Luxman - discussion thread

[azri]

do

u reckon its worth it at rm1.2k to rm1.5k??

A MOSFET CLASS A AMPLIFIER FROM THE RENOWNED LUX CORPORATION OF JAPAN. THIS IS MADE IN JAPAN AND IS CIRCA THE LATE 70'S EARLY 80'S. IT IS RATED AT 100 WATTS RMS PER CHANNEL INTO 8 OHMS. ALL THE INPUTS ARE GOLD PLATED AND ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. EVEN THE EARTH CONNECTOR FOR THE PHONO IS PLATED.THE INPUTS ARE FOR: PHONO MM/MC1 AND MC2 (YOU CAN RUN TWO TURNTABLES WITH MOVING COIL CARTRIDGES OR ONE MOVING COIL AND THE OTHER A MOVING MAGNET CARTRIDGE); TUNER; AUXILLIARY 1; AUXILLIARY 2; TAPE 1 MONITOR/RECORD OUT; TAPE 2 MONITOR/RECORD OUT; MAIN AND REMOTE SPEAKERS CONNECTIONS ARE OF THE LOCKING SCREW TYPE WHICH TAKE BARE ENDED WIRE LEADS. THERE ARE 3 x SWITCHED AND 1 x UNSWITCHED POWER SOCKETS ON THE REAR. ALSO THERE ARE PRE-OUT AND MAIN IN JACKS ON THE REAR. THE FRONT CONTROLS ARE BASS AND TREBLE ROTARY CONTROLS WITH TURNOVER AT 150Hz, 300Hz, 600Hz, 1.5Kh, 3kHz AND 6kHz; TONE BYPASS SWITCH; 3 POSITION SWITCH FOR LOW BOOST 70Hz/OFF/150Hz; REVERSE/STEREO/MONO SWITCH; 3 x POSITION SWITCH FOR HIGH FILTER 9kHz/OFF/15kHz; 3 x POSITION SWITCH FOR SUBSONIC FILTER 15Hz/OFF/30Hz; MONITOR SWITCH FOR TAPE 1/SOURCE/TAPE 2; DUBBING SWITCH FOR RECORDING FROM TAPE 1 TO TAPE 2 AND ANOTHER SWITCH FOR RECORDING FROM TAPE 2 TO TAPE 1; HEADPHONES JACK; SWITCH FOR MC/MM CARTRIDGE SELECTION; INPUT SELECTOR FOR TUNER/PHONO/AUX 1/AUX 2; SELECTOR FOR SPEAKERS OFF/MAIN SPEAKERS/REMOTE SPEAKERS/MAIN PLUS REMOTE SPEAKERS; BALANCE CONTROL; VOLUME CONTROL. THERE IS ILLUMINATION ABOVE THE INPUT SELECTOR TO INDICATE THAT THE AMP IS ON. IT HAS A WOODEN CASE WHICH IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION FOR ITS AGE WITH SOME "RING" MARKS PROBABLY FROM EQUIPMENT SITTING ON THE TOP AND SOME MINOR CHIPS ON THE FRONT. THE FRONT PANEL IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH ALL THE LETTERING IN TACT AND NO SCRATCHS ON THE FACEPLATE. THERE IS SOME MINOR GREEN CORROSION ON THE SWITCHS (SEE PHOTOS) WHICH CAN BE CLEANED OFF WITH ISOPROPANOL AND A COTTON SWAB. THIS UNIT IS MULTI VOLTAGE 240V, 220V, 120V AND 100V

[azri]

any opinions are appreciated
especially if u own one or into luxman
tq

[azri]

no one knows?

[seanlee731107]

hi Azri. Classy! RM1k should be a reasonable price. But 1 thing. The parts is hard to get.

[azri]

does luxman made it to malaysia?

[seanlee731107]

nope Japan.. i mean if .. so, your are using luxman now? besides, it's a good amp for sure

[kowtim]

Hi Azri

Luxman WAS sold in Malaysia during the late 1970's to early 1980's.

