Luxman

I would be glad to listen to this Luxman. Just for curiosity. But even if I doubted sometimes, I would never return today for a cd player.
Only if I had deep pockets, I would be without hesitation a Cd555 with twin ps, as a secondary source. And the new SME 60, with a top Tron phono. :innocent:

@MrDom I love the Special 40s. Back at the end of 2018 I was auditioning speakers, it was a long process that took more than two months. I heard a lot of speakers – PMC, Neat, ATC, B&W - but none of them I liked. I was just about to tear my hair out when my dealer said that he had a pair of S40s he could lend me. As soon as I got them home and plugged them in, I loved them.

Since then I’ve heard the Heritage Specials, and they are like S40s on steroids, with loads of detail, welly, huge amounts of bass and a very high boogie factor – I wanted them (and if I could afford them I would buy a pair like a shot). As you say, the appearance and workmanship is out of this world.

My ideal system would be Klimax LP12 – Luxman D10-X – 552 – 300 – Heritage Specials (I’m not really as fan of big floorstanders so the HS would be my ultimate speaker).

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Thanks for your thoughts on them. I will have to listen to them one day, maybe even home demo :thinking:

I’m loving the ideal system, that would certainly sing and I would be very surprised if I didn’t like what that system can/could do.

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Which Neats did you dem Kev? Thought they’d have gelled with your 72/250?.

@YetiZone – I think they were Motive SX3 (?). They were the cheapest of all the speakers I auditioned and after the S40s were the ones I liked best, though they didn’t quite have the welly I was after. The ATCs were I thought really boring, the PMCs had an irritating “graininess” at the top end and the B&Ws were a bit too “hi-fi” for my taste. The S40s were “love at first hear” – it’s often said that Dynaudio speakers are a good match for Naim amps, and that has certainly been my experience.

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Thanks @TheKevster The SX3s are stand mounts IIRC and think they match well with Naim kit (I’m a fan of Neat speakers). Agree on the S40 though - heard them twice and they are very good.

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If I was going to spend that kind of dosh on a CD player, I think I would like to be comforted in knowing there is a guarantee of longevity. What happens if the transport fails (and I assume they will), can it be repaired, replaced ? And the other electronics ? How long into the future ?

15 grand is a lot to pay for a future doorstop.

I really like the idea of the top Rega player, where the manufacturer stores two extra transports, forever, for you, for when they are needed in the future.

I had an interesting day a few weeks ago listening to two SME60s with different arms and cartridges and comparing that, with one album, to the mastertape.

I have to say I was floored by my Tron 7 GT. That said your EAR is none too shabby!

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UK is the audiophile paradise! Don’t think I will ever see the SME 60 in France. But I prefer not to listen to if I have not the funds. The frustration can long several days after.

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Now that looks like a very special machine for playing a different kind of disc! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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I need this machine to play my discs.

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Worth noting that while 15k is a lot for purely a CD player, the Luxman isn’t.

Better to think of it as a DAC that happens to have a CD drive. I have a lower end Luxman and I think I’ve played 2 discs in 2 years. It’s fed by a streaming transport as my main source.

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I’m curious - why single out the CD player? If anything should be singled out in that trio it is tge TT

(I certainly wouldn’t spend that on a CD player, as to me it is no better and potentially not as good as streaming from my local store of downloaded files or ripped CDs.)

I guess I’m a vinyl guy and always thought of CD’s as an inferior medium lacking the true art of a vinyl master cutter.
Streaming is a pure file that is stored and then played back in as clean and unpolluted a way as possible. Using all the electronic trickery you can muster to get as close as possible to the original recording.
TT is pure Analogue, Streaming is Pure Digital, but CD is Analogue containing digital and played through a hybrid of both. It’s glorified Cassette in a way.
You expect character and texture from Vinyl, but similar faults in CD are purely unacceptable from what was historically referred to as the purest way to listen to music.
I’ve had an ‘expensive’ in its day (Linn Genki) CD player. Never fully enjoyed listening to it as much as vinyl.
But this is just my opinion. If I heard a Luxman, perhaps I would have a completely different one.
Just for the sake of peace and harmony I add YMMV😊

I think you’ll find the D-10x competes just fine with pure DACs at it’s price point if playing discs isn’t your thing.

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I would like to argue that physical media, as in a CD, is still better sounding if one pits the top product or each category against one another (i.e. streaming or file as source, that is). Therefore, it is imperative to spend the best that one can when considering such a component. If you have a chance at it, go for it ! Well recorded CDs comes close to vinyl replay.

I, too will join the Luxman club in 6-7 months as I have booked a M-10X a few days ago.

Merry Christmas all !

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If you are ever back at Signals ask to hear one of the Accuphase sacd players, they even have the £20k one……just wonderful.

Thanks for the suggestion @Gazza, but if I buy another CD Player it will almost certainly be an AL 6000CDT and will probably be connected through an ND5 XS 2 or similar :blush:
My only possible future double figures purchase will be in amplification and even then it’ll be on the back of a lottery win😂

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I have one and it is really good, It replaced a Bartok and clock. It is very detailed, but as has been said it doesn’t thrust detail at you. I do use it mainly as a dac as i find streaming more convenient, but the cd does give you a bit more. I had to wait about 6-8 weeks for delivery.

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I will never buy one either, just nice to listen and see what can be done on the cd side.