Luxman L-509X

[watchnerd]

Acquired last week:
100% volume thru phono, gain ~ 9700
Inherent cartridge noise is 6 mV at speakers (thermal noise).
Measured at speakers.
It's quiet

What cartridge are you using?

 

[watchnerd]

I keep coming back to the looks of the Luxman vs my Devialet Expert 400.

I'm not sure I'm ready to move away from the convenience and Roon-readiness of the Devialet.

But I have a Schiit Modius lying around doing nothing, and likewise for a Pi Roon end-point.

Questions I have:

1. My favorite cart of the moment, ART9XA, outputs a pitiful 0.2mV. Too little for this phono?

2. Any reason I couldn't use the pre-outs to power subs, as i do now?

3. How is the headphone jack?

4. Does it have enough current to power my power-hungry 83 dB Dynaudio Heritage Specials?

 

[Solveit]

Over $10 000! for an amp...

 

[watchnerd]

Over $10 000! for an amp...

Nah.

$9,995.00

 

[Inner Space]

1. My favorite cart of the moment, ART9XA, outputs a pitiful 0.2mV. Too little for this phono?

2. Any reason I couldn't use the pre-outs to power subs, as i do now?

3. How is the headphone jack?

4. Does it have enough current to power my power-hungry 83 dB Dynaudio Heritage Specials?

I would say:

1. Marginal ... spec is 0.3mV.
2. No problem.
3. Nothing special - old fashioned power-amp-through-big-resistor situation, not ideal in terms of output impedance.
4. You'd be using +10dB more than my JBLs, but I reckon that would still give about +20dB headroom, if your preferred levels are like mine, not especially ferocious.

Overall, probably not for you. I have lots of different rooms, and my 509 is in my "typical boomer buying the kind of retro stuff he wanted but couldn't afford as a kid" room, and it's a wonderful modern iteration, but compared to a lot of other stuff it's nothing special - but beautiful in appearance and haptics.

 

[Ingenieur]

What cartridge are you using?

AT VM540ML

 

[Ingenieur]

Over $10 000! for an amp...

I got a good deal, -15%, no tax.

It's only $, and I work hard for it, I do not squander it. I do not buy things I can't afford. People drink and smoke that much in a few years. I'd rather have the amp for 10. Healthier too.

 

[watchnerd]

I got a good deal, -15%, no tax.

It's only $, and I work hard for it, I do not squander it. I do not buy things I can't afford. People drink and smoke that much in a few years. I'd rather have the amp for 10. Healthier too.

If it brings you joy, it's worth it.

I still waffle back and forth if I should trade my Devialet 400 for one.

Functionality wise, it's no contest, but the Luxman just looks so good.

 

[Bob from Florida]

If it brings you joy, it's worth it.

I still waffle back and forth if I should trade my Devialet 400 for one.

Functionality wise, it's no contest, but the Luxman just looks so good.

I can confirm even the lesser 507 model I have looks great. Your phono cartridge at .2 mv will work if it likes the 100 ohm load - a previously mentioned - borderline. I have the same phono stage in my 507 and it works pretty good with a 3.6 mv mm cartridge but I don't have any moving coils that like 100 ohms. So, I use an external phono that is adjustable to suit. The weak point is the phono input - not because it is bad, it limits you to picking a compatible cartridge. I was going to get an Aesthetix Mimas integrated as opposed to the Luxman - the WAF of the Luxman was the winner. The Mimas - $7400 base - has 5 line inputs both balanced and unbalanced. It also has 2 slots for a phono and DAC option cards at $1200 each. The phono stage is fully adjustable from the remote - loading, gain, and capacitance. Top notch phono stage I have heard many times on a friends system. Have not heard the DAC yet but a fully loaded Mimas is $9800 for phono and DAC. Just does not look as good as the Luxman.

 

[watchnerd]

I can confirm even the lesser 507 model I have looks great. Your phono cartridge at .2 mv will work if it likes the 100 ohm load - a previously mentioned - borderline. I have the same phono stage in my 507 and it works pretty good with a 3.6 mv mm cartridge but I don't have any moving coils that like 100 ohms. So, I use an external phono that is adjustable to suit. The weak point is the phono input - not because it is bad, it limits you to picking a compatible cartridge. I was going to get an Aesthetix Mimas integrated as opposed to the Luxman - the WAF of the Luxman was the winner. The Mimas - $7400 base - has 5 line inputs both balanced and unbalanced. It also has 2 slots for a phono and DAC option cards at $1200 each. The phono stage is fully adjustable from the remote - loading, gain, and capacitance. Top notch phono stage I have heard many times on a friends system. Have not heard the DAC yet but a fully loaded Mimas is $9800 for phono and DAC. Just does not look as good as the Luxman.

Yeah, the Mimas looks like a HTPC.

100 ohm is the minimum suggested loading for my ART9XA.

I've tested it at that loading before and posted the graph somewhere on ASR.

 

[Bob from Florida]

Yeah, the Mimas looks like a HTPC.

100 ohm is the minimum suggested loading for my ART9XA.

I've tested it at that loading before and posted the graph somewhere on ASR.

The other thing to consider is a step up transformer with 20-26db of gain for that cartridge. 20 db gets you 2mv and 470 ohms load with 47k mm phono. While 24 db gets you 3.2 mv at 187 ohms load with 47k mm phono. Finally, 26 db gets you 4 mv at 118 ohms with 47k phono. Or an external phono with options.

 

[watchnerd]

The other thing to consider is a step up transformer with 20-26db of gain for that cartridge. 20 db gets you 2mv and 470 ohms load with 47k mm phono. While 24 db gets you 3.2 mv at 187 ohms load with 47k mm phono. Finally, 26 db gets you 4 mv at 118 ohms with 47k phono. Or an external phono with options.

Having messed around with both Hashimoto and Lundahl SUTs, I'm done with them.

At the moment, I'm using the Puffin, which feeds into the DAC inside my amp (which also has a phono stage, but I like the toolkit of the Puffin).

Of course the Luxman doesn't have a DAC, so that won't work.

 

[Bob from Florida]

Having messed around with both Hashimoto and Lundahl SUTs, I'm done with them.

At the moment, I'm using the Puffin, which feeds into the DAC inside my amp (which also has a phono stage, but I like the toolkit of the Puffin).

Of course the Luxman doesn't have a DAC, so that won't work.

Modius is what I use into one of the balanced inputs on the Luxman.

 

[watchnerd]

Modius is what I use into one of the balanced inputs on the Luxman.

I have a never-used Modius lying around somewhere.

 

[Bob from Florida]

I have a never-used Modius lying around somewhere.

Seriously, that is a pretty good piece of virgin Schiit you have laying around!

 

[watchnerd]

I ordered this thread's sister amp, the L-590AXII, today.

 

[Bob from Florida]

I ordered this thread's sister amp, the L-590AXII, today.

That one is 30 watts class A but no rating of how much it makes class AB. Beautiful amp!

 

[watchnerd]

That one is 30 watts class A but no rating of how much it makes class AB. Beautiful amp!

Yeah, Luxman is coy about that.

Official 30 watts / 60 watts in Class A.

From magazine testing, it's 95 / 165 in Class AB.

 

[Bob from Florida]

Yeah, Luxman is coy about that.

Official 30 watts / 60 watts in Class A.

From magazine testing, it's 95 / 165 in Class AB.

What speakers are you using

 

[watchnerd]

What speakers are you using

Dyanudio Heritage Special