Luxman Mq88use Amplfier and a Luxman Cl38use Preamplifier Review

1. Does anyone here accept any experience with the Luxman CL-38u SE preamp and MQ-88u SE amp? Would love to hear your opinions. Especially how good is the phono stage on the CL-38s SE.

   

4. I bought the CL38U-SE about 7 months agone and it the best preamp I accept ever owned. Only 100 of the SE's were congenital so It'southward hard to find everyone who has used ane. This preamp is not warm and fuzzy. Dissimilar my CJ ET-3SE which I sold the sound is shine but very Dynamic. Your not going to go rolled of highs w/this preamp. Every bit far as the phono is concerned it'southward one of the best features of the preamp. It uses 4 step up transformers. 2for MC High and two for MC Low carts. Records are expressionless quiet and therein plenty of detail in the music. I practice non utilize the MQ-88U-SE amp but my local dealer has hooked it upwards in the demo room. The amp has powered a pair of Klipsch La Scalla'southward. Very impressive. He also had the Luxman TT in the organization. I know Art Dudley of Stereophile has relied both these items over the past year and he compares them very favorably w/his much more expensive Shindo gear. My electric current setup has a Bryston ii.five SST2 amp, Aeriform 5T'southward, Linn TT due west/a Lingo three, Bluesound Node and a RME ADI 2-DAC.

5. Interesting that you mention that it's non warm and fuzzy. I was expecting information technology would be on the warmer side of neutral, every bit Dudley this say it compares very favorably to his (at the fourth dimension) Shindo Masseto preamp, which is on the warm side of neutral. In the latest Stereophile, he reviewed the MQ-88u SE and also said it is on par, though with some differences, with his Shindo Haut Brion amp. I honey the Shindo sound, just not the Shindo prices and was hoping that this was a bang-up alternative.

   I did love my previous KT-88 based Line Magnetic integrated amp (216IA). I'm only curious how this combo would stack up against my current Line Magnetic 518IA SET integrated as well as the included phonostage vs. my Acoustic Plan Phonomaster SE. What would I gain and what would I lose? At that place doesn't seem to be anywhere in NYC where I can hear the Luxman.

6. Well I was comparing it to a CJ ET-3 SE which but lacked the top end dynamics. In my stance it rolled off the top as well much. My description of the CL 38 U Se would be smoothen and neutral. Luxman has really stepped upwards it'south game over the last few years. I had gone to another dealer and compared this preamp to a 10K VAC preamp and the Luxman IMHO was better. Luxman is coming out westward/the CL38 U-C. Same preamp but w/a set of balanced outputs. Don't know the price but it should be on the market soon.

7. I know the deviation in the MQ-88u SE and MQ-88u C is the oil capacitors in the former vs. film caps in the latter (and how do you set the output impedance when there is only one set of outputs?). Other than the balanced outputs on the CL-38u C, what are the other differences in the SE model?

8. I call back the tubes too. The SE uses the JJ ECC 802S for the preamp and the ECC 803S for the phono. The new pre amp uses the cheaper JJ tubes.

9. Anyone else here have any experience with the Luxman CL-38u preamp?

10. Subscribed to see if you lot stop up listening to this combo, simply I'd exist shocked if it were better than the Phonomaster/518i philharmonic.

11. Seeing this a bit belatedly. I have the luxman and detect the phonostage and overall sound to exist excellent. I likewise like the convenience of the remote and toggle switche for mono. I accept it connected into a older Mcintosh solid state which may be limiting it slightly. The Lux as a pre-amp for the 518ia might exist an interesting pairing?

