On a historical note... Hifi Corner sold Luxman vacuum turntables and fabulous valve-ish amps back in the late 1980s. Back in the day I worked for Colin in Glasgow shops, including James Kerr and HFC Gordon Street. Good to see you guys on here!
After years of running McIntosh gear I picked up a Luxman L590AXII, I’m so impressed with the Luxman build and sound quality.. Agree with your take on the Phono stage, I have a Pass Labs XP15 Phono Stage that I needed with my McIntosh gear but when hooked up to the Luxman the difference was minimal. It’s certainly my last amplifier.👍
How hot do Class A amplifiers get? I laid a calibrated thermometer across the top grill of my Luxman L-590AxII after it’s been on for several hours. The temperature was 62 degrees Centigrade (or 144 degrees Fahrenheit). Perfect for warming your hands after shoveling snow during our Michigan winters. It does throw off my thermostat a bit which is across the room. Still cooler than my old Krell KSA-150 which the Luxy replaced.
Is it ok at lower to medium volume? I read something that indicated Luxman did not perform well in that situation. I was considering Accuphase but the distributor in my country has a poor reputation.
I've for several years lusted after a Luxman. But I need to try it out. I have a TAG Mclaren pa20r preamplifier (with a GAIN selector which is aweaome) and two 125m mono blocks. I'm pretty content with what I have. I don't know HOW MUCH a Luxman like this will improve on the sound. I like the idea that in a Luxman you've got everything you need, including a RIAA. The pa20r needs an external RIAA. I still have a MM cartridge. It's still OK.
The Luman 507 Zed and the soon to be released 509 are handsome pieces that no doubt sound great, but at their prices I would go for separate amp and preamp combinations with the same or better performance. One could save a few grand and get outstanding build and parts quality also.
In my reference system I have a T+A PA3000HV integrated with the optional MC phono card. I have been looking at this Luxman for a new system I am putting together any thoughts on how the sonic signature might compare?
@@hi-ficorner Thank you so much for the offer. I am in the US and wouldn't feel right about taking up your time, since I can't purchase the Luxman from you. Super appreciate the time and effort and insights you put in to your content.
@@marekb.7835 one of my favorite speakers brand ,still using some 605 with stands from late 80´s, they were called "sixies" at the time, also had a pair of 611 but had to sell them to buy a better set of speakers from mission
It's not the loading you need to look at when selecting an MC cartridge to match a phono stage, external or internal, as in the Luxman. It is matching the MC cartridge output with the gain of the phono stage that is important, not loading. Also, Class A is Class A whether it is a Single-Ended Triode or a Class A solid state amplifier, they are both the same in operation. Just because an amplifier is a single ended triode design it won't dissipate any more heat than the equivalent class A solid state amplifier of the same output power. What is different is the amount of power or heat that is dissipated into the room with each type of amplifier and this is dependant on the output power. A typical 300B 8 watt SET amplifier (stereo amplifier) will dissipate about 60-70 watts of heat. A 30 watt Class A transistor amplifier will dissipate about 240 watts of heat in to your room. Class A is about 25% efficient, but if you are talking about getting the very best audio performance then you can't better Class A operation, no matter what the marketing says....
Oh yes indeedy. I have a Luxman L-590 AxII for a few years now, first off with Bowers and Wilkins 805 D3 and now upgraded to the 805 D4 just earlier this year. Match made in heaven. This amp is clean enough, airy enough, sweet enough and grainless enough to let those magnificent diamond tweeters shine. And there’s enough current to latch on and never let go of the big woofers in the floorstanders.
