@steveashe Glad to hear that you are enjoying your l507uxII so much. This has given me much needed reassurance on the amp, especially since I do not have the chance to audition it.
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Sitting her listening to Billie Holiday in 24 bit 192 flac on my system right now. Luxman 507-uxii, Harbeth 30.1 speakers, MHDT orchid and some decent but not very expensive cables. Streaming Hi Rez with Qobuz into the MHDT. Controlling the system with Roon on my iPad Pro. No more cd’s just qobuz and vinyl (the Lux has a very nice MC stage). My two cents as someone that has been into this maniacal hobby for maybe 30 years and has owned tube systems along the way that cost two or three times as much as this system - I feel no urge whatsoever to upgrade anytime soon, if ever. For the music I listen to - vocal jazz, piano, acoustic rock, chamber music, strings in general it just fantastic. The depth, the timbre, transparency, the bass when it’s part of the music, all the audiophile words apply but it’s also a very musical system. |
@erik_squires ,@jetter, Thank you for the advice. I am from singapore where the electricity is 230 V 50 Hz. I originally plan to buy from the Japan 2nd hand hifi dealers where a 507uxII is about USD 3.6k a new one is about USD 4.8k. But this would require a step down transformer. I contacted the luxman distributor in hong kong and they agreed to ship a new luxman 507uxII to me at USD 5k inclusive of shipping charges. The hong kong model is 220 V 50 hz similar to my country. The 509x would cost USD 7.5k. |
I would like to seek advices on the Luxman amp. I am interested with the 507xuIi and the 509x. I would not be able to audition them as there is no luxman distributor in my country. I would be ordering and shipping them from oversea. With a price premium of about 40% over 507xuIi. Sonically what are the edge that 509x has over 507xuII? Is there a huge jump in terms of sound quality? thank you |
Erik, my 590 is the same, no ground. Zero issues, someone a while back asked me about "hum", so I powered the amp up with no source running and started turning the volume up. Dead quiet. On the power cord post, you don't owe me any apologies. Sometimes I'm in a hurry and make a pretty short post, comes off a little terse, sorry. Just the fact that you were buying from DH Labs caught my eye, they deserve more respect, both for their products, and their service. I was really second guessing my power cord purchase, it's not something I have much experience with, and the price was a bit out of my comfort range. And yes, I realize a lot of folks here would laugh at that. In the end, it was the most bang for the buck I've ever had in the hobby, and just wanted to pass it along. |
I am going to cross post this. Turns out the 507ux is the first amp I have owned in a long time which is NOT AC grounded. The socket in the rear is a 2 pin, and the cable that comes with it is as well. AFAIK, in order to do this legally manufacturers have to take extra care and double insulate the gear. This could very well be a contributing factor in the sound quality. No ground pin = no ground loop through the AC line. Pretty awesome. :) Best, E |
It would be great if Luxman would update their preamps with an integrated DAC (as an option) and streaming."Good idea, but I think they may expect that, on that level, people like to experiment instead of getting it already pre-assembled. Same with phono pre-amplifiers. Just my guess, of course. One thing I like about Luxman intergrateds is that they have more or less everything (minus DAC option). Old school goodness. |
What I heard was an all Luxman system with Nordost cabling. The Luxman CD player's DAC was used via ROON. The sound was non-fatiguing. It was actually one of the biggest takeaways I had as I made my long drive home. Sometimes in these demos I get a little carried away and crank up the volume. This time with the TAD ME1 and the Luxman electronics I did not have any fatigue issues. I did not crank it as loud as in some demos but it was at a level that could have give me headaches. It would be great if Luxman would update their preamps with an integrated DAC (as an option) and streaming. |
Loudness is a great feature. I use it a lot in the evening. I wish someone would create a perfect amp for me. I would have a Luxman in my main living room TV system but my wife would kill me as it would require her to turn it on and hit SEPARATE button. With the Yamaha, it has trigger in that automatically switches over to the MAIN IN from the processor. And the processor comes on when you turn the TV on. I need a Luxman with the same feature. |
