Luxman L505u . . . why not?

Hi...the Luxman L50U 100 volt Japan model is the BEST integrated amp in its price range in my opinion. I bought one from Audiocubes 2 and they will supply you with Nissyo 500 watt or 1000 watt voltage transformer. You cannot use any U.S. made transformer. There's a myth out there that using a transformer will degrade sound quality - this is false in my opinion. I equate the use of this transformer as if you're actually in Japan. The sound of this Luxman cannot be beaten by either McIntosh or Accuphase.I can attest to this because I've sampled both of them. Personally, I believe these are the three top amps in the world. I bought Luxman R1120 in 1980. After 29 years, it's still works like new - NO LIE! I use the Luxman with two pairs of speakers for exceptional sound quality; nothing beats this compared to having only one pair of speakers. For tuner, Rotel RT 1084 AM/FM HD tuner is an excellent combination. The Luxman is hand-made in Japan-similar to Accuphase. The voltage cannot be changed here to 120 because the transformers are hand-made by two technicians in their Japan factory. It took 2 weeks to get the order from Japan. Thank you and GOOD LUCK!

If you purchase the Luxman L505u from Japan (100-volt model) you will save $1400. The reason I purchased one is because Luxman does not have a service center here in the USA. Even if you buy it here, if you needed service (which, due to it's quality I highly doubt would occur), you would need to send it to Japan. I am an electronic technician, recently repairing a Luxman R-1120A. The output transistor 2SD746 was not available in the USA, so I ordered it from the Far East (the only place it was available). I inspected the Luxman 505U to see if I could change it to USA 120-volt. It can only be done by replacing the transformer that must come from the Luxman factory in Japan. So, in my opinion, this is a very good deal for a tremendous INT amp. Luxman created a turntable in the late 1970's still considered as one of the finest ever made. Also, there are the 1987 DAC fluency and the 2000 ODNF technologies - impressive in their own right. Clearly, this company has a track record of ingenuity since 1925. In my opinion, Mcintosh has no comparable innovations. At any rate, I see this as an opportunity to purchase a tremendous amp at a discounted price. Thank you and good luck with your decision!

Rosedanny - I am happy for you. I told you it's one of the best amps out there! Did audiocubes send you the 1000W Nissyo transformer? Kasimura TI-19 is also a very good transformer. Both are made in Japan. Enjoy your new machine!

Rosedanny - The 500W and 1000W transformers each have a thin cord. It has nothing to do with the performance, however. Your Luxman is 210W - so it is double, and is therefore more than adaquate. I have the 1000W. A gentleman who bought Luxman 509U new from Japan for $5,000 used a heavy-duty US-made transformer. He was getting a 'hum' because the cords cannot have a third prong/ground-pin. He replaced it with a 1500W Japanese transformer - and there was no longer any 'hum' - dead silent. There are three brands you can use: (1) Nissyo, (2) Kashimura, and, (3) Sanyo. You could have saved more money if you wanted a heavy-duty transformer by ordering one from 'Joynetmall.com'. But you have to pay for the transformer. $2,280 for the Luxman L505U (using pay-pal), and $160 for a Nissyo 1500W transformer (plus shipping costs). That is why I told you to call me. I believe I was the first to order the Luxman L505U from Japan in this manner. I ordered it 20 months ago. None of the Japanese on-line stores will give you the 1500W for free. On the matter concerning the translation of the owner's manual into English, let me look into that.

Rosedanny - You will not do any damage by using a 1500W transformer. You can use the Nissyo 500W, which is a heavy-duty transformer, for a cd-player. If you order a cd-player from Japan they probably will give you a Kasimura 100W transformer. Now to make sure your transformer has no 'hum' you can test it by turning on the cd player, but do not play the cd. Turn the Luxman on, adjust to whichever input (rca or xlr) you are using for the cd player, and turn the volume up slowly to hear any 'hum'. I recommend testing this with each transformer to find which is optimum.

