I’m not so sure that the top luxman integrated amps aren’t in the league of the more expensive brands mentioned. a blind listening test would prove very interesting IMO. Forget the prices and just listen.
Luxman tonality
I’ve seen many members describing the Luxman 509x and the m duo as warm thus colored. I’ve had these units and have never thought of them as bright or dark(warm). They are superbly neutral to me neither adding or subtracting. I find them to be very musical. A prospective buyer might pass on Luxman thinking that they won’t match up with many speakers. Of course they will. Neutral is neutral. It’s what we should want.