this new wave of amplifiers from known brands releasing modern equipment but looking like 70´s components ,normally they only, if have a output to a recording device, the cost is too high,i still use in one of my rooms a luxman receiver from mid 70´s it sounds incredible good but i have a reel deck and a cassette deck conected to it ,also a good turntable and a compact disc player ,a Pioneer PD-7300 ,i bought in 87 if memory doesn´t fail me , i heard this new one and others due to a friend of mine having a good hi-fi store ,the NAD it´s a very limited machine not all can buy every cd or record they like ,what about the tradicional devices that can record like a minidisc deck ,that was a flop but used by the thousands all over the world, i myself bought at very low prices 3 of them a denon, a pioneer ,a kenwood and 3 more from Sony ,some were ofered by friends who didn´t use them and wanting to get space in their living rooms ,it gives a clean sound but i do use more cassette decks that were very expensive when released and bought boxes of cassettes normally the best ones still for sale in the 90´s and also boxes of blank minidiscs, a car with the trunk filled with sa-x from tdk and ux-pro from sony ,also sa´s i gave him 50€ ,he asked nothing ,the ones i didn´t brought home were destroyd this in a big warehouse from a great surface also have a CD-R but allthough the cds i recorded there sound the same as a original one ,only allowing to make 3 copy´s from a original cd but 3 more if you ask for other cd from a friend with the same title ,some i left in places with humidity mixed with other things ,some may be yellow and missing litle bits of the material glued to the plastic disc but all songs play perfectelly ,i stoped using it when my 100cds bought to a indian guy in the street that i told him that i don´t needed cds but almost as a joke i told him if you bring me those that are only to record on hi-fi components not on a computer(which at the time they sounded really bad )next day he had a 100 cd pack with no brands just the cd ,nothing else and i asked him ,"if you have them why don´t you have them for sale?" he replyed that i was the first to ask for them ,not one recorded bad ,this with a large pioneer cd-r with the drawer like a litle turntable with crystal liquid vu meters for the recording but i used a fiber optical cable and it recorded as the original cd ,i paid 20€ for the 100 cds, today they have lot´s of inputs but some not even a output ,others one output ,so i think they sound great but if i want to record something i need other older amplifier that have 3 tape monitors, Luxman was always a good sounding brand since the 70´s as nad that most of the people didn´t knew what NAD means but i have a 70´s integrated amplifier with two vu meters (needles) saying New Acoustic Dimension ,like if it was written with a pen and bought it in early ebay years for what today is 60€ working bad but when at home only needed wd40 for electrical conections and works perfect today and looks even better than this new model ,i think it´s darker ASH colour like technics alternative colour at the time (70´s), in my country almost no one can buy such device ,there are entire family´s that live with less than 1.000€ a month ,they have to pay the house to the bank ,almost alf the money a diesel car but with a couple of years for the kids to travel confortable and in reality they dont have 500€ a month for food this two adults and two kids, and the prices are the same as in the netherlands or germany or denmark ,where i have family and friends that we are all retired now and all of them bought houses in the south of Portugal ,where i live ,sun all year around ,some rainy days but only a few i feel better when days are grey and cold ,heat i have most of the year but for them is the other way around, all of them bring their things in trucks from their country´s and had several components that they didn´t use, some of them gave me lot´s of components, but they won at their work 4.000€ a month because they have no studies ,here with no studies at the most one receives 500€ without taxes
My God was that long, I don’t think their prices are that off the mark, sure anything north of $5k is considered high for many but compared to what people are paying for really high end gear these days these are a great value. From my 40+ years experience buying HiFi, great gear holds it value tremendously. 😎
@@1999zrx1100 sorry for that, you´re right about high-end material ,i own a lot of 70´s components and when i see them for sale i get amazed by how expensive they are but having access to new material it´s hard to find a equal quality component, only for a lot of money
Unfortunately the newest Luxman integrated amplifiers, the Z series, have eliminated the tape monitor loop. The previous X series has one, though. I think the 509X and the 550AxII are still available. I own a L-590AxII now sadly discontinued and it has a tape monitor loop which I use nowadays with a digital recorder to digitize vinyl. The phono stage in all the Luxman’s is the same and it’s fantastic. I am reconditioning a Teac reel to reel which I’m looking forward to someday be using.
I am using a vintage luxman midi amp amazing in the truest sense I still cant believe the performance of this amp no kidding how can a n amp which you couldnt sell for 50 dollars perform like that and Ive heard several systems over the years wow no pun intended. Its the Luxman Stereo integrated Amplifier A - 006 AMAZING. 😃
I have an L-507u and it’s so good… I bet the Z is simply incredible. They’re such a good company. Congrats on being a dealer.
Thank you
On a historical note... Hifi Corner sold Luxman vacuum turntables and fabulous valve-ish amps back in the late 1980s. Back in the day I worked for Colin in Glasgow shops, including James Kerr and HFC Gordon Street. Good to see you guys on here!
Thanks for the info!
what a beauty, cool retro look
Totally agree
@@hi-ficorner The Luxman integrateds are remarkable, everyone you sell will make for a happy customer.
After years of running McIntosh gear I picked up a Luxman L590AXII, I’m so impressed with the Luxman build and sound quality.. Agree with your take on the Phono stage, I have a Pass Labs XP15 Phono Stage that I needed with my McIntosh gear but when hooked up to the Luxman the difference was minimal.
