View Full Version : Luxman PD300 any good?
Hi All
Newbie here. Just recently come across this forum and it looks good and healthy. I'm a vinyl man and never really got into buying CDs. My record collection was started by my parents back in the 50's and I inherited the lot - about 1200, mainly Jazz, US 60's prog-folk, Stax and early Motown.
I'm about to setup a system for my son. I've given him my old NAD 3020 and a pair of NAD 8225 loudspeakers. I also have an old but re-tipped (2007) OC9 which will be going through a whestTWO phono stage BUT he is not keen on having a Rega as he wants to be able to switch to 45rpm quickly. He has had a look at the SL1200 but likes (much prefers) the look of the Luxman PD300 which he has seen in a second-hand shop in Brighton where he is studying fine arts.
Is the PD300 a decent sounding table and can it accept a Rega arm or would I need a new/ machined armboard? Apparently the vacuum doesn't work but the rest of it does. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.
D
Spectral Morn
02-08-2010, 19:45
Hi All
Newbie here. Just recently come across this forum and it looks good and healthy. I'm a vinyl man and never really got into buying CDs. My record collection was started by my parents back in the 50's and I inherited the lot - about 1200, mainly Jazz, US 60's prog-folk, Stax and early Motown.
I'm about to setup a system for my son. I've given him my old NAD 3020 and a pair of NAD 8225 loudspeakers. I also have an old but re-tipped (2007) OC9 which will be going through a whestTWO phono stage BUT he is not keen on having a Rega as he wants to be able to switch to 45rpm quickly. He has had a look at the SL1200 but likes (much prefers) the look of the Luxman PD300 which he has seen in a second-hand shop in Brighton where he is studying fine arts.
Is the PD300 a decent sounding table and can it accept a Rega arm or would I need a new/ machined armboard? Apparently the vacuum doesn't work but the rest of it does. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.
D
Hi Welcome to AOS
Could you pop into the Welcome section and say hello.
Tell us a bit about yourself, system and taste in music.
Can you also put your first name as your signature.
Regards D S D L
The best PD300 I ever heard was with a Mission 774 tonearm and - wait for it - an AT95E cartridge!!!!!!! It annihilated our dem LP12/Ittok and made me take the LP12 apart to see if I'd done anything wrong (I hadn't from memory).
Whether you'll get spares like belts is unkown by me, but it's a fine deck. I don't know if a Rega tonearm will be best for it though, although a 774 can be got for around a ton (get it to Audio Origami for a bearing reset ;))
Techno Commander
02-08-2010, 23:41
The old Luxmans certainly have that classic heavyweight look to them.
~nods approvingly~
Rare Bird
03-08-2010, 00:05
I owned a PD300' for a couple years, i loved it.You know when you think the grass is greener on tuther side & all that..They are great decks that desrve a fine arm..You can sort the Vaccum out it does sound best with it working
Thanks all. I'll have a look at it today and see what the drive belt condition is like.
The Rega is a better oprion for my son, he'll probably ruin the bearings in a week!
I see you have an SME 30. I bet a good working PD300 will come very close if fitted with an identical arm ;)
Not all Lux decks were good. many of the lesser models suffered from bad isolation and empty plinths, despite gorgeous and lavish styling. The top models were excellent if fiddly though.
I'll have to give it a try. I still have a Graham 2.2 which I might put on the PD300 for a few minutes. If it is any good I'll report back.
The SME30 is very good but doesn't seem to like the SME V :scratch:
You gotta wonder.
Maybe the 30/Series V is too neutral for your system, which may need livening up to work.
I'm not being patronising, but it would be interesting for you to try something very humble but excellent sonically like a Croft 25R preamp and series 7R power amp. OK, they don't have deluxe boutique boxes, but what goes on with the music is pretty damned excellent bearing in mind Glenn hates fancy components - See if you can try a set for a giggle and hopefully be very surprised ;)
I only say the above because a friend who sold loads of Levinson and similar flash US gear found they got blander in sonics as they went on, ending up like Krells - huge expensive boxes full of music-sapping components and with a refined but powerful blandness to the presentation if you weren't careful...
