Amplifiers from the big [expensive] brands in Japan?

Hi Jack,

I do not own any of the gear at the current time but I have to say Accuphase makes some very serious equipment and it is all built to last a lifetime. I amp not a fan of pea watt amplifiers. They have to perform with authority or I am not interested. Accuphase amps will perform with that authority. Having said this the sound of your system is vastly more dependent on the speakers you choose and the room you put them in. It is a combination of the two. How much the room contributes depends to a large extent on the design of the speaker. This is to long a discussion to have here but I suggest you read up on it before you buy loudspeakers. 

In my ears the best Japanese amps are the Kondo, circa 1987-2000.

do they contain a lot of silver?

Good advice here, and I agree that Luxman are a great amplifier. They are warm but not syrupy, do great 3D solid images, with real weight to bass and enough sparkle to make cymbals sound metallic but not harsh. They are superbly made and will last a lifetime. Now is actually a good time to buy. They are transitioning between old and new models and some of the older models are being sold at great prices. I have the C700U and M700U here and they sound fantastic with a rich Class A sound for 12watts and after that real grunt to drive my speakers with 210w/channel ( 4 ohms). I got them at a 40% discount. Go listen to them.

In my ears the best Japanese amps are the Kondo, circa 1987-2000. I have had AKAI, Nakamichi, Pioneer, Technics.. My Kondos are impressive the have that impressive texture even when I compare them with my nhb468. The nhb468s have an advantage when playing large orchestra and some classic rock, but the Kondos steal the show with 5 and less instruments and chorales. If she has a vintage Kondo and is not out of your budget you would want to take a listen.

Jack, I own the Luxman L-590AX, which was the version just prior to the now discontinued L-590AXII.  Class A, rated 30wpc into 8 ohms, actually puts out more like 100 watt/channel. I'll tell you I love it, super detail, great bass control. The bad news is that I'm not a guy that's owned tons of gear, so I can't compare it to anything else in a meaningful way. I'd say listen to one, if you can find one. Supposedly, they're coming out with a new replacement, I haven't seen any details, though.

https://beterbeeldengeluid.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/HFN_Luxman-L-590AXII_lowres.pdf

Has anyone had experience with the Esoteric F-03 (Class A?) 

Or one of the higher-end models from Luxman, also Class A?

 

These should be end-game amps.

OP… judging by your ideal sound… that sounds like Luxman. The words you are using are good, because words like highly detailed and crystal clear can lead to ear bleeding, fatiguing systems. Think tubed components they are incredibly musical, in general, detailed sounding very much like the real thing. Other companies to consider: Conrad Johnson, Audio Research, VAC. But Luxman sounds right. 

 

tuberist

I spoke with her on the phone yesterday. She could not tell me which brand was better. She only said: "it’s up to your own personal taste in music and sonic signature." And I think she’s right about that.

@erik_squires

Thanks for the heads up! I think perhaps I could message you or others here regarding my listening impressions once I try the gear out. It has been a long time since I had seperates components for audio. I’m really excited to see how far high-end audio has progressed since the vintage days!

 

@ghdprentice

Thank you for confirming! Plenty of great information there. I will certainly take your advice to heart. My ideal sound would be slightly warm in the midrange and treble....just enough to make sharp sounds a bit softer. And peaky vocals a bit more tame. I guess you could say I’m aiming for a smooth overall presentation with my music.

@johnto

I’ve got a pair of KEF M500 headphones. Maybe not the best, but aside from speakers I would also like to collect some nice headphones. I’ve been doing quit e a bit of research on sites like HeadFi and watching some YouTube headphone reviews.

Probably depends on the headphones and speakers you plan to use. Also the front end equipment. As a general rule good stuff sounds better.

Accuphase, Luxman, and Esoteric are all very highly respected and excellent sounding equipment.

 

I have passionately pursued high end sound for over fifty years… starting right out of college. There is no end to improvements across the board to million dollar systems. I would suggest that you make a habit of spending some time in the best room each high end audio place you go. Not because you are going to buy, but to appreciate how good it can be… and also helpful to calibrate your ears to good sound.

 

There are many different “kinds of sound” you can pursue… airy 3-dimensional soundstage with incredible detail, heavy bass and midrange Rock systems, and natural musical systems, etc… and all combinations in between.

 

One common observation is you can experience a system and think… this just couldn’t be better…. Walk into another room and just be blown away with how much better the system sounds. So, you don’t know what you don’t know. A good dealer can guide you… help match the system to your current tastes. They are likely to change over time.

 

Hey Jack,

It's a real shame the prices are going or have gone up, if you can get a discontinued Luxman model jump on it before the new models with post-covid prices roll in.

I will say I'm a luxman fan.  I got here after a long ride with a bunch of other SS amplifiers, from Sumo to Parasound to custom built Class D (sounded fine), and ended up at Luxman and couldn't be happier.

There's a lot of things I haven't heard though, including Accuphase.  I've heard Esoteric at a show and I just was not drawn to it.  Can't even remember anything about it.

So, Luxman:  Tremendous extension in the bass, and treble.  It makes speakers sound bigger and go further.  Liquid, almost tube-like midrange and smooth as glass treble.  To my ears, neutral without being syrupy or excessively warm like Parasound. I've heard D'Agostino amps in the same room and those are two amps that sound really close to each other.

The one technical negative is how they have the headphone amp set up.  They drive it directly from the amplifier, with a high value resistor.  If you use any sort of hard to drive headphone amp that output is probably not going to be for you. 

I also like Luxman a lot more than Pass and about the same as Ayre.  If you are auditioning amps, the Pass and Ayre sound distinct enough you might also see if you can listen to those. 

Jack,

Have the audio shop owner educate you and if she is very helpful then give her your business and stick with her.