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Luxman/Accuphase/Yamaha - Quality?

I have mounted my units including heavy Accuphase amps on HiFi racks which I fitted with castors. It's the only way I can safely move my racks away from the wall to get to the back and to the connections. The A-75 is a beast which, without castors would impossible for me to move at my age - a tad over 21 !
 
Good to know the DP-770 is such a step up from the DP-750.
I have a DC-37 which is effectively the DAC portion of the even older DP-720.
I've listened to a Soulnote S3 SACD player which was a massive update on my DC-37 but I'd rather buy Accuphase all things being equal.
I just like the looks and it matches my pre-amp
 
I've owned various Luxman's both bigger watt ones and the 590's (the big class A ones) and now have an Accuphase E370.
Both excellent, both top notch in terms of build and SQ.
The Accuphase sound is different, drier for sure, but I find it a bit more subtle and refined than the Luxman's.
Nit picking though - both wonderful - will probably have another Luxman at some point.
Both are excellent choices.
 
Sure. Build quality was nice except for the control knobs which were often off-center and skewed asymmetrically. Not great. The gold/champagne color stands out and blends well with no other components unless you go full Accuphase and even then, the color didn't suit me well. Sound wise, the mid and bass were fine but the treble was screechy, sibilant and just a mess on several speakers with different tweeter technology. I may have kept the machine if it weren't for the unruly treble. (Same listening room for 26 years, measured with REW a million times and 8 GIK panels installed. I know my room extremely well). I change one component at a time, including for any cable changes. Ceteris paribus, the Accuphase was the guilty party for a month. Not a tear was shed when it went back. The Luxman by no means is the greatest thing ever but on average it is capable of making music with various genres and I think I'll settle there. Getting off the endless death spiral of upgrading, spending, tweaking, trialing, questioning, reading, comparing and testing was a major victory for me. As always, this is purely subjective and to some I may appear to be a bonafide heretic. Brgds.
I too was on that 'death spiral' of discontent but now I'm happily settled with a Leak Stereo 20 and Quad 33/303 for back up. Consequently I have a lot of boxes to sell.
 
I've gone for the E-5000

The DP770 is stunning, a significant step up from the DP750 it replaces, which I would have said wasn't possible. It was partnered with an E-800, IIRC.
How does the E5000 compare with the 480? Really interested in your views…i have an E480 btw. Not really looking to change but interested in understanding the changes in newer models, esp any sound quality changes that you found obvious. Who knows I may want to change next year 😉

Thanks,
Oswin
 
I have mounted my units including heavy Accuphase amps on HiFi racks which I fitted with castors. It's the only way I can safely move my racks away from the wall to get to the back and to the connections. The A-75 is a beast which, without castors would impossible for me to move at my age - a tad over 21 !
Exactly what I did as well for my A-S3000, tuner, streamer, DAC and phono stage & psu. It makes life so much easier for checking when need to remind myself of a connection and also for vacuuming of all the hidden stuff and floor there.
 
How does the E5000 compare with the 480? Really interested in your views…i have an E480 btw. Not really looking to change but interested in understanding the changes in newer models, esp any sound quality changes that you found obvious. Who knows I may want to change next year 😉

Thanks,
Oswin
I think the biggest difference is the speed. It's just so responsive to dynamic shifts, and the extra power means it can back them up when the need arises. The E480 is no slouch in that regard, but get a really dynamic piece, or something with complex timing stuff going on, and the E5000 shows its class.
 
It’s not just the lugging in I find is the problem, it’s the getting round the back to sort the cables, relying on touch or dragging the boxes out and compromising other flimsy connectors. That’s before you shout for help to get back up off the floor. There’s a lot to be said for one box solutions.

I have mounted my units including heavy Accuphase amps on HiFi racks which I fitted with castors. It's the only way I can safely move my racks away from the wall to get to the back and to the connections. The A-75 is a beast which, without castors would impossible for me to move at my age - a tad over 21 !
I made my cabinet (from an old wardrobe and a free table from Gumtree) with urethane roller skate wheels, and shelves on full extension runners, which can also be removed completely to get at the amp on the bottom shelf. And I have fans above the amp, sucking the hot air away. This is an earlier picture, before I bought the E-800 and DC-37.
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I have mounted my units including heavy Accuphase amps on HiFi racks which I fitted with castors. It's the only way I can safely move my racks away from the wall to get to the back and to the connections. The A-75 is a beast which, without castors would impossible for me to move at my age - a tad over 21 !
Castors under the hi-fi rack, gotta look into this. Thanks for the tip! 👍
 
The Accuphase sound is different, drier for sure, but I find it a bit more subtle and refined than the Luxman's.

Most reviews mentioned the opposite with Accuphase sounding warmer and tube-like, the Luxman more refined and detailed in general. Anyway good to know.
 
Castors under the hi-fi rack, gotta look into this. Thanks for the tip! 👍
I also made some lifters to raise the unit off the wheels, so it won't move when playing music. I started with some wooden wedges, but then made nut and bolt lifters; I couldn't face emptying the unit to to get at the bottom!
 
I've owned all 3, Luxman/Accu/Yamaha.
The most recent was the A-S3000 integrated , which I sold last month.
The Yam build was excellent , perhaps the best , as they are always seen as as being "2nd rung" to audiophiles, which is very unfair.
Being the box swapper that I am, decided to try a beefier Integrated, so punted the Yamaha out, and now have a Plinius Hiato.
I preferred the power stage to the pre stage in the Yamaha , ended up using the power stage fed by my MBL pre.
I'd buy the M5000 power if there's a decent priced one out there.
The pre was maybe a tad soft soft for me, but still a great amp.
 
I've owned all 3, Luxman/Accu/Yamaha.
The most recent was the A-S3000 integrated , which I sold last month.
The Yam build was excellent , perhaps the best , as they are always seen as as being "2nd rung" to audiophiles, which is very unfair.
Being the box swapper that I am, decided to try a beefier Integrated, so punted the Yamaha out, and now have a Plinius Hiato.
I preferred the power stage to the pre stage in the Yamaha , ended up using the power stage fed by my MBL pre.
I'd buy the M5000 power if there's a decent priced one out there.
The pre was maybe a tad soft soft for me, but still a great amp.

Interesting. Build quality aside, do you think Yamaha competes with the other two?
 
My Luxman ownership was some time ago, I think I liked it , but didn't love it.
ACU and Yam were more recent, and through a mate who had an AC integrated down for a home demo from Audio Emotion, was able to do an A/B .
We both agreed that the AC "may" have been a tad better, but virtually double the price for the same spec.
Think VFM , Yamaha trumps the AC.
If money no object, buy the AC, if you want an excellent sounding and fantastically well built amp, and don't care about brand snobbery , buy the Yamaha.
I only sold it as I've changed speakers, gone for some crazy inneficient ones that needed more power and current than than the A-S3000 could muster. For normal speakers, Yam is great.
 
Just wondering if there are any other Luxman LX-380 owners on PFM? Have any of you rolled the valves and care to report?

FWIW, I recently replaced the JJ ECC82s with NOS Mullard ECC82s and the Electro Harmonix 6L6EHs with NOS Brimar 6L6GCs. It's early days and I have only put around 20 hours on the new valves but I'm very happy with the results. The amp is sounding sublime.

I'm also pleased to have learned how to bias the amp. Good to know.
 
I think the biggest difference is the speed. It's just so responsive to dynamic shifts, and the extra power means it can back them up when the need arises. The E480 is no slouch in that regard, but get a really dynamic piece, or something with complex timing stuff going on, and the E5000 shows i
 


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