To answer your question, it depends on the cosmetic condition of this amplifier as to it being a worthwhile buy or or not.

If it is not working electrically speaking, then this can be repaired.

BUT, if it is physically / cosmetically in bad condition, then these Luxmans are very hard to restore because they used anodized face plates and knobs and switches. The case sleeves are often not real wood either....and so again, very hard to restore.

And so.... with these Luxmans, looks good buy, looks shagged dont.
That would be my advice to you.

Good luck with it Azri if you decide to buy!

Regards

[luxman]

Azri,

I have been using my Lux amp for more than 22 years . I can see the 'Duo beta' circuitry logo....Thats a very unique luxman feature in their amps.
Definitely expect a smooth and lovely sounding amp. Build quality? First class especially manufactured during the 70s and early 80s. Mine still looks like 'showroom' condition.

As for the worthiness, it all depends on the condition and how much you really like the sound of Luxman.

[azri]

the about luxman is... the price tag, eventhough its old 15 to 20 years of age
regardless the L, SQ, A series which i dunt know whats the differences

btw, whats duo beta means with luxman?

[luxman]

'Duo beta' is an innovative approach by Luxman engineers to tackle negative feedbacks in the amp. Negative feedback is a process in which part of the output of an amplifying circuit is fed back to the input circuit.

The signal fed back is 180 degrees out of phase with the input signal, decreasing amplification and reducing distortion.
Too much can destabilize an amp ,induce oscillation and even damage speakers.
Too little reduces amp's damping factor which increases speaker induced distortion.
So many manufacturers approach these problems with two loops, whereas Luxman designed a wideband amp as if negative feedback does not exist. Then they applied 'Duo beta', two negative feedback loops, each designed for a specific function.

In short, 'Duo beta' is Luxman's circuit design to tackle the negative feedbacks
I hope this short explanation helps you.

[teleman51]

Hi azri & luxman,

Glad to know that that are still Luxman amp fans out there.
Me. I am still having my old Luxman SQ1220 which I was literally forced to buy about 10 years ago.It was made sometime in 1974.Solid state, fully transistorized throughout with 2 monoblock sections.Huge caps of days gone by.
It's still in good working condition, but will be going in for some service work soon.

What can I say about the sound that luxman has'nt already said.
Smooth & warm, and will match almost any type of other equipment.

Some say it's got the the 70's type of sound, but me, all I know is that I still love my Luxman.Features are similar to the one offered you and you could really have a good listen and then fall in love with her.These are probablly considered vintage by now.

She'll grow on you.Just my humble opinion.

teleman51

[azri]

appreciate much on the inputs
i didnt realise there are luxman hardcore in malaysia

whats the difference between all the models
like L, SQ & A series??
sometimes there even a hybrid series
not just the amp, but also cdps..

[kowtim]

Hi Azri

In Yahoo groups there is a Luxman group there. If you really want to know more about the specifics of your model, there are quite a few knowledgable folks there who could answer your increasingly specific questions.

Do you have a picture we could see of the exact unit you wish to buy? We'd love to see it!

Hi Luxman

Personally, Im still not convinced by this dual beta circuit arrangement. But Im willing to be proven wrong. Would you happen to have an old duo beta Luxman with you perhaps? I have an old L-30. Perhaps we can get more of us together and have a Luxman amp apreciation listening session one day? Wouldn't that be fun!

Hi Teleman51

To add on to what you say.... the "real" Luxman amps are beautiful to use as almost every switch they ever used had such a superb tactile feel and sound to it. Extremely positive in action, yet very gentle.