It’s certainly my last amplifier.👍
Totally agree!
How hot do Class A amplifiers get? I laid a calibrated thermometer across the top grill of my Luxman L-590AxII after it’s been on for several hours. The temperature was 62 degrees Centigrade (or 144 degrees Fahrenheit). Perfect for warming your hands after shoveling snow during our Michigan winters. It does throw off my thermostat a bit which is across the room. Still cooler than my old Krell KSA-150 which the Luxy replaced.
i replaced the power amp part of my luxman 505ux, with a pure class A tube amp. gorgeous sounding pairing.
Great video gents lovely amp!
Thank you kindly!
Is it ok at lower to medium volume? I read something that indicated Luxman did not perform well in that situation. I was considering Accuphase but the distributor in my country has a poor reputation.
Man’s beard game is formidable
I've for several years lusted after a Luxman. But I need to try it out. I have a TAG Mclaren pa20r preamplifier (with a GAIN selector which is aweaome) and two 125m mono blocks. I'm pretty content with what I have. I don't know HOW MUCH a Luxman like this will improve on the sound. I like the idea that in a Luxman you've got everything you need, including a RIAA. The pa20r needs an external RIAA.
I still have a MM cartridge. It's still OK.
Hi. Did you try this with your forte IVs yet to complete the retro look?? If so ok? Thank you.
Thank you for observation,one question how does he handle low impedance loudspeakers?
The Luman 507 Zed and the soon to be released 509 are handsome pieces that no doubt sound great, but at their prices I would go for separate amp and preamp combinations with the same or better performance. One could save a few grand and get outstanding build and parts quality also.
i have focal sopra 2 will this amp be a good match
In my reference system I have a T+A PA3000HV integrated with the optional MC phono card. I have been looking at this Luxman for a new system I am putting together any thoughts on how the sonic signature might compare?
Yes lots, give us a shout at the shop and we can talk you through it
@@hi-ficorner Thank you so much for the offer. I am in the US and wouldn't feel right about taking up your time, since I can't purchase the Luxman from you. Super appreciate the time and effort and insights you put in to your content.
How does this compare to Pass Labs and specifically the INT-25?
I’m afraid we have not done a side by side comparison yet
What are the bookshelf speakers in the background?
Tannoy :)
@@hi-ficorner it looks at first sight ,only from tannoy this type of design and colour ,but one might not know the brand
These are Tannoy.
Tannoy Mini Autograph.
@@marekb.7835 one of my favorite speakers brand ,still using some 605 with stands from late 80´s, they were called "sixies" at the time, also had a pair of 611 but had to sell them to buy a better set of speakers from mission
It's not the loading you need to look at when selecting an MC cartridge to match a phono stage, external or internal, as in the Luxman. It is matching the MC cartridge output with the gain of the phono stage that is important, not loading. Also, Class A is Class A whether it is a Single-Ended Triode or a Class A solid state amplifier, they are both the same in operation. Just because an amplifier is a single ended triode design it won't dissipate any more heat than the equivalent class A solid state amplifier of the same output power. What is different is the amount of power or heat that is dissipated into the room with each type of amplifier and this is dependant on the output power. A typical 300B 8 watt SET amplifier (stereo amplifier) will dissipate about 60-70 watts of heat. A 30 watt Class A transistor amplifier will dissipate about 240 watts of heat in to your room. Class A is about 25% efficient, but if you are talking about getting the very best audio performance then you can't better Class A operation, no matter what the marketing says....
What stand are you using for the Luxman in this video?
That’s made by HiFi Racks www.hificorner.co.uk/brands/hi-fi-racks.html
Do these go well with B&W speakers?
Oh yes indeedy. I have a Luxman L-590 AxII for a few years now, first off with Bowers and Wilkins 805 D3 and now upgraded to the 805 D4 just earlier this year. Match made in heaven. This amp is clean enough, airy enough, sweet enough and grainless enough to let those magnificent diamond tweeters shine. And there’s enough current to latch on and never let go of the big woofers in the floorstanders.
@@daniannaci3258 oh wow good to hear that. Enjoy the music. Cheers.
