View Full Version : Any Luxman or Accuphase owners?
I'm 'thinking' about changing my amplification, mainly because I'm only using the power amp section in my Naim Superuniti. It seems a bit of a waste to have other electronic capabilties that I'm not using and probably won't. Which brings me to other possible candidates. My preferance for sound presentation is punchy and leaning towards rich rather than dry, though I do like to hear everything in the music well defined.....if that makes any sense? I guess I'm saying that I lean towards the Naim/Cyrus presentation.
So my question is would Luxman or Accuphase deliver that kind of sound. It maybe the look of these amps that is seductive, especially compared to Naim or Cyrus.
hifi_dave
20-03-2017, 10:10
I recently decided to stock Luxman and very glad I did. The sound is exceptional by any standards and well above the likes of Naim and Cyrus. It's 'World class'.
killie99
20-03-2017, 13:06
I have a Luxman L550 aii. Naim or Cyrus it is not, far far from it.
It has a lush wonderful BIG sound. For me it ticks every box, oodles of inputs 2 of which are balanced, superb MM/MC input for an integrated, tone controls, balance control, loudness button and, and, and don't forget - the gorgeous meters (you can switch them off if you are so inclined but it makes zero difference to the sound).
As well as all the knobs and buttons, it's beautifully made, sounds sublime even driving Monitor Audio PL300's.
If you can audition one you'll buy it. The only amp i'd buy to replace it would be a Luxman 590 series , just for that little bit more power :)
I have a Luxman L550 aii. Naim or Cyrus it is not, far far from it.
It has a lush wonderful BIG sound. For me it ticks every box, oodles of inputs 2 of which are balanced, superb MM/MC input for an integrated, tone controls, balance control, loudness button and, and, and don't forget - the gorgeous meters (you can switch them off if you are so inclined but it makes zero difference to the sound).
As well as all the knobs and buttons, it's beautifully made, sounds sublime even driving Monitor Audio PL300's.
If you can audition one you'll buy it. The only amp i'd buy to replace it would be a Luxman 590 series , just for that little bit more power :)
Strangely enough I'm auditioning a 590AX ii at the end of the week. The 'Big lush sound' you speak of sounds just my thing. My speakers are B&W 804s's which have the same sensitivity as you PL's.
hifi_dave
20-03-2017, 15:13
550AXII and 590AXII here on demo with D-05U CD player. Truly excellent and not far from Norfolk.
Strangely enough I'm auditioning a 590AX ii at the end of the week. The 'Big lush sound' you speak of sounds just my thing. My speakers are B&W 804s's which have the same sensitivity as you PL's.
Your speakers might be above average sensitivity than normal for B&W, but they still love the juice...
Also, big and lush are not adjectives I would use to describe B&W speakers, not a bad thing, but they have a drier and neutral balance IMHO.
hifi_dave
20-03-2017, 16:53
The L-590AXII is rated as 30wpc but that is misleading as this refers to the Class-A output. After that, like a Krell, it slides into Class-AB to provide 95wpc into 8 ohms and 165wpc into 4 ohms.
FWIW, I bought an L590AX a couple of months ago to drive my Tannoy Berkeleys. I'm delighted with it and suspect it will be my last amp. It greatly exceeded my expectations and has really revealed the true potential of my deck and speakers. Looking forward to hearing your impressions David once you've heard the amp. I hope you'll be able to arrange a home demo.
I've listened to the L550AX with a very good CD source through Harbeth Super HL5's at Radlett Audio (thanks hifi dave). The sound was exceptionally detailed and transparent, if lacking in a bit of bass extention and weight, (but I'm used to floor standers with much more bottom end). The 590 should be arriving in a couple of weeks or so and I shall certainly give this a listen. Apparently this amp has a lot more authority and punch, which sounds more appealing. I will report back when auditioned.
I own the 507-uX. It is as stated above, except that it doesn't have the exact sound of the Class A amps. It is smooth and sounds fantastic, but has a little more drive and punch to my ears. I don't think you'd go wrong with either choice. I've owned loads of amps over the years, but this is the best for me by far. Especially as you get all the bells and whistles too! I was seriously tempted with the Croft to drive my P3ESR's, but I really wanted everything in one box. Remote, phono, headphone, balanced inputs, tone controls etc. etc...
I'm very interested in the Luxman intergrated amps from the mid seventies such as the L-100 but I'm a bit wary about spending the required funds on something about 40 years old, are these units worth the expense and are they easily fixable if something goes wrong?
walpurgis
05-04-2017, 23:03
Older Jap amps are great. It's worth doing a little research before buying one though, just to check if there are any parts availablity issues.
If for instance you bought a V/FET Sony TA-5650 or TA-8650 or similar and it packed up, you could be stuck. Which is a shame as they sound amazing.
Seventies Rotels and Trio's sound remarkably good and spares can be found. Find yourself a Trio 801 amp and be very happy.:)
Luxman amps are desirable, as are Harman Kardon. Some of these contain bits that may tricky to source though.
