Man9, I am aware that the 550AXII is compared to the 509X. I am bringing in the 590AXII to the mix to suggest that the 550AXII is likely more powerful than the official rated output of 20W since it is a Class A just like the 590AXII. I have the 590AXII and it surely punches above its weight and sounds much more powerful than the numbers suggest.
Luxman 550AXii and 509X
I had the good situation of being able to borrow the demo units of the Luxman 550AXii and the 509X from the dealer and listen to them side by side at home. I went with purchasing the 550AXii new. Just wanted to share my observations..
1) Build quality is nice for both. The 509X looks more modern with the beveled edges and super nice solid top.
2) The VU meter on the 550AXii has gentle smooth movement, on the 509X it feels like it's in a rush
3) Sound quality, for me the 550AXii is the clear winner, it is more authoritative in spite of lower wattage at 40W. The 509X feels a little sterile and lacking bass, although it is very clear. Some might prefer that..
4) Went through multiple genre of music, and the 550AXii shines in all that I listened. The 509X fell short on deep house, and I had to hit the loudness button for classical music.
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@ryder understood!! awesome you have the 590AXii 😀. I wish I had got my hands on it, before Luxman decided to pull the plug on that.. I am quite content and happy with the 550AXii.. |
@ryder @elliottbnewcombjr I listened to the SQ-N150 at the dealer.. and they were driving some Harbeth speakers.. I was smitten by how such a small guy can just fill up the entire room with beautiful sound.. and the build quality, my goodness.. I had just recently bought the MA352 from them and just walked away quietly. Think I am turning into a life long Luxman fan.. can't wait to get the C900U in June, so I can complete the separates setup D03X and M10X.. Now the M10X, not sure I have enough words.. gives me the tingles whenever I turn it on and listen to it.. even at low volume levels.. It is breathtaking.. |
Just FYI, the Luxman class A integrated amps are rated "funny." They have the power supply and amp stage for much higher power, but, I infer, can’t pass the pre-heating part of the FTC requirements. They’d need much bigger heat sinks. If the FTC didn’t have the pre-heating requirement they’d probably be rated much closer to their A/B siblings. This is my guess since otherwise there is no reason for Luxman to take a different approach to rating the A amps vs. their A/B. |
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