Galion vs Luxman vs Advance Paris vs (anything else)

@ctlesq    My original post was on January 1st. I stated Luxman is clearly superior when compared to Advance Paris or Galion which is obvious except to those that sell the other gear. Luxman is not going to add any saturation or feel as you describe it. My advice is consider the Denon 3000ne which can add more warmth and calmness/lower noise floor to your system. The more costly Cambridge Edge A might also prove to be a great match with your Super Linton’s and give that extra emotional sound characteristic you desire. Both these amplifiers are superior in every way to AP or Galion. Don’t be fooled by the "amp" of the month paid reviews type of marketing.

@dayglow 

@ctlesq 

Reading the post from dayglow, we have to remember the subjective nature of this hobby. Luxman is awesome and so is the price unless you can find a deal on a used one. Nothing blows anything out of the water. The Denon recommended is a great unit, but if going that route, go for a used PMA-A110 110th anniversary model from a year or so again used, virtually the same as the 3000ne which is the replacement after they stopped production on the 110th Anniversary unit. I know I had one of the 110th. I replaced it with a Hegel H400, another awesome piece. But have since replaced it with the Advance Paris A12 Classic, you know ,the over hyped brand. The A 12 is a much smoother amp on my ears, maybe the tubes ....., love listening in the High Bias mode.  It is new in the US the last years or so, and getting a lot of reviews because of it. They have been around over 20 years, just not here. So new and reviewed in the US, does not make it over hyped just something new to talk about. Galion is really newer, so again is getting reviews, as it is new, does not make it over hyped, just new. New products in the market are not "amp" of the month , just new, and that is a good thing. AS far a Cambridge, never owned any, but never heard anything bad about them, just another choice.

@waynefia    The "Amp Of The Month" club refers to components that are passed on from reviewer to reviewer with a guarantee of a positive review. Luxman does not loan out gear to just any reviewer. Advance Paris changed branding from Advance Acoustics for a more colorful softer image to jump start sales. Galion started off as rebadged Doge. Neither product is an aspirational brand just a placeholder(for many) until they can purchase something with better sonics, build quality and resale value.

@dayglow 

Interesting, as I have seen the new Luxman reviewed all over the place, including some of the same people reviewing AP and Galion. AP changed thier name and focus long time ago, and Galion is newly creating his own designs and maybe still being assembled by Doge. Your description pretty much describes the whole industry and reviewing practices. I have had your Denon recommendation 110th issue, and I like Cambridge, and  have had Rogue, McIntosh(that being the worst), Classe, Belles, Hegel(replaced with A12), Cayin, NAD Masters,  and some others. Yet here I am today with the sweetest sounding AP A12 Classic running in High Bias mode. To each his own but store front preaching about stuff is not nice  LOL ..........

@waynefia    Thx for taking time to reply. My point was not to criticize Advance Paris or Galion they exist for a reason. IMO jumping for one claimed value brand to another is almost always a sideways move. The Audio industry wants you to believe in the "Giant Killer" mentality so you continually buy and sell. Once you learn system synergy the difference between marginal brands X and Y can be trivial. If you need/want to rate or judge a single component understand what sonic ceiling does it have before it becomes a weak link in a system. My point was Luxman has a higher level of potential then either AP or Galion validating it is a better product for sonics which makes it a better value(subjective) despite its slightly higher cost. Superior build quality and resale value are objective facts when compared to AP or Galion. Hope this clears up any confusion.