Rockmeister
pfm Member
My 505uX is lower down the pecking order, but the Harbeths sounded their very very best IME with it. Just perfectly suited at chez Rock.
Luxman/Accuphase/Yamaha - Quality?
- Thread starter Paulq2
- Start date
My 505uX is lower down the pecking order, but the Harbeths sounded their very very best IME with it. Just perfectly suited at chez Rock.
Cereal Killer
432
V - nice, your signature still says E470 BTW!
Thanks for the experience which is certainly useful. I'm currently financially exhausted but will be saving up for the "ultimate" XLR balanced interconnect since there's only a pair required between the DAC and L-590AXII. It will need to wait.
I am currently using an RCA interconnect between the amp and source and it's likely the weakest link in the system.
It's built like a tank and looks like it's going to last forever. Build quality is very high.
I am too engrossed with the Luxman/Marten pairing and will not be trying the Harbeth with the Luxman too soon. It's good to note that the SHL5+ sounded very good with the 505uX.
The Marten doesn't seem to sound too exciting playing rock music with fast thumping bass lines as the overall feel is a little polite. Perhaps it's the Achilles heel of the Class A L-590AXII. Having said that the Marten Duke 2 is a smoother and more polite sounding speaker than the Harbeth SHL5+ and the L-590AXII may do dynamic music better when matched with the Harbeth than Luxman. Nevertheless, I believe the Class AB models of the Luxman will do rock and dynamic music better than the Class A equivalents as claimed.
Edit : the above impression is with the Line Straight (direct) mode engaged, all tone controls bypassed. When listening in "Loudness" mode with the treble and bass frequencies bumped up on the scale, big difference in presentation as the Luxman sounds a lot more like the Naim with rock and dynamic music. A lot more energy and presence in vocals and the bass when listening in Loudness mode.
ToTo Man
the band not the dog
Buy a couple of these in the mean time, they might just surprise you!
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=271976814620
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
That's far too sensible a move.Buy a couple of these in the mean time, they might just surprise you!
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=271976814620
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Thanks for that. These are a lot cheaper than my single-ended interconnect! I am sure they would sound great but I am more inclined to do it just once and avoid collecting more stuff.Buy a couple of these in the mean time, they might just surprise you!
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=271976814620
I just noticed that Luxman actually has their own range of "high-end" JPC-15000 range of cables which include the XLR interconnect. Might consider this over the costlier Acrolink or Mexcel versions which cost a lot more.
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Suffolk Tony
Aim low, achieve your goals, avoid disappointment.
That's a great price, almost cheaper than the ones I made myself! Difficult to do a proper comparison, but I do think my balanced XLRs, using Neutrik connectors & Mogami 2549 cable, sound better than the standard phonos using the same cable.Buy a couple of these in the mean time, they might just surprise you!
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=271976814620
My new E-650's arrived and is running in. Bit jangly still, but it sounded pretty good straight out of the box from Japan.
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
I also have the Harbeth SHL5+. Instead of the L-509X, I have the L-590AXII driving the speakers. Stunning sound. The Luxman is quality. The Marten Duke 2 sounds sublime with the L-590AXII as well.
I used to have the SHL5+ driven by Naim 282/HCDR/250DR. The Harbeth sounds lacklustre and underwhelming with many other amps (I know as I've tried 7 or 8 amps now and the Naim sounds best to my ears). This Luxman also drives the Harbeth very well. In areas of tone, refinement and detail the Luxman is better than the Naim. The Naim still holds the edge with its punchy and dynamic presentation. Perhaps the L-509X is more comparable to the Naim and may well match the dynamics, punch and slam of the Naim but with added tonal refinement.
Either way, the Luxman is quality.
Cereal Killer
432
Are you still using the same speaker positions and cables with the Luxman as you were with the naim amps?
I have finally tried the Luxman L-590AXII with the Harbeth SHL5+. Yes, the combination is very good. Stunning sound as well just like the Marten. I wouldn't say the Luxman is better than the Naim or vice versa when both are used with the Harbeth. It's just a different sound presentation. The Harbeth is equally enjoyable driven either by Naim or Luxman. The Luxman wins in areas of tonal refinement and detail. The Naim has slightly better punch and dynamics than the Luxman especially in the bass.
Perhaps not a fair comparison as L-590AXII is Class A which excels in other areas. The L-509X should be more comparable to the Naim.
With the Marten, the Luxman is surely a better amp than the Naim. The Marten sounds poor with the 282/250DR. The Marten requires a 252 or 552 to sound good.
Perhaps not a fair comparison as L-590AXII is Class A which excels in other areas. The L-509X should be more comparable to the Naim.
With the Marten, the Luxman is surely a better amp than the Naim. The Marten sounds poor with the 282/250DR. The Marten requires a 252 or 552 to sound good.
Yes, same speaker positions and cables with the Luxman and Naim.
Cereal Killer
432
Class A shouldn’t really make the bass softer or less impactful. I’m actually thinking the (voiced) naim hump is what you might be experiencing.
From my experiences with naim’v’other amps is, naim defo have a signature to there sound.
Now I have an ultra linear amp (A/B with a heavy Class A bias) which is so strong it requires very careful cabling and speaker positioning to get that perfectly tuned bass line without over doing it!
From my experiences with naim’v’other amps is, naim defo have a signature to there sound.
Now I have an ultra linear amp (A/B with a heavy Class A bias) which is so strong it requires very careful cabling and speaker positioning to get that perfectly tuned bass line without over doing it!
Yes. The Naim especially the 282/HCDR/250DR surely has higher levels of colouration than the Luxman. The exaggerated treble and slight unrefinement are evident with the Marten, all masked by the Harbeth.
Cereal Killer
432
Exactly my experiences too, naim just doesn’t resolve the minutiae at frequency extremes. The sound tries to hone in on the mids than wacks you with the bass hump and fires detail out in a monotone way in the upper frequency. Once you identify this and find a reference which shows naims weaknesses it’s hard to ignore them.
It'll be interesting to hear you experiences when you get another loom and maybe fiddle with speaker positioning once you have all the bits in place. IMHO when you have a fully linear highly resolving system, it will most likely require a repositioning of speakers compared to a how it was set up with naim amplification/tuned cabling.
It'll be interesting to hear you experiences when you get another loom and maybe fiddle with speaker positioning once you have all the bits in place. IMHO when you have a fully linear highly resolving system, it will most likely require a repositioning of speakers compared to a how it was set up with naim amplification/tuned cabling.
Plese come back with your thoughts once you've had a few mor hours on the E650
Mac