Well I bought a Luxman EQ 500 and it is outstanding! Coming from a Tavish Design Adagio (with upgraded transformers) which is no slouch, the Lux plays at another level, and it should since it is quite a bit more expensive. It is very powerful and dynamic sounding. It is also very quiet and may be the only phono stage I have ever owned over the years where I do not hear the least bit of hum! Sound staging is very expansive and images are solid. Vocals and instruments are more expressive. The overall sound feels like everything is firmly grounded. Also, it is easier to discern the recording venues, whether studio or live concerts, in large or small venues. I get much more of a sense of actually being there. Although the Tavish was good at that, using NOS tubes, the Lux (using stock tubes) is simply better. This is my end game phono stage. While there are undoubtedly even better ones out there, they will likely cost much, much more than I care to spend.
Note: It appears that there are no longer any new units remaining in the US. Factory production in Japan has slowed or shut down again due to COVID and the distributor does not anticipate any new stock in the US for at least another 4-5 months.
