Going linear - The Luxman 507ux

Nope. Most of the ebay listings for new models are for Japanese voltage, and more than what I just paid.

I got a US version from Excel Audio. Sweeeeet price.

Unit is in the trunk of my rental right now. 😀

It is supposed to be quite a refined amp.  Enjoy it.

Thanks @stereo5

I'll post more after I've had a chance to really listen. Mike mentioned they take around 100-200 hours to break in. That's a long time! I thought my current amps took a while, but this is even longer.

OK, so the amp is barely warmed up and I’m hearing some of the usual early onset effects.


First, they are not destroying my Class D’s yet. For sure, 95% of the common wisdom about Class D sounds is not evidenced here. My previous comparisons, Class D to Parasound said the same.

The Luxman barely turned on has a high "shimmer" factor. If you imagine what big sheets of metal they used for thunder sounds and cymbals, you get what I mean. However, as @dgarettson (probably wrong name) can attest, caps often sound like this before they break in. He called them "splashy." After this, electronics often calm down and that air and shimmer goes away.

Is that going on here? I don’t know, I’ll know by the end of the week. While it does not make my ICEpower 250 ASP modules sound suddenly bad, there is a lot more shimmer and air, almost a touch brightness. By comparison, the ICEpower sound veiled.


However!! I’ve heard this veiling from linear amps as well. So we need to stop talking about Class D like we are in the 1980s. Let’s just treat them like any other class of power amp.


Best,E

For the Record, the ICEpower modules I am using are long in the tooth design-wise, so like any other amplifier, just because I am critical doesn't mean you should apply these criticisms to ALL Class D amps.

ICEpower, Texas Instrument, Hypex and others have continued to develop Class D. I've not heard them recently though.