Luxman vs. Accuphase

Yes, Luxman products are for sale in the US. The distributor for Luxman is On Higher Note

http://www.onahighernote.com/

Their Mailing Address:

On a Higher Note, LLC
P.O. Box 698
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693
USA

phone 1-949-488-3004

Routeman21: Have you made a decision on purchasing a Luxman or Accuphase integrated amp? Are you looking at Class A or Class A/B integrated amps? What models are you considering?

I contacted my local Accuphase retailer and he ONLY carries Accuphase Class A amps and does not carry the E360 or the E-250 (these are still expensive for me). The Accuphase Class A amps are $15,000+ and that is over my budget. The local Luxman retailer suggested I come in for a demo of the Luxman L-550ax using my Sonus Faber Auditor M speakers and I plan to this Friday. I am not convinced I want to sell my Ayre AX-7e amp but it should be interesting to listen to the Luxman unit. Since I need two balanced inputs, I will need to consider the Luxman L-590ax (or L-590a II) since it has two balanced inputs. They had a pre-owned Luxman L-590a II but it sold before I could get there. If I made a change, most likely, I would buy a pre-owned model at a lower price.

I am on the fence and cannot decide if the Luxman Class A amps would be a huge improvement over my Ayre amp. I want to audition an Accuphase so I need to look for another Accuphase retailer. Hopefully, the Luxman demo on Friday will help me decide.

Hgeifman: I decided on a Modwright KWI-200 integrated amp for $5000.00 brand new. I paired it with an Ayre C-5XEmp which is used with low mileage. The Modwright has a little over 100 hours on it so my true evaluation remains to be heard. So far I'm very impressed. I've never heard a Luxman or Accuphase A or A/B amp so I cannot compare to the Modwright.

I have the top of the range integrated Luxman 509u, class AB, 120W (but they seem much more) and I'm very happy, I think it will be my last amp.

Luxman class AB integrated are more neutral, dynamic, with great driving capabilities, they have a great control of the woofers and a very deep bass.

Maybe Accuphase class AB int.amps are more "musical", but they cannot give what I wrote above.

My 509u can easily drive the B&W 803/802D, I don't think Accuphase integrated can do the same.

I heard the new class A Luxman 590AX (it replaces the 590AII), 30W but still able to drive the 802D (Luxman demoed both 590AX and 509u with that speakers @ Tokyo International Audio Show), it gives less dynamics and control, but a lot more warmth than the 509u.

The 590AX (read the Audiodrom review) can be compared with the more expensive Accuphase E560.

All Luxman integrated have a good phono section (MM/MC) the Accuphase don't have.

Hgeifman,

Since you will take your speakers to the dealer why not taking also your electronics there and do a direct comparison. Your Ayre integrated is very good, and I do not see a reason to hurry things up. Take your time listen to as many integrated amps as possible and wait for the best bargain. (A few years ago, when I bought my Accuphase combo, I have actually compared the E-550 vs. the entry level Ayre integrated. The comparison might not have been fair for the Ayre, i.e. top-of-the-line Accuphase vs. entry-level Ayre, but nonetheless... With my speakers, i.e. Micro Utopia Be, the Accuphase was better than the Ayer, but the Ayre sounded very very good too. I could have live with it.)

Regarding prices, as Nagoya pointed out earlier in this thread, Accuphase prices are crazy outsize Asia. However, you should be able to get a healthy discount from the retail price, I'm thinking 20-25%. (I am saying this because in the Netherlands quite a few Accuphase dealers offer very good discounts, e.g. 30% off, around Christmas and Ester). Maybe that is also the case with the Luxman components which seems to be more earthly priced and consequently seem to be a better bang for the buck.

Biggy79,

Some of your comments above are simply incorrect. At least that is my experience. Any Accuphase integrated can drive without problems the B&W 803 speakers (not that anybody here asked this). Also, the E-408/450/460 models will make the 802D B&W speakers cry like babies. So did my E-550 integrated (30 class A watts into 8 ohms), which was in full control of the woofers, but just as you have mentioned not the best choice for dynamic music, e.g. big bands or orchestra music with large dynamic variations. Of course, you are right that the Accuphase do not come out of the box with a phono section. You have to buy one of the available option boards which again cost a ton.

Regards,
Paul