*Thanks for stopping by to hear my story and experience with the Luxman M-900U. Please leave a like on the video if you enjoyed it, it helps my channel out and doesn't cost you anything* Luxman M900U: howl.me/chVrx4126jZ *related videos:* Dynaudio Evoke 10 review: th-cam.com/video/_URvUPiRN8Y/w-d-xo.html Denafrips thallo review: th-cam.com/video/F7m_nRvE17k/w-d-xo.html Denafrips Apollo review: th-cam.com/video/fTA17NVqbMA/w-d-xo.html Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/ follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: th-cam.com/play/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0.html *My Daily Components (All Tested And Proved To Work in Blind Tests)* Fancy speaker stands I use: shop-links.co/choe8oQHC9w Speaker stands I use (budget): amzn.to/3ssRhI3 Desktop Speaker Stands I Use: shop-links.co/chofc1R7mpT acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/ acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM my fav hifi tweaks: (Isoacoustics devices) amzn.to/3j5FGvM Speaker Isolation Feet I Use: shop-links.co/choffy3csSK Turntable Isolation I Use: shop-links.co/chofgeNORJP Component Isolation I Use: shop-links.co/chofhTC3wc7
Amazing Review! Would be really interesting if you could review the T+A HV series. I heard both a Luxman Integrated and a T+A HV Integrated and the T+A was miles ahead.
Jay, #1) you get the best from this stack in combination with the c900u preamp. #2) the price doubles when you get it from a North American dealer. I got the stack new in Japan at a price you wouldn't believe!
About 30 years ago, the moment of my audio hobby began when I randomly stopped at a hifi store. I saw an Accuphase CD Transport, connected to Wadia DAC, to Krell FPB mononblocks, connected to Wilson Audio Puppies. That sound. I will never forget. It blew my mind. I never had a budget for super high end stuff. I love his reviews. I am blessed enough to own Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 CD Transport, Denafrips Venus II DAC, Kinki EX-M1+ Integrated, and Q Acoustics Concept 500 Speakers.
I was heartbroken when I blew up my Luxman M4000 by accident last year. I had it for 25 years. It powered my JBL 4430's through a Conrad Johnson, then later ,Classe DR5 pre. Blew many minds with that rig. Thanks for the review of my dream amp. I love Luxman.
I've just ordered the Musical Fidelity M6s prx amplifier (230 wpc, low .007% THD, SNR >120dB, dual monoblock in 1 chassis, 140 peak current at 130 volts so it's less in the US at 112 volts but I would deduct that this is same as a Parasound A21+ at 60 amps peak/channel) to replace my Parasound 2125v2 (I'll repurpose it to power my movies surround L/R and take that load off of my Arcam AVR5 receiver in a 7.4.4 setup). streaming source=Apple Music lossless
As a fan with a hearing impediment, I just love trying to keep up with your journey! (I can't hear sibalence.) Your vids just make my day, thanks for being there for us!!
I love my 900u. It is end game for me for sure. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy it used as well with the matching pre. The combo is amazing. In speaking with other owners, they have agreed the best pre is the matching Lux. Owners who haven't used it and eventually sold it, have regretted not trying the pre once they heard both. It's worth the investment. Awesome gear. Finding the synergy is the next piece. The joy of the journey. 🎶🙂🎶
@@markpri9759 I've personaly regretted selling what many folk deem as "gems" My last "gem sell" regret was a Luxman PD444 DD t/table that can hold 2 tonearms simultaniously one 12" incher with an upto 10 inch arm, i only used one arm on it, a 12" SME although i could have put a spare 9" inch Alphason Xenon or another of my decent spare tonearms on tho i had no reason to ....BUT when I shortly afterwards discovered the wonders of a true mono (AT33) cartridge on mono L.P.'s. ...i truly regreted selling that beautifully built massive Luxman t/t. It got me £1250 on e/Bay (it may still be under old auctions on e/Bay, i am the "Ban28" seller of it) it was in mint condition as if new last year, ...shortly after, a Japanese seller got £1850 for the same model that was tatty & clearly nowhere near mint condition. I still metaphorically kick my ass for selling it now as I run 2 t/tables just to avoid flaffing about changing cartridges for my mono & stereo albums. It would have been ideal but it was too late. I even rang the guy who bought mine & was ready to buy it back for £1500 but no joy, they are rare as hen's teeth to even see them s/h. Some folk rush into buying gems in all price brackets & sell them later at a loss because of a myriad of reasons, maybe they rushed to buy a gem without thinking & now need the money to pay their mortgage, i sold my PD444 because I thought I'll never need to run 2 arms at once. Many years before, I sold my Ming-da 805 S.E. triode monoblocks as they didn't match my e/stats i had & thought i'd keep, they got me only £600 but a year later I stumbled into a cheap S/H pair of very efficient vintage 15" Tannoys that floored my e/stats & the S.E. triode 805 monobloks I sold were gems & would have suited them a treat & i kicked my ass for selling them, Gems turn up for many convoluted reasons if you keep your eyes open for them. Now I don't sell my post-upgrade equipment if they are beyond a level of decency, so ive a spare room with stashed equipment that I often have to go back to, like when one of my 15" Tannoys died about ten months back, now I run 1989 made post-upgrade Cellestion 3000 ribbon hybrids, stand-mount gems in their price-bracket, full height 17" or 19" (can't be bothered to measure them) inch ribbons that go down from 35'Khz to a bass/mid at 900'Hz, I learnt my lesson & they do very well for now. Sorry for such a long reply but that know-all cheeky smiley face that implied "gems" never get sold s/h needed addressing.
Well done Jay! "If you're someone who doesn't like bright sound whatsoever, this is not it." Agree 100%. People always describe this amp as well balanced and slightly warm, but I didn't like it so much when I auditioned it, being a little too crisp for me. Same with the 509x integrated that I own, it just goes every so slightly over the edge with the top end. Also, I'm glad you mentioned the binding posts--I LOVE them. If you ever come across this amp's predecessor, the M800a, you must give it a listen. The M800 is pure class A to 60 WPC (240W in mono!) and to my ears is more midrange centric, has more control, and hits much deeper in soundstage and instrument tone and timbre. It blew me away when I first heard it ~13 years ago and has blown me away since I finally acquired one last year. The 509x in direct comparison, doesn't come close. As a bonus, it also has really cool vertical meters that makes it look like there's a little fire inside of the amp dancing to the music. Since you're getting up into this price point, I also highly recommend trying a Boulder 866.
Nice comment ................even a correct restored L30 sings...........and it is beautyfull , no plastic knobs .............SQ507X and 505X are still making great music and are intemporal pieces of art to look at. And the old 107Du ( serviced ) with its wooden side panelsstill makes listening a ...pleasure.....
I wanted to try/buy this amp but then I came down to earth and thought I cant afford this...still a great amp though. I decided on Classe Audio CA-M600 mono blocks. Not sure how they compare to the Luxman M-900U, but they dont leave me wanting for anything. All the power I could ever want or need, very smooth, and pretty decent build quality.
