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When Philip O'Hanlon of On a Higher Note, Luxman's US distributor, delivered the B-1000F monoblocks, it took three of us to wrestle their shipping crates into my house and then into the listening room. Once they were unpacked, it still took two of us to maneuver each of them into position—at 141 lbs and 16.9" wide by 11.6" high by 23.3" deep, the B-1000F is far from easy to shift. Fortunately, O'Hanlon had also brought along a pair of Stillpoint stands specifically made for the Luxmans; the B-1000Fs certainly wouldn't have fit into my equipment racks. (The Stillpoints are lovely things. I…
This solidity and jump factor remained constant throughout my audition of the Luxmans. The amps' stability and solidity of imaging, and natural dynamic ease never failed to impress me. Take, for example, "Lover You Should Have Come Over," from Jeff Buckley's Grace (CD, Columbia CK 57528). The song begins softly, with acoustic guitar and Buckley gently singing, but as it continues and Buckley's band comes in behind him, his singing gains urgency and grandeur. The Luxman revealed all of this without adding weight to Buckley's ethereal voice. More important, as each layer of instrumental and…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier. Rated output: 250W into 8 ohms (24dBW), 500W into 4 ohms (24dBW). Peak power: 1000W into 2 ohms, 2000W into 1 ohm. Frequency response: DC–150kHz, +0/–3dB. Nominal voltage gain: 32dB into 8 ohms. Input sensitivity: 1V for full power. Input impedance: 51k ohms (RCA), 67k ohms (XLR). Harmonic distortion: 0.0007% at 1kHz, balanced. Signal/noise ratio: 118dB (A-weighted). Power consumption: 439W (rated power output), 232W (idle), 0.7W (standby).
Dimensions: Each: 16.9" (430mm) W by 11.6" (300mm) H by 23.3" (…
Sidebar 2; Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP, Luxman DU80 universal players; Apple Mac mini 2.5GHz computer with 250GB LaCie drive and 2TB Infrant Technologies NAS; Ayre Acoustics QB-9, Bel Canto e.One DAC3/VBS D/A converters; Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 USB S/PDIF converter.
Preamplifier: Luxman C800F.
Power Amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Vivid Audio G1Giya, Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha W/P.
Cables: USB: EntreQ Discover. Interconnect: Shunyata Research Aurora Aeros, Stealth Metacarbon. Speaker: Shunyata Research Aurora…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
To perform the measurements on the Luxman B-1000F, I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). Before doing the testing, I ran the Luxman at one-third its rated power for 60 minutes, which thermally is the worst case for an amplifier with a class-A/B output stage. At the end of that period, the chassis was only mildly warm.
The voltage gain into 8 ohms was the same from the balanced and unbalanced inputs, and slightly higher than specified: 32.6dB. The…
After seven previous Grammy nominations for his engineering efforts, veteran recording engineer and equipment designer Keith O. Johnson has received his first Grammy. Together with producer David Frost, "Professor" Johnson won Best Surround Sound Album (for vocal or instrumental albums) at the 53rd Annual Grammy® Awards.
Presented on Sunday, February 13, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Johnson and Frost's Grammy-honored Reference Recordings' hybrid multi-channel SACD, Britten's Orchestra (RR-120SACD). Performed by the excellent Kansas City Orchestra, conducted by Michael Stern,…
Kalman Rubinson wrote about the Ayre DX-5 in January 2011 (Vol.34 No.1):
Last month, Michael Fremer and John Atkinson had their ways with this long-awaited, $10,000 player from Ayre Acoustics, but here I take a different tack. Though I used the DX-5's analog outputs and USB input (primarily with a tweaked Squeezebox Touch), my focus was on its multichannel output via HDMI. Interestingly, the DX-5 has two HDMI outputs: one, HDMI A/V Output, is the same as that on the Oppo Digital BDP-83, on whose DNA the Ayre is based; the other, HDMI Audio Output, is based on Ayre's gene splicing. They…
Rega P3-24 drive-belt upgrade November 2010 (Vol.33 No.11)
With its long and cherished history, and its abundance of critical praise and commercial success, Rega's P3 is a turntable worth knowing (footnote 1). The original Planar 3 was ranked 30th on Stereophile's Hot 100 list of most important hi-fi components of all time, and the latest incarnation of this fine and simple design, the P3-24 ($895 with tonearm), sits proudly in Class C of our "Recommended Components"—and, as my long-term reference, in my living room.
In his July 2008 review, Michael Fremer admired the P3-24 for…
Sidebar: SM’s Associated Equipment
Integrated Amplifier: Exposure 2010S.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3.
Cables: Furutech Evolution.
Accessories: Furutech E-Tp60 Power Distributor, Polycrystal Equipment Rack.
SM's System
Integrated Amplifier: Exposure 2010S.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3.
Cables: Furutech Evolution.
Accessories: Furutech E-Tp60 Power Distributor, Polycrystal Equipment Rack.
Uncle Omar's System
Analog Source: Rega P1 turntable, RB100 tonearm, Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.
Integrated Amplifier: Cambridge Audio Azur 350A.
Loudspeakers: Totem Acoustic Arro.
Cables: Bare RadioShack wire.—Stephen Mejias
The Isle of Wight-based company, Artisan Silver Cables, has launched a new brand, Giant-Killer Cables, “a range of painstakingly handcrafted audiophile-quality OFC and silver-plated OFC cables at exceptionally reasonable prices.” There are currently two options available—the Ultra-Pure interconnect starts at £49/0.5m pair, while the Quad-Core Silver interconnect starts at £99/0.5m pair—but the company plans to also offer HDMI and USB cables.
How do Giant-Killer Cables keep their prices reasonable? The company sells direct through their website and claims kinder business…