70's Luxman amps

[blackfly]

Just look at my siggy and you will clearly understand. I would get the newer stuff in a heartbeat if I could afford it. There is no getting past Luxman Class A once you have heard it. Sade through the system is beyond any real description.

 

[pioneer54]

two no less!!

TWO NO LESS!!! Not only are they nice amps, I think (OK, we all have opinions) the amp is downright gorgeous! I mean LOOK at this thing!


https://www.google.com/search?q=lux...v&sa=X&ei=bYsnU6PzO47OyAH-74C4AQ&ved=0CCcQsAQ

yea, me and the wife were cruzin in the Datsun. while coming into a small rural town, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimps of these amps and some other items that was out for the garbage day. I couldn't believe the amps were garbage so I stopped and knocked on the door. the guy said I could have them, they didn't work and the reason he had two was one was suppose to be for parts. he owned the one since new and he paid $1800 back in the day. ( I don't know about that) good thing it was a nice sunny day and I got there before the garbage men.

 

[Baron K Rool]

yea, me and the wife were cruzin in the Datsun. while coming into a small rural town, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimps of these amps and some other items that was out for the garbage day. I couldn't believe the amps were garbage so I stopped and knocked on the door. the guy said I could have them, they didn't work and the reason he had two was one was suppose to be for parts. he owned the one since new and he paid $1800 back in the day. ( I don't know about that) good thing it was a nice sunny day and I got there before the garbage men.

$1800 is what you would have to pay to get two of these (working, but unrestored) units today.

It's pretty much the best of the best. These are amazing amps. 15 watts per channel, pure class A, 125 for class AB.

 

[Dswankey]

he owned the one since new and he paid $1800 back in the day. ( I don't know about that)

Nice snag,

http://audio-database.com/LUXMANALPINE-LUXMAN/amp/l-530-e.html

 

[Dswankey]

$1800 is what you would have to pay to get two of these (working, but unrestored) units today.

It's pretty much the best of the best. These are amazing amps. 15 watts per channel, pure class A, 125 for class AB.

They'd have to be in really good shape at $900 per and that would be on the high side.

Luxman never made a tuner in their lifetime. They were all made by other companies. Same with their tape decks and CD players. At least in part.

I'm still curious about your statement above, I'm not questioning you I just was hoping you could provide some info to back this up

 

[Baron K Rool]

They'd have to be in really good shape at $900 per and that would be on the high side.

I'm still curious about your statement above, I'm not questioning you I just was hoping you could provide some info to back this up

This model was never even sold in USA, but they regularly (or more like exclusively) sell for 600-800€ (or above, depending on luck and condition) in Europe - which comes to around 700-1000 USD. It is multi-voltage, though, so it could get (and obviously was) imported in small numbers.

I conveniently missed a word in that earlier statement. I meant to say bad. All their bad/cheap components were manufactured by anonymous japanese OEM manufacturers. More info on that can be found on the Vintage Knob forum.

 

[Dswankey]

This model was never even sold in USA, but they regularly (or more like exclusively) sell for 600-800€ (or above, depending on luck and condition) in Europe - which comes to around 700-1000 USD. It is multi-voltage, though, so it could get (and obviously was) imported in small numbers.

I agree, It looks like a close cousin of the L-580

I conveniently missed a word in that earlier statement. I meant to say bad. All their bad/cheap components were manufactured by anonymous Japanese OEM manufacturers. More info on that can be found on the Vintage Knob forum.

No worries If we're talking tape decks and such sounds about right.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I'd say they made everything from budget (laboratory standard series) to high quality (laboratory reference series) as they were called back then. And when they excelled they did it in a great way.

The two Laboratory series, standard and reference were the gear to get and still are. Your L-2 was part of the Studio Standard Series that is below these Laboratory lines.

i salvaged two L530 amps that needed work. they are very heavy and I think are rated 100 watts. I just located a local electronic repair guy, claims to fix anything with a plug. I'm going to look him up to see if these units are worth putting any money into. anyone here have a L530? how do they sound? tia

I really would consider finding a nice friendly AKer to help you with those amps. I just don't think the guy fixing a toaster or vacuum cleaner is the same one I want working on my Luxman integrated amp. The original price converts to about 800 bucks so the unit probably sold for a grand US, back in the day. Adjusting for the exchange rate that could be 1250 or so. The fellow probably remembers the price and he might have bought something else with it or there was one

No worries If we're talking tape decks and such sounds about right.

Luxman had damn fine sounding tape decks. Their bottom unit the K-5a was 400 bucks but it sounded very nice. This while TEAC, Aiwa and everyone else had a machine for half that. The Luxman units at the top of the line, the K-12 (Laboratory Standard Series) and 5K50/5K50M (Laboratory Reference Series) were fantastic machines. The later K-03, K-04 and K-05 are also considered exceptional

 

[GP Hill]

What about the M-03 amp. There's one on eBay and I'm considering making an offer.

 

[aneufeld]

Since the topic is Luxman, does anyone have a schematic for a Luxkit A801?

 

[A400]

...the L-2 integrated I could afford and got new in 1981 was a budget amplifier of modest minus power and mediocre sound. It improved greatly when I beefed up the psu caps.

