AudioAficionado.org  

Go Back   AudioAficionado.org > Manufacturers Forums > Japanese Exotica

Japanese Exotica Kondo, Leben, Luxman, Zanden

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-23-2011, 09:06 PM
Alberto's Avatar
Alberto Alberto is offline
Chief Toneologist
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 2,174
Default Apart from the smell, the Luxman L550ii is magnificent

After being FedUp with FedEx for a few days, the Luxman L550ii finally arrived.

It's a magnificent beast, but unfortunately it smells like one (more on that later.)

I'll take good pictures later, in the meantime here's a stock photo so you'll know what I am taking about. Behold the beast:



Visual and Tactile Impressions

The build quality and heft are definitely in the same league as McIntosh. It looks wonderful and operates very smoothly. The brushed aluminum clashes a bit with the black glass McIntosh gear still in the rack (MCD201 and MDA1000) but I'll get used to it.

I prefer the unique look of McIntosh to the more pedestrian brushed aluminum, but this is a very nice implementation of that look.

The buttons and knobs feel solid but, again, the feel of the McIntosh knobs is hard to beat.

It's one heavy puppy - not as hernia inducing as an MC501, but not too far.

The VU meters are very nice, but look so tiny once you are used to the MC501s' meters. I suppose I'll get used to the orange background light, but blue would have been classier - even if copy-cat IMO.

Olfactory Impressions


This is the first time in any of my reviews where I had to bring in the sense of smell. It must be a combination of being brand new and running hot (as I'd expect a class-A amp to run) but this amp has that "new amp smell" in spades. It has been running in for 24 hours and it's still emitting a not too pleasant "electronic" fragrance that is hard to ignore. I feel the need to keep the windows open. It has never happened to me with any piece of gear and I sincerely hope it will go away soon.

Sonic Impressions


In one word, WOW.

First of all I am playing it with the Tannoys (more about the Tannoy vs. Guarneri death match some other time) and any concern about 20+20W not being enough power went out the window from the first minute. If anything, the range of the volume knob is too coarse at lower volumes I can't imagine turning it past the 'noon' position for more than a few seconds. This thing is LOUD. I will not be wanting for power, that's for sure.

The first sonic property that struck me - even during break-in - was the bass: huge, powerful and commanding with a great "tone" to it.

After a few hours of break-in, I sat down to listen a bit more critically. I know it's a cliche' but I heard things in recordings that I had never heard before. Some very, VERY, minor details showed up in music that I've listened to dozens if not hundreds of time. In addition to hearing sounds I hadn't heard before, I heard other sounds with increased clarity and presence - mostly things like cymbals, bells, guitar string squeaks, etc.

The soundstage is wide and very balanced. Because the drivers are lower than the Guarneris, the stage is also lower than I like, but on several tracks it rises well above the speakers and offers a nice sense of height. The stage also has very nice depth. At the end of the first track in "Wish You Were Here", for example, there is a very soft sound that fades very slowly and with this amp and speakers, you could not help but visualizing it disappearing in the distance both in terms of depth and height - getting "smaller" as it receded in the distance. A wonderful "effect".

Speaking of "effects", I know this is anathema to delicious sound, but listening to Pink Floyd with this amp revealed layers of sounds that I had never noticed - like some voices that must be buried many 10s of decibels deep in the mix. I now see what people mean when they talk about the resolution power of class-A amps or about "seeing" deeper in the soundstage. I know, these are "HiFi tricks" but in this case I found them adding quite a bit to the music. Knowing that Pink Floyd put so many little touches, inaudible in most systems, got me more involved in the music.

Here's the acid test for me, though: Does it sound delicious? Yes. 100% so. But in a very different way than the lovely Shindo Montille. The Shindo oozes deliciousness by being smooth, warm and by giving you very holographic presentation where the voices and instruments have real depth. The Luxman gives you deliciousness through "liquidity" and "smoothness." Here's an analogy, listening to the Shindo is like passing your hand on a smooth surface that has been lubricated with a thin layer of oil. Listening to the Luxman is like passing your hand on a surface that has been smoothed and polished to 1/1000th of a millimeter. They are booth very easy to listen to and smooth, but each in their own way. The Luxman is less forgiving than the Shindo with harsher recordings but, despite its ability to bring forth details and resolve so well, it still sounds very delicious. If the recording is very bad, the bass and treble tone controls are very effective at fixing harshness or thinness.

I haven't spent a lot of time listening to the phono stage yet, but what I heard impressed me. Again, smooth and liquid without being soft.

In summary, it sounds: powerful and detailed, but it's also smooth and liquid at the same time. A terrific balance IMO. An iron fist in a teflon glove. I still prefer the look and feel of McIntosh gear, only time will tell if the sound of the Luxman will do as well as McIntosh in my system. The ultimate evaluation criteria is how much does it make me want to listen to music (and how long will I keep it around.)

The only thing I don't like about it is this new amp smell - I sincerely hope it will go away soon. If it doesn't it could be a deal breaker.

Deliciously yours,

Alberto


Last edited by Alberto; 02-23-2011 at 09:11 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-23-2011, 09:11 PM
two dot two dot is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,116
Default

Thanks Alberto,

Nice description of a nice, if stinky, amplifier.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-23-2011, 09:43 PM
ehoove's Avatar
ehoove ehoove is offline
Old & New - Carpe Diem
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 5,187
Default

Alberto,
Nice write up, and both the Amp and speakers are beautiful pieces. Interesting about the burn in smell, welcome to class A amplification! Have you talked to Luxman about the issue?
I look forward to your phono impressions using the Thorens! :^)
Regards,
Jim
__________________
It's all about the Music, but I sure like the way my gear makes it come alive!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-23-2011, 10:05 PM
f1 fan's Avatar
f1 fan f1 fan is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Nashville
Posts: 12,898
Default

Alberto...nice review and description. Looking forward to the speaker reviews and of course post the pics if the smell isn't too bad.

