Luxman LV-105u Integrated Amplifiers
Luxman LV-105u Integrated Amplifiers
USER REVIEWS
[Dec 18, 2014]
j.r. van wijk
Casual Listener
De Luxman lv105 is een prima versterker.
|
[Feb 21, 2010]
gadget1
AudioPhile
i dont agree with any of the other reveiws that i read
|
[Jul 02, 2003]
caitjens
Casual Listener
Strength:
Soft warm sound.
Weakness:
Lacks bass Mid range gets out of control at high volume settings I purchased the Lv_105u new about 15 years ago. I would have to agree with a couple of the other reviews. The bass performance is relatively poor, at higher listening levels, the mid range is muddled. On the positive side the sound is soft, and at lower volumes with the bass turned up it sounds great. Similar Products Used: Rotel |
[Jun 05, 2003]
Perj
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Good natural sound, can play all sorts of music.
Weakness:
None so far. This amp just does it. I have had many different amps, Jolida tube, Audio Note, Sugden, Musical fidelity etc. The sound is smooth with a great soundstage, I have no problems with the sound when i crank it up to higher volumes, it still have good crisp highs, mellow mids and a good bass. The best thing is that you can purchase it for about 250 USD in DK in mint condition. The tubes used is still made and not hard to get (type: 6CG7) Similar Products Used: Jolida JD 102B, Audio Note OTO, Sugden a21, Accuphase E202, Musical Fidelity A1, Cambridge A500 etc. |
[Mar 20, 2002]
Pontus
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Relaxed sound. Quite powerful amp. CD direct button, a must to fully enjoy amp.
Weakness:
This amp may get you hooked on tubes, happened to me, so watch out! A bit too soft in the low end. Lacks a pre out option, apparently due to the existence of a feedback circuit (why else are there more than 4 wires between pre/power stage?). This amp has a smooth sound with comparably good soundstaging and detail. Low bass could be firmer and more powerful. A lot more detail and soundstage can be found in my current 300B SE amp (8 watts), but the Lux definitely has got more overall punch and drive. Contrary to what has been stated in a previous review the tubes DO affect the sound. I have A/B tested two diffrenet LV-105u with somewhat worn and really worn stock tubes. Then tried some EI tubes and they all sounded notably different, not surprisingly the newer the tubes the better the sound. Overall verdict: This amp sounds sweet and relaxed, equally so for all kinds of music. However, really compressed material (typically pop/rock) played at high levels can sound a bit muddled. Interestingly the original owner of the amp decided to upgrade to a 60´s RCA amp. Yes, we do have some vintage US gear in Sweden, although not too many (except for Dynaco which is quite common). Similar Products Used: N/A |
[Jan 16, 2000]
Brad
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Stronger than it's rated output; kind to difficult loads; good looking; versatile inputs
Weakness:
No separate amp/preamp jacks; speaker binding posts do not accept bannana plugs; moderately expensive This is a very nice Integrated amp. I have the slightly older version which lacks the CD direct feature, but essentially these are the same. The Mosfet/Tube hybrid design takes a bit of both and manages to produce a comfortable and pleasant product. Similar Products Used: NAD 3020a; a ton of mass market Receivers; Adcom and Rotel amp/preamp combinations; older Rosewood Series Luxman gear |
[Sep 27, 2001]
Fred Garvin
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Harmonic accuracy. Realism. Warmth. CD Direct. Quality phono stage. Tube pre-heating mechanism.
Weakness:
Stock tubes aren't the greatest. I am using this amp with a pair of vintage advents. Phono sounds amazing though this amp. For the price, this amp is perfect for someone who enjoys the sound of tubes with the low distortion power of solid state amplification. This unit is a bargin. I would suggest finding different tubes to smooth the sound or to enhance the overall bass response. I love this amp and it will suffice till I can afford more expensive audiophile gear. Similar Products Used: none - unique in its nature |
[Jan 27, 2002]
Scott
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Decent sound quality at lower volume
Weakness:
Tubes don't effect sound quality- there presense is superficial, low power output, constricted design in parts I'm actually writing here about the original LV-103, not the 105. But the design characteristics carry over to the 105. The U versions are an improvement, but these Luxman units are poorly designed with cheap parts and constricted output. The preamp stage I'm told is worse in design then the output stage, so just using this thing as a preamp is not worth bothering since better stuff can be had by other companies. The tubes I've also been told make NO effect on the sound quality, so there presense is superficial for looks only. Only one part of the tube is even used. Now for my review on the 103: Similar Products Used: Denon PMA-300, Rotel RC-980 with Rotel RB-970 |
[Jun 11, 1999]
Michael Day
an Audio Enthusiast
The Luxman LV-105u is a stereo integrated amplifier with 80 watts x 2, 0.25% THD (0.015% THD @ 1kHz), 0.03% IM Distortion. I purchased this unit about ten years ago to drive my Klipschorns. This integrated amplifier is unique in that it uses 1st stage input J-FETS, 2nd stage 6CG7A vacuum tubes and 3rd stage power MOSFETS in lieu of the typical all solid state circuit. There is a CD Straight switch which bypasses the input selectors, tape monitor, mode, tone controls, balance and signal processor switch to give the shortest direct path to the power amplifier. Since the amp uses vacuum tubes, a pre-heat mode may be switched on to retain quiescent operating conditions for the tubes, power output stages and other circuitry when the power switch is turned off. This eliminates turn on delay but does generate considerable heat (nice in the winter but a bummer during the summer). |
[Apr 29, 2000]
Tim Bjørn
Audiophile
Strength:
Easy to listen to, cd straight function, warm sound.
Weakness:
do not except banana plugs, not very pretty in my oppinion. I've had the amp for a week now, and i'm very positive about it. It sounds warm without sounding dark in any way, it has a fairly good soundstage, creamy mids soft but clear hights. The bass can be a bit sloppy but doesnt have to be. Similar Products Used: Harman/Kardon receiver, denon amp. |