Founded in 1925, Luxman dates from the dawn of radio broadcasting and stands as one of the world’s oldest consumer electronics companies. In the 1960s, when mass-market high fidelity abandoned vacuum tubes in favor of transistors, Luxman recognized the characteristic warmth and musicality of tube reproduction. And we’ve continued to make tube amplifiers without interruption. Our legacy in vacuum tube electronics includes an all-star roster of former designers who went on to establish their own companies, entirely separate from Luxman. These include Tim de Paravicini (EAR Yoshino), Atsushi Miura (Air Tight), Taku Hyodo (Leben) and Junji Kimura (47 Laboratory).
In the 1970s and 80s, Luxman components gained international recognition for sumptuous music reproduction, meticulous engineering, robust build quality and understated design. Now based in Yokohama, Luxman offers a carefully curated range of high-end audio to discerning music lovers in 48 countries on five continents.
Early days
Luxman began in the unlikeliest of places, the Kinsuido Picture Frame Store in Osaka, Japan. There, the Hayakawa brothers established a radio department in 1925, anticipating the birth of radio broadcasting in Japan. Kinsuido was the first company in Japan to display and sell radio receivers – astonishing visitors with the quality of sound. To fulfill an urgent need for a Japanese-language reference on radio technology, the company published the Kinsuido Radio Book, with the catch phrase, “Reading once makes you the radio expert.” Self-published at first, the book became a best seller, going through 14 editions and inspiring generations of audio engineers. To secure a supply chain, the brothers needed to make international connections and traveled outside Japan. The company quickly transitioned from simply importing radio parts and equipment to manufacturing parts and assembling its own products in-house, marking the birth of the Luxman brand.
Product and technology milestones
An instant classic in Japan, the SQ-5A vacuum tube integrated amplifier incorporates a proprietary tone control circuit and a front-panel level meter.
An audiophile icon and staple of Japanese jazz cafes, the SQ-38 vacuum tube integrated amplifier inspires a legacy that includes the SQ-38D, 38F, 38FD and even a 70th anniversary model, the SQ-38S of 1995.
Celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary, Luxman introduces a high-end transistor series designed by Tim de Paravicini. The M-6000 power amplifier features 300 watts per channel, massively overbuilt heat sink stacks, a giant power transformer and prominent stereo VU meters supplemented by peak LEDs. Together with the matching C-1000 preamp and T-110 AM/FM tuner, the M-6000 wins international acclaim among demanding music lovers.
PD-121 direct drive turntable features an anti-resonant chassis with exemplary performance
The world’s first DC amplifier configuration arrives in the 5M21 power amp, part of the Laboratory Reference Series that also includes the revolutionary 5T50 frequency synthesis FM tuner and 5G12 equalizer.
L-58A is among the very first integrated amplifiers to incorporate metal oxide semiconductor field effect (MOSFET) output transistors.
L-550 integrated amplifier combines Class A design with Luxman’s patented Duo-Beta circuitry, which optimizes open loop performance and eliminates DC offset. This enables engineers to minimize negativfeedback and achieve extremely wide bandwidth and low Transient Intermodulation Distortion. Duo-Beta leads to Duo-Beta/S, ONDF (Only Distortion Negative Feedback) and today’s ONDF 4.0.
Luxman’s first Fluency digital-to-analog converter arises from original research by Kazuo Toraichi and associates at the University of Tsukuba and Seikei University. The system uses interpolation to achieve spectacular time-domain performance. It first appears in the DA-07 D-to-A converter, companion to the DP-07 CD transport. Learning from the Fluency DAC informs Luxman CD player designs to this day.
L-570 integrated amplifier operates in Pure Class A mode and achieves 50 watts per channel.
Luxman advances the technology of volume control with the Quadruple Super Ultimate Attenuator of the flagship C-10 control amplifier. It uses an array of 456 high-precision fixed resistors.
CL-88 and MQ-88 preamp and power amp embody a fresh approach to vacuum tube audio.
Using four pairs of parallel push-pull power transistors per channel, the M-900u power amplifier bridges to deliver 600 watts monaural into an 8-ohm load. ONDF (Only Distortion Negative Feedback) V4.0 minimizes distortion while achieving wide bandwidth, quick response and relaxed, natural sound.
MQ-300 power amplifier celebrates Luxman’s 90th anniversary with direct heated TA-300B triodes. Design touches include engraved nameplates on the transformer cases and a piano finish natural walnut frame.
DA-250 USB digital-to-analog converter supports both DSD and PCM signals and incorporates LECUA computerized attenuator.
LECUTA, the Luxman Electronic Ultimate Transformer Attenuator, debuts on the CL-1000 preamplifier.
