I had a chance to borrow back my old Luxman LV-105u. I had sold this in the beginning of last year to a friend and fellow AK'er, who proceeded to fully recap it, change the tubes and generally give it a total overhaul. I must say it is a different beast then when I last heard it.
For those who don't know it, the Luxman LV amps are very unique hybrids. Keep in mind that they were released in 1983! They use a passive pre-amp, with a very nice,obviously non-passive phono stage - both MM and MC. On the amp side, it gets very interesting. It is a tube hybrid differential amp, with Fets, bjts, triodes and Mosfets. The tube used is the 6FQ7.
How does it sound? Interesting. Still getting used to it, but it has a very smooth, mellow character to it. My first impression was that it was lacking a little sparkle up top. But it sure does do the mids nicely. Bass is a little on the thin side, but nice and controlled. Build quality is fabulous. And the little window through which you can see the tubes glowing is a fun feature.
I have lots more listening to do, so I will update as I go. But overall, I have to say it is a very sweet little amp.
For those who don't know it, the Luxman LV amps are very unique hybrids. Keep in mind that they were released in 1983! They use a passive pre-amp, with a very nice,obviously non-passive phono stage - both MM and MC. On the amp side, it gets very interesting. It is a tube hybrid differential amp, with Fets, bjts, triodes and Mosfets. The tube used is the 6FQ7.
How does it sound? Interesting. Still getting used to it, but it has a very smooth, mellow character to it. My first impression was that it was lacking a little sparkle up top. But it sure does do the mids nicely. Bass is a little on the thin side, but nice and controlled. Build quality is fabulous. And the little window through which you can see the tubes glowing is a fun feature.
I have lots more listening to do, so I will update as I go. But overall, I have to say it is a very sweet little amp.