12. I just added the Luxman PD-171 A TT to my CL38U SE. Honey the combination.

13. How-do-you-do all,
    as a newcomer on this forum i but noticed this thread. I take played with lots of dissimilar gear (both tube and solid country) over the years now, but i have constitute my ease of heed and centre in the Luxman CL-38uC and MQ-88uC combo. I decided to go for the Luxman to supervene upon my beloved but vulnerable Graaf amps afterwards extensive research including Luxman solid state amps and other brands like Accuphase. Compared to the earlier limited SE versions the tubes are indeed the simpler ECC83S and ECC82 versions and the paper-in oil caps are replaced past film caps. Every bit far as i know the used KT88's are the same. All tubes are new production by JJ. Another difference between the C and SE version is the newer pre amp also has a balanced line input. In my setup with a Benz Micro Wood S Medium cartridge the pre amp performs absolutely fantastic and is expressionless silent. A keen soundstage, a real three-D holographic project. It'south just like the old B&W slogan 'listen and you'll see' is coming to life. The power amp, driving 6 ohm Diapason Adamantes III, does it's job with bang-up dominance and ease. Shine highs, deep and controlled bass and an all natural feeling. After extensive testing with unlike interconnects my DAC performs consistently best on the counterbalanced input of the pre amp. This setup tin be listened to for hours and hours without any fatigue. I looks stunning as well, it is built beautifully and it has a not bad piddling remote control. So what tin i wish for... maybe later on on some tube rolling?
    Best regards.

14. Congrats on the CL38uC. It'south a neat preamp. I have the SE version. I've had it for over i and 1/ii years. Just every bit quiet equally the day I bought it. Have you tried the phono stage? I sold my outboard phono as the internal phono is very adept. Hasn't been much conversation on the SE existence only 100 were made for worldwide distribution. Hopefully more volition discover the new version. I don't have the amp but heard information technology many time at my dealer. He ordinarily had information technology hooked up to a pair of LaScalla's westward/the Luxman PD-171A TT. Fantastic modern retro setup. Enough of conversation on solid country Luxman'south. But very little on the tube side which is a shame as their tube products tin can stand to many of the competitors out there.

15. My main source is vinyl, so i use the MC phono input most of the time (with the Benz Micro Woods cart mounted on a Transrotor turntable). I play a medium output version of this cartridge, but this pre amp is so repose a depression output will perform great likewise. The MM input is tested with an Audio Technica cart mounted on a Thorens and is very very skilful also.
    Over the years i take played with many different phono stages, merely afterward all i prefer an all-tube setup or a setup like the Luxman using tubes and a footstep up transformer. The mode Luxman created a perfect combination at this price-performance level is impressive and a real joy.

16. Hello, simply joined the group.
    I take both (se version) and I love the combo.
    Speakers are Devore Super 9.
    A MQ-300 just joined the arrangement and it's too a great amp.
    Please ask if you have any questions.

17. Has anyone rolled tubes in the C38u? I'm especially interested in the phone stage

18. Nice amp - I bet that MQ-300 is a peach. Lots of quality atomic number 26, including Finemet chokes, parallel drivers, twin tube rectification. Done properly and not merely jewellery, it seems. It could probably do with some horns on the terminate of it, or some field-whorl exotica, no?

    Concluding edited: April xv, 2020

19. I am not sure I've heard anyone make direct comparisons between the audio profiles of the MQ88-apply and the MQ-300. Do you accept any listening observations yous could share?

20. I don't own the C38u but I rolled the preamp tubes in the MQ-88uC and it was very beneficial. I don't take whatsoever specific recs just any NOS tube is probably amend then any JJ.

21. Sorry for the late respond. The MQ88-uSE is a bit more dynamic. I like them both to be honest but I kept the 300.

23. Reviving this thread as I just acquired a new CL38uSE (I was surprised to find a new SE nevertheless available). Information technology's replacing a Xindak SA3200s. I'll be getting a new tube power amp in a few days as well, but I'm glad to accept a chance to get a sense of the Luxman'south sound showtime through my electric current Dared monoblocks.

    This is a pretty substantial upgrade in terms of price, reputation, and features, so my expectations were pretty high. My initial impressions then far are very good, though with a few caveats. The Xindak is a tube/SS hybrid, and I've enjoyed its somewhat lush and forgiving sound for the past decade or so. It came with the entire organisation I bought from a boyfriend (former) forum fellow member. A few years ago, when it was out for repairs, a local shop loaned me a far more expensive Bryston SS preamp, yet I was actually very happy to get the Xindak dorsum into the system, every bit information technology seemed to accept more than warmth and richness, especially with voices, even though the Bryston was more extended and precise. However, the Xindak creates some pretty substantial hum, and its remote control stopped working, and so I thought information technology was fourth dimension to try something new, hopefully with some of the Bryston's precision combined with some tube midrange magic. The Luxman seemed to check off a lot of boxes.

