www.stereophile.com/content/luxman-opens-us-subsidiary-launches-new-amp-and-cd-player#TpcbSWdHBbi0U51g.97

Tubed integrated amplifier - rather retro, do you think?


Their TTs are still nice.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

I see that the amp has a "built-in cartridge demagnetiser".

Back in the day (80s/90s) i used a pal's Luxman MC Cartridge Demagnetiser - very cool design where you simply plugged in your headshell.
Here's a pic:



(Unfortunately I did not have a removable headshell, but just used some flying leads.)

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18w from a pair of 6L6 would suggest to me that it's running in triode mode ?

Not familiar with the use of a 6L6 in a HiFi amplifier, had thought they were mainly a guitar amplifier tube.

Nice looking amp, would be interesting to hear how it compares with the outwardly similar Leben.

Mar 25, 2017 10:04:10 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

I see that the amp has a "built-in cartridge demagnetiser".

Back in the day (80s/90s) i used a pal's Luxman MC Cartridge Demagnetiser - very cool design where you simply plugged in your headshell.
Here's a pic:



(Unfortunately I did not have a removable headshell, but just used some flying leads.)

interesting there's a denon 103 in the above pic.

remember jonathan carr's piece on demagnetizing cartridges from years back ?

"  Certain magnets are prone to easy demagnetization - namely Alnico. If
you wish to play it safe, you may want to avoid fluxbusting these
designs (which include the Denon 103 family).  "

Yes indeed, I recall that J Carr did advise that, for those concerned about their alnico magnet carts, alnico magnets being known for being prone to easily losing magnetism (eg from physical shocks).

Demagnetising carts, seems to be beneficial mainly for carts that use magnetically permeable coil formers - some do (Lyra, Koetsu), some don't (Miyajima, Benz Ruby, vdH?).
However some would argue that the whole phono IC chain benefits from demagnetising.
I use the simple shorting the ICs method mentioned by J Carr - but I haven't felt the need to do it for a while.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Mar 27, 2017 14:33:34 GMT 12 guitardude said:

18w from a pair of 6L6 would suggest to me that it's running in triode mode ?

Not familiar with the use of a 6L6 in a HiFi amplifier, had thought they were mainly a guitar amplifier tube.

Nice looking amp, would be interesting to hear how it compares with the outwardly similar Leben.

Not sure, I have never used this tube, a 'beam tetrode'.
Yes widely used in guitar amps I believe, but versions of this tube have been well known in audio - 5881, KT66.

My RCA-23 Tube Manual says - 2 x 6L6s in PP Class A will produce up to 17.5W (tetrode).

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Hey Owen,

Right you are, I'd forgotten, have had a few 5881 and KT66 HiFi amps over the years. Last big guitar amp I had was a Fender deluxe running a pair of 6L6 for 65w, but guitar amplifier manufacturers tend to really run the tubes hard. I ended up revalving that one with KT66's and changing the speaker and driver tubes to modify the tone.

Wonder if the Luxman will be imported here ? I'm not sure there is a Luxman agent in NZ these days is there ?

Mar 28, 2017 8:02:49 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

Yes indeed, I recall that J Carr did advise that, for those concerned about their alnico magnet carts, alnico magnets being known for being prone to easily losing magnetism (eg from physical shocks).

Demagnetising carts, seems to be beneficial mainly for carts that use magnetically permeable coil formers - some do (Lyra, Koetsu), some don't (Miyajima, Benz Ruby, vdH?).
However some would argue that the whole phono IC chain benefits from demagnetising.
I use the simple shorting the ICs method mentioned by J Carr - but I haven't felt the need to do it for a while.

i do that on a semi-regular basis



my namiki fluxbuster manual suggests also demagging step up trannies, speakers, and headphone cables.

Nice looking machine. I use RCA 6L6 blackplates in my Quicksilvers & they are fine tubes. I like the pre power option. I have a similar solid-state Marantz & I have used in a multiple configurations as preamp - poweramp or integrated.

The Airtight ATE2005 phono stage I had a while ago was equipped with a demagnetise function. I used it with my Benz cart and it made a positive difference.

My 2A3 amp uses a pair of 6L6's. The British Tungsram (Mullard) CV1947 are lovely and IMO better than the RCA black plate. Rather rare, and expensive, like the EL37 though

"British Tungsram (Mullard) CV1947 are lovely and IMO better than the RCA black plate. Rather rare, and expensive"

Yeah especially when you need a matched octet of them ;-)

Personally I think it's a shame to burn up rare old valves in *some* modern devices which are just average designs.

eg EL37/KT61s & EL33/KT66s belong in vintage Leaks & Quads or such.

Just IMHO

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Hi Owen,

I take your point, but Airtight and Quicksilver are average designs ? Perhaps you mean modern designs. Though I would think that Shindo owners might disagree ?

did quicksilver use those valves ?

