Upgrade? Luxman M-900u and C-900u from Pass X250.8 - Simaudio Evolution P-8

Thanks jafant,
I love my new Magico's and LOVE my new Pass Labs XA-160.8 Monoblocks.

Pass just works for me. I know there are better this and that I just have always like Pass Labs.

This is my 6th or 7th Pass amp when counting my First Watt amps. I thought about others but glad I stuck with my gut. I love these amps or maybe it is my new speakers that I love or maybe both but either way I am psyched. 

Now I am thinking about try another preamp.

Thinking about trying a non tubey modern tube amp?

Was thinking about maybe ARC 40th Anniversary preamp?

Not sure just one of the ones I am thinking about.

I have Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8 pre and really like it but want try something else.

Have not had any tubes in a long time so thinking about trying one. 

Anyone know anything about these?
Thanks    

three things i know for sure.
1. you have a serious system problem if one thinks the luxman amp is dull. in fact a serious problem. it extends into the stratosphere w very refined detail. 
2. the service is over the top. one of the best i’ve ever had. Jeff Sigmund the distributor is awesome. He always answers the phone and his emails.
3. the build quality is second to none. inspect a C-900u and M-900u and draw your own conclusion.

Actually Luxman had all kinds of problems with the former Distributor and that was why they made a change and took it back in house.

Now they have a new person in the US that works for them or is contracted to work for them or the like hence the Luxman US division.  

The former Distributor was marking up the products up way too much as well as providing poor service and the wait times were poor as the stock carried in the us was way too low for the demand.  

That is why the M/C900u are now $15k where they were asking another $4k-$5k more. Those issues were real and legit. 

Now they do have a new person in the US the Luxman brand with all their great new products is flourishing under. I’m sure he is doing great and great to deal with but those former issues were legit issues that Luxman has a carry in their bag.

 I heard many good things about the M-900u - C-900u and the only reason I didn’t go that route was I would have needed 2 of the 900 amps and just didn’t have the money for them but everyone raved about them. 

That said they are proported to be smooth and refined amps and I can easily see in some systems with the ill or the wrong matching warmer or thicker cabling cables and/or speakers they could be interpreted as being boring to thier taste and/or preference in relation to say a brighter or hotter combo that would work better with those matching components the persons preference. I mean two other, different members had both just stated the same thing. 

It what it is but those two felt that way and we all hear and like different things so not sure it means their systems have a serious problem just because their like and or dislikes are different then yours? To each their own I say. Rooms play such a big part in the sound as well. So many variables bearing down on the final product never mind the difference in hearing and preferences. 

if you use natural sounding but linear electronics and the sound is boring you’ve put a system together the wrong way. might be cables but more likely the speakers. there’s nothing inherently ‘warm’ or ‘euphonic’ about this luxman pair. that’s an industry wide issue where we audiophiles think something is going to sound a particular way without actually hearing it in our own setup. Anyone that thinks these units are colored(as we used to say) haven’t heard them in a good set up. 

I had a C900f and now have an ARC Ref 6. I would never go back to Luxman. It is refined but way too soft and dull IMHO. I know it's all system dependent and YMMV but I find Pass (had 250.5 amp) and ARC much more transparent and 'accurate'. In term of resell value, I had a hard time selling it on used market and had to swallow a big drop in price. I have been very disappointed since prior to buying my Luxman preamp I had heard only good things about them. My dealer is no longer selling their products.

From a support standpoint, I had to contact Luxman for technical questions and despite many attempts to talk to them, I never got an answer. I heard similar complaints from dealers selling Luxman products. So it's only my -poor- experience dealing with them and others may have better stories to share but clearly I doubt it's the level of service you get from brands like Bryston or Pass Labs.

I had similar experience with L505Ux, it was too soft for my liking and the vocal were suppressed, I used with Totem Model 1 and tried with Scansonic MB2.5 at dealer(during trade in)..
I did asked tried contact Luxman Japan and no response.
However I am using their Tube Power Tube amp MQ-88 which is far better than Solid state counterpart in terms of Vocal and clarity