

A 50Hz bass filter at 6dB per octave is fitted but switched off at the factory, enabled by internal jumpers. Do not expect an active subsonic filter out of the box.

Features

• Lehmann’s entry-level phono stage, made in Germany
• MM and MC, with gain of 31, 41, 51 and 61dB
• Loading at 47k Ω, 1k Ω or 100 Ω, plus a custom impedance slot
• Precise passive RIAA equalisation network
• Non-magnetic aluminium casework with a mechanically damped top cover
• Output impedance below 100 Ω
• 50Hz bass filter at 6dB/octave, jumper-enabled — disabled at the factory
• External 24V adapter accepting 100 – 240V AC mains

Specifications

• Type: MM/MC phono preamplifier
• Range Position: Entry level. Despite the name, this is the smallest and least expensive phono stage Lehmann makes
• Gain: 31dB, 41dB, 51dB, 61dB
• Gain Selection: A DIP switch on the underside selects 41dB (MM) or 61dB (MC). Internal gain jumpers add 10dB and are active at delivery; removing them gives the 31dB and 51dB settings, which requires opening the case
• Sensitivity for 775mV Output: MM 7.4mV at 1kHz (41dB gain); MC 0.74mV at 1kHz (61dB gain)
• Maximum Input Level: MM 58mV; MC 5.6mV
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: MM 78dB; MC 57dB, RMS unweighted. See note below — these are referenced to a different sensitivity than the Black Cube II figures and are not directly comparable
• Channel Separation: Greater than 85dB at 10kHz
• Channel Mismatch: Typically 0.5dB
• Input Impedance: 47k Ω, 1k Ω, 100 Ω, plus one custom load slot
• Impedance Selection: Underside DIP switches for the fixed values; an internal slot takes a user-supplied resistor, fitted without soldering
• Input Capacitance: 100pF, fixed. No adjustment is published
• Output Impedance: Less than 100 Ω
• Bass Filter: 50Hz at 6dB/octave, activated by internal Bass_L and Bass_R jumpers. Disabled at the factory
• RIAA: Precise passive equalisation network
• Power Supply: External wall-type adapter supplying 24V, accepting 100 – 240V AC. Lehmann publishes no model name for it, and it is not a PWX
• Power Consumption: Approximately 1VA
• Dimensions: 103 x 108 x 45 mm (W x D x H)
• Weight: 0.28kg net
• Connectors: Gold-plated RCA sockets; ground terminal accepting cable, flex, open ends, cable lug or 4mm banana plug
• Casework: Non-magnetic aluminium with a mechanically damped top cover, to avoid microphony and resonance
• 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
• Note: Lehmann’s published signal-to-noise figures for this model look odd beside the Black Cube II — 78dB on MM against the Black Cube II’s 71dB, but 57dB on MC against its 63dB. The figures are referenced to a different input sensitivity (7.4mV MM and 0.74mV MC for 775mV out, against 3.8mV and 0.38mV on the Black Cube II), so they are not directly comparable and should not be read as this model outperforming the one above it