2. amps-preamps
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Luxman L-590AXII vs Pass Labs INT-60

Folks, I was just wondering if any of you guys managed to compare both Luxman and Pass Labs amps in your system or at the dealers. Some brief description on the differences between both amps would be great.

Personally I own the L-590AXII but am curious about the house sound of the INT-60. FWIW I find the Luxman to be very balanced. Although it's a Class A, it does not sound overly warm. The L-590AXII is fairly detailed, refined and nuanced while showing a very slight hint of warmth in the midrange. Bass goes deep and is defined and controlled while the treble is sweet and extended without showing any sibilance or brightness.

In short, I find the Luxman L-590AXII to sound rather neutral, tilting slightly to warmth on the scale. Although it's tuned to sound delicate and refined, the Luxman can rock too and is capable of sounding dynamic and lively when the music calls for it. On the other hand, the same cannot be said about the Accuphase as I read that it sounds quite a bit warmer than the Luxman, sacrificing a little on punch, slam and dynamics. In other words, the Accuphase sounds too smooth with rock or dynamic music.
ryder
geof3
1,129 posts
 
What YYZ said regarding the demos. That is the best bet. OP didn’t mention anything about speakers or room... so the bipolar vs mosfet discussion has nothing to do with the original question.

Get a demo from Reno... make a direct comparison. It is really difficult to tell you how amp ‘a’ sounds  because it is different in every room with every system. Having said that, Pass gear tends to be very dynamic, but not particularly colored in any way. Keep in mind, the Int 60 is essentially the XA60.8 with a volume and more inputs...
skyscraper
831 posts
 
Ryder, it’s a little off topic, but did you ever have a chance to compare the Luxmann 507 integrated to the 509?. I would have liked to have been able to afford the 509AXII, rather than the 507MKII that I did purchase, but I still sometimes wonder what I’ve missed out on by staying financially responsible.. Nice choice you did make with the 509. My final choice came down to Luxmann or Accuphase too.

Mike
erik_squires
16,478 posts
 
Mike,
I know you are not asking me, but I got to hear the 509 at the dealer. Blindfolded and level matched with a normal speaker I doubt I could tell them apart. The 509 just has more current drive. A slightly beefier power supply and an extra set of output transistors.

I think to be able to really hear a difference you’d need relatively punishing speakers.
iconicaudio
35 posts
 
I purchased the  the Krell, the Luxman, Pass INT 60 and the Coda csib. After a couple of weeks of listening to these units using my Legacy Focus. With a few of my friends surprisingly everyone picked the coda csib... with that type of warranty and the fact that you have an extra welder in the house in case you have a project in the garage I think I’ll stick with the coda...
iconicaudio
35 posts
 
By the way does the Griffin Diablo 300 have a volume knob?
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