I wonder if better psu caps would help my L-4, any thoughts? It has two 10,000uF caps now and sounds pleasant but doesn't have much slam or a particularly exciting sound.

 

[RuffzGuts]

yea, me and the wife were cruzin in the Datsun. while coming into a small rural town, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimps of these amps and some other items that was out for the garbage day. I couldn't believe the amps were garbage so I stopped and knocked on the door. the guy said I could have them, they didn't work and the reason he had two was one was suppose to be for parts. he owned the one since new and he paid $1800 back in the day. ( I don't know about that) good thing it was a nice sunny day and I got there before the garbage men.

You are pulling the leg there arnt ya.......???!!!!

One thing I will say, I'm painstakingly working through my L550 at the moment, the boards suck.....really delicate and unforgiving to work on...if you have this gear don't let just anyone touch it......

 

[totem]

Baron

Luxman never made a tuner in their lifetime. They were all made by other companies. Same with their tape decks and CD players. At least in part.

Luxman for a particular time period made very little themselves, although
almost every other Japan based company farmed out particular products
Luxman more so.

Made to their specifications does not diminish the quality of a given product.

Enjoy using my M-4000.

 

[Baron K Rool]

I agree, It looks like a close cousin of the L-580

L-510/530 is the successor to the L-58/580 (580 is mostly the same model as the 58, but the latter type was North America only). Same price range, similar specs... but a more competent/modern circuit design, and not to forget the whole class A deal, which is the was the best feature of these.

You are pulling the leg there arnt ya.......???!!!!

One thing I will say, I'm painstakingly working through my L550 at the moment, the boards suck.....really delicate and unforgiving to work on...if you have this gear don't let just anyone touch it......

After 30 years of burning class A music, those boards aren't what they used to be... Also, pretty complicated things, and difficult to work on. But 550 is a whole other beast. 530 is totally different internally, but I do believe the circuits are mostly the same.

I wonder if better psu caps would help my L-4, any thoughts? It has two 10,000uF caps now and sounds pleasant but doesn't have much slam or a particularly exciting sound.

Increasing the capacitance here will do absolutely nothing. If you don't like the amp, get another. It cannot be "fixed" by some small magic touch. :yes:

 

[SaSi]

I wonder if better psu caps would help my L-4, any thoughts? It has two 10,000uF caps now and sounds pleasant but doesn't have much slam or a particularly exciting sound.

The L-2 had 2x3300uF (IIRC) caps in the PSU. I added 4x10000uF caps stowed away by the long heatsing and connected them using thick cables.

It felt that it sounded much better and gave out more power with these. I didn't realize how much better it sounded until I blew the output transistors during the "finale" of a crazy party. I had to remove the caps before sending it to be repaired by the service center.

I auditioned it as it came back from repair (check it worked properly) and it sounded awful and harsh. I put the caps back and the sound became sweet again.

Yes, I have found out that adequate caps can make all the difference in a power amplifier.

 

[Blue Shadow]

L-510/530 is the successor to the L-58/580 (580 is mostly the same model as the 58, but the latter type was North America only). Same price range, similar specs... but a more competent/modern circuit design, and not to forget the whole class A deal, which is the was the best feature of these.

I have not seen anything the states the L-58/L-58a is a Class A amp, but there is a big difference between the L-58a and the L-580, they use different output devices among other things. The L-58a uses MOSFETs, 2SJ49 and 2SK134 and the L-580 uses the 2SB706/2SD746 pair.

I don't know where the info on it being class A comes from. The letter at the end of the model might have gotten some folks thinking that way.

 

[Vinylcalle]

I have not seen anything the states the L-58/L-58a is a Class A amp, but there is a big difference between the L-58a and the L-580, they use different output devices among other things. The L-58a uses MOSFETs, 2SJ49 and 2SK134 and the L-580 uses the 2SB706/2SD746 pair.

I don't know where the info on it being class A comes from. The letter at the end of the model might have gotten some folks thinking that way.

The class A deal was probably about the L-510/530.

Once had a L-530, a very nice amplifier but I found the Denon PMA-790/970 being better.

Had a rare L-560 at work a couple of weeks ago.

 

[michaelhigh]

There are some pieces that are world class from the 60s-80s. Then there are the other units they built that are just very, very good. I consider myself very lucky to have been selling Luxman in the late 70s-early 80s. I grab what I can of their vintage gear.

The ones that are special are the CL-35 III tube preamp, the MB3045 50 watt mono tube amplifiers and their LRS gear.

Most manufacturers made something close to crap in the mid-late 80s and on. The idea that folks wanted a one brand system in a vinyl-clad and glass cabinet with speakers the same size was part of the downfall.

This was when Luxman was sold to Alpine and their gear suffered but they got things straight with the R-117 receiver, considered by many to be the best receiver ever made. More ownership changes and finally they are back doing what they did, making great audio gear.

GREAT overview, fueling audiolustbuckets with info to inspire searches/purchases. Well-done. :yes:

 

[Blue Shadow]

The class A deal was probably about the L-510/530.

Yes, these are low power class A, 8 and 15 wpc, respectively. I missed that but since I have read numerous times about the non-US L-58whatever being class A and wanted confirmation that it was not.

 

[Baron K Rool]

The ONLY Luxman class A integrated amps from that time are L-510, 530 and finally 550 with its successors.