McIntosh MC1.25KW vs Luxman M-10X

Never heard it. Going to make an assumption here but it’ll most likely be out of place in a system you’re putting together. Like I mentioned above, you might want to consider same brand amp and preamp. Get the best possible synergy. Or carefully mix and match. Take it one step at a time. Speakers, then amp, then preamp, considering your source is up to the task. 

audphile1 I totally agree with you matching the pre with the amp.  But Mike Lavigne used Placette in his system which was way way way more expensive than my system.  Essentially I was hoping to keep the Placette for a year or so with the new amp before trying a new preamp. 

Makes sense. 

Placette Passive is the most transparent piece of gear I've experienced in my 20 years in this hobby.  Sonically it is essentially the same as going DAC directly to power amp.  This can be a positive or negative depending on what you like.  I prefer an active preamp.

I disagree with McIntosh only sounding good with bright speakers.  This is entirely up to taste.  I like McIntosh with Sonus Faber, which are both well known to be warm and "slow".  I've owned Wilson Tunetots and demo'd Sasha DAW and and I think McIntosh would be a fine match.

If you crave lively and exciting, Mac ain't it.  If you like to savor the tone and texture of acoustic instruments, it's hard to beat as far as solid state goes.  Luxman generally strikes a middle ground.  It's clean, sweet, and very smooth with a touch of warmth and excellent precision and detail.  MY OPINION

Thank you eugene81!