Hi all.
I already read a lot through Luxman-specific forum threads.
I went to pick up some mid-class Luxman gear, of which I thought it could outperform my modest existing gear.
However, some interesting things:
All gear came from same house, 2 area's: 1 area that actually had a set-up system with quadral speakers, and one 'tower of old gear' on first floor, unconnected.
INTERESTINGLY, the Luxman gear that was connected and listened to (for at least last 10 years), is the OLDEST gear of the house.
In living room: M-02 + C-02 (+ Quadral + Oppo BD + Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6)
In storage: M-383 + M-363 + C-03 (+ a bunch of CD, SACD and BD players, even MD!).
So I left with big expectations to the M02/C02 combo, for now none of them restored/recapped. Especially M-02 is cosmetically ... just plain dirty and high usage (probably every day of it's life).
(In the past, a recapped very simple, same-era Quad 306 amp just blew me away, and still in use. None of the luxman gear blew me away, just yet).
After some listening on all of my modest systems, I come to the conclusion that:
- the M-383 and M-363 do not have a very open sound, narrowed soundstage, but very very powerful. M383 is top-spec catalogue model from i think 1996 (not so vintage). I do not think a recap is necessary on these units. The M-383 has (at least) been modified with a big power cord. The M-363 looks as it has never been used (much cleaner than the others).
- the C-03 performs very well, I can not flaw this one in any respect. The C-03 does not 'narrow down' the listening field as the M-383 M363 do. It needs time to heat, but then it sounds just awesome.
- the M-02/C-02 set sounds clearly better, more open, more wide than the '90s counterparts, very detailed yet also not a big soundstage, not very bright or clear, rolled off highs. In bass area it delivers good. Mid and high just not as good as my comparision field.
Comparision field:
- One system with Klipsch Forte IV and Primaluna Dialogue One (integrated): For this system I had good expectations to use M-02/C-02. The combo sounds the best in this system, very detailed, but same rolled off highs and not a very wide soundstage. I come to conclusion that Klipsch Heritage speakers just need tube amplification, but could not (yet) narrow down to pre- or power section. As much as I wanted it to sound better than what I was used to, it just didn't. The 90s gear had no chance in this system. Also system3 (see below) amp is much better here.
- The second, and most-used system, consists of B&W 802S3 speakers (about same era) on a big and beefy (underestimated) Dussun V8i. While not very pricey, this amp really delivers. But it is Chinese maid stuff, will never be very pricey or valuable. Yet, none of the TOTL 90s luxman gear outperforms this heavy Dussun. It was immediatably noticeable. As for the pre-amp, I think C-03 is very good in this system, on the Dussun power section. The M-02/C-02 still has a chance on this system, I could not test it yet. And actually I would love to use the vintage stuff in this system, just for the visual aspect. Speaker cables here have big bananas, not (yet) connectable on M-02.
- A third system is a power-hungry small Aerial Acoustics Model 5B set, i appreciate this speakerset a lot, as I think it has a superb tweeter/highs. Also the closed-box principle I like a lot: this bass, while not very extending, sounds just dry, short, direct. Very very good bass and mid-bass. This speakerset has no 'fixed' amp connected, not used a lot. Last months they connected to a diy Aleph 5 (or a Pass labs pure class A), which has not enough power to drive them loud, but sounds so open, transparant, unbelievably good. Here too, the luxman counterparts, including the M-02/C-02 combo, is just not as open. Contrary, I already write multiple times about rolled off highs, narrow sound, albeit detailed.
I did not compare to an aleph P1.7 preamp (also diy, very good amp but still needs some control work to be done), or to a DIY phono-stage based on Pass XP-27 (could compare that to built-in luxman phono stages, which are praised on the net). I could not see how this built-in phono stage could outperform my star-of-the-show: the diy phono stage. Since I have this, it outperforms any CD or digital, that is with new LP.
Note: The M-02 has a warm-up lamp, that is on for about 10 minutes. But, after it is on for one-two hours, the sound and soundstage start to open a bit more, good imaging, still rolled off highs.
Are my findings knowledgable? Are there others that have same experience with vintage luxman gear? Is it my ears going nuts? Or is the stuff I compare it to actually the better stuff? Do I need to recap the M-02/C-02 combo to really hear what it can do? Or maybe the luxman stuff I have is just not the best stuff.
I do not own 5figure gear, all gear I have is decent, very decent, but bought cheap (old primaluna which is already cheap when new (chinese built), Chinese Dussun inspired on Mark Levinson schematics, and diy pass labs gear that will not win beauty-price (but it's all about sound isn't it?!).
I'm not looking for other luxman stuff, just wanted the stuff I have to sound better... I that case, the existing stuff just stays in place.
Thank you all!
