Thanks guys. I really appreciate your input. I like the comparison of McIntosh to a muscle car. Very appropriate! I do appreciate the “tonally rich” sound of my MA252. It sounds like the Lux is a totally different animal altogether. The Mc has qualities that I like, so maybe I’m better off keeping it. I’ll have to check on the TMR return policy. ~ Jerry
McIntosh to Luxman?
Hey everybody. I need some advice. It's fair to say I've lusted over Luxman equipment for a few years now. Something about Japanese hifi that just gets me. Anyway, one of the online retailers of new and used equipment has a Luxman L-507uX (not the mark ii) for sale. I do really like the sound from my hybrid MA252 integrated, and it drives my Maggie 1.7s with ease. Most of my listening is of the streaming variety (Bludesound Node/Qobuz), and some vinyl (Music Hall MMF-5).
Here's my question: what will the Luxman bring me that the McIntosh isn't providing? More refinement? More authoritative bass? Better soundstaging? If the answer is yes, then I may pull the trigger on the Luxman. By the way, I can get a nice trade-in on my McIntosh, so my out-of-pocket won't be too bad. Please weigh-in if you've had both McIntosh and Luxman gear and what your experience with both brands has been. Thanks in advance! ~ Jerry
Showing 10 responses by jrod68
@erik_squires Thanks for the input! I saw your posts from a few years ago about your Luxman. I was hoping you'd chime in. 😀 My only concern is that I've regretted selling equipment in the past. If the Luxman is the one, then the McIntosh has to go. That's the rub. Yeah, the 509 would be sweet....but it's at a price-point that's higher than I'm willing to go. ~ Jerry
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Again, everyone, thanks for your feedback. It's much appreciated. @caphill ...yeah, a new streamer would be next on my list. I guess at the moment, I'm smitten with the Luxman amp. @woots ...thanks for the recommendation @audioman58...super cool integrated, and if I had an extra $6k laying around, I'd probably go that route. I forgot to mention in my post, I want to stay in the $2k-$3k range, out-of-pocket. Trading in my hybrid McIntosh gets me there. @soix...I like your attitude. Just go for it! I'll keep you all updated. Have a great day! ~ Jerry
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Good evening. The Luxman arrived today. Got my streamer hooked up and listened for a few minutes. Then my lady says “hey, can you pick up some food?” Off to get Chinese. 😁 First impression…holy s***. So the Maggie’s CAN make some serious bass. This thing seems to have unlimited headroom. Wow. More to follow. ~ Jerry |
@vitussl101 Detail, imagine & impact. I think the Luxman nails it on all three fronts. One word comes to mind: Command…total control of my 1.7s. Snare hits have more impact and “bite” with the Luxman. The top end is more present and very smooth. I haven’t really listened critically, as work has kept me pretty busy the last few days. More to come… One odd thing…with the Luxman volume dial at zero, I still can hear the Bluesound Node playing. That’s using both RCA and balanced connections. I’m sure there’s an easy explanation. ~ Jerry |
I've only had Maggies in the last 20 years. I owned Klipsch Heresy speakers for a few months, sold them and took a bath on the price. Oh well. My point is, I don't have much recent experience with "dynamic" speakers. However, I've never felt that I was missing anything from my 1.7s (or 1.6s before them), especially from a dynamics perspective. Having lived with the hybrid McIntosh for 3+ years, I now understand that I was depriving the 1.7s of high-quality (and abundant) power. Not to say that I didn't enjoy my time with the MA252...I did! They're just two very different amps. I will miss that midband "lushness" of the McIntosh by the way. Enjoy your day! ~ Jerry |
Back to my assessment of the Luxman... 1. The lady of the house says "Did you get a new stereo?" 😀😀 She thinks it looks really cool. 2. Build quality is top-notch. Dials feel great. Input dial moves from position to position with a nice "thwunk". Very solid. I do with the meters were a tad brighter. 3. I Listened to Coltrane and Hartman last night. Vocals were spot-on. Johnny was in my living room! 4. Bass. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 1.7s now have bass! Tight and full, but not bloated. Certainly not the type of bass you feel, but bass that has texture and speed. Very cool. 5. Soundstage. In my room, I'm not noticing a bigger or deeper soundstage than the McIntosh. I'll keep listening. That's it for now. I hope the moms in you lives have a wonderful day today! ~ Jerry |
Hey all, Happy Thursday! The MA252 was boxed and shipped to CO yesterday. No doubts and no regrets (yet). The Luxman is a really cool piece of gear. I'm still in the "get to know you" stage, and it's been a lot of fun! We'll be doing some construction in the kitchen & listening room (taking down a wall, going to open concept), and smaller Maggies are definitely in my future. The 1.7s are just too big. Thanks to all for the lively discussion. Take care...Jerry |