Hello Jay I have no doubt the Luxman is excellent. I follow your journey regularly and notice that we have appreciated many devices. My own journey started long before you were born, in 1968 if I my memory is good. Bought my first gear in 1972 when I had my first promotion... The only device I have kept from that first system is my Beocord TT. A few years later I ended up purchasing 2 systems. One I still own : Linn DMS speakers/Naim 250/pre/Snaps ( I also bought a Linn/Ittok/Asak that I eventually sold in the 80's); the other was based on the (Trio) Kenwood L07D TT that is still my main TT (Ortofon Kontrapunct B and Dynavector Karat DV 23R) and the brand new -at the time -Quad ELS63 that were my main speakers for more than 25 years. Now my main speakers are the Jean Maurer JM370E (that I imported to North America for many years) in my digital system and the Oskar Kithara in the analog one. I was surprised to see you talking about the Kenwood L07M's. After getting my hands on the L07D it took me years to find and purchase the whole L07 gear from Kenwood; the last being the T (uner) which I understand was designed by Kensonics/Accuphase...And I also have the cables -1m speaker and very long i/c) and all the litterature , instruction and maintenance that were part of the total L07 kit ... The C preamp has both MM and CC phono stages incorporated and these are evidently of very high quality. Lately I noted you indicated having listened to a vintage Classé amp. Model 15 I think. I had a DR(Dave Reich) 8 power amp/Audio Research SP9 for the longest period of the ESL63 period. (ESL/ELS??? ). After 50+ years as a music lover I firmly believe the ideal mix is Tube preamp / Class A power amp. And I also believe the preamp is THE most important gear of the chain. Keep up your journey having fun as an audiophile. I'm open to meet you or you buddy Thomas if you are interested... Ciao Claude
I agree with your choice. As I have been thinking of replacing my Marantz 2325 that I’ve have been listening to for- ever , over (0 years. I push a pair of Klipsch k-Horns and Klipsch Belle’s in back . It rocks my world and always makes me Smile. The Luxman is my choice for its replacement. Now if I could hit the lottery ! Luxman hits my quality and engineering requirements for the next 40 years. I can live with it ! The Luxman is another Tank ! You can’t beat the Luxman for looks and sound quality ! Excellent !
Wow....I'm speechless...you came to the other side of hifi man !! That's great! When i reviewed it on my channel, i fell in love with it. One of the best amps for the money. Did you get the matching c900u ?
Magnepans are not low impedance speakers I have 4 sets including the Tympani for years. .. They are more friendly on amps than most cone systems. They are a resistive load to an amp. This myth that they are hard in amps is just that myth. There are realistically very few really hard to drive speakers on the market to speak off. The kappa 9 dips to 0.8ohm The kappa 8 dips to 1.3 ohm The apogee scintilla around 1 or less too.. There are a very few that do it, and they are all from long forgotten era speakers
@@MichelLinschotensince when are magnepans not hard to drive? Just because other speakers are worse doesn’t mean they aren’t bad. Love my Maggie’s and I’m not rich so they are hard to drive at the price point I can afford.
I bet with the matching Lux pre your judgement would be another. It is a real good amp with almost no competition in its price range (let alone less expensive stuff). Only bettered when you use two of them as mono blocks. I ended up buying a tube pre and mono block setup from a German manufacturer but I spend some time with that and almost bought it, so good.
It's a Luxman and you are correct on the Built QC. PATHOS would be another company for Quality built gear. I have a few 70's Luxman's (M4000, L480, L580, L100U, C02/M02) which are fantastic sounding units. Enjoy and PLEASE POST a follow-up on your journey.
I sold luxman years ago, always sounded good, but I liked others more with my rig. My choice was a VTL TUBE amp. Amps I had from 1978…. SAE , phase linear , quad, Yamaha , bryston , Moon, classe, , Mac , Krell , Sumo class A. The best amp is the one that works with. Your rig, synergy it’s so important.
Best of the best. Money no object. Chasing castles in the sky. A great video on the perils of Icarus. Excellent innuendos in this one…open it up and just the smell, legend.
It's a very nice Amp. Jay! Unfortunately, where I live in the US, there's no hi-end stores that carry either Luxman or Accuphase. I had a chance to listen to them both but back in the 90s. I haven't heard any of their new products, if you could, please review more of the Luxman and Accuphase products. Thanks so much and have a great week Sir!
M900 is amplifier that stayed in my system longest , there is some magic happening here . I traded in Pass XA160.8 monos for Luxman and honestly I don’t miss Pass . I had Chord Dave directly connected to M900 , that sounded great until I added Luxman CL1000 pre , now I understand what good preamp can do to the system . I use Martin Logan ESL15 a speakers and was told that load sometimes drops to 1 ohm , only the best amps can offer stable 1 ohm load . I wonder how much better is 10X , from axpona it sounded good but I can’t really tell the difference judging from the show . Jay congratulations on such a nice purchase . Now you are hooked on its build quality and sound.
Jay, you have hit the nail on the head and will find it very difficult to get an amp as good as this for the current price. But what was the Preamp? The best I have heard is the matching 900 pre with the two working together really well. A magical combination. And go on spoil us what were the two other amps that are in the same ballpark.
Very nice. I'm a Bryston and Accuphase guy but you can't ever go wrong with a Luxman. Always been a fan of high quality Japanese made electronics. Also, anything ATI is great as well. McIntosh honorable mention for any of their amps built in the last 10-15 years being among my favorites. McIntosh amps and gear prior to the early-mid 2000s sounded veiled, mushy and smothered, but their newer stuff whether autoformer'd or not has that clean, powerful extended sound that lets you get into the music/content. Great stuff Jay. Enjoy it with good health.
Are you talking about McIntosh tube amps when you say veiled? Because the solid states ones appears to have dead flat frequency response and in most cases enough power to launch a space shuttle, regardless when they were made (excluding the really old ones of course). Which would mean well flat. Veiled and mushy implies rolled off treble and/or boosted bass.
I demo'd the Accuphase E5000 integrated and found it to be too analytical and "lifeless not engaging" whereas the McIntosh MA12000 was so much more musical and engaging, a real winner for me so I bought one just the other day.
Not worth 20k you say? You did say is the best you ever had. Well to do it that good it needs more of everything:time, design, parts. People that make things with their hands or are at production line, will know that this worth every penny. Most don't realize how hard it is to build something like this, or all brands would have a piece like that. If anyone hear that amp in their system and didn't like it, that means something in their system is lucking and this amp is so good that shows it.
Long time viewer, love your channel. I do have one grief to mention though. You mentioned at the beginning of your video , that you asked all your members and friends, price no object ,which is best amp they would recommend.And somehow they all chose the amp you are reviewing. You did not mention boulder amps or the elite constellation Hercules 2 at 180,000 a pair. You said to your viewers that any price , any amplifier, all your friends chose the Luxman ? I believe you will not be taken seriously in this trade if you keep making comments like these. In my opinion,,,,
Yeap. All 3 reviewed Luxman among other high-end amps and they all picked this one regardless of price. Also just happened to run across the opportunity to buy one as soon as I started looking for one. Seems far fetched but that’s what happened
Money does not determine the ear of the listener nor the sound of said product. Only when you listen to it yourself in a blind test can you truly determine whether of not you like a product.
Good for you on your new acquisition. Don't most audiophiles have the internal financial debate of "should I, shouldn't I?" when it comes to their own upper level audio purchases? I certainly do. But man, when I buy what I want I am so overjoyed. My wife? Not so much. Lol. Congratulations Jay!
Thanks for the review Jay. I have been eyeing the M900U for years now, but actually just placed an order for an M-10X the other day which I'm very exited about. Btw, I'm fairly sure this amp is also class a up to 12 watts. The biggest difference is that it's using the LIFES 1.0 instead of ODNF.
I totally get it Jay. I was in love with the Cary Monoblocks for years- heard them, had to have them, but when I had 10 grand in my hand I bought the first watt SIT-1s. haven't looked back.
What an amazing amp.Great review. Actually quite a bargain used, considering so few amps can touch it (I think TMR still has a couple of them at the moment). I'd personally be ecstatic for even a used Luxman integrated.
The SQ curve is an asymptote, meaning that the more the price increases, the lower the improvement in sound. Example: to do better than a $3000 amp you have to spend at least $10,000 and a $50,000 amp will sound barely better. Beyond a certain amount the difference becomes negligible or even zero.