I tested out the LOUDNESS and TONE controls on the 509x but the change in the sound was not that prominent when I heard it. Mind you I did not have my glasses on and was operating a little blind. The tune that was playing maybe not the best to hear these features at work. That room needs better lighting, because Something wonky seems to be going on. When I heard the 509 with the Wilsons I had to turn the treble and bass way down. This is the same setup that originally had the speakers wired out of phase, but it let me test the tone controls. :) The 509x has an extra transistor on each leg on each channel, along with a stiffer power supply, which should lower the output impedance significantly, but below a certain point, I've heard lots of amps with allegedly higher damping factor which did not actually sound better in terms of bass or transient response. You know gang, I got pretty lucky, there was a lot wrong with the setup when I heard the 509. There was not a 507 on display. Let me list it all out:
I still bought the 507 because it was half off and I thought I knew all the issues I was hearing while auditioning and that they'd be cured when I got it home. I was really lucky that I was right. Mayhap the issue was the cabling? Or there was a DSP at work somewhere mucking with the sound. I really don't know, but it was a real relief when the amp started playing at home. The Dagostino / Wilson setup right next to this was, by comparison, absolutely lovely to listen to. How you can listen to that, then turn 90 degrees and listen to the system I listened to without thinking something was wrong I have no idea. Best, E |
@glupson My broke ___ did not want to like the m900u as much as I did. Unfortunately I loved it and I have heard quite a variety of good amps over the years. I think it is the best amp I have heard (for my tastes). Dealer was saying it is the extra current (not watts) that was making the biggest difference to what we were hearing. The 509x is very good and maybe with a more sensitive speaker the differences may not have been as prominent. |
yyzsantabarbara, "I liked the 509x a lot...... I then heard the same equipment switched over to the m900u and c900u. What a shocker."You are not making this easy, you know. As far as "loudness" goes, it is much less prominent if the music is played louder which it might have been during the demo. It "works" the best in the apartment at night. Kind of when you do not want to wake up others. Luxman "loudness" is done well. Not overly aggressive like some (in the past, not many around these days), but still there. |
Well this thread gave me the kick in the pants to today drive deep into Los Angeles to check out the 509x and the m900u + c900u. I liked the 509x a lot with the TAD Me1 speakers. So much so that I am considering the Tad Me1 in lieu of the bigger speakers I had in mind. I then heard the same equipment switched over to the m900u and c900u. What a shocker. Music that I have used to demo for ages never sounded as good as with this amp and preamp. I am going to buy the m900u not sure which way to go with a pre. I tested out the LOUDNESS and TONE controls on the 509x but the change in the sound was not that prominent when I heard it. Mind you I did not have my glasses on and was operating a little blind. The tune that was playing maybe not the best to hear these features at work. |
erik, I just bought the DH Labs Red Wave power cable that's on sale this month. I've never spent anywhere near that for a power cord, but have to say that I was absolutely stunned at the difference. The most bang for the buck I've ever experienced in this hobby. The cable I replaced was their Power Plus, which was already a step up from the factory cord. So there's an FYI for you to mull over. :) |
@erik_squires Yes. I thought you might like the loudness button. It really fills out the presentation even at moderate levels. I think the remote is fine, I've certainly seen worse. I'm guessing the remote that came with my 505UX is the same as yours because my remote has buttons that are not applicable to my integrated. I have a mono button, but the amp doesn't do mono. I wish it did. |
