My goodness, the Leben Hi-Fi Stereo Company RS-30EQ phono stage has certainly had 'legs' in my audio life.

It was way back in Positive Feedback Issue 43 that I first wrote about the Leben RS-30EQ, nearly 13 years ago now!

There's only two amplification components that are still here with me as trusted references over that lengthy period of time - the Leben CS-600 integrated amplifier and the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer. 

When I find audio products that I really like I tend to stick with them, and before I knew it 13 years have gone by since I first wrote about the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer!

Here's something else that is really cool: When I first wrote about the Leben RS-30EQ for Positive Feedback 13 years ago, it sold for $2595 USD. 

Using an inflation calculator over that period one would expect the price of the Leben RS-30EQ to increase by 32.2%, resulting in a price of of $3,431.78 

Yet 13 years later the price is only $2995 USD, so there was much less price escalation due to inflation for the RS-30EQ over that span of time than is typical for most hi-fi components, making the Leben RS-30EQ a stone-cold bargain in 2022 dollars.

The Leben RS-30EQ normally resides in my vintage inspired audio-visual system based on Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers, but for the time being it has migrated to my primary music system based on Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers, as it so synergistically pairs with the remarkable Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier.

Normally I don't recommend a mix & match approach to amplification components, as it is usually the case that the best performance is to be had when you combine components from the same manufacturer, as they are designed to synergistically work together.

However, it turns out that the Leben RS-30EQ plays well others, and it is a very happy match to the Triode Lab 45 SET 'Ferrari EVO' integrated amplifier.

Trivia bit for you: The Triode Lab 45 SET 'Ferrari EVO' is painted in actual 'Ferrari red' paint, and the 'EVO' part of the name of 45 EVO is a nod to the remarkable performance of the exotic Ferrari EVO sports cars, of which Frank at Triode Lab is a big fan. 

The EVO (short for Evoluzione) designation is fitting, as the 45 EVO is a remarkable performer by any measure, and at its base price of $7500 USD the 45 EVO has to be the amplifier performance bargain of the century. 

The 2 watt Triode Lab 45 SET EVO integrated amplifier won't be for everyone, as you need loudspeakers of approximately 100dB sensitivity (or above) to get the most out of the level of performance the 45 EVO is capable of.

If you have speakers that can accommodate the 45 EVO, you'd be hard pressed to find an integrated amplifier that can perform at this level for anywhere near its relatively affordable base price of $7500 USD.

The performance of the 45 EVO integrated amplifier is remarkable in terms of musicality and sound quality, and I've yet to hear an integrated amplifier that can match its level of performance on my Tannoy Westminsters.

It turns out that the Leben RS-30EQ is up to the high-performance challenge the Triode Lab 45 SET EVO integrated amplifier represents, and in combination with the Audio Note (UK) Io I MC phono cartridge, AN-S4 step-up transformer, and AN-V silver interconnects (review HERE), the Leben RS-30EQ delivers superb musicality and sound quality from vinyl records.

Let me remind you about the design of the Leben RS-30EQ: 

"A little background on the design of the RS-30EQ: Hyodo-san divides classic valve phono stages into two basic design genres: those like the Marantz Model 7 that use negative feedback (NFB) to achieve RIAA phono equalization; and those like the Harman Kardon Citation IV that use no NFB, and use capacitors and resistors (CR) to achieve RIAA equalization (and which Hyodo-san considers to be "a masterpiece" of phono preamplifier design)."

"The vintage Marantz Model 7 uses three stages of 12AX7 amplification for RIAA equalization where NFB is applied from the 3rd stage cathode to the 1st stage cathode. Hyodo San says the good points of the NFB type equalization as used in the Marantz are that it's easy to get a good signal-to-noise ratio; it doesn't require high gain; and it isn't very sensitive to tube quality. He says the downside of the NFB approach is that the impedance at high frequencies becomes very low which gives a hard and dry sound that negatively affects musicality."

"The downside of the vintage Harman Kardon Citation IV style of CR equalization is the need for high gain and a dependence on very high quality tubes. Implementation is also more difficult than with NFB designs because the tubes are directly amplified, and only the finest can be used. Hyodo San feels that the difficulties of the CR type of equalization are worth the extra design trouble because it is so stable in the high frequencies, which provides superior musicality by being much more transparent, and more natural and involving sounding."

"As you would expect, Hyodo-san designed the Leben RS-30EQ phono preamplifier as a zero negative feedback CR RIAA equalizer in the spirit of the classic Harman Kardon Citation IV. The RS-30EQ is accurate to less than +/-0.2% of the RIAA curve, uses two NOS General Electric Joint Army-Navy (JAN) 12AT7s in the gain stage, one NOS G.E. 6X5GT rectifier, has an input impedance of 47Kohm, and has an overall gain of 23.5dB. The RS-30EQ can be used with a moving magnet cartridge, or with a moving coil cartridge in combination with a step-up transformer ..." 

"Construction quality is typical Leben—superb. The styling of the RS-30EQ phono preamplifier follows the same theme as the integrated amplifiers, which I happen to think is quite beautiful with its gold front and back panels, green highlighting, and wood side panels. On the front panel is a very tasteful lavender indicator that illuminates the word 'Leben' in its center to indicate that the phono preamplifier is fully powered up and ready to play music after power turn-on."

I might add that the phono stage in the $7699 USD Audio Note (UK) Oto Phono SE Signature integrated amplifier (and the $19,300 USD Meishu too, I think, but I need to check on that) uses the same sort of no negative feedback circuit design, with capacitors and resistors (CR) used to achieve RIAA equalization.

The zero negative feedback CR RIAA equalizer circuit used in the Leben RS-30EQ is a classic approach to a high-performance phono stage design that has stood the test of time, and is a very good sounding phono stage at that, both from musicality and sound quality perspectives.

So after 13 years with the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer what do I think of it?

I'm more impressed with the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer's performance now than ever, and its not going anywhere except into my audio systems for my own continued personal listening enjoyment.

The Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer has clearly demonstrated to me that it doesn't come up short in musicality or sound quality, even when paired with the state-of-art Triode Lab 45 SET 'Ferrari EVO' integrated amplifier, and the superb combination of the Audio Note (UK) Io I MC phono cartridge, AN-S4 step-up transformer, and AN-V silver interconnects (which cost multiples of the RS-30EQ's price).

Importantly, the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer has also been completely reliable, and all I've done for maintenance over the decade+ that I've had it is put in a couple of sets of new vacuum tubes - that's it. 

I also happen to think the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer is one gorgeous piece of hi-fi kit. It's gold finish with green highlights and wood side panels just looks classy, and I would have to say the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer has really become a classic design in its own right.

Hyodo-san has my utmost respect, he has designed a contemporary classic in the Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer, whose enduring quality I've come to appreciate more and more over time.

The Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer is still crazy good after all these years, and highly recommended to vinyl lovers everywhere by yours truly!

As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!