I listened to Luxman before. I found it warm sounding and inviting but a little too muddy for the midrange sound. Typically you only get the pre-amp if you buy the amp as a pair. My dealer locally hifi buys carries them. I have Parasound 2 JC plus 1's mono amps. Latest piece is DCS Rossini APEX with separate master clock. I am fixing to upgrade amps to either new Dagostino mono block pair MVX or looking at VAC tube amps musicblock 450. I am fixing to demo those soon at the store and in my listening room. Speakers are Monitor Audio Platinum PL500II. Have Prima Luna pre-amp that I tube rolled with some vintage 1960's tubes limited stock. When I replaced with tubes I bought versus ones that came with Prima Luna I noticed about 25% difference in quality of sound. I used tube pre-amp to warm up sound from solid state but really think I want the tube amps now. Sounds incredible but the soul from the music is cleaned too much for me. The tube gives that soul and magic to the music for me.
It's like the head of Mcintosh said. "high end audio is about the pride of ownership". You get that from the special feeling you can only get from the best. A few things in any field seem to radiate it. I love watches and it's the same..By the way I can't afford it but it is very enjoyable to get your feelings and insight of owning it and if I could I absolutely would.
You can't beat Luxman. I own an L-505Ux and an L-480. I love how they work with B&W. I grew up with L-200 and B&W. Everyone can afford a Luxman of some kind. I hope you do a review of a Jean Natais Lenco L75 one day. That would be great!
If you haven't been listening to this amplifier through a passive pre-amp, you haven't really heard the amplifier, all you've been hearing is your pre-amp. Get a high quality passive pre-amp and try it!
im trying to desing my own speakers and i need stuff like this ,but its not obtainiable. I use a Luxman 5m21 to do it for now. still does good and played my speakers on western electric tubes and averything and it scales good
I always love your shows. It’s funny that you’re talking about this particular Amplifier.I’m looking at the brand new Luxman model,to purchase to go along with the paradigm 9h’s. I think that will be a match made in heaven.
I think anyone can afford budget Hi-Fi (under $1k) with some sacrifice. Once a household makes over $75k and lives modestly, mid-fi becomes affordable (under $5k total). After $100k I think hi-fi becomes attainable without going into debt. Once you make $200k, well then its a matter of preferences and priorities. That has been my experience. Went from Emotiva to Cambridge to Parasound as my savings increased. I could go to Luxman or Pass Labs, but I have other things to do with my money for now. Maybe in the next 5-10 years.
Luxman products looks fantastic and I would love to own one of these. But you have to agree that it's kinda like owning a Rolex versus a Seiko or a Timex. I mean the Luxman will be audibly indistinguishable from say a Yamaha A-S700 (or any other reasonable amp with sufficient wattage) driving the same speakers, assuming neither is operating outside their limits/pushed to clipping. Soundwise it's madness buying one, it won't sound better or different from your current amp. But it's soo nice and you really don't need logical reasons to buy a luxury product. Like I said, I would love to own one even-though it won't and can't sound better or any different (whatsoever) from a $500 Pioneer amp. An amp that'd got a flat frequency response, less than 0.01 distortion, a sufficient damping factor (most solid state amps clears this these days) and enough juice to drive your speakers is going to be transparent. That's all you need performance wise.
Boy what a amplifier huh. Give it time to grow on you. Plus give it time to properly break in. That's important. I'm currently rebreaking in a 1979 onkyo tx 4500 mk2. That's been sitting for a long while. Oooh I love high end product. Especially audio
Hello Jay, Luxman it's a very good brand. I have a Luxman L550 ax mk ii and it just has 20 watts in class A, but double (40 watts) at 4 ohms! I'm very happy with this amp. it plays loud, and I prefer quality watts over the quantity. Thank you for your video!😉
I just picked up the bigger brother 590axII. Had McIntosh for 8 years prior but this Luxman was a game changer. Use to get listening fatigue with the McIntosh gear, not the Luxman, they have been discontinued so future classic for sure. This is my last intergraded. 😎
Fan of Japan here. Are you sure that you really heard all this amp has to offer. You might need to buy a second and run them bridged to know. Love the big open reel in the background.
I think one need to connect it to some of most hard to drive speaker to show the difference.. Something like one of those full size electrostatic speakers that impedance can drop all the way below 1 ohm..
My experience, amps with balls like, there own dedicated power line from fuse box to realize full potential. Also does the rest of system match this amps potential?
I would buy Canary Audio M350 Monoblock Amplifiers, a glorious 50 watts of pure Class-A triode magic, hand-made in the California. I own Luxman L-550AX integrated amp Class-A, great with ESL-63.
Me too i have tried steely state 10 -20 grand and up and they sound clinically right but something is missing they do not draw me in like good tube amps do they do bass well and do some other things well but tubes bring out the soul and humanity in the music.
If it sounds better than anything you have in studio, for 10,000….it’s a steal!! My all time favorite Integrated amp, I’m an integrated man myself, was the Luxman LV105u, with tubes on the front end. So while it (M900u) retailed for 20, the fact you can get such a piece of audio artwork as this price, again is a freaking steal!! Did you push the Kendall’s with it??
My cousin has an LV105U. Is been sitting in his garage for umpteen years. I've asked him to loan it to me.i. sure it's due for a tune up at the very least. I'll ask him again ✌
@@rockfidelity8229 oh interesting. I’ve had a different experience with the benchmark and soundstage was not small but just accurate and realistic. But even if it was small it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. Room acoustics and speaker positioning are way more important for the soundstage size
Great review. From the previous videos that you have posted the Luxman was present at the back but you did not mentioned it. I was very curious about this review. About how it sound it will be useful if you mention the preamps that you used during your listening.
Thanks for the review. I own 2 Luxman m-900 in mono and I find them extraordinary! A clarification, quoting the successor M-10x, you spoke of the first 50 W in class A, but I think they are always 12 W…
Alessandro, Do you have a Dac with a volume control? If you do, did you ever try going straight to the amps from the Dac? And if you did, was it a much bigger difference when you added the C 900U? I have an M900 and always wondered if the C900 would add that much to the sound. Thanks, Andy
@@andyd9126 I have a Mola Mola Tambaqui which if desired has a volume control but I use the c900 preamp which has a higher quality. I think with the preamp there is more spaciousness in the scene as well as better volume control. I recommend if you listen to liquid to buy a quality DAC first (the Tambaqui is super and if you want it could act as a pre and streamer)
I tried buying a tambaqui but settled for the Rockna Wavedream balanced signature dac.My next purchase would be another m900 u. How would you compare single m900u to monoblocks m900u?Thanks.
@@andyd9126 The - my - PS Audio, CD Transport / separate Direct Stream DAC combination, has enough output to drive a power amplifier. A bit of a variation: The DAC may be set for, 0.282 Volt RMS Low Level Balanced Output, OR almost 10X this: 2.818 VRMS Balanced high - level output. XLR, Balanced connectors are said to provide 6 dB more signal volume transmission than RCA connectors, there are powerful, quiet amplifiers, & I have efficient, Klipsch speakers. I think that the Power amps have volume control, too. Headroom! ANY equipment, connectors, may affect the sound, even in a subtle manner, as Jay alludes to, mentions in his presentation. {PS Audio does assert that their top quality preamp, somehow improves the sound; I don't understand this. Perhaps I, we, will have to try the equipment combinations which we're curious about! Some audio salons, manufacturers, distributors will, `Loan,' you equipment for a certain period of time, to see if you want to keep it. Check with what they offer. In some cases, you can buy the equipment, & if you don't like it, you can return it, & the seller will pay the return shipping! At $20,000, looks like Luxman can afford to do this!} Even slight differences may be important to us. Keep in mind the, `Principle of Diminishing Returns / Improvements.' Andy, YOU, I, everyone has to decide the level of quality of sound that we can afford, & what will provide this. Even among music lovers, we may, each, `Hear,' differently, & we may discuss at length, Psychoacoustics ~ how each of our brains - and ears - acquire, assimilate & process sound vibrations, in the air, why these are important, & why some are pleasurable, motivating us to buy & replicate sound, music!
