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-   -   Luxman L-509X Review (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=42873)

jzzmusician 05-05-2018 12:45 AM
Serge,

I really enjoy reading your posts. Would you please share your thoughts on the Primaluna compared to the Luxman?

Thanks in advance,

Bob

PHC1 05-05-2018 01:46 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jzzmusician (Post 913855)
Serge,

I really enjoy reading your posts. Would you please share your thoughts on the Primaluna compared to the Luxman?

Thanks in advance,

Bob
Thanks Bob,

They are actually both great integrated amps. More similar than different really. I can easily live and listen to either and be perfectly happy. :music:

Sometimes I can pick up on the slight advantage of the PrimaLuna digging deeper into the emotional content of music and harmonic richness like tubes can, only to compare to the Luxman and realize it's all in my head. They really are too much alike rather than significantly different. I would not want to bet any money on a blind test to guess which one is playing, even with a familiar recording. Well executed Class A design really does sound like tubes.

Judge for yourself. Listen to both carefully in the links below and decide for yourself which you think you like better. I'm glad I have both but I can neither decide nor part with either of them. :D

Luxman https://youtu.be/SRy8NyL7b1Y

PrimaLuna https://youtu.be/cssNqFBeNhw

GreginNH1 05-05-2018 06:44 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PHC1 (Post 913852)
That's just the Class A rating which is plenty but when you want to rock the house, The Class A 590AXII puts out a very healthy 2x95W and 2x165W into 8/4ohm. I doubt I have ever even left Class A with my 87dB speakers in a rather large room. I know the Prima Luna puts out much less and I have not been able to stress the tubed amp, let alone this Luxman. :D
I hear you on this fact Serge. It has always puzzled me that Luxman has never published the A/B specs on this amp. I think many potential buyers simply dismissed the Luxman due to the Class A rating.

johndoe21ro 05-05-2018 09:08 AM
Serge, you've got some really nice gear there! I'm also interested in the Luxman 590AXII... in order to simplify my system.
I hope you'll forgive me for the observations but the sound is a bit hollow and seems to lack a little body. Of course I don't know if it's the empty room, the speakers, the DAC, the cables or something else... Otherwise it seems resolute, fast, tonally rich and with a nice soundstage - as much as the video quality and the bit rate allows of course... :thumbsup:
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-655SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e32 w UpTone JS-2 Power Supply; SOtM tX-USBultra w UpTone LPS1.2; Apple Mac Mini w UpTone DC Conversion Kit & UpTone JS-2 Power Supply; Squeezelite w Logitech Media Server 7.9.0
Speakers: Triangle Magellan Cello II
Cables: AudioQuest WEL XLR, AudioQuest Everest, AudioQuest Hurricane HC, AudioQuest NRG-1000, AudioQuest Diamond USB
Rack: Solid Tech Hybrid
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w Optimum EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; Synergistic Research Blue Quantum Fuse

PHC1 05-05-2018 09:44 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreginNH1 (Post 913876)
I hear you on this fact Serge. It has always puzzled me that Luxman has never published the A/B specs on this amp. I think many potential buyers simply dismissed the Luxman due to the Class A rating.
Yep, I was a bit hesitant to get into a 30w Class A amp until I learned there is so much more overhead reserve. :D