Having listened to the Luxman 590 I can report that it sounded hugely impressive. Effortless power, detail, separation and grunt. Everything I'd expect from a £7k amp. Oh, and it's beautiful to look at. Build quality looked faultless. I've just been reading reports on the Yamaha A-S3000 which seems to be a very similar beast for quite a bit less outlay, so I'm looking around for a demo of this amp now.
hifi_dave
06-04-2017, 17:10
Tried a couple of Yamahas and they are not similar in any way. i found them flat and uninvolving. There's only so much you can do for the money.
hifinutt
06-04-2017, 17:18
Having listened to the Luxman 590 I can report that it sounded hugely impressive. Effortless power, detail, separation and grunt. Everything I'd expect from a £7k amp. Oh, and it's beautiful to look at. Build quality looked faultless. I've just been reading reports on the Yamaha A-S3000 which seems to be a very similar beast for quite a bit less outlay, so I'm looking around for a demo of this amp now.
great , must try one one day . they certainly look great
hifi_dave
06-04-2017, 17:48
In my blog, I attempted to explain that Luxman is far more than just a.n.other Japanese brand with great looks, fabulous build and tons of facilities. They are vastly better than that and on a level which few companies attain at any price. Their electronics have that touch of 'magic' which sets them apart from the rest and on another planet.
OK, they look great, have wonderful meters and with no facility wanting but the sound and performance sets the brand apart and that is what's important to me.
I don't lightly spend thousands of my own money stocking a brand if it isn't special but that's what I have done with Luxman, because it deserves proper promotion and exposure.
That's me sold Dave, the Luxmans you are offering look something special and are certainly on my want list, just unfortunate that they are out of my price range for the time being. I'm currently driving a pair of Tannoy Precision 6.1stand standpeakers in a fairly small space, sitting about 2meters from them so I don't think I need an amp with much power, what do you think would suit the speakers in the modern market?
I will happily test one for a few years
Tried a couple of Yamahas and they are not similar in any way. i found them flat and uninvolving. There's only so much you can do for the money.
I'd still like to give one a listen Dave. All the reports I've read on the Yams say they need 50-100 hours to burn in and open up. From what I've heard, the Luxmans sound great straight out of the box.
I'd still like to give one a listen Dave. All the reports I've read on the Yams say they need 50-100 hours to burn in and open up. From what I've heard, the Luxmans sound great straight out of the box.
They do sound good straight away, but I've heard rumours of upwards of 3 - 400 hours for full burn in!! I have to say that listening tonight, it really is the best sound I have ever heard in my room. Totally musical, bags of detail and without boom or bloat. Absolutely perfect for me...
Having listened to the Luxman 590 I can report that it sounded hugely impressive. Effortless power, detail, separation and grunt.
In my blog, I attempted to explain that Luxman is far more than just a.n.other Japanese brand with great looks, fabulous build and tons of facilities. They are vastly better than that and on a level which few companies attain at any price. Their electronics have that touch of 'magic' which sets them apart from the rest and on another planet.
OK, they look great, have wonderful meters and with no facility wanting but the sound and performance sets the brand apart and that is what's important to me.
Sums up the L-590 very well. The only thing I would add is that the amp produces an exceptional sound stage with great precision and depth.
FWIW, I also like Yamaha amps and prior to the Luxman I was very happy with a C4/M4 pre-power for a couple of years. Happier now though :) I'll be interested to learn how you feel the AS-3000 stacks up.
hifi_dave
07-04-2017, 09:33
I'd still like to give one a listen Dave. All the reports I've read on the Yams say they need 50-100 hours to burn in and open up. From what I've heard, the Luxmans sound great straight out of the box.
The Luxman amps and CD players I have here sound great without any burn in but they do need 20 - 30 minutes warm up. If you use them cold, they simply sound 'great' but after warm up, the magic happens.
The Yamahas, to my ears and those of my colleague who stocks them, just do the job but are nothing special.
hifi_dave
07-04-2017, 09:38
That's me sold Dave, the Luxmans you are offering look something special and are certainly on my want list, just unfortunate that they are out of my price range for the time being. I'm currently driving a pair of Tannoy Precision 6.1stand standpeakers in a fairly small space, sitting about 2meters from them so I don't think I need an amp with much power, what do you think would suit the speakers in the modern market?
The L-550AXII and L-590AXII will both do the job nicely for you as they produce far more than their rated output, which appears to be the Class-A part of the power. But any of them will produce great sounds with your Tannoys.
The L--505UX is plenty powerful enough and at £3.5K isn't over priced, especially when you put it up against some of the plain black, empty boxes we have in the UK for similar outlay.
Received a Luxman SQ700X in the post today, currently connected to a Thorens TD150/Shure V15typeii. It's my first attempt at buying an amp on eBay and I think I've been a bit lucky, I did overspend on the TT last year though.