Living the dream Jay…. liv’in the dream! Actually I’m going to a different way on this new buy of yours, $10K USD used for a $20K listed new power amplifier, is quite a good depreciated price if one can afford it! I’ m just feeling sorry for the courier that makes your deliveries with these 100+ pound amps you have been receiving lately. How does this amp compare with the Parasounds A21 or JC5? Speaking of these heavy amps, I’m hope you will review the Hegel P30 or better yet the Technics SE-R1 which employs GaN-FET driver stage. If you are unable to get your hands on this $17k listed behemoth, maybe you can reach out to Leo from Orchard Audio for his ClassD GaN mono blocks. I’m wondering if the use of gallium nitride rather then, CMOS is a fad for has any merit.
Jay, I own a Stereo power amp McINtosh mc 2102 as amplifier ( full tubes 50's anniversary, 8 KT88 and 8 drive tubes 12AX7 and 12AT7), very similar to the new 1502 and 2152 for 70th anniversary. I love the sound, because of the texture, organic sound and mainly the beefy mediums : it is not an image of a Piano or singers, they are really there. If you had a curtain, you could ask if they are there... Now because of tubes heat, electrical power consumption and inconveniences (I keep on my system easy 12h a day) , I am searching a solution with transistors that is as near as possible to this live and full sounding of tubes with Mc 2102 . Which Amp or power amp would you recommend me? Do you think Luxman 900u would do this job ? Or too thin sound compared to tubes ? Many Thanks for an answer or any recommendations
My McIntosh solid state MC152 150wpc @8ohms (has been measured at 250wpc by independent reviewers) is incredible…It has 8, 4,or2 ohm speaker terminals. I do not think that it makes sound overly warm…It is different than older models. It has a classic McIntosh glass front panel with the blue meters.. Although the overall build (fit & finish), is nothing like your Luxman….but I bet it could be an interesting comparison! $6000 U.S. It does weigh as much, though! 😁
I agree. The Mac MC152 has to be the best sounding and most versatile SS power amp around at its price point. My BF runs one on his big Martin-Logan electrostats - hard to drive - and it’s a glorious sound when I visit.
NEXT PURCHASE for Jay, the Sennheiser Orpheus marble clad vacuum tube amp with electrostatic headphones.... only $55,000, plus shipping. This is what you can do when audiophilia is your PROFESSION! Yay!
May I know the bias set for this amp? have you hook up to sr1a and let us know your experience? Had hook up this earpiece to an old high-bias 200w SS A/AB slider (1st 10w in A) & absolutely in love
The elation behind the first time I set eyes on the Luxman 509 integrated amp in a showroom went something as follows: There was simply no words for the level of craftsmanship observed coming from an electrical engineer myself. Quarter inch aluminum plate with milled tapered vents, to absolute perfection down to the mill direction and CNC entry and exits. A volume knob that actuates from the remote. A power button, that when pressed, is the best button that I've ever pressed on any device ever. The VUE meters, that seemed to dance around effortlessly and induced a trance. It played like a dream and words still can't describe the level of joy it brings me as I brought it home and absolutely destroyed my wallet. This kind of money is insane to spend on an electronic device, but, as they say- you only live once. It is a statement piece that will become a heirloom and last in a dedicated setup for decades. Retain its' resale value. The Luxman name, who are the OGs of the art- truly is something special. Perhaps someday in my future I will feel financially ready to purchase or pursue Luxman separates. For now- they sing glory to my speakers that will please for a very long time.
Haha, another great review but it fell away a bit at the end. I have lots of amps and equipment and I've just stopped. I think my new Michi S5 is finally the end game for me (pre is P5). The velvet sledgehammer. Can't wipe the smile off my face, the amazing stuff makes you laugh.
Thanks Jay for that interesting review . I noticed the Triangle Bro3 in the background. Can we expect a review of those speakers sometimes ? And by any chance , match it with the Audiolab 6000…?
Cost no object I'd buy the Boulder 3050 or CH Precision M10. That said, I've heard many comparisons between the CH Precision M1.1 and the Luxman M700u monos. Although the CH Precision's easily won because of their purity, transparency, timbral accuracy, detail, dynamic presentation (especially macro's), and instrumental colors, the Luxman's represented itself very well in spatial presentation, timbral beauty, detail, and ease of listening: at a fraction of the comparative cost. Luxman has always been on my shortlist of great affordable (relatively) amps. Great choice.
2 excellent makes no doubt. Pass, Bryston and Accuphase also worthy of a look as well. Also have heard good things about Bricasti and Nagra amps as well.
*Thanks for stopping by to hear my story and experience with the Luxman M-900U. Please leave a like on the video if you enjoyed it, it helps my channel out and doesn't cost you anything*
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you should buy instead a spectral audio amplifier
@@matt65top lolz
Amazing Review! Would be really interesting if you could review the T+A HV series. I heard both a Luxman Integrated and a T+A HV Integrated and the T+A was miles ahead.
How about the top of the line Lumin amp Jay, have you compared it too? it's in a similar price range... thanks
Jay, #1) you get the best from this stack in combination with the c900u preamp. #2) the price doubles when you get it from a North American dealer. I got the stack new in Japan at a price you wouldn't believe!
About 30 years ago, the moment of my audio hobby began when I randomly stopped at a hifi store.
I saw an Accuphase CD Transport, connected to Wadia DAC, to Krell FPB mononblocks, connected to Wilson Audio Puppies.
That sound. I will never forget. It blew my mind.
I never had a budget for super high end stuff.
I love his reviews.
I am blessed enough to own Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 CD Transport, Denafrips Venus II DAC, Kinki EX-M1+ Integrated, and Q Acoustics Concept 500 Speakers.
I was heartbroken when I blew up my Luxman M4000 by accident last year. I had it for 25 years. It powered my JBL 4430's through a Conrad Johnson, then later ,Classe DR5 pre. Blew many minds with that rig. Thanks for the review of my dream amp. I love Luxman.
I've just ordered the Musical Fidelity M6s prx amplifier (230 wpc, low .007% THD, SNR >120dB, dual monoblock in 1 chassis, 140 peak current at 130 volts so it's less in the US at 112 volts but I would deduct that this is same as a Parasound A21+ at 60 amps peak/channel) to replace my Parasound 2125v2 (I'll repurpose it to power my movies surround L/R and take that load off of my Arcam AVR5 receiver in a 7.4.4 setup).
streaming source=Apple Music lossless
As a fan with a hearing impediment, I just love trying to keep up with your journey! (I can't hear sibalence.) Your vids just make my day, thanks for being there for us!!