Dumb question time, how do you connect a subwoofer to it, namely a KEF KC62 thanks for the great video
There is a “pre out” on the back, which gives an rca cable to the Kef :)
Vs 590?
this new wave of amplifiers from known brands releasing modern equipment but looking like 70´s components ,normally they only, if have a output to a recording device, the cost is too high,i still use in one of my rooms a luxman receiver from mid 70´s it sounds incredible good but i have a reel deck and a cassette deck conected to it ,also a good turntable and a compact disc player ,a Pioneer PD-7300 ,i bought in 87 if memory doesn´t fail me , i heard this new one and others due to a friend of mine having a good hi-fi store ,the NAD it´s a very limited machine not all can buy every cd or record they like ,what about the tradicional devices that can record like a minidisc deck ,that was a flop but used by the thousands all over the world, i myself bought at very low prices 3 of them a denon, a pioneer ,a kenwood and 3 more from Sony ,some were ofered by friends who didn´t use them and wanting to get space in their living rooms ,it gives a clean sound but i do use more cassette decks that were very expensive when released and bought boxes of cassettes normally the best ones still for sale in the 90´s and also boxes of blank minidiscs, a car with the trunk filled with sa-x from tdk and ux-pro from sony ,also sa´s i gave him 50€ ,he asked nothing ,the ones i didn´t brought home were destroyd this in a big warehouse from a great surface also have a CD-R but allthough the cds i recorded there sound the same as a original one ,only allowing to make 3 copy´s from a original cd but 3 more if you ask for other cd from a friend with the same title ,some i left in places with humidity mixed with other things ,some may be yellow and missing litle bits of the material glued to the plastic disc but all songs play perfectelly ,i stoped using it when my 100cds bought to a indian guy in the street that i told him that i don´t needed cds but almost as a joke i told him if you bring me those that are only to record on hi-fi components not on a computer(which at the time they sounded really bad )next day he had a 100 cd pack with no brands just the cd ,nothing else and i asked him ,"if you have them why don´t you have them for sale?" he replyed that i was the first to ask for them ,not one recorded bad ,this with a large pioneer cd-r with the drawer like a litle turntable with crystal liquid vu meters for the recording but i used a fiber optical cable and it recorded as the original cd ,i paid 20€ for the 100 cds, today they have lot´s of inputs but some not even a output ,others one output ,so i think they sound great but if i want to record something i need other older amplifier that have 3 tape monitors, Luxman was always a good sounding brand since the 70´s as nad that most of the people didn´t knew what NAD means but i have a 70´s integrated amplifier with two vu meters (needles) saying New Acoustic Dimension ,like if it was written with a pen and bought it in early ebay years for what today is 60€ working bad but when at home only needed wd40 for electrical conections and works perfect today and looks even better than this new model ,i think it´s darker ASH colour like technics alternative colour at the time (70´s), in my country almost no one can buy such device ,there are entire family´s that live with less than 1.000€ a month ,they have to pay the house to the bank ,almost alf the money a diesel car but with a couple of years for the kids to travel confortable and in reality they dont have 500€ a month for food this two adults and two kids, and the prices are the same as in the netherlands or germany or denmark ,where i have family and friends that we are all retired now and all of them bought houses in the south of Portugal ,where i live ,sun all year around ,some rainy days but only a few i feel better when days are grey and cold ,heat i have most of the year but for them is the other way around, all of them bring their things in trucks from their country´s and had several components that they didn´t use, some of them gave me lot´s of components, but they won at their work 4.000€ a month because they have no studies ,here with no studies at the most one receives 500€ without taxes
My God was that long, I don’t think their prices are that off the mark, sure anything north of $5k is considered high for many but compared to what people are paying for really high end gear these days these are a great value. From my 40+ years experience buying HiFi, great gear holds it value tremendously. 😎
@@1999zrx1100 sorry for that, you´re right about high-end material ,i own a lot of 70´s components and when i see them for sale i get amazed by how expensive they are but having access to new material it´s hard to find a equal quality component, only for a lot of money
Unfortunately the newest Luxman integrated amplifiers, the Z series, have eliminated the tape monitor loop. The previous X series has one, though. I think the 509X and the 550AxII are still available. I own a L-590AxII now sadly discontinued and it has a tape monitor loop which I use nowadays with a digital recorder to digitize vinyl. The phono stage in all the Luxman’s is the same and it’s fantastic. I am reconditioning a Teac reel to reel which I’m looking forward to someday be using.
I am using a vintage luxman midi amp amazing in the truest sense I still cant believe the performance of this amp no kidding how can a n amp which you couldnt sell for 50 dollars perform like that and Ive heard several systems over the years wow no pun intended. Its the Luxman Stereo integrated Amplifier A - 006 AMAZING. 😃