    Since setting it up last night, I've been doing a lot of listening (CD last night, vinyl today). I was initially disappointed, as I made the mistake of listening to it before information technology was properly warmed up, fifty-fifty though Art Dudley warned in his Stereophile review that it requires at least 20 minutes to audio OK and an hour to sound its all-time. I was surprised at just how right he was, as I've never noticed much alter afterward powering on the Xindak. Initially, the Luxman sounded shrill and cheap. But after an 60 minutes, it sounded very nice indeed. Without question, like my memory of that Bryston preamp, information technology has more bass precision and touch on than the Xindak (and probably even more the Bryston, only information technology'southward been besides many years since I heard the latter to make a confident assertion on that score). It definitely has more than treble extension, and less midrange presence than the Xindak. As Luxmanc138 stated above, the amp is not warm and fuzzy, which at beginning was a footling jarring to me.

    But one time warned up, I was kind of addicted to trying out different CDs to explore its sonic character. Getting used to its very unlike sound, I started enjoying its holographic imaging, its impressive bass affect, and sparkling pianoforte tones in particular. I feel like I tin listen more deeply into the soundstage, and while it is a trivial "colder" in feel than the Xindak, it doesn't feel as sterile every bit I recall the Bryston sounding. So I think on balance, information technology is indeed a significant sonic upgrade for me.

    Much of today'southward listening was focused on comparing its internal phonostage to my outboard Dynavector P-75 mkII. I honestly had no idea what to expect with this comparison, as reviewers tend to write that the Luxman competes with or bests outboard phono stages up to $ane,000 or and so, and I believe the Dynavector costs but a lilliputian less than that (and I bought it mainly because it'due south supposed to have such bully synergy with my Dynavector 20x2 cartridge). Information technology turns out I'll exist keeping the Dynavector--in a direct comparison, the Luxman MC stage added a lot of wonderfully palpable, almost "chunky" bass, but also a harsh treble glare on voices across the board that I didn't enjoy. Surprisingly, the solid country Dynavector seems to accept fantastic synergy with the Luxman preamp, sounding extraordinarily refined in the midrange, mayhap non with the same "blossom" I would become with the Xindak, but with a more than natural sense of an bodily human voice in my living room. And so based on my listening and so far, I'm getting the best results from the Luxman-Dynavector vinyl playback, followed by CD playback (from a Rega Planet), with the Luxman onboard phonostage vinyl playback coming in concluding (its bass accent was kind of fun, merely information technology came at the expense of scooping out the mids and calculation treble harshness). I wonder, though, whether the 12AX7 tubes in the phonostage might need more break-in to sound their best.

    I haven't played as well much with the tone controls yet, as I'm all the same trying to become a feel for the preamp'south overall sonic characteristics. But one thing I find very disappointing is the remote control: I don't mind that information technology'south limited to volume and mute functions, only I very much mind how close to perpendicular to the machine's face you accept to exist to get it to work (the instruction booklet says it can be no more than than thirty degrees in either direction from perpendicular, and that seems to be authentic). Because of the angle of my rack to where I sit (the rack is the far left corner of the room, aligned with the side wall), there'due south no manner I tin can use it without getting up and walking around my coffee table to aim information technology (which has never been the case with whatsoever other remote control unit of measurement I've used). And so, each affect of the volume push increases or decreases the volume by such a large corporeality that it's practically useless, as I ever end upward walking over to the machine to make more fine adjustments. I'm kid of picky about getting the volume merely correct (and would like to be able to raise information technology temporarily for upright bass solos, for example), so this is a bigger frustration to me than it might be for most people.

    That said, the audio is impressing me enough that I can't wait for my adjacent listening session!

24. Sounds like y'all might be having a loading issue with the MC cartridge. I've never found whatever evidence of glare or hardness to the audio only I'g playing through Harbeths then that may all rest out. Congrats.

25. Yeah, I'm wondering whether I should take tried the "MC high" setting. I just causeless that since my cartridge is classified as low output ("depression" is even printed on it, to distinguish it from its high-output MC brother), I should use the "MC low" setting. But I noticed information technology was considerably louder than with the Dynavector phonostage, then maybe there's some kind of mismatch.

    .

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Source: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/luxman-cl-38u-se-and-mq-88u-se-preamp-and-amp.770868/

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