Thanks Dana! That’s sweet of you to say
I love my 900u. It is end game for me for sure. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy it used as well with the matching pre. The combo is amazing. In speaking with other owners, they have agreed the best pre is the matching Lux. Owners who haven't used it and eventually sold it, have regretted not trying the pre once they heard both. It's worth the investment. Awesome gear. Finding the synergy is the next piece. The joy of the journey. 🎶🙂🎶
How is it possible to find so many second-hand units on the market if it such a gem? 😀
@@markpri9759 I've personaly regretted selling what many folk deem as "gems" My last "gem sell" regret was a Luxman PD444 DD t/table that can hold 2 tonearms simultaniously one 12" incher with an upto 10 inch arm, i only used one arm on it, a 12" SME although i could have put a spare 9" inch Alphason Xenon or another of my decent spare tonearms on tho i had no reason to ....BUT when I shortly afterwards discovered the wonders of a true mono (AT33) cartridge on mono L.P.'s. ...i truly regreted selling that beautifully built massive Luxman t/t. It got me £1250 on e/Bay (it may still be under old auctions on e/Bay, i am the "Ban28" seller of it) it was in mint condition as if new last year, ...shortly after, a Japanese seller got £1850 for the same model that was tatty & clearly nowhere near mint condition. I still metaphorically kick my ass for selling it now as I run 2 t/tables just to avoid flaffing about changing cartridges for my mono & stereo albums. It would have been ideal but it was too late. I even rang the guy who bought mine & was ready to buy it back for £1500 but no joy, they are rare as hen's teeth to even see them s/h. Some folk rush into buying gems in all price brackets & sell them later at a loss because of a myriad of reasons, maybe they rushed to buy a gem without thinking & now need the money to pay their mortgage, i sold my PD444 because I thought I'll never need to run 2 arms at once. Many years before, I sold my Ming-da 805 S.E. triode monoblocks as they didn't match my e/stats i had & thought i'd keep, they got me only £600 but a year later I stumbled into a cheap S/H pair of very efficient vintage 15" Tannoys that floored my e/stats & the S.E. triode 805 monobloks I sold were gems &
would have suited them a treat & i kicked my ass for selling them, Gems turn up for many convoluted reasons if you keep your eyes open for them. Now I don't sell my post-upgrade equipment if they are beyond a level of decency, so ive a spare room with stashed equipment that I often have to go back to, like when one of my 15" Tannoys died about ten months back, now I run 1989 made post-upgrade Cellestion 3000 ribbon hybrids, stand-mount gems in their price-bracket, full height 17" or 19" (can't be bothered to measure them) inch ribbons that go down from 35'Khz to a bass/mid at 900'Hz, I learnt my lesson & they do very well for now. Sorry for such a long reply but that know-all cheeky smiley face that implied "gems" never get sold s/h needed addressing.
@@markpri9759 A lot of people who buy this type of gear trade out often. They are chasing the sound dragon.
What speakers do you use?
Polk audio
Well done Jay! "If you're someone who doesn't like bright sound whatsoever, this is not it." Agree 100%. People always describe this amp as well balanced and slightly warm, but I didn't like it so much when I auditioned it, being a little too crisp for me. Same with the 509x integrated that I own, it just goes every so slightly over the edge with the top end. Also, I'm glad you mentioned the binding posts--I LOVE them.
If you ever come across this amp's predecessor, the M800a, you must give it a listen. The M800 is pure class A to 60 WPC (240W in mono!) and to my ears is more midrange centric, has more control, and hits much deeper in soundstage and instrument tone and timbre. It blew me away when I first heard it ~13 years ago and has blown me away since I finally acquired one last year. The 509x in direct comparison, doesn't come close. As a bonus, it also has really cool vertical meters that makes it look like there's a little fire inside of the amp dancing to the music.
Since you're getting up into this price point, I also highly recommend trying a Boulder 866.
I agree, at this level a person's financial capability plays a big role in how they perceive the value at the end of the day.
Dude thats a dream amp. A have an old luxman L100 my farther got from new, that unit is still giving my the feeling of owning hifi.
Nice comment ................even a correct restored L30 sings...........and it is beautyfull , no plastic knobs .............SQ507X and 505X are still making great music and are intemporal pieces of art to look at.
And the old 107Du ( serviced ) with its wooden side panelsstill makes listening a ...pleasure.....
I wanted to try/buy this amp but then I came down to earth and thought I cant afford this...still a great amp though.
I decided on Classe Audio CA-M600 mono blocks. Not sure how they compare to the Luxman M-900U, but they dont leave me wanting for anything. All the power I could ever want or need, very smooth, and pretty decent build quality.
Hello Jay
I have no doubt the Luxman is excellent. I follow your journey regularly and notice that we have appreciated many devices. My own journey started long before you were born, in 1968 if I my memory is good. Bought my first gear in 1972 when I had my first promotion...
The only device I have kept from that first system is my Beocord TT.
A few years later I ended up purchasing 2 systems. One I still own : Linn DMS speakers/Naim 250/pre/Snaps ( I also bought a Linn/Ittok/Asak that I eventually sold in the 80's); the other was based on the (Trio) Kenwood L07D TT that is still my main TT (Ortofon Kontrapunct B and Dynavector Karat DV 23R) and the brand new -at the time -Quad ELS63 that were my main speakers for more than 25 years. Now my main speakers are the Jean Maurer JM370E (that I imported to North America for many years) in my digital system and the Oskar Kithara in the analog one.
I was surprised to see you talking about the Kenwood L07M's. After getting my hands on the L07D it took me years to find and purchase the whole L07 gear from Kenwood; the last being the T (uner) which I understand was designed by Kensonics/Accuphase...And I also have the cables -1m speaker and very long i/c) and all the litterature , instruction and maintenance that were part of the total L07 kit ...
The C preamp has both MM and CC phono stages incorporated and these are evidently of very high quality.
Lately I noted you indicated having listened to a vintage Classé amp. Model 15 I think. I had a DR(Dave Reich) 8 power amp/Audio Research SP9 for the longest period of the ESL63 period. (ESL/ELS??? ).
After 50+ years as a music lover I firmly believe the ideal mix is Tube preamp / Class A power amp. And I also believe the preamp is THE most important gear of the chain. Keep up your journey having fun as an audiophile. I'm open to meet you or you buddy Thomas if you are interested...
Ciao Claude
I agree with your choice. As I have been thinking of replacing my Marantz 2325 that I’ve have been listening to for- ever , over (0 years. I push a pair of Klipsch k-Horns and Klipsch Belle’s in back . It rocks my world and always makes me Smile. The Luxman is my choice for its replacement. Now if I could hit the lottery ! Luxman hits my quality and engineering requirements for the next 40 years. I can live with it ! The Luxman is another Tank ! You can’t beat the Luxman for looks and sound quality ! Excellent !
Congratulations Jay ! I too was able pickup an aspirational amplifier last week! I share your enthusiasm! Keep up the good work!
Wow....I'm speechless...you came to the other side of hifi man !! That's great!
When i reviewed it on my channel, i fell in love with it. One of the best amps for the money. Did you get the matching c900u ?
An amp like that with its ability to output at low impedances seems to be a match made in heaven with Magnepan and other similarly designed speakers.
Magnepans are not low impedance speakers I have 4 sets including the Tympani for years. ..
They are more friendly on amps than most cone systems. They are a resistive load to an amp. This myth that they are hard in amps is just that myth.
There are realistically very few really hard to drive speakers on the market to speak off.
The kappa 9 dips to 0.8ohm
The kappa 8 dips to 1.3 ohm
The apogee scintilla around 1 or less too..
There are a very few that do it, and they are all from long forgotten era speakers
For Magnepan check out Sanders Magtech amps
@@MichelLinschotensince when are magnepans not hard to drive?
Just because other speakers are worse doesn’t mean they aren’t bad.
Love my Maggie’s and I’m not rich so they are hard to drive at the price point I can afford.
Bought the Marantz pm8006 two months ago. Best integrated amplifier I have ever owned. Superb Japanese quality.
I bet with the matching Lux pre your judgement would be another. It is a real good amp with almost no competition in its price range (let alone less expensive stuff). Only bettered when you use two of them as mono blocks. I ended up buying a tube pre and mono block setup from a German manufacturer but I spend some time with that and almost bought it, so good.
On which Speakers where you able to compare 2 m900us vs Stereo? Could you Point out more Detail what changed going to mono Mode.
@@AudiolandCHI would assume there to be nearly no difference, if not none at all.
It's a Luxman and you are correct on the Built QC. PATHOS would be another company for Quality built gear. I have a few 70's Luxman's (M4000, L480, L580, L100U, C02/M02) which are fantastic sounding units. Enjoy and PLEASE POST a follow-up on your journey.