[azri]

its on for bidding in ebay, cheers
the seller only shows part to part of the amp
unable to place the whole lot

[azri]

need a very good reason to replace my yamaha 760 mkII
found 1 website & has the actual specs for this lovely vintage

Form	Stereo integrated amplifier
Succession effective output	80W+80W (8 ohms, both ch operation, 1kHz)
THD	0.009% or less (8 ohms, Output-power-3dB, 20Hz - 20kHz)
Cross modulation distortion	0.009% or less (8 ohms, Output-power-3dB, 60Hz:7kHz=4:1)
Frequency characteristic	Phono man month: 20Hz-20kHz±0.3dB Tuner, AUX, Monitor1, 2:10Hz - -100kHz three dB
Input sensitivity/impedance	Phono man month: 1.6mV/50kohm Phono MC-1:1.6mV/100 ohms Phono MC-2:0.25mV/100 ohms Tuner, AUX, Monitor1, 2:200mV/40kohm
SN ratio (IHF-A)	Phono man month: 80dB or more Tuner, AUX, Monitor1, 2:110dB or more
Tone control	The point curving [ low-pass ]: 200Hz, 400Hz (defeat is possible) The point curving [ high region ]: 2kHz, 4kHz (defeat is possible)
Filter	Subsonic speed: 15Hz, off, 30Hz A high cut: 9kHz, off, 15kHz
A low boost	70Hz, off, 150Hz
Attachment	Phone straight switchpoint Mono-switchpoint Signal-off switchpoint Warmup indicator Speaker selector Headset jack
Supply voltage	AC100V, 50Hz/60Hz
AC outlet	Power-switch interlock: 100W Power-switch un-interlocking.: 100W
Power consumption	180W (Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law)
Dimensions	Width 464x height 156x depth of 332mm
Weight	11.0kg

[luxman]

Kowtim,
Nice to know a luxman owner. Well, you don't have to believe the 'Duo Beta' circuitry, I am just trying to explain to Azri what it is. To me, the specs and technical features do not mean much but the actual performance and build quality are my priorities in an amplifier.

Yes, i am still using a Luxman pre and power combination till today since the early 80s.The performance is still the same after more than 20yrs and never encounter any problem whatsoever. The reliability and quality is just amazing. Maybe i am just lucky.......

[kowtim]

Hi Luxman

Please don't misunderstand my comments earlier about the duo beta thingie. I really meant to say that I personally am not convinced by any musical benefits of this particular circuit having heard some Luxmans with and without it.

Actually, it was in no way meant to agree or disagree with you or your opinions on such a circuit. Im sure Azri and others appreciated your explanation of it. I was merely adding an opinion to this thread to make it more interesting.

I entirely agree with you that the specs are ultimately rather meaningless. I also fully agree with you that build quality is an important criteria, something many people arent even aware of... their far far too concerned with imaging or other current nonsense of the month/year to notice things like aesthetics, great design, build quality as you mention and that tactile "joy of use".

I personally reckon your quite lucky that your units still work perfectly. I have seen many Luxmans fail by way of intermittent problems in one channel. Usually in many of these Luxmans, one channel dies whilst the other soldiers on .

But Luxman's are easy to repair as their service manuals are not impossible to obtain and they clearly identify all the components on the circuit boards.

I rebuilt my L-30 by recapping it. It still has one more problem that I need to look into...it has an intermittent sound thru one channel when you first switch it on. After 30 seconds it goes away and all is well.

Anyway, when I have finished rebuilding my speakers, I will invite you over for a coffee to have a look and listen to my baby L30 if you would like

What pre and power do you have Luxman? Speakers?

Regards

[teleman51]

Hi kowtim,
Agree with you on the posts you put out on luxman amps.
Still love my own unit although it's nowhere close to high end.

Plan to sevice the tone control section soon as those pots are kaput!!!

Would love an invite from you to have coffee though. Would bring my old banger along just for some comparison of sonic qualities, as well as meeting other luxman owners.Who knows , we can start a luxman club.

stay happy always.

teleman51

[luxman]

Hi Kowtim,

Hah! Looks like we have a 'misunderstanding' of some sort. Well, no problem at all, as i've said, these 'duo beta' do not mean a thing to me too. We just appreciate quality Luxman sound, right?

Yeah, i've heard and read those problems with Luxman amps too.Well, i hope mine will perform as it is (fingers cross!).Hope you will be able to solve your intermitten sound problem. You have a great vintage amp there!By all means save it!

