Luxman L590AXii vs Accuphase E-650 for a Shindo lover

I am running a pair of Devore O/96 with an Accuphase E-600 integrated; I moved to the E-600 after downsizing from a Shindo Giscours/Haut Brion & Cortese combo.

The addition of a C-37 phono brought the E-600 very close to the sound of the Shindo combo. The E-600 has a surprisingly similar rich tonal textures and details as the Shindo. The Shindo adds a bit more realism, detail and 3 dimensionality as compared to the Accuphase, but then you would expect that from much more expensive separates.

I have heard the Luxman on a few occasions and I certainly liked what I heard. However, I did not quite hear the same tonality, detail and richness as I heard with the Accuphase.

Given that you have the O/96 I would certainly suggest the new E-650. The DAC and phono boards are quite good too for a much more simple approach.

The Shindo Giscours and Haut Brion were a very impressive match to the O/96 - for a tube combo the bass was extremely tight and fast. The Accuphase E-600 matches that performance, maybe even a bit tighter and quicker than the Shindo. 

The Shindo was excellent, but after 15+ years of tubes I actually enjoy the simplicity of a solid state setup - I end up listening much more often as the system is almost always on and ready to listen; in contrast with tubes I would sometimes not turn the system on if I expect to only listen for an hour or less.

So I really have not missed the Shindo at all. Getting the C-37 phono helped and brought the system to a level of richness and texture that is close to the Giscours, but offers more flexibility for matching different cartridges.

Feel free to drop me an email or pm - always happy to connect up.

Rene

 

Greg - interesting comment on Luxman 590 vs Accuphase E600.

I recently heard a Luxman L-509X with a pair of Harbeth 30.2 at the Montreal Show which compared to my own experience with the Accuphase E-600 and Graham LS 5/9s fell quite a bit short of expectation. I did not feel the Luxman/Harbeth combo had either the resolution, tonality, delicacy or dynamics of the Accuphase/Graham combo. I am unsure whether the speakers or amp made the difference though. Several friends commented on the same observation. I also heard the E-470 with Harbeth in the past which left a better impression than the 509/Harbeth combination at the Montreal show.

How does the new 590 compare to the 509?