I sold luxman years ago, always sounded good, but I liked others more with my rig. My choice was a VTL TUBE amp. Amps I had from 1978…. SAE , phase linear , quad, Yamaha , bryston , Moon, classe, , Mac , Krell , Sumo class A. The best amp is the one that works with. Your rig, synergy it’s so important.
Best of the best. Money no object. Chasing castles in the sky. A great video on the perils of Icarus. Excellent innuendos in this one…open it up and just the smell, legend.
It's a very nice Amp. Jay! Unfortunately, where I live in the US, there's no hi-end stores that carry either Luxman or Accuphase. I had a chance to listen to them both but back in the 90s. I haven't heard any of their new products, if you could, please review more of the Luxman and Accuphase products. Thanks so much and have a great week Sir!
Accuphase is nothing special, luxman is and I’m a gryphon owner.
M900 is amplifier that stayed in my system longest , there is some magic happening here .
I traded in Pass XA160.8 monos for Luxman and honestly I don’t miss Pass .
I had Chord Dave directly connected to M900 , that sounded great until I added Luxman CL1000 pre , now I understand what good preamp can do to the system .
I use Martin Logan ESL15 a speakers and was told that load sometimes drops to 1 ohm , only the best amps can offer stable 1 ohm load .
I wonder how much better is 10X , from axpona it sounded good but I can’t really tell the difference judging from the show .
Jay congratulations on such a nice purchase .
Now you are hooked on its build quality and sound.
I wonder what the difference is in sound between running the C-900 vs CL-1000?
Nice. I'm considering upgrading to the M-10x/C-10x/D-10x combo for synergy. Apparently the new flagship products are excellent.
I love the R2R deck in the background. I have the exact same Techniques 1506.
Jay, you have hit the nail on the head and will find it very difficult to get an amp as good as this for the current price. But what was the Preamp? The best I have heard is the matching 900 pre with the two working together really well. A magical combination. And go on spoil us what were the two other amps that are in the same ballpark.
Very nice. I'm a Bryston and Accuphase guy but you can't ever go wrong with a Luxman. Always been a fan of high quality Japanese made electronics. Also, anything ATI is great as well. McIntosh honorable mention for any of their amps built in the last 10-15 years being among my favorites. McIntosh amps and gear prior to the early-mid 2000s sounded veiled, mushy and smothered, but their newer stuff whether autoformer'd or not has that clean, powerful extended sound that lets you get into the music/content. Great stuff Jay. Enjoy it with good health.
Are you talking about McIntosh tube amps when you say veiled? Because the solid states ones appears to have dead flat frequency response and in most cases enough power to launch a space shuttle, regardless when they were made (excluding the really old ones of course). Which would mean well flat. Veiled and mushy implies rolled off treble and/or boosted bass.
I demo'd the Accuphase E5000 integrated and found it to be too analytical and "lifeless not engaging" whereas the McIntosh MA12000 was so much more musical and engaging, a real winner for me so I bought one just the other day.
Not worth 20k you say? You did say is the best you ever had. Well to do it that good it needs more of everything:time, design, parts. People that make things with their hands or are at production line, will know that this worth every penny. Most don't realize how hard it is to build something like this, or all brands would have a piece like that. If anyone hear that amp in their system and didn't like it, that means something in their system is lucking and this amp is so good that shows it.
Could you leave the reel to reel tape player running in the background next video please. I just want to be mesmerised by the motion.
Long time viewer, love your channel. I do have one grief to mention though. You mentioned at the beginning of your video , that you asked all your members and friends, price no object ,which is best amp they would recommend.And somehow they all chose the amp you are reviewing. You did not mention boulder amps or the elite constellation Hercules 2 at 180,000 a pair. You said to your viewers that any price , any amplifier, all your friends chose the Luxman ? I believe you will not be taken seriously in this trade if you keep making comments like these. In my opinion,,,,
How many times have we not hear him making comment like these?
Yeap. All 3 reviewed Luxman among other high-end amps and they all picked this one regardless of price. Also just happened to run across the opportunity to buy one as soon as I started looking for one.
Seems far fetched but that’s what happened
Money does not determine the ear of the listener nor the sound of said product. Only when you listen to it yourself in a blind test can you truly determine whether of not you like a product.
Good for you on your new acquisition. Don't most audiophiles have the internal financial debate of "should I, shouldn't I?" when it comes to their own upper level audio purchases? I certainly do. But man, when I buy what I want I am so overjoyed. My wife? Not so much. Lol. Congratulations Jay!
Jay, don't get lost with watt ratings. Current is more important than watts and I bet that's were your amplifier excels, high current.
Hey there. Which what's a good current measurement to look at?
what??? You cannot have high wattage without high current. I = V/R. P = I*V
Thanks for the review Jay. I have been eyeing the M900U for years now, but actually just placed an order for an M-10X the other day which I'm very exited about. Btw, I'm fairly sure this amp is also class a up to 12 watts. The biggest difference is that it's using the LIFES 1.0 instead of ODNF.
I totally understand your glee and pleasure, this is so much fun.
Accuphase and Luxman amps...when you're ready to get off the hifi round about...
Jay - Check out the Accuphase A75 or P7500 power amps at some stage.
I know how good Luxman is and the build quality is unmatched. I have a $16,000 Luxman SACD player that sounds incredible and weighs about 60 pounds.
Aluminum can be very expensive that's for sure.
I totally get it Jay.
I was in love with the Cary Monoblocks for years- heard them, had to have them, but when I had 10 grand in my hand I bought the first watt SIT-1s.
haven't looked back.
I see and hear in color too.
What an amazing amp.Great review. Actually quite a bargain used, considering so few amps can touch it (I think TMR still has a couple of them at the moment). I'd personally be ecstatic for even a used Luxman integrated.
The SQ curve is an asymptote, meaning that the more the price increases, the lower the improvement in sound. Example: to do better than a $3000 amp you have to spend at least $10,000 and a $50,000 amp will sound barely better. Beyond a certain amount the difference becomes negligible or even zero.
I listened to Luxman before. I found it warm sounding and inviting but a little too muddy for the midrange sound. Typically you only get the pre-amp if you buy the amp as a pair. My dealer locally hifi buys carries them. I have Parasound 2 JC plus 1's mono amps. Latest piece is DCS Rossini APEX with separate master clock. I am fixing to upgrade amps to either new Dagostino mono block pair MVX or looking at VAC tube amps musicblock 450. I am fixing to demo those soon at the store and in my listening room. Speakers are Monitor Audio Platinum PL500II. Have Prima Luna pre-amp that I tube rolled with some vintage 1960's tubes limited stock. When I replaced with tubes I bought versus ones that came with Prima Luna I noticed about 25% difference in quality of sound. I used tube pre-amp to warm up sound from solid state but really think I want the tube amps now. Sounds incredible but the soul from the music is cleaned too much for me. The tube gives that soul and magic to the music for me.
Which Luxman did you hear? Can't imagine thinking the midrange of the 900u sounds muddy, but I did feel that way about the 505u and 550axii.
Great amp but wait until you hear the Aries Cerat Sperio Integrated amp with the Grandinote Mach 9's with Signal Projects cables WOW ! OMG...
It's like the head of Mcintosh said. "high end audio is about the pride of ownership". You get that from the special feeling you can only get from the best. A few things in any field seem to radiate it. I love watches and it's the same..By the way I can't afford it but it is very enjoyable to get your feelings and insight of owning it and if I could I absolutely would.
You can't beat Luxman. I own an L-505Ux and an L-480. I love how they work with B&W. I grew up with L-200 and B&W. Everyone can afford a Luxman of some kind. I hope you do a review of a Jean Natais Lenco L75 one day. That would be great!
If you haven't been listening to this amplifier through a passive pre-amp, you haven't really heard the amplifier, all you've been hearing is your pre-amp. Get a high quality passive pre-amp and try it!
