McIntosh to Luxman?


Hey everybody. I need some advice.  It's fair to say I've lusted over Luxman equipment for a few years now.  Something about Japanese hifi that just gets me. Anyway, one of the online retailers of new and used equipment has a Luxman L-507uX (not the mark ii) for sale.  I do really like the sound from my hybrid MA252 integrated, and it drives my Maggie 1.7s with ease.  Most of my listening is of the streaming variety (Bludesound Node/Qobuz), and some vinyl (Music Hall MMF-5). 

Here's my question: what will the Luxman bring me that the McIntosh isn't providing?   More refinement?  More authoritative bass? Better soundstaging?  If the answer is yes, then I may pull the trigger on the Luxman.  By the way, I can get a nice trade-in on my McIntosh, so my out-of-pocket won't be too bad.    Please weigh-in if you've had both McIntosh and Luxman gear and what your experience with both brands has been.   Thanks in advance!   ~ Jerry

jrod68

I had Mac for years but alway lusted for Luxman. When I lost my Mac gear in a flood I tried several different brands: Cary, NAD, Yamaha, Vincent, Cronus Magnum, before finally settling on Luxman. I’ve now had 4 different Luxman amps and currently have both the 550axII and the LX380. I would never go back to Mac. Just my preference. Enjoy the music.

@vitussl101  Detail, imagine & impact. I think the Luxman nails it on all three fronts. One word comes to mind: Command…total control of my 1.7s.  Snare hits have more impact and “bite” with the Luxman. The top end is more present and very smooth. I haven’t  really listened critically, as work has kept me pretty busy the last few days.  More to come…

One odd thing…with the Luxman volume dial at zero, I still can hear the Bluesound Node playing. That’s using both RCA and balanced connections.  I’m sure there’s an easy explanation. 
 

~ Jerry

@ Soix

Haha, haha!  Wait, you work for an audio magazine and Best Buy Magnolia!  You are truly a joke!  What other stories are you going to cook up this time!  Wait, I got it.  I have to tell my friend who truly works as a manager for the Magnolia that she won the bet.  She said that the next thing you would do is say you worked at Magnolia just to control the narrative of this simple debate.  I said, “Nahhhhh”.  Wow,I was wrong, lol!  You truly are simple!  I showed her team the posts and they outright laughed at your comment especially about company Plano setups.  She had a question for you.   Don’t take too long to answer since you should know.  Where was the last major Best Buy Magnolia meeting held and what was it about??  Did you go?, lol.   Let us all see your ridiculous response!  

 

On a positive note,  let us all including the brand haters enjoy our musical content on our beloved system.  May we find peace within the music we love and take a brake from nonsense.  

 

As for Soix.  Go ahead and have the last word.  You need the boost of confidence.  Too bad Toys R Us is out of business!  I would get you something, lol. 

Wait, you work for an audio magazine and Best Buy Magnolia! You are truly a joke!

@decathlon1991 As usual your assumption is again totally faulty. I wrote for the Soundstage! network for 17 years and only worked for Magnolia for a few months well after I stopped writing, which would’ve obviously been a conflict of interest and Soundstage! would’ve never let me do both. Granted, writing professional reviews of high-end audio equipment for 17 years in no way qualifies me more of an expert compared to you who volunteered for a college radio station. Ehem. You are truly the joke here. To put a finer point on it, the Magnolia in Paramus, NJ had a separate room exclusively for the Blades and Mac gear whereas the Woodland Park Magnolia store didn’t even have the Blades at all much less having them in a dedicated room. So much for your theory that all Magnolias are identical. Have your manager look that one up, that I’m sure she can do, and be prepared to eat some crow because you know not that of which you speak, but feel free to keep making inaccurate and ignorant assumptions and I’ll continue to knock them down with actual facts. Good luck with that.

@ Soix

Haha, haha!  There you go again twisting the narrative to fill the void in your miserable life KAREN, lol.  I never new that someone who claims to be a writer for a Canadian magazine company can have such a negative attitude towards a brand.  I never knew that writing about a piece of equipment of one’s narrow minded taste qualifies him as all knowing about audio gear, lol!  You crack me up with you ignorant opinionated comments. Thank goodness we didn’t believe the BS of those articles when it came to purchasing our own gear, because you don’t sit in our rooms or our environment, so how would you know?  Apparently you couldn’t keep a Best Buy job, lol.  Must be the Debby downer attitude.  As well noted on this forum, you couldn’t answer the question, you had to deflect because that was your best course of action!  In reality, the joke is on you, lol.  By the way, no one asked you to volunteer information about your past history or f employment!  No one cares!!!

 

PS. 

I’d rather read Absolute Sound or Stereophile magazine.  They are more on my level and now I truly understand why I never bought Soundstage!  Hey Soundstage!  If you’re reading, you now know why you weren’t the number one Audio magazine company!