System
This is supposed to be a temporary system while my NDX/XPSdr,282/SCdr/250dr/HCdr/HL2 are in storage with my PMC Twenty5.23s. This is a second main system comprised of the current Luxman Neo Classico amp and CD player/DAC pair SQ-N150 and D-N150. With only an A4 footprint, it goes nicely on a tiny Quadraspire Midi rack. This way, separates take up a tiny footprint. The DAC is fed via a Lenovo fanless ThinkCentre on the bottom shelf running Audirvana. All cables and interconnects are also Luxman entry level cables.
Cost target was everything together (excluding headphones which I already had), must be had for the cost of one new SuperCap or less. The Luxman’s cost a lot less in Japan, otherwise this would have been impossible.
Build Quality
These are tactile units meant to be touched. The finish on them is absolutely perfect. The solid heavy motion of the switches and knobs; the joins on the casing; the quality of the casing itself and thought to layout is just incredible. I hate to admit it, but, at least in terms of casework and external build quality, the Luxman leaves my Naim components a bit lacking. I think Naim components are built with amazing care. The Luxman is just in another league here. Even the remote control is a throwback to another time. It has about 20 buttons but they are spaced out with oceans of space between them on a remote that is big enough for 200 buttons. It’s a gigantic metal thing screwed together and as thick as a pack of cigarettes.
There is a lovely touch where the the Orange LED for power on both the amp and DAC, and the LED on the volume knob are obsessively matched to the exact (really exact) same shade of orange as the glow from the EL84 vacuum tubes. I cannot even say the green Naim logo LEDs on my other system are all the same exact shade of green.
The Omega Junior 8 XRS
These are an unusual speaker sold direct from the tiny US factory mostly. The are about the same size as my PMC Twenty5.23 and similar dimensions to the 23s if turned sideways. They are clearly hand made rather than given the consistency of a larger production line. The veneers are superb though. They use a single full range 8 inch driver and a large rear port with a fabric diffuser. Although rear ported, it is a large and fluted port and allows them to be totally happy up to 6 inches to a rear wall. Unusually, they use no crossover of any kind. Nearly all single driver speakers still require some sort of crossover to limit the output extremes and prevent damage or make them listenable. The Omega drivers don’t. They have very tube friendly phase angles and at 97db sensitivity combine to make them a good choice for a puny 10w amp and a large room.
Benefits of Active with none of the fuss
First of all, this is not an active system. Let me make that clear. However, The crossoverless Omegas, with their single drive unit form a direct coupling with the amp, which is the main benefit of an active system, rather than the active crossover itself.
Findings
After 100 hrs of running in, I fell totally in love with how this system presents music. One afternoon I took the time to finally position the speakers properly. I wanted them to work firing straight - they looked so gorgeous this way - but alas they needed toe in. When I got them into the right position and it clicked, I actually burst out laughing. It was a total joke how good this dinky system sounded.
It is very hard to make an accurate comparison of the amp to my Naim amp, or DAC to my NDX or speakers to my PMCs because too many variables have changed at once. The source, the cables, and amp, the speakers and the room have all be changed at the same time. I can only really comment about the system as a whole. I had pretty modest expectations given the massive difference in cost and the speakers were a punt. I was prepared for it to be a failure actually and see the back of it when the Naim gets rolled out again. But this system is a delight. The speakers work amazingly well with the amp and have no problems on 10w at filling a large room at realistic volumes.
What was really shocking is that this modest system actually did some things better than the big Naim/PMC system. Not everything, but given the cost difference, it shouldn’t be doing anything better. Yet this system is more than just a compact toy. Up to now, I would have said that “transparency” was just a synonym for “detail” but I think the Luxman/Omega system has educated me here. There is a sort of total separation on the Luxman/Omega where notes flow free and distinct from each other without ever merging that is beguiling and yet never clinical. I don’t know if that mainly comes from the lack of a crossover or the system as a whole but it makes listening just so darn easy and even at low levels, it all just comes free of the speakers without any smearing that tends to happen with the other system unless you crank the volume a bit. Vocal clarity is truly astounding too with such a real pinpoint presence and timbral accuracy. I once read a review of the bookshelf version of the Omegas where they described them having the midrange superiority of Harbeth with the rocking soul of a pair of JBLs. Not sure what to make of that. They aren’t particularly weighty in the bass department (compared to PMCs), but what is there is just incredibly clear and easy to follow. The top end is smooth and doesn’t have the aggressive bite of the PMCs, but that that might not be a bad thing. The system is extremely easy on the ear without being laid back. It does rock.
Things the Luxman/Omega does better
- Separation. Manages this and steers clear of clinical by a mile.
- Frequency linearity. My perception is that everything is part of a whole. I would never before have said I was aware of individual HF/LF drive units on a good multi driver speaker. Except now I’ve heard how a good point source sounds. I guess hearing units working independantly is something you aren’t aware of until you hear something that isn’t doing that.
- Left to right soundstaging. It’s precise. Laser precise.
- Noise floor. It’s not just the absence of the Naim characteristic background hiss. Sounds just come out of nowhere and this is true of headphone listening too. I suspect the D-N150 DAC and how Luxman have implemented the Ti PCM5102A chip is playing a large role here. This is really an incredibly good source. The cost performance is superb. In fact, the noise floor is probably the reason for the separation. I can’t wait to plug it into the 282 and see how it fares against the NDX/XPSdr. I’m also afraid to.
- Transparency. Soundstaging and detail aside, somehow there is just less between the listener and the music.
- Smooth top end. It’s just lovely on the ear.
- Forgiving of imperfect recordings. The low noise floor and greater separation makes some older, less than perfect recordings really shine. The Naim/PMC can sometimes show up all the flaws. This is really the system for digging out the oldies. Sly and The Family Stone is sounding like actual hifi now.
Things the Naim/PMC does better
- Detail. It does extract more from the material.
- Front to back soundstaging. The Luxman does this just fine, but the Naim/PMC has an incredibly deep front to back presentation that really puts a band in the room.
- Bass. There is plenty on tap and it is controlled.
- Off axis soundstaging. You can really wander around the room away from the listening position and be way off to one side and the “in the room” illusion still hangs together. The PMCs are just great for enjoying with other people. The Omegas on the other hand do suddenly change presentation if you are not between the speakers. Their laser like precision relies heavily on positioning relative to the listener whereas the PMCs are not that fussy.
- The band “jammin’ in your room” feeling. The aggressive bite that the Naim/PMC can deliver really goes a long way to the live feel.
Ultimately, the Luxman system is just utterly brilliant (and small!). I could so live with it as my main system. I may have to do some real soul searching. Both systems are keepers, but which will end up in the living room and which the kitchen or office?
Headphone amp
The headphone out on the Luxman isn’t a built in headphone amp. You basically get the same amp section driving headphones as you do for speakers. I was amazed find the Luxman works miles better with my HD-800 than the HL2/HCdr did. It could all get a bit fatiguing before but suddenly it sounds effortless and long listening sessions on heaphones are truly engaging. It is less clinical sounding than the Naim and yet somehow more coherent and easy to follow too. It’s no surprise that the majority of people buying the SQ-N150 do so without speakers and use it purely as a dedicated headphone amp. It is utterly superb. I probably need to think about moving the HL2/HCdr on. I can’t see myself going back to them.