Thats how I feel about the Yamaha mx-1000 amplifier throw any speaker at it also rated down to 1-ohm 1000 watts and great sound for a lot cheaper.
Hmm.... Now _that_ looks like something I could afford in the near future. :)
im trying to desing my own speakers and i need stuff like this ,but its not obtainiable. I use a Luxman 5m21 to do it for now. still does good and played my speakers on western electric tubes and averything and it scales good
My grail amplifier is the pass labs monos those are sooo good looking
Very good choice, I really like the Luxman . Very nice G d Bless you and may you have years of enjoyment out of it !
LovelyJay! The only comparable japanese craftmanship would be Accuphase A-65 (previous flagship, current model would be A-75).
I always love your shows. It’s funny that you’re talking about this particular Amplifier.I’m looking at the brand new Luxman model,to purchase to go along with the paradigm 9h’s. I think that will be a match made in heaven.
NEXT STOP? The D'Agostino Relentless Epic 1600 Mono Power Amplifier at $147,500 each. Need 2 for stereo. For sale at The Sound Room in Vancouver.
I think anyone can afford budget Hi-Fi (under $1k) with some sacrifice. Once a household makes over $75k and lives modestly, mid-fi becomes affordable (under $5k total). After $100k I think hi-fi becomes attainable without going into debt. Once you make $200k, well then its a matter of preferences and priorities. That has been my experience. Went from Emotiva to Cambridge to Parasound as my savings increased. I could go to Luxman or Pass Labs, but I have other things to do with my money for now. Maybe in the next 5-10 years.
Luxman products looks fantastic and I would love to own one of these. But you have to agree that it's kinda like owning a Rolex versus a Seiko or a Timex. I mean the Luxman will be audibly indistinguishable from say a Yamaha A-S700 (or any other reasonable amp with sufficient wattage) driving the same speakers, assuming neither is operating outside their limits/pushed to clipping. Soundwise it's madness buying one, it won't sound better or different from your current amp. But it's soo nice and you really don't need logical reasons to buy a luxury product. Like I said, I would love to own one even-though it won't and can't sound better or any different (whatsoever) from a $500 Pioneer amp. An amp that'd got a flat frequency response, less than 0.01 distortion, a sufficient damping factor (most solid state amps clears this these days) and enough juice to drive your speakers is going to be transparent. That's all you need performance wise.
Boy what a amplifier huh. Give it time to grow on you. Plus give it time to properly break in. That's important. I'm currently rebreaking in a 1979 onkyo tx 4500 mk2. That's been sitting for a long while. Oooh I love high end product. Especially audio
Hello Jay, Luxman it's a very good brand. I have a Luxman L550 ax mk ii and it just has 20 watts in class A, but double (40 watts) at 4 ohms! I'm very happy with this amp. it plays loud, and I prefer quality watts over the quantity. Thank you for your video!😉
Hence the First Watt company started on that principal.
I have the same amp and it is just lovely ❤!
I just picked up the bigger brother 590axII. Had McIntosh for 8 years prior but this Luxman was a game changer. Use to get listening fatigue with the McIntosh gear, not the Luxman, they have been discontinued so future classic for sure. This is my last intergraded. 😎
Fan of Japan here. Are you sure that you really heard all this amp has to offer. You might need to buy a second and run them bridged to know. Love the big open reel in the background.
I think one need to connect it to some of most hard to drive speaker to show the difference.. Something like one of those full size electrostatic speakers that impedance can drop all the way below 1 ohm..
Need the M10X homie
My experience, amps with balls like, there own dedicated power line from fuse box to realize full potential. Also does the rest of system match this amps potential?
I’m contemplating investing in Luxman or T+A. Which would prefer and why? How would you characterize the sound differences ?
I have l-590ax2 and thinking about m900u. What was the best matching preamp with m900u ?. Thanks Jay
Can’t say I blame ya. If I could swing it, I’d buy an high end amp too
12:49 "tight as you are"
* some memories came to my head *
Hahahaha love it!
I would buy Canary Audio M350 Monoblock Amplifiers, a glorious 50 watts of pure Class-A triode magic, hand-made in the California. I own Luxman L-550AX integrated amp Class-A, great with ESL-63.
Me too i have tried steely state 10 -20 grand and up and they sound clinically right but something is missing they do not draw me in like good tube amps do they do bass well and do some other things well but tubes bring out the soul and humanity in the music.
I have the same amplifier has you have, (L550AX)😉 and I play it with harbeth speakers, the result is very pleasant and musical!
If it sounds better than anything you have in studio, for 10,000….it’s a steal!! My all time favorite Integrated amp, I’m an integrated man myself, was the Luxman LV105u, with tubes on the front end. So while it (M900u) retailed for 20, the fact you can get such a piece of audio artwork as this price, again is a freaking steal!! Did you push the Kendall’s with it??
My cousin has an LV105U. Is been sitting in his garage for umpteen years. I've asked him to loan it to me.i. sure it's due for a tune up at the very least. I'll ask him again ✌
Did a blind A/B wih every other amp on hand, then?
@@AdrianIII so you have to do an a/b test to know which one of your amps is your favorite? Get real man...
I like the big Macintosh amp too ! Either are keepers!
As far as sound, do you like the Luxman M900U more than the McIntosh amplifiers you have listened to?
My pick for a reference amp would probably be one or two Benchmark AHB2. It doesn’t get better than this if you just need transparent amplification
Soundstage on the ahb2 is limited IMHO. I'm in the market for new amp and I considered the ahb2, but decided agains it. It is very clean though.
@@rockfidelity8229 oh interesting. I’ve had a different experience with the benchmark and soundstage was not small but just accurate and realistic.
But even if it was small it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. Room acoustics and speaker positioning are way more important for the soundstage size
I did try the AHB2. Not my cup of tea though. To my ears clinical and narrow soundstage
You won’t get the soundstage and the timbral density a class A biased M900u can bring with the AHB2.
I’m curious for the m700u too, it’s posible to this Can drive the all speakers out there?
Yamaha binding posts on AS-2100 etc are superb.
Great review. From the previous videos that you have posted the Luxman was present at the back but you did not mentioned it. I was very curious about this review.
About how it sound it will be useful if you mention the preamps that you used during your listening.
Nice video ! Out of curiosity, how could you fund the purchase of very expensive gears even preowned ? Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the review.
I own 2 Luxman m-900 in mono and I find them extraordinary!
A clarification, quoting the successor M-10x, you spoke of the first 50 W in class A, but I think they are always 12 W…
Alessandro,
Do you have a Dac with a volume control? If you do, did you ever try going straight to the amps from the Dac? And if you did, was it a much bigger difference when you added the C 900U? I have an M900 and always wondered if the C900 would add that much to the sound. Thanks, Andy
@@andyd9126 I have a Mola Mola Tambaqui which if desired has a volume control but I use the c900 preamp which has a higher quality. I think with the preamp there is more spaciousness in the scene as well as better volume control. I recommend if you listen to liquid to buy a quality DAC first (the Tambaqui is super and if you want it could act as a pre and streamer)
I tried buying a tambaqui but settled for the Rockna Wavedream balanced signature dac.My next purchase would be another m900 u. How would you compare single m900u to monoblocks m900u?Thanks.
