CES 2009

Luxe!

Wes Phillips  |  Jan 10, 2009

Luxman is another old-school, technology-driven Japanese company. Looking at the 250Wpc B-100F (80th Anniversary Commemoration) ($55,000/pair) is a reminder of the days when the great Asian manufacturers fought for the title "best." The B100F is huge and can deliver 2000W into 1 ohm.

It's packed with unique tech, too. Luxman believes that undyed circuit boards sound better, so they use uncolored Teflon boards and coats the copper traces with gold to deter corrosion. Luxman engineers also assert that 90-degree turns sound audibly inferior to gentle curves, so they perform "feng shui" in laying out gently curvilinear circuit paths that resemble something organic.

Luxman engineers also think that round wre doesn't "stack" right, so the wind the transformers with copper bars that have to be hammered into place by hand. The craftsman who performs this feat can only produce two transformers per day. Each transformer weighs 55lbs, uncaged.

All components are hand-connected, no soldering allowed. Luxman also employs a technology it has developed itself: ODNF (only distortion negative feedback). 0DNF is only applied to distortions within the signal, not globally.

And the sound, driving the G1Giya loudspeakers? Glorious—full and vivid, but absolutely effortless. De-freaking-luxe!

COMMENTS
Frank's picture
Submitted by Frank (not verified) on January 10, 2009 - 8:15pm

"Feng Shui"? Wes, I hope you're wearing a plaid suit as you type this drivel. Yeah, I know, you're only repeating what the manufacturer told you. That's the problem.

Tru Believer's picture
Submitted by Tru Believer (not verified) on January 11, 2009 - 10:18am

Being jealous is one thing, but man! What a trollfest.Luxman was doing the feng thing before it became a thing. It is part of what Luxman does. Star grounding, hybrids, even the Alpine-Luxman mashup produced some good stuff. Literally; the ebay auctioning of said stuff testifies to the longevity of the mergers end products. First of the intuitive and aesthetic remote controls also. FWIW; my TP-114 is still smooth; if not as dark and detailed as a modern $2K+ preamp.Hand pounded transformers? As in a human being is making this product? Like, an actual person with a spouse, kids, and maybe a mortgage? Japanese; working metal, like those silly sword things that are so famulous? Damn, that is some of the finest Audio I have heard for a loooong time. Trolls.

KBK's picture
Submitted by KBK (not verified) on January 11, 2009 - 12:03pm

Yes, ignorant fooks, engineers or not, will rant about things they don't actually understand. After all, an engineer is merely a technician with better liner notes.All that is stated about what Luxman is doing is well known with respects to signal routing and dielectric and mechanical effects.This, for engineers who strive to be clear thinking theoreticians:..as high end audio does go to areas where simple engineering is woefully inadequate to encompass the ramifications and complexities of proper signal reproduction.The fact that these nimrods who commented know absolutely squat about these subjects and how they pertain to audio --- is abundantly clear.Should I be nice and given them room for being ignorant a-holes? No, is my answer. Give it back the same as they dish it out. In their faces. It's all they understand. Nice has been tried for years, and they don't get it. Best to draw and fire quickly and get it over with. Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.Mi

LP's picture
Submitted by LP (not verified) on January 11, 2009 - 3:34pm

KBK. Get stuffed and take "Truly Gullible" with you.

suits_me's picture
Submitted by suits_me (not verified) on January 11, 2009 - 8:27pm

These at 55k for 250wpc obviously cannot compete with those 70k per 100w Yippeealong monoblocs. (I think they're monoblocs, cos of the word, "each," but I don't think it said, specifically.) How much more "funk sway" do you need than, say, an Ayre would provide?

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