[akgb]

I also own a 750u mk2. I spent a lot of time auditioning and listening to amps (bliss,oor,hm1,violectric,niimbus,hp4 etc etc) I landed on the Luxman. I never had a chance to directly A/B the Bliss vs the Luxman. But I have heard both and I now own the Luxman for whatever that's worth.

This amp is the absolute bargain of the century, in Japan you can get a used 750u for around 1.1k USD. Some vendors even have new mark 2's available still, (2.2kish with exchange rate) I think the added price of the mk2 is defiantly worth it. I was able to A/B both side by side and its a noticeable improvement. The only other amp that gave me the same "this is it" feeling were the Mass Kobo offerings. This is the amp everyone should be clamoring to obtain, all the hype around the Mjolnir 3 when this amp(used 750u) you can get for the same price is absolutely mind boggling. But again we all hear things differently

 

[devilboy]

I also own a 750u mk2. I spent a lot of time auditioning and listening to amps (bliss,oor,hm1,violectric,niimbus,hp4 etc etc) I landed on the Luxman. I never had a chance to directly A/B the Bliss vs the Luxman. But I have heard both and I now own the Luxman for whatever that's worth.

This amp is the absolute bargain of the century, in Japan you can get a used 750u for around 1.1k USD. Some vendors even have new mark 2's available still, (2.2kish with exchange rate) I think the added price of the mk2 is defiantly worth it. I was able to A/B both side by side and its a noticeable improvement. The only other amp that gave me the same "this is it" feeling were the Mass Kobo offerings. This is the amp everyone should be clamoring to obtain, all the hype around the Mjolnir 3 when this amp(used 750u) you can get for the same price is absolutely mind boggling. But again we all hear things differently

I owned the p-750u twice and it's a wonderful piece. Both times I got it on the used market for $3,000. I have never, ever seen the unit anywhere near the prices you mentioned. If I do, I'm jumping on it.

 

[akgb]

I owned the p-750u twice and it's a wonderful piece. Both times I got it on the used market for $3,000. I have never, ever seen the unit anywhere near the prices you mentioned. If I do, I'm jumping on it.

Apologies, that would be the price IN Japan. But with the savings you can have a wonderful trip to Tokyo, eat amazing food. Then come hope with a new amp! . Last visit to Tokyo, both E-earphones, and Fujiya Avic had used 750u's for around 1.1k with the current exchange rate USD > YEN. The Yen currently is very weak to the US dollar.

 

[devilboy]

Apologies, that would be the price IN Japan. But with the savings you can have a wonderful trip to Tokyo, eat amazing food. Then come hope with a new amp! . Last visit to Tokyo, both E-earphones, and Fujiya Avic had used 750u's for around 1.1k with the current exchange rate USD > YEN. The Yen currently is very weak to the US dollar.

 

[smodtactical]

Currently running both the Luxman P-750u MKII w/DA-06 as well as the Holo Bliss KTE w/Spring 3 KTE with several high-end headphones (Caldera, Susvara, Utopia 2022). Picked-up each of these head-amp + DAC pairs for ~$5.5-6k on the secondary market.

Holo: Qobuz -> Roon Nucleus -> Holo Red -> Holo Spring 3 KTE (NOS) -> Holo Biss KTE -> 4-pin XLR Moon Silver Dragon -> Caldera/Susvara/Utopia​

​

Luxman: Qobuz -> Roon Nucleus -> Lumin U2 -> Luxman DA-06 -> Luxman P-750u MK II (120v -> 100v) -> 4-pin XLR Moon Silver Dragon -> Caldera/Susvara/Utopia​

I've been a big fan of Luxman build quality and craftsmanship for a while, though I was surprised by the poor measurements (ASR) of the SQ-N150 desktop tube-amp. This led me to the Bliss/Spring combo as it is one of the cleanest measuring (GoldenSound, ASR) stacks I've seen.

Based on the exceptional Holo measurements, I anticipated a significant 'a ha' difference in comparison with the P-750p/DA-06. However, that has not been my experience. While the Bliss/Spring stack is excellent, as widely reviewed, I still prefer the overall experience of the Luxman stack.

Both Luxman and Holo offer beautiful, clean hardware designs with top-tier components. It's hard not to fall in love with the visual aesthetics of this gear. Both provide satisfying tactile (hefty, well-machined knobs and buttons) and auditory (relay click) feedback, as well.



While the Luxman is a bit behind in headphone/IEM connectivity (no 4.4mm jack), the P-750u still offers excellent power with low-noise (116dB balanced) and I've had no trouble driving the Susvara (60Ω, 83 dB). I rarely use more than half of the capability at typical listening volume.

While the Spring 3 KTE R2R DAC measures and reviews really well, I'm still pleased with the sound from the older Luxman DA-06 (dual Burr-Brown PCM1792).

Ultimately, the Luxman sound aligns well with my listening preferences - clean, precise highs complemented by well-defined mid-bass and deep, black background.

Both of these stacks offer outstanding, luxurious listening experiences and either would make an excellent end-game desktop system.

Did you try to mix the dacs to see what the result was ?

 

[a_screaming]

Did you try to mix the dacs to see what the result was ?

Yes, swapping in the Spring 3 KTE (or better yet, the May KTE) with the P-750u provides the best overall experience, on-par with much more expensive DACs (Chord DAVE + M-Scaler and Weiss DAC502).

The OCD part of me has a hard time mixing the Luxman and Holo aesthetics, but damn the sound is sweet!

 

[smodtactical]

Yes, swapping in the Spring 3 KTE (or better yet, the May KTE) with the P-750u provides the best overall experience, on-par with much more expensive DACs (Chord DAVE + M-Scaler and Weiss DAC502).

The OCD part of me has a hard time mixing the Luxman and Holo aesthetics, but damn the sound is sweet!

May + p750u sounds like a cool combination.

 

[devilboy]

Yes, swapping in the Spring 3 KTE (or better yet, the May KTE) with the P-750u provides the best overall experience, on-par with much more expensive DACs (Chord DAVE + M-Scaler and Weiss DAC502).

The OCD part of me has a hard time mixing the Luxman and Holo aesthetics, but damn the sound is sweet!

Lol!

The aesthetic of the 750u is so damn classy and elegant. It's borderline headphone pornography .
I wish I never sold it.

 

[a_screaming]

May + p750u sounds like a cool combination.

Sounds fantastic, looks not so much

 

[a_screaming]

Lol!

The aesthetic of the 750u is so damn classy and elegant. It's borderline headphone pornography .
I wish I never sold it.

Indeed

 

[a_screaming]

Problem solved. Stack the Luxman, listen through the May. Eyes and ears both happy!

 

[a_screaming]

Has anyone seen a reliable assessment of whether step-down 120V-100V transformers have any measurable or audible impact on sound quality?

Some great gear available in Japan at reasonable prices, but not released in the US, including the P-750u MKII.

I've been running step-down for a while, but haven't noticed any difference. Wondering if anyone has seen a more rigorous engineering analysis?

 

[gonzalo05]

Has anyone seen a reliable assessment of whether step-down 120V-100V transformers have any measurable or audible impact on sound quality?

Some great gear available in Japan at reasonable prices, but not released in the US, including the P-750u MKII.

I've been running step-down for a while, but haven't noticed any difference. Wondering if anyone has seen a more rigorous engineering analysis?

What set-down are you using?

 

[a_screaming]

What set-down are you using?

ACUPWR Tru-Watts 300

 

[akgb]

I use a Nissyo step down transformer. To my ears with the transformer it sounds exactly as it did in Tokyo when listening to it.... amazing!