Bigger and more complex ain't always better and I'm FURIOUS with Tannoy for not making more of their better DC models in the UK in the 80's (I think it's too late now as the Prestige models only seem to sell at substantial discounts or second-hand). I bet a pair of 1990's 15 DMT's would cream your JM Lab thingies :lolsign:
Rare Bird
03-08-2010, 10:58
I see you have an SME 30. I bet a good working PD300 will come very close if fitted with an identical arm ;)
+1..I know what i'd rather have
Well for the last hour I've been messing around with the PD300 which is in excellent condition. The really cheap woodwork is well intact and it spins.
It was from a Japanese customer who ended up trading it in for a new amp. It has a new belt and the body work is immaculate.
I mounted the Graham on the PD300 which was a doddle. All set up in my system with the A90 mounted.... wait for it.......
It sounds like a dead duck! Are you sure this thing is good? I think I've heard better from a Rega 3. I tried it with a mat, without a mat on different stands.... the thing does not image well at all and is really good at destroying the mid-band. I think it has to do with that platter that rings like a church bell.
Sorry guys but I am no convert. My son is though. He loves the design and the fact that he can turn a big switch to get to 45rpm.
If I have offended I am sorry but I was expecting a lot more from this table.
A good friend has a Garrard 401 in a skeletal plinth with a re-wired RB250 and XX2 MK2. I must say that this sounds great in my system and MUCH better than the PD300.
Spectral Morn
03-08-2010, 18:26
Well for the last hour I've been messing around with the PD300 which is in excellent condition. The really cheap woodwork is well intact and it spins.
It was from a Japanese customer who ended up trading it in for a new amp. It has a new belt and the body work is immaculate.
I mounted the Graham on the PD300 which was a doddle. All set up in my system with the A90 mounted.... wait for it.......
It sounds like a dead duck! Are you sure this thing is good? I think I've heard better from a Rega 3. I tried it with a mat, without a mat on different stands.... the thing does not image well at all and is really good at destroying the mid-band. I think it has to do with that platter that rings like a church bell.
Sorry guys but I am no convert. My son is though. He loves the design and the fact that he can turn a big switch to get to 45rpm.
If I have offended I am sorry but I was expecting a lot more from this table.
A good friend has a Garrard 401 in a skeletal plinth with a re-wired RB250 and XX2 MK2. I must say that this sounds great in my system and MUCH better than the PD300.
Curious as to how you mounted the 2.2 unless its an SME mount and not a Graham mount. I would be surprised if Luxman had made a Graham mount armboard. If it wasn't mounted right then that could go some ways towards your results. Not saying that the Luxman is a giant killer by the way as I have heard one with an Alphason Xenon on it and I did not think much of it, at the time. The platter vacuum was not working though.
I made an armboard to allow me to mount my Grahan 2.2 arm on my Model 20 and the results were poor as the armboard was made from layered laminations of plastic glued together. Mark Baker of Origin Live makes interesting comments about how arms are fixed to and how tight they are held on to armboards. I myself have heard a little of this effect with various arms and boards over the years. Details matter.
As an example I much prefer the sound of a Linn Lp12 with all the cartridge bolts arm mountings etc not tightened to within an inch of their lives.
Regards D S D L
Hi
My Graham 2.2 was a special order SME mount type. They made 2 versions of the 2.2. It meant that I could fit it easily to any SME cutout. The PD300 has a solid aluminium SME armboard which you can rotate easily.
I've been playing around with it for a good few hours now and have had a good look inside.
Ever seen inside one of these things? You don't want to.
You know how the LP12 plinth is pretty solid - very solid, well the PD300 plinth is about 1cm thick chipboard and has a rosewood or teak or someother exterior finish. The suspension is made up of 3 large diameter springs which are heavily damped. The bearing is small, the platter rings for about 20 secs and the plinth is very light weight. I don't think this could EVER beat off the competition and certainly not a late 1970's LP12.
I remember years back, I got hold of a TD125 and changed the thin plinth to a solid made birch type. It was finished like the LP12 and sounded so much better after the plinth change. The TD125 has a far better build quality/ finish than the PD300. The PD300 is all show in comparison with no real substance.