Dave
__________________
It's About The Music...
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-23-2011, 10:19 PM
Vintage Pete's Avatar
Vintage Pete Vintage Pete is offline
Remembering Dan



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posts: 7,500
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by f1 fan View Post
Alberto...nice review and description. Looking forward to the speaker reviews and of course post the pics if the smell isn't too bad.

Dave
What Dave said, plus one....it sounds like a really nice amp. The smell may be another matter....I always like the smell of new gear but I guess too much of a good thing can be bad. Hope the positive aspects ultimately win out.

Pete
__________________
Pete

No. 35


Main System: VPI Prime Signature TT in Rosewood, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Stillpoints LP1 V2, McIntosh: MP100, MR78, MCD1000 Transport on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, MDA1000 D/A Converter on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, MS750 Music Server, C40, MC501's (3), Soundcraftsmen: DC2215 Eq/AS1000 Real time analyzer, DBX 3BX II, Carver C9, Nakamichi Dragon, Crown SX724, Crown D-75A (as headphone amp), Sony XBR55X900E 4K TV, JBL L220A's, JBL B460, Sumo Delilah active crossover, WireWorld Silver Eclipse audio interconnects, WireWorld Starlight and Silver Starlight Coaxial Digital interconnects, Wireworld SuperNova 7 Toslink digital interconnect, WireWorld Aurora 7 and Silver Electra Power cords, Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 speaker cables, Terk AF-1 Powered Antenna, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-Ray Player, Bryson BUC-1 USB Converter, Wireworld Gold Starlight XLR Digital interconnect, PS Audio Direct Stream Power Plant 12 on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, PS Audio Dectect, FuruTech Flux-50 NCF Inline Power Filter, Add-Powr Wizard EM Field AC Line conditioner; Stillpoint Ultra SS's under (3) McIntosh MC501 Amplifiers

Florida Room/Art Studio System: Harmon Kardon T60 TT/Ortofon 2M Black, McIntosh: MR77, C32, MC2205; Crown Power Line Four, Wyred for Sound DAC-2 Digital to Analog converter, Soundcraftsmen AE2000 Eq, JBL 4313B's, JBL 2241-based Sub, JBL BX63A Active Crossover, Oppo BDP-105D Blu-Ray Player, Samsung 5500 Series 32" Smart TV, Terk AF-1 Powered Antenna

Master Bedroom System: McIntosh: MX120 Theater processor, MC206 6-channel amplifier; MR74 AM/FM Tuner, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, JVC HM-DH40000U D-Theater Digital VHS, Phase Technology PC80 Towers (now used as stands), (2) JBL 4401's, (1) JBL Studio 6IW speaker, (2) JBL Studio 6IC speakers, Sony XBR-49X900E UHD TV, Panamax 1000 Line Conditioner, (2) JL Audio E110 Subwoofers, Wireworld Solstice speaker cables, Wireworld Aurora Power cords, Wireworld Equinox and Solstice speaker cables and various other flavors of Wireworld and Audioquest cabling

Office System: Marantz 150 Tuner, Crown DL 2, Crown EQ 2, Crown SA 2, Crown D-75A (as headphone amp), McIntosh MCD7009 (as transport), DBX 3BX Series II, Oppo BDP-103 Blu-ray player, JBL 4401's, JL Audio E112 Subwoofer, Samsung 5500 series 32" Smart TV, Wire World Oasis audio interconnects, Wire World Solstice speaker cables, Wyred for Sound DAC-2 DSDse Digital to Analog converter, Wireworld Starlight Coaxial Digital Interconnect, Sennheiser HD800 Headphones, Sennheiser HDVA600 Headphone amp, Wireworld Silver Eclipse Balanced Interconnects, Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB Cable, Add-Powr EAU-2 AC Harmonic resonator

High Resolution Source: HP Omen 17" Gaming Laptop
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-23-2011, 10:27 PM
Alberto's Avatar
Alberto Alberto is offline
Chief Toneologist
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 2,174
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Pete View Post
What Dave said, plus one....it sounds like a really nice amp. The smell may be another matter....I always like the smell of new gear but I guess too much of a good thing can be bad. Hope the positive aspects ultimately win out.

Pete
I also like new "thing" smell: cars, leather, etc., but I sure hope that whatever I am smelling is going to burn off for good - and that it's not toxic in one way or another.

Alberto
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-23-2011, 10:28 PM
cmalak's Avatar
cmalak cmalak is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,602
Default

Alberto...nice write-up and congrats. Will follow your progress with interest.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Audioaficionado.org tested by Norton Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:17 PM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
©Copyright 2009-2023 AudioAficionado.org.Privately owned, All Rights Reserved.
Audio Aficionado Sponsors
AudioAficionado Subscriber
AudioAficionado Subscriber
Inspire By Dennis Had
Inspire By Dennis Had
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Wyred4Sound
Wyred4Sound
Dragonfire Acoustics
Dragonfire Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
Esoteric
Esoteric
AC Infinity
AC Infinity
JL Audio
JL Audio
Add Powr
Add Powr
Accuphase - Soulution
Accuphase - Soulution
Audio by E
Audio by E
Canton
Canton
Bryston
Bryston
WireWorld Cables
WireWorld Cables
Stillpoints
Stillpoints
Bricasti Design
Bricasti Design
Furutech
Furutech
Shunyata Research
Shunyata Research
Legend Audio & Video
Legend Audio & Video