I already read a lot through Luxman-specific forum threads.
I went to pick up some mid-class Luxman gear, of which I thought it could outperform my modest existing gear.
However, some interesting things:
All gear came from same house, 2 area's: 1 area that actually had a set-up system with quadral speakers, and one 'tower of old gear' on first floor, unconnected.
INTERESTINGLY, the Luxman gear that was connected and listened to (for at least last 10 years), is the OLDEST gear of the house.
In living room: M-02 + C-02 (+ Quadral + Oppo BD + Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6)
In storage: M-383 + M-363 + C-03 (+ a bunch of CD, SACD and BD players, even MD!).
So I left with big expectations to the M02/C02 combo, for now none of them restored/recapped. Especially M-02 is cosmetically ... just plain dirty and high usage (probably every day of it's life).
(In the past, a recapped very simple, same-era Quad 306 amp just blew me away, and still in use. None of the luxman gear blew me away, just yet).
After some listening on all of my modest systems, I come to the conclusion that:
- the M-383 and M-363 do not have a very open sound, narrowed soundstage, but very very powerful. M383 is top-spec catalogue model from i think 1996 (not so vintage). I do not think a recap is necessary on these units. The M-383 has (at least) been modified with a big power cord. The M-363 looks as it has never been used (much cleaner than the others).
- the C-03 performs very well, I can not flaw this one in any respect. The C-03 does not 'narrow down' the listening field as the M-383 M363 do. It needs time to heat, but then it sounds just awesome.
- the M-02/C-02 set sounds clearly better, more open, more wide than the '90s counterparts, very detailed yet also not a big soundstage, not very bright or clear, rolled off highs. In bass area it delivers good. Mid and high just not as good as my comparision field.
Comparision field:
- One system with Klipsch Forte IV and Primaluna Dialogue One (integrated): For this system I had good expectations to use M-02/C-02. The combo sounds the best in this system, very detailed, but same rolled off highs and not a very wide soundstage. I come to conclusion that Klipsch Heritage speakers just need tube amplification, but could not (yet) narrow down to pre- or power section. As much as I wanted it to sound better than what I was used to, it just didn't. The 90s gear had no chance in this system. Also system3 (see below) amp is much better here.
- The second, and most-used system, consists of B&W 802S3 speakers (about same era) on a big and beefy (underestimated) Dussun V8i. While not very pricey, this amp really delivers. But it is Chinese maid stuff, will never be very pricey or valuable. Yet, none of the TOTL 90s luxman gear outperforms this heavy Dussun. It was immediatably noticeable. As for the pre-amp, I think C-03 is very good in this system, on the Dussun power section. The M-02/C-02 still has a chance on this system, I could not test it yet. And actually I would love to use the vintage stuff in this system, just for the visual aspect. Speaker cables here have big bananas, not (yet) connectable on M-02.
- A third system is a power-hungry small Aerial Acoustics Model 5B set, i appreciate this speakerset a lot, as I think it has a superb tweeter/highs. Also the closed-box principle I like a lot: this bass, while not very extending, sounds just dry, short, direct. Very very good bass and mid-bass. This speakerset has no 'fixed' amp connected, not used a lot. Last months they connected to a diy Aleph 5 (or a Pass labs pure class A), which has not enough power to drive them loud, but sounds so open, transparant, unbelievably good. Here too, the luxman counterparts, including the M-02/C-02 combo, is just not as open. Contrary, I already write multiple times about rolled off highs, narrow sound, albeit detailed.
I did not compare to an aleph P1.7 preamp (also diy, very good amp but still needs some control work to be done), or to a DIY phono-stage based on Pass XP-27 (could compare that to built-in luxman phono stages, which are praised on the net). I could not see how this built-in phono stage could outperform my star-of-the-show: the diy phono stage. Since I have this, it outperforms any CD or digital, that is with new LP.
Note: The M-02 has a warm-up lamp, that is on for about 10 minutes. But, after it is on for one-two hours, the sound and soundstage start to open a bit more, good imaging, still rolled off highs.
Are my findings knowledgable? Are there others that have same experience with vintage luxman gear? Is it my ears going nuts? Or is the stuff I compare it to actually the better stuff? Do I need to recap the M-02/C-02 combo to really hear what it can do? Or maybe the luxman stuff I have is just not the best stuff.
I do not own 5figure gear, all gear I have is decent, very decent, but bought cheap (old primaluna which is already cheap when new (chinese built), Chinese Dussun inspired on Mark Levinson schematics, and diy pass labs gear that will not win beauty-price (but it's all about sound isn't it?!).
I'm not looking for other luxman stuff, just wanted the stuff I have to sound better... I that case, the existing stuff just stays in place.
Thank you all!