Okay, mine is the CO2 / MO2 pre power combination. Used to torture those floorstanding American speakers with it during the 80s(JBL,KLH,Infinity). I just love the power and authority and yet with a smooth and warm sound typical of Luxman. Well, age catches up , so automatically even the music that i listen to now 'mellows down' a lot. Prefer to use my 'old' Tannoy bookshelfs nowadays as i listen mostly of Jazz materials(Sadao, Grover W. Jr. etc.).
I have used many amps before like Nad, MF, Arcam ,Pioneer etc but eventually still return to my old trusty Luxman. Sold all the other amps thru the years...but never the Luxmans!

Yeah, looking forward to have coffee with you one day and it will be a pleasure to listen to your 'baby L30'.

Youngster nowadays just don't know what they are missing.....!

[azri]

glad to hear u luxman harcores having good discussion
seriously i never had any experience listening to this amp
always saw them being traded in ebays with high price
eventhough sometime i do try to bid & never wins hehe

whats the secret ingredient that luxman usually offers?

[kowtim]

Hi kowtim,
Agree with you on the posts you put out on luxman amps.
Still love my own unit although it's nowhere close to high end.

Plan to sevice the tone control section soon as those pots are kaput!!!

Would love an invite from you to have coffee though. Would bring my old banger along just for some comparison of sonic qualities, as well as meeting other luxman owners.Who knows , we can start a luxman club.

stay happy always.

teleman51

Hi Teleman

Yes.... that would be great if you could come by with your banger. I think though it would take me about 2 months thou to get my old speakers functioning again. I am currently giving them a complete rebuild.

Im so glad to hear that your tone controls are worn out! It amazes me how much money and effort people spend on all these cables and room treatments and all the other stuff when all one has to do is use tone controls. Well, they have decided to forego them by buying audio gear without them so thats their due deserved fate!

Do note that a "scratchy" sounding pot can sometimes be caused by a leaky cap. I have also come across a tip whereby some people open up the pots and "touch them up" with a pencil!

I really hope you sort out your tone controls and it's done properly.

I take and make my "good" coffees black Mr Teleman, so perhaps you might have to stop by to get some milk for yourself. Hee hee!

Azri

The secret ingredient that many many Luxman amps offer (not all models) is that the owners end up listening to music and not copper. Also we have amplifiers that we are proud to display and use.

Certainly there are many better amps. But they usually, to paraphrase a good friend of mine either cost an arm and 3 balls or they really look like sh**

My advice is you consider joining that Luxman group and find out what the good sounding models are.... We cannot help you here with this Azri and with many of your other questions. Not enough Luxmans here so our depth of knowledge about the different models cannot match that in the Yahoo Luxman group.

Ask them for a list of the best sounding models and find the one that looks nicest to you from that list... then go to ebay and buy the best LOOKING unit of your chosen model you can find. Never mind if it works or not. Buy it and then service it. Then enjoy it for twenty years!

Learn from my mistake. I did not buy the matching tuner when i could have for my L-30. My advice is that for the model you choose, try and get a similar matching FM tuner if you can.

Also, I would like to say that we are NOT hardcore. Hardcore would apply to someone who would own many Luxman's. or Too many! Or, a hardcore person would say that Luxman is "the best".

Luxman

We have no misunderstandings at all. On the contary, we have very much in agreement! Generally, I think that most Luxmans sound great... but not all of them. As a brand I think it was fabulous and I am extremely proud of my L-30.

It will be easy to solve my problem. I have the service manual and also one perfectly working channel. And so should not be too much problem as I have something to compare to. Its probably a faulty transistor or resistor. But as i said... give it half a minute and it clears up.

It sounds like we have similar music tastes as well! I did not know that Grover Washington Jr. died until I bought a CD of his recently.

The L-30 was my first ever amp. I made the big mistake of selling it and it took me ten years to find another! I wont be selling it soon.