Apr 3, 2017 10:34:30 GMT 12 guitardude said:

Hi Owen,

I take your point, but Airtight and Quicksilver are average designs ? Perhaps you mean modern designs. Though I would think that Shindo owners might disagree ?

Perhaps I should say, don't get carried away, be mindful of forking out $$ or $$$ on valves on a device that is only worth a $$$ or two.
Unless of course it's vintage and/or collectable.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Hi Owen,

I see your point and agree completely. In my own amps I try to use the best quality current manufacture valves I can find at reasonable cost. Sometime for a critical application such as the phono stage in a pre amp I will fork out for a premium type but not usually vintage. In guitar amps I have used vintage small signal tubes for a particular sound but they don't need to be NOS ones, mostly I have just used whatever I have had laying about. Its easy to spend big $ on tubes for not much real benefit imo.

However not all vintage valves are rare. Many, such as the aforementioned 6L6, 6L6GC are quite common I believe. But some, like MOV/GEC KT66, KT88, WE300B, are silly prices & best left for vintage collectors. There's cheaper ways to derive pleasure. (IMHO).

PS. My own amp uses RCA 2A3s, used/tested ones

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Hmm yes not sure that applies to the cases mentioned in this post, likewise the criticism of the Quiksilkver Silver Sixty monos I currently have for sale is unfair. They are splendid amps & I have owned many. I tried Groove Tube KT88 & TAD EL34 & the RCA 6L6 are by far the best power tubes resulting in a worthwhile improvement on the others. The point of using good tubes is not for some intrinsic vintage or $$$ value but that they sound significantly better.

If they did not sound better I would not use them

I've used JJ and EH El34's in mine. Cant determine much of a difference between them to be honest. Sovteks are the other brand I've used recently.

I do admire guys like Lloyd Pepper of Mapletree Audio, designing for less popular tubes like 12SN7s - when everyone else is chasing 6SN7s.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

haha tell me about it I have a room full of "less popular tubes"

This topic is relevant to my interests.


I bought a reissued Luxman valve integrated about 5 years ago, the SQ-38U. It is one of a long line of EL34 amps Luxman have produced over the years. 
I got it partly for its handsome retro styling, partly for the convenience of an integrated valve amp with a decent moving coil phono stage, and partly to address the safety concerns that come with exposed tubes and small children.
Of course it also helped that it was favourably reviewed by sixmoons, stereophile and others.



Anyway - after a couple of years I replaced the stock factory Electro-Harmonix tubes with vintage NOS ones.
The 7 (!) preamp tubes (ECC82 & ECC83) are now all NOS telefunkens, and I went all out on the power tubes with some Mullard EL34 brown-based double-getters XF4 (date code from 1960 from brussels).



Did it improve the sound over the stock tubes? You bet! It is one small regret that I can't enjoy them visually in the Luxman, but I guess that's part of the charm.
Do I feel bad for wasting collectible/ vintage glass jars on reproduction amps? Nonsense, of course not.

Anyway... interesting to see the Luxman USA launch announcement.
Could they possibly be trying to distancing themselves from the impending "brand strategy" that inevitably comes with being owned by the IAG group (Audiolab, Quad, Mission, Wharfedale, Castle etc).
Hopefully it turns out to be a good thing for the heritage of the brand. Remember those American VAC re-issues of the classic Marantz 7C and Model 9 monos? Then again, Saul Marantz did start in New York - didn't he?

Agree with MichaelW regarding the Luxman / Micro-Seiki TT decks... they are absolutely gorgeous pieces of hi-fi engineering / art.

BTW - love the new forum Owen. Well done!

Greetings raveydave & welcome!

Nice vintage reissue series from Luxman.
I did hear about the Marantz Model 7 reissue.
And yes, some of those valves are getting almost unobtainium, unaffordable at least, esp earlier 1930s, 40s, 50s.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Chaps, I don't know much about the above specific amps but I have seen quite a few over the years that are unreliable or noisy and/or where the tubes are run too hard in amps intended for tubes with higher ratings....etc.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

good to see luxman on the up again.

like many smaller electronics makers they had an interesting history.

from their 60s/70s audio gear, the disastrous alpine period to their rebirth under IAG.

I remember reading a couple of years back that although Luxman are small in terms of Japanese manufacturers such as Sony, in European terms they would be considered a major being about the same size as Naim Audio.

Have had a few bits of Lux gear over the years inc an R1050 receiver, still have a 1982 L55a (solid state). The SQ38 has been in production in various guises since the mid 60's I think. During the Alpine years there was even an open frame version. In general the stuff from the Alpine years is very poorly regarded, though quite well reviewed at the time IIRC.

I think their Target demographic is much the same as McIntosh.....