Would I regret replacing my vintage Luxman with NEW Luxman?
- Thread starter Warm_tunes
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- luxman
xero-D-hero
Super Member
I completely missed this fact,,,dang I hate it when someone does that,,,makes others often look like,,,well like the idiots they are,,,LOL...
Glad the OP found some nice newer class A Luxman gear.
Bret P.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Glad the OP found some nice newer class A Luxman gear.
Bret P.
He has not said he made the switch. He just stopped posting...maybe he is too busy listening to the new gear or whatever. Be nice to get an update.
xero-D-hero
Super Member
Damn did it again.
I must've thought santa was the OP...
Man I got like the worst case of thread reading/posting ADD today.
Agree an update would be nice,but I'm gonna keep my d@mn yapper shut till I get over this footinmouthitus thing.
Bret P.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
But that would keep some folks from seeing any of this thread. It brought new questions to me.
Warm_tunes
Member
Hey guys... sorry for the dead end of the line on my end. It has definitely been an eventful 8 months....
So the short version of the story is, I DID pick up a very lightly used 509X last fall and got a great deal on it. In fact, I have not sold any of my vintage gear.
My biggest problem over the past 8 months was dealing with space in my house. A 90 year old basic "4 square" city home that I used the main living room as my listening room, along with my 2 kids demanding the TV and sound system to watch videos and play games, etc... there was a long time into early this year that I was pretty down because I had some amazing gear and no real room to enjoy it. So I have spent the first half of this year looking to upgrade the house and actually be able to LISTEN to my gear for more than 20 minutes per day.
The 509X is truly an amazing integrated. Everything I love about that dynamic, sparkling Luxman signature sound, but with an extra sheen of audiophile detail and nuance that I could not get from the vintage gear. However I did miss the sparkle and holographic depth of the CL40 preamp in my system, so I had been using it as a preamp (going into the Main In/HT Bypass of the 509X) into the 509X on certain material to make it sound even better. The CL40 really gave the 509X a "boost" at lower volumes. Since most of my listening is night levels, the CL40 allowed the musical presence to emanate into the room at lower levels.
I have to say, the volume on the CL40 is one of the most beautiful things in form and function I have ever encountered in the audio realm.
Anyway during this time, my C1010 and M2000 stayed in storage for a future home where I could have a true separate vintage system in addition to the main 509X & La Scala II rig.
I am happy to say that last month we moved into a much bigger house, and now I have a completely separate audio/HT room for the 509X and LS IIs. It is about 16x30 and I have heavily treated the room with bass traps and panels from GIK Acoustics. It sounds massive and detailed and fills the room like a grand concert hall.
And happy to say that I picked up a pair of Heresy IIIs for my home office system. I now use the CL40 with the M2000 in the office and it sounds fantastic. I'm running a Luxman DA-06 DAC into the CL40, streaming through Roon via an Auralic Aries.
The 2 systems have such a different purpose yet a surprisingly similar signature.. the same warmth, sparkle and dynamics are there, but there's no doubt that the "main" system would be considered a higher end "audiophile" system where the CL40/M2000 is more of an intimate listening experience with exceptional resolution and imaging.
This is an odd example, but listening to a live intimate recording like George Michael's MTV Unplugged, you can hear the reverb on GM's voice transcend the Heresy III speakers and extend out into the room, to where you can't tell where the vocal reverb effect ends and the room effect takes over. In a way, it's like the performance is in the room with you.
I have also experimented in this room with a PrimaLuna amp and a vintage Adcom GFA 5200 and the synergy is just not there between the CL40 and the amp. It suddenly becomes more of a "stereo" versus an immersive and intimate listening experience. There is something about that Luxman pairing that creates magic.
The downside is that I have no use for the C1010 unfortunately... it is there for decoration, looks great... but doesn't compare to the CL40. The other downside is that there is definitely a short or something in the M2000 right channel. Multiple times during listening I have to get up and tap the right attenuator due to a crackling that ranges from a subtle sizzle you can only hear between songs to a full-on roar in the middle of the song. I do need to get it in for servicing, OR keep my eyes out for a good MQ-88uC to replace the M2000.
Sorry again for the lack of updates... hope that fills out the story!
So the short version of the story is, I DID pick up a very lightly used 509X last fall and got a great deal on it. In fact, I have not sold any of my vintage gear.
My biggest problem over the past 8 months was dealing with space in my house. A 90 year old basic "4 square" city home that I used the main living room as my listening room, along with my 2 kids demanding the TV and sound system to watch videos and play games, etc... there was a long time into early this year that I was pretty down because I had some amazing gear and no real room to enjoy it. So I have spent the first half of this year looking to upgrade the house and actually be able to LISTEN to my gear for more than 20 minutes per day.
The 509X is truly an amazing integrated. Everything I love about that dynamic, sparkling Luxman signature sound, but with an extra sheen of audiophile detail and nuance that I could not get from the vintage gear. However I did miss the sparkle and holographic depth of the CL40 preamp in my system, so I had been using it as a preamp (going into the Main In/HT Bypass of the 509X) into the 509X on certain material to make it sound even better. The CL40 really gave the 509X a "boost" at lower volumes. Since most of my listening is night levels, the CL40 allowed the musical presence to emanate into the room at lower levels.
I have to say, the volume on the CL40 is one of the most beautiful things in form and function I have ever encountered in the audio realm.
Anyway during this time, my C1010 and M2000 stayed in storage for a future home where I could have a true separate vintage system in addition to the main 509X & La Scala II rig.
I am happy to say that last month we moved into a much bigger house, and now I have a completely separate audio/HT room for the 509X and LS IIs. It is about 16x30 and I have heavily treated the room with bass traps and panels from GIK Acoustics. It sounds massive and detailed and fills the room like a grand concert hall.
And happy to say that I picked up a pair of Heresy IIIs for my home office system. I now use the CL40 with the M2000 in the office and it sounds fantastic. I'm running a Luxman DA-06 DAC into the CL40, streaming through Roon via an Auralic Aries.
The 2 systems have such a different purpose yet a surprisingly similar signature.. the same warmth, sparkle and dynamics are there, but there's no doubt that the "main" system would be considered a higher end "audiophile" system where the CL40/M2000 is more of an intimate listening experience with exceptional resolution and imaging.
This is an odd example, but listening to a live intimate recording like George Michael's MTV Unplugged, you can hear the reverb on GM's voice transcend the Heresy III speakers and extend out into the room, to where you can't tell where the vocal reverb effect ends and the room effect takes over. In a way, it's like the performance is in the room with you.
I have also experimented in this room with a PrimaLuna amp and a vintage Adcom GFA 5200 and the synergy is just not there between the CL40 and the amp. It suddenly becomes more of a "stereo" versus an immersive and intimate listening experience. There is something about that Luxman pairing that creates magic.
The downside is that I have no use for the C1010 unfortunately... it is there for decoration, looks great... but doesn't compare to the CL40. The other downside is that there is definitely a short or something in the M2000 right channel. Multiple times during listening I have to get up and tap the right attenuator due to a crackling that ranges from a subtle sizzle you can only hear between songs to a full-on roar in the middle of the song. I do need to get it in for servicing, OR keep my eyes out for a good MQ-88uC to replace the M2000.
Sorry again for the lack of updates... hope that fills out the story!
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Thanks for the update. I have read the newer Luxman is still wonderful sounding gear.