Luxman… what’s happening?
- Thread starter Rockchild
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Start date
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Now that’s more like it - the new arm on that looks superb.
I’m sure the arm on the PS-151 is very good but it does look like it’s been taken straight off a £350 TEAC TN-3B
NT-07 Network transport, C-10X Pre-amp and L-509Z integrated just announced, FYI.
Ok, The Luxman L-507z is now available in the UK and costs £8,000. There are a few reviews around and they all are saying this is a cracking amplifier (much as you would expect from Luxman) with some saying it is better than all the previous integrateds, including the L-509X. The L-509X is/was the top integrated Luxman amplifier and there is talk that it will be replaced late this year/next year by the new L-509Z.
So when Stephen at Audio Consultants phoned to ask if I would be interested to hear both amplifiers in a great system I agreed in 12 microseconds.
So I went to Audio Consultants and after a refreshing coffee, we sat down and listened to the Luxman L-507Z in a system of the Luxman D-10X CD/SACD player, amp, and some new Ophidian Incanto speakers. So we started with Sir John Barbirolli conducting Karelia Suite followed by Finlandia. What a great opening to the system. The 3D image of Karelia was excellent and allowed the size of the hall the music it was recorded in, to be easily heard. It was a real 3D image with great depth, width and dare I say it, height.
Right, something more powerful and on to Beethoven's 9th Symphony on Reference Recordings. Bang, this track had excellent dynamics and the 3D image was of a large hall. After the crash and bash stops, the voice comes in, it is clear, easy to hear and is not perturbed by the powerful music. And when the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh joins in, it is close to overwhelming (in a good way). This is one of the best renditions of this music I have heard (for the time being).
And in complete contrast Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused from their first album. This was raw rock with a straightforward(ish) recording with a rock band showing what they could do. The 3D image opened the individual elements up with the music having great tonal intensity. The acoustic guitar sounded very real. And yes the wrong way around drums were easy to hear.
Yes, this is a great integrated amplifier and deserves the praise it has received.
But what about the L-509X? That was inserted into the system and allowing for a little bit of settling down we replayed the Led Zeppelin. And I am sorry to say it was better, much better. It does not have the slightly brighter sound of the newer amplifier. This confused me to start with but the calmer approach of the L-509X was more to my taste. There was more intensity and emotion in Plant's voice and greater dynamics to individual instruments. Onto Beethoven's 9th and those differences were greater. Big powerful music with great realism.
We finished the afternoon by swapping the speakers for Kudos 707s which were ideally suited to the L509X amplifier and helped round off the session with some great music.
The new Luxman L-507z is a great integrated and will make a lot of friends and sales. It is superbly made and has the usual Luxman feel. The L-509X to my mind is the better amplifier but be careful not to get too over-awed by the slight forward nature of the L-507X. It adds a little excitement, but the L-509X has slightly better dynamics and is a little more natural.
And the good news, there will be a Luxman 509z but do not hold your breath it may be the end of this year or early 2024.
I hope to get the L-507z and the L-509Z (when it appears) into my home system and get to hear these integrateds in my system.
So when Stephen at Audio Consultants phoned to ask if I would be interested to hear both amplifiers in a great system I agreed in 12 microseconds.
So I went to Audio Consultants and after a refreshing coffee, we sat down and listened to the Luxman L-507Z in a system of the Luxman D-10X CD/SACD player, amp, and some new Ophidian Incanto speakers. So we started with Sir John Barbirolli conducting Karelia Suite followed by Finlandia. What a great opening to the system. The 3D image of Karelia was excellent and allowed the size of the hall the music it was recorded in, to be easily heard. It was a real 3D image with great depth, width and dare I say it, height.
Right, something more powerful and on to Beethoven's 9th Symphony on Reference Recordings. Bang, this track had excellent dynamics and the 3D image was of a large hall. After the crash and bash stops, the voice comes in, it is clear, easy to hear and is not perturbed by the powerful music. And when the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh joins in, it is close to overwhelming (in a good way). This is one of the best renditions of this music I have heard (for the time being).