@@andyd9126 The - my - PS Audio, CD Transport / separate Direct Stream DAC combination, has enough output to drive a power amplifier. A bit of a variation: The DAC may be set for, 0.282 Volt RMS Low Level Balanced Output, OR almost 10X this: 2.818 VRMS Balanced high - level output. XLR, Balanced connectors are said to provide 6 dB more signal volume transmission than RCA connectors, there are powerful, quiet amplifiers, & I have efficient, Klipsch speakers. I think that the Power amps have volume control, too. Headroom! ANY equipment, connectors, may affect the sound, even in a subtle manner, as Jay alludes to, mentions in his presentation. {PS Audio does assert that their top quality preamp, somehow improves the sound; I don't understand this. Perhaps I, we, will have to try the equipment combinations which we're curious about! Some audio salons, manufacturers, distributors will, `Loan,' you equipment for a certain period of time, to see if you want to keep it. Check with what they offer. In some cases, you can buy the equipment, & if you don't like it, you can return it, & the seller will pay the return shipping! At $20,000, looks like Luxman can afford to do this!} Even slight differences may be important to us. Keep in mind the, `Principle of Diminishing Returns / Improvements.' Andy, YOU, I, everyone has to decide the level of quality of sound that we can afford, & what will provide this. Even among music lovers, we may, each, `Hear,' differently, & we may discuss at length, Psychoacoustics ~ how each of our brains - and ears - acquire, assimilate & process sound vibrations, in the air, why these are important, & why some are pleasurable, motivating us to buy & replicate sound, music!
Very interesting review. I always wonder what the Luxman amp sound like and you explained it very well.
I still have two KRELL KSA150 amps will work down to 1 ohm
Living the dream Jay…. liv’in the dream!
Actually I’m going to a different way on this new buy of yours, $10K USD used for a $20K listed new power amplifier, is quite a good depreciated price if one can afford it! I’ m just feeling sorry for the courier that makes your deliveries with these 100+ pound amps you have been receiving lately. How does this amp compare with the Parasounds A21 or JC5?
Speaking of these heavy amps, I’m hope you will review the Hegel P30 or better yet the Technics SE-R1 which employs GaN-FET driver stage. If you are unable to get your hands on this $17k listed behemoth, maybe you can reach out to Leo from Orchard Audio for his ClassD GaN mono blocks. I’m wondering if the use of gallium nitride rather then, CMOS is a fad for has any merit.
Thank goodness we can get good class a/b, 100 wpc @ 8 ohms for under $500 (my BasX a400 was on sale for $300).
You mentioned this amp being sweet - Do you think class A power can ever sound as nice as KT88’s? Either with a tube pre amp or not 🤔🤔🤔🤔
any love or your thoughts on the luxman D07-X or the D10-X CD player with DAC
No one can convince me that any piece of audio equipment is worth $20,000.
You and I come from different ends of the spectrum.
For sure. For some they can’t even justify $200 for audio. Each to their own haha
It’s a curse to be poor with the taste of kings. At least that has been my experience, but living vicariously through Jay et al. helps.
It took me 40 years to acquire my dream system, keep the dream alive and maybe one day. 🤓
M900U is not discontinued. It is still being manufactured and can be bought new for $15,000.
Enjoyed your review. Where did you get your "listening" chair?
It's a beautiful amp and is my dream amp too. Looks like you need a deeper table though , the amp's feet are hanging of the front edge.
Awesome , How do you guys compare to mc mcintosh 462
Jay, I own a Stereo power amp McINtosh mc 2102 as amplifier ( full tubes 50's anniversary, 8 KT88 and 8 drive tubes 12AX7 and 12AT7), very similar to the new 1502 and 2152 for 70th anniversary. I love the sound, because of the texture, organic sound and mainly the beefy mediums : it is not an image of a Piano or singers, they are really there. If you had a curtain, you could ask if they are there... Now because of tubes heat, electrical power consumption and inconveniences (I keep on my system easy 12h a day) , I am searching a solution with transistors that is as near as possible to this live and full sounding of tubes with Mc 2102 . Which Amp or power amp would you recommend me? Do you think Luxman 900u would do this job ? Or too thin sound compared to tubes ? Many Thanks for an answer or any recommendations
My McIntosh solid state MC152 150wpc @8ohms (has been measured at 250wpc by independent reviewers) is incredible…It has 8, 4,or2 ohm speaker terminals.
I do not think that it makes sound overly warm…It is different than older models. It has a classic McIntosh glass front panel with the blue meters..
Although the overall build (fit & finish), is nothing like your Luxman….but I bet it could be an interesting comparison! $6000 U.S. It does weigh as much, though! 😁
I agree. The Mac MC152 has to be the best sounding and most versatile SS power amp around at its price point. My BF runs one on his big Martin-Logan electrostats - hard to drive - and it’s a glorious sound when I visit.
@@daniannaci3258 yeah…I just LOVE this thing, after recovering from the cost! 😁
It’s the most expensive component in my system…by a LOT!
Respect to Luxman! I could list a bunch of “higher” end names, which can’t hold a candle to Luxman.
I chose it over the gryphon diablo 300 and never regretted it.
NEXT PURCHASE for Jay, the Sennheiser Orpheus marble clad vacuum tube amp with electrostatic headphones.... only $55,000, plus shipping. This is what you can do when audiophilia is your PROFESSION! Yay!
Jay’ Iyagi = 제이의 이야기 very smart name 😊
I wonder if you can review some Accuphase amps to compare with the Luxman?
Perhaps
Those binding post are sweet..! 🍾
Hi jay great video, can you link a playlist of your favorite/reference songs you test. Thanks keep
It 🆙
Hi. It is available on patreon.com/jayiyagi
May I know the bias set for this amp? have you hook up to sr1a and let us know your experience?
Had hook up this earpiece to an old high-bias 200w SS A/AB slider (1st 10w in A) & absolutely in love
The elation behind the first time I set eyes on the Luxman 509 integrated amp in a showroom went something as follows: There was simply no words for the level of craftsmanship observed coming from an electrical engineer myself. Quarter inch aluminum plate with milled tapered vents, to absolute perfection down to the mill direction and CNC entry and exits. A volume knob that actuates from the remote. A power button, that when pressed, is the best button that I've ever pressed on any device ever. The VUE meters, that seemed to dance around effortlessly and induced a trance.
It played like a dream and words still can't describe the level of joy it brings me as I brought it home and absolutely destroyed my wallet. This kind of money is insane to spend on an electronic device, but, as they say- you only live once.
It is a statement piece that will become a heirloom and last in a dedicated setup for decades. Retain its' resale value. The Luxman name, who are the OGs of the art- truly is something special.
Perhaps someday in my future I will feel financially ready to purchase or pursue Luxman separates. For now- they sing glory to my speakers that will please for a very long time.
I had to give a thumb's up just for doing this one! What brand leather jacket is that? I like it!
Haha, another great review but it fell away a bit at the end.
I have lots of amps and equipment and I've just stopped. I think my new Michi S5 is finally the end game for me (pre is P5). The velvet sledgehammer. Can't wipe the smile off my face, the amazing stuff makes you laugh.
Next video will be: I've bought a pair of Klipsch Jubilee. Seriously, congratulations, enjoy it!
Thanks Jay for that interesting review . I noticed the Triangle Bro3 in the background. Can we expect a review of those speakers sometimes ?
And by any chance , match it with the Audiolab 6000…?
What affordable ss amp comes closest to the quality of sound
Denafrips thallo I think comes closer than Kinki mono blocks but both are viable options
@@Jayiyagi Hi, you have lots of experience with Hegel amps, how do you compare the Luxman to the H-390?
Cost no object I'd buy the Boulder 3050 or CH Precision M10. That said, I've heard many comparisons between the CH Precision M1.1 and the Luxman M700u monos. Although the CH Precision's easily won because of their purity, transparency, timbral accuracy, detail, dynamic presentation (especially macro's), and instrumental colors, the Luxman's represented itself very well in spatial presentation, timbral beauty, detail, and ease of listening: at a fraction of the comparative cost. Luxman has always been on my shortlist of great affordable (relatively) amps. Great choice.
2 excellent makes no doubt. Pass, Bryston and Accuphase also worthy of a look as well. Also have heard good things about Bricasti and Nagra amps as well.