Mcintosh MA6600 vs Luxman 507u


Speakers are Sonus Faber GP Domus.
List price is comparable. I heard the MA6600-very nice although a hair thin on mid range detail. Anyone have 507u knowledge?
bodiezaffa
Concerning the "4 o'clock" position on the volume knob, I think that we are talking that the knob is lower than 9 o'clock (8,7 or 6 o'clock, if your amplifier's knob goes there).

I can tell you that the Luxman gain/knob were enjoyable to use. They go smoothly and the sound is superb even at low volume. I must say that the speakers are there for something. I have a pair of Harbeth SHL5 which excels even at low volume.

Plus, there is the "bass phenomenon". You lost bass when the volume is lower. Luxman and Macintosh will both be great for this since they have their tone control. In my opinion, they are a plus on every amplifier. You can also use them for room correction.
Even L-505u outperforms McIntosh MA6600 in coherence and midrange resolution. So, I do believe a L-507u "smokes" a McIntosh MA6600.
I love that: "smoked." Is that supposed to be meaningful? It just sounds cheesy to me. So much so in fact that it puts into question the comments altogether.

We've heard the MA6600 twice now and we think it is fantastic. It was most impressive, making beautiful music in a huge, spacious soundstage both times. We couldn't stop listening.

We prefer to listen to music rather than detail, but everyone is different.

Haven't heard the Luxmans yet but will soon. I would love to A/B one of them with the 6600 but alas, finding a dealer that carries both and has both in stock is just about impossible.

Arthur
Having the MA6600 I must say I really love it. Both the Luxman and Accuphase were on my short list. But could not find a dealer to audition them. After a certain level in my experience I have yet to come across anything that "smoked" anything near the level of McIntosh. More a question of shades and flavors. So that Luxman must really really be special. Please post your results should you get a chance to compare both.

I recently just went through this exact same exercise between these same two integrated’s and in my case I went with the McIntosh. Anyone who suggests that one “smokes” the other really has not properly auditioned both of these fine components.

There is much to like about the Luxman, it is beautifully finished, has a terrific onboard phono section and an extremely wide soundstage with great imaging and well controlled dynamics. I don’t see how anyone could buy one and be unhappy with the decision.

Why did I buy the McIntosh instead ? You can listen to a number of upper end integrated amplifiers and there is one thing that the McIntosh brings to the table that is unique to the brand. That is the remarkable depth of the soundstage. The Luxman in contrast has an incredibly wide soundstage that can literally make your speakers disappear and sound much larger than they are all at the same time. However the McIntosh has this incredible depth that can literally hang instruments out in front of you in a way that is almost eerie. The soundstage may not be the widest, but it is certainly the deepest and I found that added a new very enjoyably dynamic to my listening. However depending on your room and the type of listening you do, this may or may not work for you.

The other aspects that appealed to me is that you can add a tuner into the 6600 (not a valuable feature for everyone but valuable to me) and you can be guaranteed strong resale value should you decide to go in another direction. I have already come across used 507u’s for significantly less then you will find a used MA6600. I know because I wouldn’t mind picking up a used 507u to use in another system as I do think very highly of the Luxman.

They are both very good products and I cannot see being unhappy with either of them. Best of luck.