- Luxman M-900u, C-900u, D-06u
- Accuphase A-70, C-2850, D-06u
Of those combo’s, from my listening notes the Luxman amps impressed and are beautifully built, quiet, silky smooth, had good bass and control & good PRAT. Whilst the Accuphase amps had slightly softer leading edges, very good resolution and dynamic contrasts, and more energy than the Luxman amps. The Accuphase amps also sounded more delicate on vocals, was easier to listen to & gave life to the music. There was also more class A warmth than the Lux amps which was inviting. Piano also had real resonance and sounded musical/engaging.
Overall the Lux amps were more neutral than Accuphase, there was less dynamic contrast/shading to my ears, bass sounded more ’polite’ than Accuphase which had more authority, there was less ’life’ than Accuphase, vocals were clear and natural, but sounded less intimate on jazz. Though the Luxman amps are easy to listen to. Resolution was good overall. The Lux combo also sounded a tad more coherent, perhaps due to synergy with the D-06u player which served as main source?
I could see the Lux amps working well with speakers like Sonus Faber, however with a more neutral, resolving speaker I woudl lean toward Accuphase, particularly if you need extra power/control.
