Lehmann Audio Linear D MKII
Headphone amplifier with integrated ESS Sabre DAC, featuring two simultaneous headphone outputs and a preamp function for active speakers.
Description
The Linear D MKII is a headphone amplifier with integrated digital-to-analogue converter, designed to sit between a streamer or CD player and one or more headphones. It automatically recognises the digital signals present on its inputs and selects the active source without manual intervention on a selector. Thanks to its analogue input and two digital inputs, it can also serve as a preamplifier to power active speakers.
The conversion core is built around an ESS Sabre K2M chipset mounted on a four-layer board, paired with low-loss mica capacitors in the analogue filter and fast amplification stages on the converter board. The analogue board, made from Low-Z copper, feeds two discrete Class A solid-state output stages, allowing two headphone outputs of equal impedance to be used simultaneously in parallel. Gain is adjustable across four positions (0, 10, 18 and 20 dB) via DIP switches, allowing the output level to be matched to headphones of differing sensitivities. Frequency response extends from 10 Hz to 35 kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio above 100 dB at 0 dB gain and harmonic distortion below 0.001% at 6 mW into 300 ohms.
This type of device is aimed at music enthusiasts with high-end headphones who wish to make the most of a carefully engineered digital-to-analogue conversion, whether the source is a streamer, a CD player, or a turntable connected via analogue. The ability to connect two headphones simultaneously also makes it a sound choice for shared listening between two people, without compromising the power delivered to each.
Technical specifications
| Input impedance | 47 kOhms |
| Maximum gain | 0 dB, 10 dB, 18 dB, 20 dB (selectable via DIP switches) |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz (-0.3 dB) to 35 kHz (-1 dB) |
| Signal to noise ratio | > 100 dB at 0 dB gain |
| Total harmonic distortion (THD) | < 0.001% at 6 mW/300 Ohms |
| Channel separation | > 80 dB at 10 kHz |
| Output power | 400 mW/60 Ohms; 200 mW/300 Ohms |
| Output impedance (pre out) | 50 Ohms |
| Output impedance (phones out) | 5 Ohms |
| Connections | 1x pre-out, 2x phones out, 1x Toslink digital input (automatic priority), 1x 75 ohm RCA input |
| Sampling frequencies | 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz |
| Resolution | 24-bit |
| Chipset | ESS Sabre K2M |
| Analogue filter | Silver mica capacitors |
| Max. DAC output level | 1.8 V rms |
What to check before buying used
When buying a used unit, it is worth checking that the volume potentiometer functions correctly, as this is a mechanical part prone to wear and crackling over time, as well as the condition of the two gold-contact Neutrik headphone sockets and the gold-plated, Teflon-insulated RCA connectors, which can suffer from repeated plugging. It is also useful to test the various positions of the DIP-switch gain selector to ensure they switch correctly, as well as the automatic switching between digital and analogue input, which should occur without cutting out or introducing noise.
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