avanti1960
04-27-2022 at 09:33pm971 posts
Gone is the overtly smooth and forgiving presentation in favor of more clarity and transparency.
May i ask which model of the Luxman sound overly smooth and forgiving? The L-590AXII which I currently own surely does not sound "overly smooth" or forgiving. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be sitting on the rack in my system now. Being a Class A, it’s slightly smoother than some Class AB amps but it’s still highly refined and detailed. That’s the trait which I appreciate in the Luxman. The sound is smooth but refined and detailed at the same time. It may sound contradictory but that’s my experience. Not many amps are capable of sounding smooth and refined/detailed at the same time. The micro-detail in the music are all present with the Luxman whereas they are smoothened or sound subdued with some amps. In other words, the sound lacks clarity with the smoothened detail although some people may prefer the warmer presentation.
Some amps sound less detailed with smoothened leading edge when they are compared to the Luxman. This observation or experience was also shared by Steve Huff when he compared the L-590AXII to the Pass Labs INT250 in his review / blog. The Pass was said to be smoother and the Luxman more refined and detailed.