On Monday, April 29, 2024, the clientele of Audiophile Experts in Beloeil, QC, was invited to a special presentation of Luxman products. Recently, this store has become a dealer for this legendary brand, all of whose products are manufactured entirely in Japan by a team of experienced engineers and technicians. For the occasion, John Pravel from Luxman America Inc. was present and he talked to us about the brand’s history and the quality of its products. The Canadian representative, Robert Langlois, was also on hand to answer our questions.
The owners, Mathieu Roberge and Stacy Lussier, welcomed us with treats and chocolate imported directly from Japan. To quench our thirst, Sapporo beers and Japanese soft drinks were offered to us. The audience was very attentive to this presentation and Mr. Pravel‘s remarks. The evening ended with a draw for CD and vinyl albums among the attendees.
Lux Corporation was founded in 1925 in Osaka, where it initially imported picture frames. It was by showcasing the first radio receivers of the time in its shop window that it attracted its clientele’s attention to this type of electronic product. In the 1950s-1960s, Luxman shifted to the production of tube and transistor amplifiers. Having enjoyed its heyday until the early 1990s, Luxman went through a short period of decline after being acquired by the Alpine brand, which is more specialized in car audio.
In 2004, Luxman returned to its original mission of offering its clientele devices focused on the pleasures of high-fidelity listening. It began this era with a return to tube devices, including the CL-88 preamplifier and its companion, the MQ-88 amplifier. Subsequently, several models of tube or transistor amplifiers have enriched the Luxman catalog. As for digital sources, several CD/SACD players are available alongside n-a converters, headphone amplifiers/DACs, and of course, the brand new NT-07 network player.
In the demonstration, we could see and hear new products such as the C-10X preamplifier and the M-10X stereo amplifier. The new CD/SACD player D-07X uses, for its n-a conversion, a world premiere, the MUS-IC BD34301EKV chip from the manufacturer ROHM. Previously, Luxman used Burr Brown chips. We also observed the quality of construction of the new PD-151 MARK II turntable equipped with the new LTA-710 arm and the new LMC-5 cartridge. Its drive motor, central bearing ball, and isolation feet are of impeccable construction.
En 2025 Luxman fêtera ses 100 ans d’existence et nous avons hâte de voir si cet anniversaire sera commémoré avec la sortie d’appareils d’exception.