For whatever my experience is worth, I found the remote control actually perfectly executed. Initially, I was just like erik_squires. Why would anyone make all the buttons same size and quite small, etc. However, after a while, I noticed that buttons are laid down in a way that almost all are easily found/recognized without looking. The space between them (on the left side) makes it so, I think. True, "loudness" and "line straight" are trickier, but those that I regularly use (on/off, meter, volume, mute, line 1, balanced 1, phono), are all easy. Has anyone compared 590axII (if that is the newest one) and 509x (again, the newest one, I think)? I know they are different (class A and so on) and in some theory one would be "warmer", but the difference in price is smallish. I do not doubt that both are stellar, but if anybody has experience with both, I would appreciate your thoughts. For some reason, Luxman decided that finding dealers should be an exercise for customers so I gave up guessing where to audition them. The only way I know is to e-mail the distributor (very friendly and responsive man, by the way) with your location and then he tells you who to call. If you happen to be travelling, write many e-mails, I guess. |
erik, I understand the cost aspect. My amp is the L-590AX, not the newest AXII, which had just came out when I bought mine. I bought it used, it looked perfect, though, and I paid around $4300 for it. It was a lot of money to me, but still near $5000 less than new. It took awhile, but I made up my mind that I was going with their TOTL integrated, rather than always wonder "what if". I haven't regretted it. |
Thanks everyone! I can see why the 590 would win hearts and minds. TBH, if I hadn't gotten the 507 for half off, I would probably never have gone wiht Luxman. I'm very lucky to have gotten such a deal, but I can't see myself spending 2x more for another integrated. :) I'm very happy I went with Luxman, and now just have to convince myself to give up my 5.1 speakers. |
I have the L590axII and absolutely love it. A few SS amps I’ve had in the past are Denon 2000, Yamaha a-s2100, tubes- a 300b tube, an EL34 tube, and quite a few others for short stays. The Luxman drives high efficiency GPA 604 speakers without effort with the best overall character I’ve heard in my system. 9 o’clock volume dial is plenty loud and nothing but clean. It also drives my B speakers of Dynaudio monitors just as well. They are not high efficiency and love lots of power. In my medium sized room I never see more than 11 o’clock volume with no sign of clipping or anything other than clean uncompressed sound. I suspect at these levels I’m still not tapping into A/B territory yet, so I am not able to comment on when the amp is pushed hard. Neither speaker is a difficult load. Unless your room is quite large with a difficult speaker load the 590 has plenty of oomph for most purposes. If I thought I needed more power, the next level of output I would consider would be an amp in the (quality) 200 watt range. As that’s most likely the only point it would make a meaningful difference. Having said that- I know your 507 is a killer amp- and there’s not much to easily better it Just my .02$ |
Based on real world measurements, it’s over 90W/channel into 8ohms and near 160W into 4ohms. It’s 30W in Class A, then switches to A/B above that. I own the L-590AX, it’s anything but low power. http://www.navratilaudio.cz/novinky/Luxman_L590AXII_HFW.pdf http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2018/11/25/hi-fi-review-luxman-590-axii-integrated-amplifier-review-by... |
Hi builder3: Based on the published spec, the current 590axII is 30 watts: http://www.luxman.com/product/detail.php?id=1 |
erik_squires OP5,529 posts04-07-2019 8:37amAbout the 590:About the 590. IT'S.NOT.30.WATTS |
yyz, you probably already know this, but unless you go out of the way to find a high maintenance tube preamplifier, there is no comparing the low maintenance cost and requirements of a tube preamp to that of a tube amp. My tube preamp takes four small preamp tubes, two for the line state and two for the built in phono stage. There is no biasing, you just plug in the tubes and you are done. Inevitably you will want to try a few different brand tubes to flavor your sound to you liking. But again, its basically plug in the tubes and you are good to go for years. It may be what you are looking for. |
