AXPONA 2025

“It’s Luxman’s 100th Anniversary,” Stereophile Editor Jim Austin told me in passing. “You’ve got to hear how good the sound is in the Rhythm Distribution room that Luxman shares with Marten and Jorma.”

In the Prosperity room—a nice aspirational name—I found beautiful timbres and open, spacious sound. A DSD file of the Shelly Manne Trio’s “The Sicks of Us” excelled in smoothness and refinement. On a 24-bit/96kHz recording of pianist Alice Sara Ott performing Chopin, the system conveyed the piano’s radiance and its beguiling delicacy. Air and space were again excellent; dynamics, impressive. Bass occasionally swamped the room at higher levels, but at a sensible volume, it was tight and well balanced.

Chatting with John Pravel, Luxman America’s vice president of sales, I learned that the brand’s reputation for quality has remained strong in Japan and Europe since its founding. Though there were some issues in other markets, the company’s direction has stabilized since new ownership took over 10 years ago.

I used to think of Luxman as a vintage brand with unremarkable, middle-of-the-road sound. That was wrong, and Jim Austin was right. When I heard this system’s full-range portrayal of a symphony orchestra, I realized I’d underestimated something remarkable.

Heard: Luxman L-509Z Centennial Edition integrated amplifier ($12,995), NT-07 Centennial Edition streamer ($7995), D-07X Centennial Edition SACD/DAC ($10,495), PD-151 Mark II Centennial Edition turntable ($5995), and LMC-5 MC phono cartridge ($2695). Marten provided the Quintet Diamond loudspeakers ($54,000/pair), and Jorma the Unity and other-level cabling. A Silent Angel Bonn NX network switch ($3999) and AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner ($5900) completed the over-$130,000 system.