To Chashas1 - If you are concerned with warranties, Japanese on-line stores do offer warranties, which are good for one year. I acknowledge that the US-version warranty is good for three years. However, you have to pay double for the unit itself. My focus is on the fact that Luxman units are of such high quality - the best in the industry - that they will not break down for 20 years. Regarding the costs, do you mean to imply that changing the transformer unit to US-voltage costs approximately $1,500 for the 505U, and the 509U costs approximately $4,000? So, I'm not buying it. Anyhow, my experience is that the Japanese-version of the Luxman sounds superior to the US-version. As a matter of fact, many US hospitals utilize Japanese and European high-end electonic instruments that employ transformers that convert the voltage to US-voltage. And in regards to Toronto416's post, I have to ask: Would you like to shut down the Japanese online stores so that the North American distributors can charge consumers twice what it costs in Japan in this global economy?

There is no comparison between the Luxman L509U and the L505U. The L509U is the best sounding integrated amp I have EVER heard. The reason for this is that the L509U and the L590 and cd-player D 08 and DU 80 use gold-plated circuitry. In the late 80's when I was working as an electronic tech in a military-defense company where computers for submarines were manufactured, we used thick-film ceramic substrates printed with gold-plated circuitry and seperated by dielectric materials. This same process is used by Luxman. No one else in the industry is using this ultimate standard. This same optimum standard is used only in the manufacturing of military and cardiac pacemaker products. This same process is also proven in research to enhance sound quality, and minimize vibration and radiation - making Luxman second-to-none. So my advice, based on experience, is the L509U simply can not be beaten by any rival. Of course, this is why it costs $10K. When I inspected my Luxman 505U, I discovered that the parts are all custom-made Japanese-produced parts. The 509U and the DU 80 or D 08 cd-player is the ultimate system on the planet. This is my personal opinion. Thanks.

Well, it has been over five months since my last contribution to this particular thread. I have some new information that I feel compelled to share.

I purchased the Luxman507u, and have been comparing it to my former unit, the 505u. Here are my impressions:

- The 507u is superior in terms of clarity, depth of stage, and overall dynamics.

- The 507u is superior in terms of power.

- The sound 507u appears richer and more ambient.

In a nutshell, I can tell you that while its cost is double that of its predecessor, its sound quality is indeed noticeably superior.

I purchased the unit from a Japanese-superstore with a bank transfer. Some people have taken the liberty of questioning the ethics behind my purchasing from an overseas store. While I can understand the desire of others to purchase only from a US-Luxman dealer, I politely contend that these units, which are masterpieces of the industry, should be made available to the masses - but the current middle-man cost additions, which are undeniably exorbinant, unnecessarily prohibit this from happening. I would also add that the warranties of all US-Luxman units are limited solely to their original purchaser, and are utterly non-transferable upon resale.

As an electronic technician with 30 years of experience, I can assure based on experience that using a Japanese transformer (chiefly Sanyo TSDN15LU, and Nissyo NDF1500U) will not degrade sound quality. Claims to the contrary are incorrect - years of both personal and consumer products testing have yielded no evidence to support such a claim. Japan, Brazil, Taiwan, parts of Columbia, and North America use 100 to 117 volts, 60HZ. There are no issues using these transformers in the aforementioned countries. But I would not recommended using European 230-volt, 50HZ against the USA 117-volt, 60HZ via transformer. Additionally, the transformers I recommend will stay cool despite hours and hours of continuous operation, and provide unwavering 100-voltage output - which eliminates the need for a power conditioner.

Rgs92

Yes the Luxman 505u will work great with Sonus Faber. http//audioaficionado.org/sonus-faber/6495-sonus-faber-luxman.html

I use to own both Luxman L505u and Luxman L507u. Luxman 505u has a very good premap. I was running a Levinson 331 amp with Luxman L505u preamp out with great results.