Gryphon vs Luxman vs Accuphase

@rwbadley I think it really depends on what you need. The 509X provides a little more flexibility due to its higher power output. It is an amp that will handle pretty much any speaker you want to throw at it. If you have power hungry speakers or think you may want to switch up in the future, the 509X gives you that future proofing and peace of mind. It also runs very cool. 

The 590AXII has that class A magic that is so hard to describe at times but can push beyond the 30W Class A into Class AB and drive most speakers well. They certainly drive my 90db @ 8ohms Spendor D9's without any issue. It runs a bit hotter. 

Overall, the sound is just a little different but as you know, being audiophiles, we nitpick over small differences all the time so it's a big enough difference to me to prefer the 590AXII. 

Do I trade in my LM 805 for this? I'm still thinking about it but it sure is tempting! I do like that I don't have to worry about tube life and the heat hazard that the LM has but its sound quality really is beautiful. It's a tough call. 

Thanks for your feedback freesole! 
Think of it this way... the 590axII gives you more freedom to try higher efficiency speakers!

It is a tough call with tubes, the tube lush presence vs ease of maintenance with SS.

Even worse, when I was doing tubes heavily the tube rolling and 'what if I try these' became an interesting but rather expensive endeavor. White elephant in a way- the amp was cheap(ish) but 3,000$ worth of tubes later... ;-)

Now I've rediscovered the magic of tone controls haha

Cheers,
RW

@ rwbadley

I am not OP but have excellent experience in Line Magnetic 508 amplifier.

I inserted Synergistic Blue Fuse (150$).

Mullard ECC85 (6sl7) 130$

Sylvania 1944 vt231 (6sn7gt) 125$

Psavne Acme 805 733$
https://www.hifi-amplifiers.com/en/psvane-acme-serie-805-vacuum-tube-highend-tube-best-matched-pair-...

It really shine with above combination of tube and fuse.

It is almost comparable to my Silbatone 300B SET int amp fitted with original WE 300B (25k$) at transparency, details.

If you are tube lover, LM805 or 508 will fit your need.

For more discussion, refer to below link.

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/new-line-magnetic-508ia-integrated-amp.542333/page-36

Thomas

Alright, now after having some time with the Luxman 509X and 590AXII, I have some thoughts compared to my Line Magnetic 805ia with rolled tubes... 

The past 2 weeks, I have had the opportunity to audition the Luxman 509X and 590AXII integrated amps at home on my system. One is a pure class AB and the other is a Class A, respectively. Both Luxman products have received nothing but rave reviews. I was very grateful to be able to try these two out as I had a bar in my mind that had been set by my Line Magnetic 805ia. That bar was very high as I am of the opinion that it is clearly better (to my ears) than other amps that I have heard previously. That includes the Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP, Hegel 360, McIntosh MA (forget which one I had heard), Naim Supernait 2 and XS 2.

The 509X has all the power to handle just about any speaker you throw at it. The sound was very smooth and effortless to my ears without sounding too dry/analytical. While I wouldn't call it overly analytical, I would say that the music reproduction was very detailed, fast, and it had great controlled bass. I would also describe the amp as being very dynamic and exciting to listen to. I suspect most people would be more than happy to call this their end game integrated amp.

The 590AXII is Class A up to 30W and then extends further into Class AB up to about 90W per channel. If you have decently efficient speakers, you would be able to hear the difference between the 590AXII and the 509X. Class A just has a sweeter and slightly warmer, rounded sound signature to it that makes the music sound just that little bit more engaging and enjoyable. To my ears, it has all the great qualities of the 509X but more of that euphonic quality that is so hard to describe. It does get hotter than the 509X, being Class A, but it is by no means anywhere near tube heat.

I sometimes switch back to the 805ia to see if I can hear a big difference. Last night, I swapped the 590AXII for the LM and the difference is still fairly evident. The LM sound is just so sweet, engaging and reaches you at a level that can't be described. Maybe it is an extension thing or maybe it's a tube ephonic/holographic quality but the difference is there. The Luxman amps have LOTS of fantastic qualities though as it is built to last forever (seriously, the build quality makes you proud to display this amp), sounds amazing, has a headphone amp, has phono and balanced inputs, does not produce as much heat as a tube amp and you don't have to worry about tube life/maintenance. Seriously a hard decision if one were to decide between the LM and a Luxman. Is the Luxman better than the LM (with rolled tubes)? No - if anything, from a pure musical enjoyment perspective, I might enjoy the LM just slightly more. But when you consider the whole package value proposition, the gap closes and may put the Luxman ahead.

If it is the same as the Luxman 509x Stereophile reviewed, the "headphone amp" is really just a resistor from the main amp. This is a disappointing approach given the otherwise high build quality.


https://www.stereophile.com/content/luxman-l-509x-integrated-amplifier


I don't expect the same quality as their $2k headphone amps, but there is a much better price/value price point to be had here.
Another quibble is the bass/treble and balance tracking are only fair to middling. Again, kind of a quibble, but at this price point you’d expect nothing to be overlooked.

Best,

E