Thanks guys for the feedback. I already have a Peachtree Nova 150 class D integrated (may upgrade to the NOVA 500 for $2K). This unit will go to a bedroom once I get a better system. However, one idea is to play with Nova integrated for a month or 2 and the new speakers to see what bass issues crop up. I am expecting some badness since this room is small but I have done a few things to make it appear bigger. The Luxman is very high on my radar because of the smooth nature of the sound. I expect it to match well with either of the 2 revealing speaker choices. Unfortunately, the Nova does not have TONE controls so I will not be able to say for certain whether the Luxman’s TONE controls will solve any issues that come up. One option is to pay MSRP to someone like Music Direct and try it at home for 60 days. BTW - the NOVA is a very smooth sounding unit itself. I am not too familiar with tubes but this SS amp is one of the smoothest I have owned. The Anthem STR integrated should be Class AB if it is similar to the Anthem STR amp. |
So glad you asked. The speakers I use are the most exclusive in the world, using components typically found in Gryphon, Wilson and other exotic manufacturers: https://speakermakersjourney.blogspot.com/2017/12/snr-1-two-way-high-end-diy-monitor.html Very happy with 120 W/channel and not downgrading, thank you. :) Best, E |
I prefer to have Multiple setups so that it can accommodate the different styles of music I listen to. Obviously AC/DC and Dan Fogelberg aren't going to sound equally compelling if your limited to one lineup of amps/speakers. You put the "Soft" stuff on a SET type lineup w/High DB speakers and the Harder stuff on Amps with Testosterone and speakers to match. With 1 system you will never realize the full potential of a large % of your catalog (unless you only listen to 1 type of music...and there's nothing wrong with that). |
I can live with 3 watts...depends on what Speakers you have. Those 30 Watts are misleading as you will find out if you do your homework. Jetter...Never used the Pass. Came in a Bulk Deal. Person I got it from (original owner) used it with the Lux 900U and he enjoyed it very much for about 4 months and then I got it. I cant see myself ever using it so it will probably just be trade material down the road. |
@jetter You make a very good point. I have not heard a lot of Class D but I liked what I used (still own). I cannot speak for all Class D, but I will say I love the Luxman and quite happy to keep it for a long time. I'm not at all sure he'll run into room mode issues that can't be better dealt with via room acoustics, but if he's open do DSP and Class D, maybe the Anthem integrated is worth a listen to. Best, E |
Hi @yyzsantabarbara That's' a difficult question without knowing what kind of bass issues you have run into already. Honestly, Class D is really good now, if you feel DSP is a possibility, consider the Anthem integrated vs. the Luxman integrated as comparable alternatives. Also, GIK bass and soffit traps may help, but it's best not to overdo them in a small room. Put your speakers in and listen first. Another possibility for you is to add a sub, and put DSP in the sub channel alone. |
A question for you lucky Luxman integrated owners. I need an amp and preamp for my very small room, I plan on putting floor standers in this room. It is now treated with GIK acoustic panels and sounds rather good with my KEF LS50's monitors. I was thinking that to cover my bases for the floor stander I should get a preamp with DSP such as the new Anthem STR pre and maybe a Luxman amp (amongst several choices). However, I have always been intrigued by this Luxman integrated. I even started a thread here on it even before it was released to the market. My question to you owners is, do you think I can get away with using the 509x in my room and use the tone controls to control the bass output or would DSP be the better way forward? If you are interested, my virtual system page has a photo of my room. I am considering 2 speakers. The Paradigm Persona 3F and the Yamaha NS 5000. The Yamaha from Canada if it does not come to the USA this summer. The NS 5000 has more low end even though it is a "bookshelf" speaker. I also tend to listen at low to medium volume since this system is in my home office. |
Thanks riaa for the rundown. Eirk,, I know you are not a pass fan, and I don't want to hijack your thread at all, so just one question for riaa. The XA25 may be my next amp, probably unheard in advance but on a trial basis from Reno hifi. So riaa, how do you rate the XA25 compared to your other amps? |
I wont be using a 590 unless I get too weak to carry the 100 pound amps around (Which could be any day now). My current inventory is: Dag 400 Monos, ARC 160M Monos, ARC REF 10, Audio Note Jinro, Ayre KX-R Twenty, Pass Labs XA-25, Luxman C900/M900...and some older Multi Channel amp/pre combos (Arc/Conrad Johnson) |