And in complete contrast Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused from their first album. This was raw rock with a straightforward(ish) recording with a rock band showing what they could do. The 3D image opened the individual elements up with the music having great tonal intensity. The acoustic guitar sounded very real. And yes the wrong way around drums were easy to hear.
Yes, this is a great integrated amplifier and deserves the praise it has received.
But what about the L-509X? That was inserted into the system and allowing for a little bit of settling down we replayed the Led Zeppelin. And I am sorry to say it was better, much better. It does not have the slightly brighter sound of the newer amplifier. This confused me to start with but the calmer approach of the L-509X was more to my taste. There was more intensity and emotion in Plant's voice and greater dynamics to individual instruments. Onto Beethoven's 9th and those differences were greater. Big powerful music with great realism.
We finished the afternoon by swapping the speakers for Kudos 707s which were ideally suited to the L509X amplifier and helped round off the session with some great music.
The new Luxman L-507z is a great integrated and will make a lot of friends and sales. It is superbly made and has the usual Luxman feel. The L-509X to my mind is the better amplifier but be careful not to get too over-awed by the slight forward nature of the L-507X. It adds a little excitement, but the L-509X has slightly better dynamics and is a little more natural.
And the good news, there will be a Luxman 509z but do not hold your breath it may be the end of this year or early 2024.
I hope to get the L-507z and the L-509Z (when it appears) into my home system and get to hear these integrateds in my system.
Great write up George and shows how good it is to have your knowledge and contacts on board the WamOk, The Luxman L-507z is now available in the UK and costs £8,000. There are a few reviews around and they all are saying this is a cracking amplifier (much as you would expect from Luxman) with some saying it is better than all the previous integrateds, including the L-509X. The L-509X is/was the top integrated Luxman amplifier and there is talk that it will be replaced late this year/next year by the new L-509Z.
So when Stephen at Audio Consultants phoned to ask if I would be interested to hear both amplifiers in a great system I agreed in 12 microseconds.
So I went to Audio Consultants and after a refreshing coffee, we sat down and listened to the Luxman L-507Z in a system of the Luxman D-10X CD/SACD player, amp, and some new Ophidian Incanto speakers. So we started with Sir John Barbirolli conducting Karelia Suite followed by Finlandia. What a great opening to the system. The 3D image of Karelia was excellent and allowed the size of the hall the music it was recorded in, to be easily heard. It was a real 3D image with great depth, width and dare I say it, height.
Right, something more powerful and on to Beethoven's 9th Symphony on Reference Recordings. Bang, this track had excellent dynamics and the 3D image was of a large hall. After the crash and bash stops, the voice comes in, it is clear, easy to hear and is not perturbed by the powerful music. And when the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh joins in, it is close to overwhelming (in a good way). This is one of the best renditions of this music I have heard (for the time being).
And in complete contrast Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused from their first album. This was raw rock with a straightforward(ish) recording with a rock band showing what they could do. The 3D image opened the individual elements up with the music having great tonal intensity. The acoustic guitar sounded very real. And yes the wrong way around drums were easy to hear.
Yes, this is a great integrated amplifier and deserves the praise it has received.
But what about the L-509X? That was inserted into the system and allowing for a little bit of settling down we replayed the Led Zeppelin. And I am sorry to say it was better, much better. It does not have the slightly brighter sound of the newer amplifier. This confused me to start with but the calmer approach of the L-509X was more to my taste. There was more intensity and emotion in Plant's voice and greater dynamics to individual instruments. Onto Beethoven's 9th and those differences were greater. Big powerful music with great realism.
We finished the afternoon by swapping the speakers for Kudos 707s which were ideally suited to the L509X amplifier and helped round off the session with some great music.
The new Luxman L-507z is a great integrated and will make a lot of friends and sales. It is superbly made and has the usual Luxman feel. The L-509X to my mind is the better amplifier but be careful not to get too over-awed by the slight forward nature of the L-507X. It adds a little excitement, but the L-509X has slightly better dynamics and is a little more natural.
