Luxman L505u . . . why not?

I wonder how else can I choose the best amp when I have no chance to listen on my own equipment?

Take it with you. While not your room, at least it is your speakers. Not always easy, but it is an option. Or, buy low enough to resell if you don't like a piece.

Mushi mushi, Jim! oh no, you didn't make a mistake, you were only going on what you heard -at the time. That's not always an easy task. Great prices over there, I'd say.

I didn't realize when mentioning other options that you were looking solely for used, although, all the newer Luxman is much cheaper over there than here, as you can tell from the earlier part of this thread.

One thing I've think you've learned, with your specific tastes you really should get whatever amp to your home to use with your speakers, unless you take the speakers out of the house!
There's a thread under Speakers now that might interest you, someone compares the Harbeth 30's with your speakers.

Well, keep at it. Take a break and go eat some shishamo for me, lots of it.
Take care
Chas

Thanks Chasas1 and Brianmgrarcom. My speakers weigh 42 Kg each and are rather bulky, so lugging them over to the stereo shop aint easy at all.

As far as buying cheap so I can resell if I don't like it at home, so far I've been lucky with doing that. I've purchased all my components that I have so far that way, and one that I am less impressed with. I would have bought the CS300X for a home trial, too if it was available for me and I liked it more, mainly because it is so highly recommended by experienced people like you guys.

As for prices, it goes both ways. Imported stuff is pricey, even though the current exchange rate should dictate otherwise. A new Ah! Njoe Tjoeb here costs about double what it costs in the US, for example.

Part of the reason you guys are paying such hefty prices over there right now is the exchange rate, but new stuff over here isn't cheap at all.

Used Japanese stuff can be very reasonable, mainly because it is often in excellent condition. Most of my components are in minty brand new condition, even my 25-yr-old speakers.

I'll go read some of that Harbeth vs NS1000x thread, which will be good for my learning since I just now heard them with three amps, including one like my own and my own CD player, with my own music.

One thing I am trying to learn is better audio-related vocabulary to describe what we hear. It reminds me a lot of wine tasting.

As for taking a break, point well-taken. Stressed-out with too much work over here. I hope it doesn't show too much in my posts. As for Shishamo, I love those, too, but the season is past already, at least for the local catch. There are always wonderful, super-fresh, super-high quality fish of many other sorts here all year at very reasonable prices relative to other foods, though.

Jim, I started reading a thread on pf that would be perfect for you, and then saw that you were already on it!
So how do you think sitting on the floor affects the overall sound? Any different than if they were on stands?
Too bad about the shishamo... Our's here are frozen, sob, so it doesn't matter for us...

Chashas1 Thanks for thinking of my search! There is also an older thread on pf with a different title of almost the same meaning that gave me loads of insight.

I've never heard them on stands, so I don't know what the difference is like. I've discussed stands with several people and tried to find some original ones before, but haven't yet. I almost bought a pair of wooden stands for giant mortar/pestles for grain grinding, which were just the right height and size, but people convinced me the wood might not be good sounding, so at risk of having even more junk around with nowhere to store it, i didn't buy those in the end. Anyways, I really don't think they need stands in the room they are in.

My space is limited, and because it's a tatami room we sit on the floor when seriously listening, so our ears are at just about the right height for them. The sound is so wonderful already I really wonder why I am looking for an even better amp.