So you like coffee too! Kewl! Once I get my speakers done... lets all of us get together shall we!

Regards

[teleman51]

Yeah kowtim,

Good to read your post. I wish you the best on your speaker rebuild.

Had a fair experience of building speaker a long time ago with a Wharfedale Linton 2 kit which I bought from Eastland Trading yearrrrrrrrrs back. I was young & had all that energy & enthusiasm back then.

Got married ,had kids and everything else was left on the backburner until a few years back.

My Luxman' s a hybrid intergrated and has given me many a sweet ending to the day.

Gonna try & see whether I can have a go on the tone section, but may just call up Mr.Oh in Old Klang Road if I can't tacle it myself.No point in saving a few ringgit when you have an old hand use his pro experience.

My tone pots are goners so point in trying to salvage them.
I totally agree on the secret ingredient in Luxman amps.And they were considered high end back in the 70's.Highest end of the Japanese brands as well.And were considered to cost an arm & a leg too

Looking for to your black coffee and the goreng pisang is on me.

Cheers and stay healthy!

teleman51

[azri]

this is unfair, coz i cant join u guys ~ perhaps someday
i can bring my cheapo coral a-550 if u want

grover?

only have mp3s from come morning & winelight
mp3s makes me wanna get a squeezebox
the list keeps coming up hehe

[teleman51]

Hi azri,

I'll be sure to send out an invite to you via PM when I get together with kowtim.

Bring along your Coral or whatvever you wish.No worries.
I don't practice discrimination of any brand or grade.

Owned a Coral and Hakkoh myself 30 odd years ago.
Well, how did they sound ?

All I know is they were sweet sounding amps with almost no problems and paired welll with my turntables.No fancy interconnects and speaker cables to mess with back in those days.

We can spend a good eveing with kowtim and hopefully he'll educate us a little.

Cheers.

teleman51

[azri]

still running good, warm solid state sound
cant believe its from the 70s, rated 50w@8ohms/ch

sad thing the beta speakers cost like hell
& nothing comes cheap with them speakers

so i cant really experince 'complete' coral sound

now trying to check out on luxman

i do sound like a have lots of amps rite? hehe

[hoyhoysum]

Luxman amps is nice sounding and one can listen to all day long without tiring your ears. You will listen and listen and listen..pls repeat 20X

They use good components, alps pots, great capacitor back at their times, excellent workmanship...I know coz i refurbished hifi gears...

As a matter of fact i have one Luxman R1050a receiver that i rcently refurbished for sale. It looks like this http://www.thevintageknob.org/LUXMAN/R1050/R1050.html

The knobs works prefectly and noiseless in operation till date and i did nothing to it, i leave it be...

I am asking for RM880 ono, no need to buy from ebay and cost you a bomb besides it might not land in a piece once it reach your place...Great phono stage...

[azri]

thanks for the offer hoy (?), whereabouts u in malaysia?
i'll be back somewhere in early july for a couple of weeks
hopefully can come & audition luxman sound, is it possible?

[hoyhoysum]

I am in subang jaya, i having second thought of selling the Luxman receiver coz i seldom play it and after just finish refurbished it. It sounds very very good. With the sight and sound, what a beauty( imean it glows in the dark) I do not know, may be it is just me, i came from last time era, where radios glows!

I am not surprise that even in US they like receiver, excellent fm reception, great phono stage and most of all they glow. Excellent craftmanship from Japan, great workmansip and quality parts. Last till now imagine that...even UK made also look like my school project job, the germans different...Japanese still best

Yes why not you can come and audition and see for yourself. Maybe by then i might let it go coz i also hangat hangat tahi ayam sahaja..

[teleman51]

hoyhoysum,

Me same like you.One minutr want to sell off my Luxman, next minute think twiice want to keep. Terlalu sayang la!

But Luxman sound is different.Difficult to describe.Only owner knows the feeling la.