PHC1 05-05-2018 09:50 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 913889)
Serge, you've got some really nice gear there! I'm also interested in the Luxman 590AXII... in order to simplify my system.
I hope you'll forgive me for the observations but the sound is a bit hollow and seems to lack a little body. Of course I don't know if it's the empty room, the speakers, the DAC, the cables or something else... Otherwise it seems resolute, fast, tonally rich and with a nice soundstage - as much as the video quality and the bit rate allows of course... :thumbsup:
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-600SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e22 w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; Mac Mini w UpTone DC Conversion Kit, LPS & Samsung 860EVO 1TB SSD; Squeezelite w Logitech Media Server 7.9.0
Speakers: Triangle Magellan Cello II
Cables: AudioQuest WEL XLR 72v DBS, AudioQuest Everest DBS 72V, AudioQuest Hurricane High Current 72V DBS, AudioQuest NRG-10 72V DBS, AudioQuest Diamond USB 216V DBS, UpTone ISO Regen w USPCB A>B Adapter
Rack: Solid Tech Hybrid
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w IsoTek Optimum EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3
A few things going on, first it’s an iPhone recording to YouTube compression and then of course it will only sound as your playback chain on your end. Computer speakers? :D When I listen to my own video in quality headphones it gets closer to real life sound but of course it is still not it. The DAC used at the time of those videos was a $300 DAC module by the way. :smoking: Does an $8k SACD/DAC from Luxman make a difference later? Yeah, it did. :music: YouTube is not the best way to gauge the absolute sound quality obviously, but it gives one an idea none the less. I doubt very much you’d be disappointed with a Luxman integrated or separates. Pull the trigger and don’t look back. :thumbsup:

johndoe21ro 05-05-2018 11:01 AM
I listened through my headphones but your points are valid enough. I'm sure you're right so you must forgive me for criticizing your system. As for the amplification I'm not sure which way to go... upgrading to BAT VK-655SE, going for Vitus SS-010 (25W in class A), going for the Luxman or for something completely different. :scratch2:
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-655SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e32 w UpTone JS-2 Power Supply; SOtM tX-USBultra w UpTone LPS1.2; Apple Mac Mini w UpTone DC Conversion Kit & UpTone JS-2 Power Supply; Squeezelite w Logitech Media Server 7.9.0
Speakers: Triangle Magellan Cello II
Cables: AudioQuest WEL XLR, AudioQuest Everest, AudioQuest Hurricane HC, AudioQuest NRG-1000, AudioQuest Diamond USB
Rack: Solid Tech Hybrid
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w Optimum EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; Synergistic Research Blue Quantum Fuse

PHC1 05-05-2018 11:43 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 913901)
I listened through my headphones but your points are valid enough. I'm sure you're right so you must forgive me for criticizing your system. As for the amplification I'm not sure which way to go... upgrading to BAT VK-655SE, going for Vitus SS-010 (25W in class A), going for the Luxman or for something completely different. :scratch2:
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-600SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e22 w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; Mac Mini w UpTone DC Conversion Kit, LPS & Samsung 860EVO 1TB SSD; Squeezelite w Logitech Media Server 7.9.0
Speakers: Triangle Magellan Cello II
Cables: AudioQuest WEL XLR 72v DBS, AudioQuest Everest DBS 72V, AudioQuest Hurricane High Current 72V DBS, AudioQuest NRG-10 72V DBS, AudioQuest Diamond USB 216V DBS, UpTone ISO Regen w USPCB A>B Adapter
Rack: Solid Tech Hybrid
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w IsoTek Optimum EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3
I didn't take it as criticism. My system is work in progress in the sense that the room is still not treated. Having said that, I am in no rush since it sounds great already and everything on top of that is icing on the cake. :music:

You already have great components, spending $$$ will yield only marginal if any improvement. I've certainly enjoyed my BAT setup with Dynadio back in the day so I am familiar with BAT sound. Sometimes it's wise to just not do anything but enjoy what you already have. Probably most of the times but you know how this crazy hobby goes. :D

DonBattles 05-05-2018 03:39 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PHC1 (Post 913852)
That's just the Class A rating which is plenty but when you want to rock the house, The Class A 590AXII puts out a very healthy 2x95W and 2x165W into 8/4ohm. I doubt I have ever even left Class A with my 87dB speakers in a rather large room. I know the Prima Luna puts out much less and I have not been able to stress the tubed amp, let alone this Luxman. :D


I’m with Serge on this. My L590aii supplies more than enough power to drive my Wilson Duettes. This will remain in my system and the only reason I would change is if I ever end up with a large listening room. In that situation I’d want some Luxman Class A mono-blocks.

DonBattles 05-05-2018 03:44 PM
My L590 in a much smaller room, but with acoustic treatment.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KsaKIolblYI


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