And the good news, there will be a Luxman 509z but do not hold your breath it may be the end of this year or early 2024.
I hope to get the L-507z and the L-509Z (when it appears) into my home system and get to hear these integrateds in my system.
Thank god for that.
Doubt I'd be tempted by the 509Z either. I'd definitely have a preowned M-900u/C-900u if I had the space though.
With the recent jumps in pricing, I feel pretty smug about my L-509X having cost a mere £500 more than the L-507Z as well.
I agree and I did. They have arrived here and they are not moving a mm away. Basically, I can't lift the power amp even at a mere 106lbs. And all it can produce into 1 ohm is 1.2 kW.
Just to add my thanks for the comprehensive write up. Would also like to hear the 507z vs my now superseded 507 which cost £5k after some haggling. My system is close to perfect in my room to my ears and a more forward midrange might disturb he balance or might be even better. The change would cost at least £4 k which might be better spent elsewhere, or not at all. Our mantra while flying long haul, "if it's humming along nicely, don't f*** with it".Ok, The Luxman L-507z is now available in the UK and costs £8,000. There are a few reviews around and they all are saying this is a cracking amplifier (much as you would expect from Luxman) with some saying it is better than all the previous integrateds, including the L-509X. The L-509X is/was the top integrated Luxman amplifier and there is talk that it will be replaced late this year/next year by the new L-509Z.
So when Stephen at Audio Consultants phoned to ask if I would be interested to hear both amplifiers in a great system I agreed in 12 microseconds.
So I went to Audio Consultants and after a refreshing coffee, we sat down and listened to the Luxman L-507Z in a system of the Luxman D-10X CD/SACD player, amp, and some new Ophidian Incanto speakers. So we started with Sir John Barbirolli conducting Karelia Suite followed by Finlandia. What a great opening to the system. The 3D image of Karelia was excellent and allowed the size of the hall the music it was recorded in, to be easily heard. It was a real 3D image with great depth, width and dare I say it, height.
Right, something more powerful and on to Beethoven's 9th Symphony on Reference Recordings. Bang, this track had excellent dynamics and the 3D image was of a large hall. After the crash and bash stops, the voice comes in, it is clear, easy to hear and is not perturbed by the powerful music. And when the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh joins in, it is close to overwhelming (in a good way). This is one of the best renditions of this music I have heard (for the time being).
And in complete contrast Led Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused from their first album. This was raw rock with a straightforward(ish) recording with a rock band showing what they could do. The 3D image opened the individual elements up with the music having great tonal intensity. The acoustic guitar sounded very real. And yes the wrong way around drums were easy to hear.
Yes, this is a great integrated amplifier and deserves the praise it has received.
But what about the L-509X? That was inserted into the system and allowing for a little bit of settling down we replayed the Led Zeppelin. And I am sorry to say it was better, much better. It does not have the slightly brighter sound of the newer amplifier. This confused me to start with but the calmer approach of the L-509X was more to my taste. There was more intensity and emotion in Plant's voice and greater dynamics to individual instruments. Onto Beethoven's 9th and those differences were greater. Big powerful music with great realism.
We finished the afternoon by swapping the speakers for Kudos 707s which were ideally suited to the L509X amplifier and helped round off the session with some great music.
The new Luxman L-507z is a great integrated and will make a lot of friends and sales. It is superbly made and has the usual Luxman feel. The L-509X to my mind is the better amplifier but be careful not to get too over-awed by the slight forward nature of the L-507X. It adds a little excitement, but the L-509X has slightly better dynamics and is a little more natural.
And the good news, there will be a Luxman 509z but do not hold your breath it may be the end of this year or early 2024.
I hope to get the L-507z and the L-509Z (when it appears) into my home system and get to hear these integrateds in my system.