Spent too many nights with her and don't want to let her go now.


teleman51

[hoyhoysum]

Yup i agree with you, it is the voicing of the amplifier. You can listen and listen...(repeat 20X) Next post i also will repeat this remark maybe 20X

Seanlee, it is not true that parts are hard to find. ( i highlighted to him when he came to my place to audition the sugden amp) They are easy to find, worst come to wost replacement part or locally fabricate.
Amplifiers are not an issue but hifi that used a lot of plastic , custom made parts or mechanical plastic stuff: like tape players or turntables. That is problematic

[luxman]

Rightly said.....Bought, used and sold many establish brands but still keeping the Luxman after more than two decades.

Many may ask why, but only the owners will know and appreciate such quality sounding amps.

[cmboy]

Many may ask why, but only the owners will know and appreciate such quality sounding amps.

Simply, they don't build things like they used to.
There IS a resurgence in vintage stuff and people are now recognizing the value and potential, moreover if have listened to a well setup vintage system.

[hoyhoysum]

The vintage luxman amp is a sight to behold. It has rosewood body, even though not real. It has a classic look and do look expansive. Worth the money you paid for.

Unlike nowadays, started by the British minamilist design( imho comunist thinking, think as yesteryear of china era where all men drab in grey) All the amp in black, fully metal save for the legends. One volume knob, selector knob and power switch. Thats it! You be lucky if it has a led power indicator, i could not imagine if someone were to say even led power indicators will corrupt the audio signals.(you know which countrylah!) Even phono stage they stinged made as optional, comeonlah how much for few transistor, few resistors and capacitors will cost...I will not be surprised one day even the rca connector also will be optional item. You purchase as per your connected system. Why the waste, they will say unused ports or inputs will corrupt the sound via RFI(Radio Frequency interference) best leave not connected or optioal item...

After having luxman amp and heard Mcintosh amps with those large swinging needles in blue cool lite, i really start to wonder if those claims are true or the British in order to compete with Japan where everything they made is expansive. They have to forgo everything to make it very competitive. If you were to exmanine their product all is just like your kolej project or diy stuff. Nothing spectacular. They claim all money spend is on the important areas towards the sound. I agree with them, our money pay their high exchange rate and high labour cost. Thats it

[azri]

hoyhoysum, good argument.

[hoyhoysum]

Kinda think of it By the look of this forum kinda dark and grey, i am not sure whether the admin is stung by this british minimalist concept also. I kinda like lowyat forum where everything bright and white. Looks more cheerful and merry...

[Hi-Fi 4 Sale]

Kinda think of it By the look of this forum kinda dark and grey, i am not sure whether the admin is stung by this british minimalist concept also. I kinda like lowyat forum where everything bright and white. Looks more cheerful and merry...

Thanks for the feedback. BTW, I'm not the minimalist type nor do I particularly fancy British audio equipment. It's just that I'm artistically challenged, that's all. Working on it...

[teleman51]

Yeah admin,
Love that open attitude of yours. Makes my day after having battled the KL traffic.

Thanks hoyhoysum for the suggestion.I'm kinda taking a shine to your presence on this thread.Keep it coming bro.

Trying to get some pics of my old Luxman on this thread, just to show azri et al the build quality of Luxman amps.Mine's built like a tank!!!! And heavy too.

Hope to put some pics on this weekend .

teleman51

[azri]

yeah teleman, post some picts

[azri]

just received my 1st luxman equipment

[azri]

the luxman d-113d, audio alchemy dac & tube pre

[Bite]

Hi Guys,

Got bitten by the vintage bug after I got a Sansui AU222 a few months ago and recently acquired a Sansui AU101 and Sansui AU555A almost mint condition. A steal compared to prices we have to pay in Malaysia. A Luxman L31 has come up for sale.

It is extremely difficult to get information on the Luxman. Only information i managed to glean, that the SS Luxman's circa 70's early 80's were the equivalent of a Lexus, quality built, warm and smooth.

I read the L31 is similar to the L30 except with added watts, 38 to 35 watts I think.

