Going linear - The Luxman 507ux

Hi erik, I haven't heard a luxman product since listening to a luxman receiver so long ago I won't mention when.  Even now I remember the great build quality.

I am a little surprised that you don't seem as enthusiastic about your new integrated as I had thought you would compared to your other amps.  I don't know why, but I thought you would experience a night and day difference. 

Hi @Jetter
I've always said the ICEpower modules were better than most like to give them credit for.

I think the Luxman is a nice upgrade for me. I have a closer, more intimate presentation, power meters and I can consolidate several pieces into one. I was really fortunate to be able to get it at the price I did or I probably would not have been able to justify it.

It would be interesting to note if others have been able to hear the Parasound line and the Luxmans and give their opinions of the differences.

@jetter I don't think you're going to get that day and night difference with any amps over a certain price point. In my living room setup, with a click of a remote (a high end Luxman speaker switch wired in reverse), I can currently switch between Primare A30.7, Audio Research LS28/VT80 and a Luxman L507uX. AR combo is my preferred combo, but I cannot simply articulate why, my foot just taps more and the soundstage is just better/wider/deeper but many times, when I work from my chair, I'll just start playing some music via the Primare A30.7 left on from movie watching the night before and even thought it's a Class D amp, it sounds wonderful as well. It's neither ICE or nCore, it's their own technology and sounds great. 

As to class D, my movie system downstairs is powered by NAD M27 (nCore) and to me, it's about as good as amps get. Hard to justify the expense of tube amps or for that matter my Luxman/Yamaha collection when the NAD just signs and throws a giant/deep soundstage when fed by a proper preamp instead of AVM60 even though AVM60 ain't too shabby either.

Thank you erik and astelmaszek for taking the time to explain your experiences with your amplifiers.  I had originally thought that each amplifier would have had much more of a sonic difference from each other than you have experienced. But I have read before that once you reach a certain level of quality the differences in amps are more of flavor than better or worse, which you have confirmed.

Enjoy it all.
George  

One attribute of the Luxman I am actually very pleased with is the resolution of detail at all frequencies and all volumes. Not an easy feat.
Often when I hear reviewers talk about a piece of gear having excellent detail it means the gear is bright, brittle or hard.

Not in the case of the Luxman. It seems to breathe incredibly comfortably at very low power and at any part of the spectrum. Evidence is that low volume listening sounds like "loudness" has been engaged, in that your ears seem to be younger, you hear more depth at such low volumes.

Strings have bite without grit. Cymbals flourish, and deliberate phase effects in recordings and movies are pretty remarkable.