I had been looking at entry level Luxman amps for a while, hoping to find a bargain especially as some models are being discontinued. While browsing I found a 509x at a greatly reduced price of £6999. Totally out of my budget, but so tempting as a final ever amp purchase. I made an enquiry with another dealer who offered a price match and a discount of 10% of the difference which knocked another £240 ish off the price. I found that temptation too good to walk away from, so I’ve ordered a 509x hopefully it will arrive this coming week.
anyway, as I’ve now blown my entire amp and CD player budget on the amp alone, I now need to find a CD player that will match/go well with the amp but will cost peanuts. At the moment I have a meridian 508.24 on loan from a friend but obviously I’d like to return that and buy my own. I’d have another Meridian in silver to match the amp if I could find one cheap enough. It will probably be with me a year or two till I’ve got enough money together to get a Luxman CD player (new).
anyway, as I’ve now blown my entire amp and CD player budget on the amp alone, I now need to find a CD player that will match/go well with the amp but will cost peanuts. At the moment I have a meridian 508.24 on loan from a friend but obviously I’d like to return that and buy my own. I’d have another Meridian in silver to match the amp if I could find one cheap enough. It will probably be with me a year or two till I’ve got enough money together to get a Luxman CD player (new).
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The 509x is a lifetime keeper, it will certainly last that long. Obviously, dealers are looking to refresh their amps before the new 509z appears, whenever that is. But as I always say to people worried, if it is a brilliant amp today it will still be a brilliant amp tomorrow.
I would keep the Meridian for the time being and see how it sounds with the new 509z, which will take some time to settle down (burn-in) i.e. do not rush it. As a stop-gap you could always add an R2R DAC which should give a more organic, natural sound.
Of course, the problem is, the 509z is good enough to show off the Luxman D10 CD player. YES, you are in the big boys club now Now the D-10 CD is a brilliant but somewhat more expensive item. But there is the new D-07 at just a mere £10K and the D-03 for £4K. Now, this is just me guessing but that is a big gap between the D-03 and the D07. Could you imagine something in between, let's call it a D-05 for argument's sake. Knowing Luxman it will take a few years to appear, maybe when you are fishing in this pond again.
Whatever, take your time and really enjoy what the 509X does. It will surprise and amaze but give it time to settle down. Please let us know how you get on and a piccy or two would not go amiss.
I would keep the Meridian for the time being and see how it sounds with the new 509z, which will take some time to settle down (burn-in) i.e. do not rush it. As a stop-gap you could always add an R2R DAC which should give a more organic, natural sound.
Of course, the problem is, the 509z is good enough to show off the Luxman D10 CD player. YES, you are in the big boys club now
Now the D-10 CD is a brilliant but somewhat more expensive item. But there is the new D-07 at just a mere £10K and the D-03 for £4K. Now, this is just me guessing but that is a big gap between the D-03 and the D07. Could you imagine something in between, let's call it a D-05 for argument's sake. Knowing Luxman it will take a few years to appear, maybe when you are fishing in this pond again.Whatever, take your time and really enjoy what the 509X does. It will surprise and amaze but give it time to settle down. Please let us know how you get on and a piccy or two would not go amiss.
My thoughts were exactly that, that it will be the last amp I ever buy.
the CD player I was considering was the d-03. I mean, it’s a £4K cd player, it’s gonna be good.. probably great. And again will be the last one I ever buy.
the Meridian is definitely good enough to stay, but it’s a borrowed unit, not my own. I know the owner is in no rush to get it back, and probably would let me keep it Too. so it may end up being with me for a while yet.
the CD player I was considering was the d-03. I mean, it’s a £4K cd player, it’s gonna be good.. probably great. And again will be the last one I ever buy.
the Meridian is definitely good enough to stay, but it’s a borrowed unit, not my own. I know the owner is in no rush to get it back, and probably would let me keep it Too. so it may end up being with me for a while yet.
Congratulations, Bigfish. During the first lockdown, I took advantage of a deal on the 507. Unable to audition, it was a bit of a gamble as I had no clue how it would perform vs my Marantz PM14. I'm sure the 509 will bring many years of enjoyment. I was swayed by reports from pre covid audio shows where Luxman paired the 509 with dali Epicon 8s - very happy with my junior pairing which suit my room. Look forward to your thoughts.
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