The phonostage sounds great, very musical, the aux is also in good order. Only 20watts into 8ohms but it fills the room. While the sound is great I've decided I'm not a big fan of all the knobs, they don't really contribute to the sound and they are just something else to go wrong. If I had the budget for a contemporary Luxman I would go for it, I was planning to go for the new Rega brio r later in the year but I think the Luxman will keep me otherwise entertained.
Older Jap amps are great. It's worth doing a little research before buying one though, just to check if there are any parts availablity issues.
If for instance you bought a V/FET Sony TA-5650 or TA-8650 or similar and it packed up, you could be stuck. Which is a shame as they sound amazing.
Seventies Rotels and Trio's sound remarkably good and spares can be found. Find yourself a Trio 801 amp and be very happy.:)
Luxman amps are desirable, as are Harman Kardon. Some of these contain bits that may tricky to source though.
Harman Kardon should not be mentioned in the same company with Luxman, not even close IMHO. They have always had a colored, inflated top end with an almost artificial attention to detail. Always! Yamaha is not bad at all. At the very top of the Mid Fi brands.
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Light Dependant Resistor
14-04-2017, 08:29
Harman Kardon should not be mentioned in the same company with Luxman, not even close IMHO. They have always had a colored, inflated top end with an almost artificial attention to detail. Always! Yamaha is not bad at all. At the very top of the Mid Fi brands.
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Yes, but Harmon Kardon when they were respected in audio, created some breathtaking designs
http://www.quadesl.com/refurb/refurb_hkCitation2.html
http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/harman-kardon-citation-twenty-two-147.html
look at that frequency response - unbelievable ! and unequaled
in audio. Their design efforts also agree with what David Blackmer
tried to show us https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Blackmer
Move forward to present times, and all that remains is mis use of the original name
giving nothing in regards to audio quality.
Yes, but Harmon Kardon when they were respected in audio, created some breathtaking designs
http://www.quadesl.com/refurb/refurb_hkCitation2.html
http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/harman-kardon-citation-twenty-two-147.html
look at that frequency response - unbelievable ! and unequaled
in audio. Their design efforts also agree with what David Blackmer
tried to show us https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Blackmer
Move forward to present times, and all that remains is mis use of the original name
giving nothing in regards to audio quality.
That must have been before my time, I don't doubt you a bit, but everything I've ever heard myself was BRIGHT.
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A bit late to this post, but as an Accuphase owner and never having heard Luxman, I can only comment on the former.
Before coming across Accuphase I'd owned a Sugden Masterclass intigrated which is a fine amp in it's own right, but lacked the overall balance of the E350 which replaced it.
Now I own the E470 and doubt I'd ever have another brand other than Accuphase.
I've only ever heard good things about Luxman, other than they run rather warm.
Mac
Accudazed
24-09-2017, 22:24
I have owned three Accuphase integrated amps - E205, E303 and for the last few years an E406V. They are all magnificent integrated amps!! Amazing build quality, massive power and absolutely neutral sound typify all these amps. The 406V in particular is an amazing piece of hardware and all the amp anyone could ever need (VU meters are nice things to have too).
It's such a shame that Accuphase is a largely ignored brand in the UK.
If you value accuracy of musical representation, that is an exact representation of what has been recorded and nothing more, then Accuphase is as good a place to start as anything else.
spendorman
24-09-2017, 23:16
Not sure if this qualifies, about 8 years ago I bought a second hand L-200 amplifier, was not expensive, seems quite powerful despite it's modest rated output. No rough edges to the sound of this amp.
http://www.hilberink.nl/codehans/luxman9.htm
anthonyTD
25-09-2017, 08:12
From my own experience, and from what I have seen in repairing Luxman equipment over the years, [the original stuff from the 1970's on etc] I can vouch for their exceptional build quality, and reliability.
Not familier with the modern stuff though.:)
A...
I have a luxman LV103, a modest 65W with valves in the pre amp stage, worked well with a pair of Tannoy Dc6, Triangle Comptes and Snell jii. Did not work so well with Heybroke Sextets which just seemed a bit too laid back with the amp. The phono stage is very good on MM (not tried the MC). I think you get a big sound with excellent sound stage and refined detail, definitely tames any harsh treble which is why i think it worked so well with the DC6 and Comptes.
Lawrence001
27-09-2017, 17:46
I had an E302 for a while but it had a noisy pre amp section. I still liked it even with that issue and would love to have another one, or better still a later model.
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Frog-n-Oatcakes
01-11-2017, 18:48
I've owned a lot of Accuphase equipment mainly because I used to import and sell it second hand until 2009. It is fantastic, well engineered equipment and very popular in Germany.
For me they started to churn out too many new models too quickly. If you can pick up some of the late 90s to 2000s gear second hand it is very much worth it.
C275
C280
VX700
DP500
DP700
DP800/801
DC330
E407
E408
E530
E550
A50
M1000 monos
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