Luxman Integrated - What do they sound like

I've heard a number of Luxman pieces.

590AXII is 30W Class @ 8 ohms. Has the classic Class A sound with a nice midrange bloom. Just note it runs out of steam pretty quickly so a fairly efficient speaker is a must IMHO.

I like the 507/509 sound better and they can drive a wider range of speakers. I've heard both a number of times but never compared the 507 to the 509; that being said they both have good overall bandwidth/resolution and are not sterile but they do have nice detail retrieval. I'd think the 509X is the better, probably a little sweeter sounding but nearly twice the cost. It is supposed to have the first 2W in Class A.

Heard the C900u/M900u yesterday and it is pretty nice. Very good slam but not great midrange fleshing out; treble is very good and fatigue free. (See "My Long List of Amplifiers...…." here for much more detail) This particular audition was on TAD ME-1s. We played tubes from ARC and that was better. The Ref75 SE with the C900u preamp was pretty good pairing and and the same pre with BAT 56KSE monos was even better. Both of these combos had better more fleshed out midrange and cymbals on the BAT may have been better than the Ref75. 

To sum it up, the SS Luxman gear I've heard, barring the 590AXII, has nice resolution with good midrange and upper registers and yet is not fatiguing or hard sounding. Luxman has a good name because their gear is pretty enjoyable to listen to. Their gear is also very sexy, especially the 509X and the C900u/M900u. Hope this helps Erik.

I'd think the 509X is the better, probably a little sweeter sounding but nearly twice the cost. It is supposed to have the first 2W in Class A.

This beast consumes 150 W while idling!! I doubt its just the first 2W. :)

Thanks @ bjesien  and @pokey77 for your detailed comparisons! I appreciate it.

It really sounds like a brand I might really like. I'll try to make time to go to my local (but not that local) dealer over the next couple of weeks.

PS, I just want to say the Luxman "peel coat" thing is super weird.

You are not required to use solder mask when you order a PCB. You can however order them bare, and with gold plating.

That's what I think Luxman is doing with their high end boards. Of course, the gold coating makes each board a little more expensive.

I just think it's funny they claim they are peeling off the solder mask.

590AXII is 30W Class @ 8 ohms. Has the classic Class A sound with a nice midrange bloom. Just note it runs out of steam pretty quickly so a fairly efficient speaker is a must IMHO.

The L-590AX is 30W/channel Class A into 8 ohms, then switches to A/B. It will actually put out over 90W/channel into 8 ohms, and nearly 160 into 4 ohms.