DSJR
Why would you think this could see off anything like a SME 30? I seriously don't think it could see of a TD125 with a TP16
Linns have changed Neil and modern ones are MUCH more "sensible :)"
Sorry the Lux is so poor. Are you sure the suction system is working? The tight hermetic coupling to the platter was the thing as I remember and although the suspension should be free, it won't have the LP12/Thorens bounce.
I'll wade through my HiFi Choice compilations and scan a review for you and son. Martin Colloms was wetting himself over it at the time as I recall from his reviews...
Spectral Morn
03-08-2010, 19:32
Linns have changed Neil and modern ones are MUCH more "sensible :)"
Sorry the Lux is so poor. Are you sure the suction system is working? The tight hermetic coupling to the platter was the thing as I remember and although the suspension should be free, it won't have the LP12/Thorens bounce.
I'll wade through my HiFi Choice compilations and scan a review for you and son. Martin Colloms was wetting himself over it at the time as I recall from his reviews...
Hi Dave
I know they have :) I have yet to hear a current Linn.
I must say that having had a bit of a look inside a Luxman once along time ago, though not to the same extent as dcarol has I was not that impressed with it.
Oh to have an SME mount 2.2, it would solve lots of problems for me. I bought an Oracle Graham mount armboard for my Delphi awhile ago but many companies don't have Graham mount armboards as standard in their product portfolios :( They have to be custom done and that costs more money.
Regards D S D L
I don't think the use of the suction actually makes any significant difference. The suction on this unit works perfectly, the dealer just did not know how to use it.
Dalek
I think what you saw of the inside of the PD300 was enough. You don't need to spend time analysing the internals to know it's a cheap but big table. And it's only big because they designed like that, not because it has to be. The early Linn and TD125 Mk2 are in a different league when it comes to engineering standards compared to the PD300. The TD125 MK2 more so.
The 2.2 with SME mount you could order from Graham. It took an extra 3 weeks to get it but is something they do for the 2.2 and Phantom.
I only found out because someone told me at a show....that was lucky.
Spectral Morn
04-08-2010, 08:29
I don't think the use of the suction actually makes any significant difference. The suction on this unit works perfectly, the dealer just did not know how to use it.
Dalek
I think what you saw of the inside of the PD300 was enough. You don't need to spend time analysing the internals to know it's a cheap but big table. And it's only big because they designed like that, not because it has to be. The early Linn and TD125 Mk2 are in a different league when it comes to engineering standards compared to the PD300. The TD125 MK2 more so.
The 2.2 with SME mount you could order from Graham. It took an extra 3 weeks to get it but is something they do for the 2.2 and Phantom.
I only found out because someone told me at a show....that was lucky.
Hi Yes I know Bob does mods on his arms to change the base. My arm originally had a SME base but its original owner had Bob change it.....I wish he had not.
Regards D S D L
Rare Bird
04-08-2010, 08:44
Something not right here. I loved the PD300 sounded great to me!
The record is supposed to be sucked down onto the platter with that awkward handle thing. This damps the platter as well.
The 'Choice review refers to a superbly engineered and complex diecast subchassis and a massive main bearing. I can't scan until later, but I'll post the review up - the deck won a "recommended" rating in this 1983 review.
Sound was described as alnost clinically clear and slightly cold and faintly glassy and a "softer" sounding arm like the Sumiko (Jelco 750?) would suit it best..
I once heard records played on a PD 555 with zeta against a LinnLP12..the luxman totally destroyed the LP12 as well as an oracle with sme V.......incredible punch and definition in the music from the Luxman........one of the reasons I ditched 3 point suspension for mass and ability........
The 555 was a heck of a beast too :lol:
How are you BM. Still with the Froese? :)
The 555 was a heck of a beast too :lol:
How are you BM. Still with the Froese? :)
im ok dave and yes :)
ps: hows the hifi sounding;)
Enjoying the DECCA again - oh yes indeedy - and the TD125/R200 copes very well and allows suspension of disbelief :D
Croft valve pre very good (I'm getting some new 12AX7's to try in the phono stage), and the modded Quad 303 I've just bought (shouldn't, but I always wanted one) suits the Spendor BC2's SO well, even if the Crown D-60's are "better."