Can anyone shed more light on the L31? Are the above assumptions correct? Is the sound warm or overly warm/treacle like/thick and bass slow and tubey? Not good at describing sound qualities. Has SS technology of the present day Luxman's improved by much over the Luxmans of the 70/80's?

Would appreciate any feedback on this model. Its almost in mint condition, full working order and going for approximately RM1,000.


Thanks.

[azri]

hi bite, good news for you
hope this helps :

[azri]

strage though coz with me is the full brosure
when i paste only 75% appeared hehe

[Bite]

Thanks Azri,

Thats a start. Where did you manage to find the brochure?

7 kgs....thats actually quite light but just nice to carry on board the plane

Anyone has some idea of its sonic characteristics?

rgs

[azri]

dont get me wrong, its just an online brosure
hey bite, u can always trust on solid state
but if its me, i'll be looking at least 50w/ch
they sound different & better on higher wattage

[Bite]

I went ahead with the L31. The external part of the amp is in good nick. I hooked her up and after 30 mins she started to smoke (no! not a cerut). There was smoke coming out from the amp. I contacted the seller and he reckons the problem could be the load the speakers are placing on the amp. I will probably hang on to the amp and have it checked out but can you or anyone else tell me whether a 4 Ohm load or a specific type of speaker cable, have that effect on the L31 amp.

Thanks.

[azri]

when u hook up 4 ohm instead of 8 ohm spk
the solid state amp will heat up twice as usual
the lowest possible for 8 ohm amp is 6 ohm
unless it is clearly stated 4~16 ohm on spk connections

considering its age, u should be extra carefull when connecting
if ur spk is an expensive 4 ohm spk, i bet it was meant for tubes
IMO

anyone else can advice?

[Bite]

Checked speaker specs. 8 ohms but i suspect it fluctuates to 4 ohms along the frequency band. Asked seller to check whether amp works with only 8 ohm load. Need to find out cause of problem otherwise cant use the amp. Azri, why the caution i.e age amp vs expensive speakers? U in Oz?

[hoyhoysum]

Hi, did you get the amp from a Malay guy in puchong kinrara? I missed his sale on heybrook hb1, my childhood dream speaker.

Anyway i think most Jap amps can drive 4 ohms. I believe Lux can handle 4 ohms nicely. If you see they offer 2 sperate speaker connection say A&B. They sure can handle 4 ohms easily. One thing i like about Jap make amps unlike british amp is that they have a speaker protection relay that isolate the speaker if the output transistor fails. But be careful also coz the sensing ciruit for the protection circuit also is made of semiconductor and has the same age as the rest of the circuit. The circuit might fail also to protect your speaker.

The speaker impedance will not blow the amplifier but will burnt out the protection fuse. They will not be any cherut smoke at all. Replacing the fuse will cure it. Unless if some componet fails, then you have to send in for repair. With the age and after long time storage this thing might happen.

[Bite]

Hi hoyhoysum,

In swineflu capital and got the amp here. Really nice vintage stuff. There is another Luxman L54A for sale as well but exterior not as good.

The L31 isnt an audiophile amp but " an audio snap shot of the SS sound during the early stages of development'. Can upgrade I suppose by changing caps etc.

There was smoke coming out from the amp, close to the slow blow fuse but it cant be the fuse as you say there shud,nt be any smoke.

I spoke to the seller last night and he reckons it could be the speaker load. He says he's had another case where a girl bought an amp and had 4 nos 4 ohm speakers connected to it and it did some damage to the amp. As mentioned the speakers i am using is substantially 8 ohms but think impedance may drop to around 4 ohms in the mid bass 200hz or so. But I reckon that shouldnt be the cause of it.

Perhaps you can help me here. I'd like to keep the amp but dont know if last nights episode may have caused any serious damage. What do you think? She was still making music while smoking the cerut ;-).

Other matter then is....... if I bring her home can I use her with my other speakers which are a 4 Ohm and 6-8 Ohm speaker (quite flat over the frequency range)?

Bring home and give her a good service and check up?

regards







a period type sound.

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