Compared to the kind of system owned by the OP, my lash-up probably doesn't qualify for the tag "HiFi," but, you know, I don't care any more. I played "Pacific Coast Highway" this morning and it was so lovely and "musical," even if it was contrived on Chris's mega synth/sample array........
Regards to the others in the Barmy Army - Rubycon Rules :cool: :peace:
The 'Choice review refers to a superbly engineered and complex diecast subchassis and a massive main bearing. I can't scan until later, but I'll post the review up - the deck won a "recommended" rating in this 1983 review.
Sound was described as alnost clinically clear and slightly cold and faintly glassy and a "softer" sounding arm like the Sumiko (Jelco 750?) would suit it best..
That's a 27 year old review using a 27 year old technology... sorry but I can't for a second imaging 27 years ago they had good phono stages ;). I remember buying a Pass Labs Xono which was excellent back 6 years back. I can't imagine anything back then sounded as good as that - and don't mention the Threshold FET10 - I had one as well as a Vendetta Research. 27 years is a long time. Notice how I didn't bring up the cartridge.... I have an old Supex 900 which was re-tipped at Expert Stylus about 2 years back, I use it as a backup and can say with my hand on my weak heart - it is EXTREMELY good.
The 555 is a very different beast with very different internals.
There is a website somewhere that shows a side cut-out view of the 555 - my sons PD300 looks nothing like that! The bearing in the PD300 is not massive at all. The 555 I should imagine would outperform a similar aged LP12 (or even a modern one) BUT you have to compare like with like.
The PD300 has a nicely engineered subchassis BUT the other parts are not so well done. The platter to start with is a cheap balanced casting. Nothing complex there. It's light weight and rings. As I said, the plinth is very cheap. It's a dressed up piece of chip board.
If it had a decent plinth and platter then it might stand-up to modern day machines BUT as is - I'd be very surprised if it could outperform a new Rega P3/24 on detail and musicality.
That's a 27 year old review using a 27 year old technology... sorry but I can't for a second imaging 27 years ago they had good phono stages ;). I remember buying a Pass Labs Xono which was excellent back 6 years back. I can't imagine anything back then sounded as good as that - and don't mention the Threshold FET10 - I had one as well as a Vendetta Research. 27 years is a long time. Notice how I didn't bring up the cartridge.... I have an old Supex 900 which was re-tipped at Expert Stylus about 2 years back, I use it as a backup and can say with my hand on my weak heart - it is EXTREMELY good.
The 555 is a very different beast with very different internals.
There is a website somewhere that shows a side cut-out view of the 555 - my sons PD300 looks nothing like that! The bearing in the PD300 is not massive at all. The 555 I should imagine would outperform a similar aged LP12 (or even a modern one) BUT you have to compare like with like.
The PD300 has a nicely engineered subchassis BUT the other parts are not so well done. The platter to start with is a cheap balanced casting. Nothing complex there. It's light weight and rings. As I said, the plinth is very cheap. It's a dressed up piece of chip board.
If it had a decent plinth and platter then it might stand-up to modern day machines BUT as is - I'd be very surprised if it could outperform a new Rega P3/24 on detail and musicality.
I do enjoy comedy!!! :lol:
Was poking around old threads and found this...it's quite comical.
Cheap platter? And it rings too! Me fears we have a Linn addict here!
Listen, before you trash components like the PD-300 that are revered throughout the globe, please at least listen to one...and the machine you have described is NOT a PD-300.
The PD-300 weighs 18kg, the platter wieighs 3.5kg, the suspension is a work of art, and the diecast sub-chassis is mechanical genius. Oh, and that bearing...well I've had PD-300's apart - many times - the bearing is of the excellent type, as is the spindle.
C'mon...reading this just makes a real audio guy feel silly! :doh:
http://www.thevintageknob.org/luxman-PD-300.html
maxrob200
26-01-2013, 05:00
Maybe it is a PD-375 (?) . There was also a PD 310 with external vacuum supply box from memory
Floyddroid
26-01-2013, 07:28
Is that Edgar you mean Dave? Good to know there are some T-dream fans on the forum
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