Is Class A still the king of tone?

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radical-squared

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Hi everyone,

I’m currently exploring Luxman integrated amps for my next system and would love to hear from people who have experience with both their Class A models (L-590AXII / L-595A SE) and the newest generation of Class A/B — especially L-507z and L-509z.

For years, Class A was often considered the “gold standard” for tone, liquidity, and midrange magic. But I also understand Luxman’s new LECUA-EX volume control and advanced feedback designs in the Z-series have pushed their A/B amps to a new level of refinement.

Has anyone done direct comparisons?

Is there still a clear sonic advantage to Luxman’s pure Class A designs — or are the new 507z/509z so good that the gap has narrowed (or even disappeared for some listeners)?

I’m looking for an amplifier that will really deliver emotional engagement, texture, natural tone — especially for vocals, acoustic music, indie, pop, and soul.

Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated!
 
I'm sure your speakers have something to do with the equation. Some speakers do very well with the (usually) less power of a class A, and some require Class AB or D to really wake up and sing.

What speakers are you looking to use?

I have read that many people (including myself) get a pre-amp to "flavor" the sound, one way or the other.

Another thing for me, is that I don't want to be moving 100 pound amplifiers around my room/rack. I made some lower powered (~10 watt) FirstWatt amplifiers, and while they were fun to build, and sound great, my listening preferences wanted more power. My tastes are eclectic, and the rock and electronic do so much better with my current pre + mono block amps.
 
radical-squared said:
Hi everyone,

I’m looking for an amplifier that will really deliver emotional engagement, texture, natural tone — especially for vocals, acoustic music, indie, pop, and soul.

Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

First off, welcome to the fold. As for what you're looking for, as 'bones' stated, it goes way beyond amplification. So anyone providing you with helpful insights will need to know more, namely speakers and the environment in which they reside(room dimensions, acoustic treatments, etc)
 
radical-squared said:
For years, Class A was often considered the “gold standard” for tone, liquidity, and midrange magic. But I also understand Luxman’s new LECUA-EX volume control and advanced feedback designs in the Z-series have pushed their A/B amps to a new level of refinement.

Has anyone done direct comparisons?
Click to expand...

People's "gold standard" depends on so many factors other than Class, and some will rave about Class A, or SET or whatever they've found that floats their boat. Your speaker type and model, room acoustics and choice of music styles are likely to be more important that the amp Class.

In answer to your last sentence, yes I bought or borrowed 10 amps to decide which suited my speakers and room the best. I'd been using SETs for the previous 17 years and had decided to switch to ss if I could find one that delivered music in as exciting or better fashion. I home tested amps of A, A/B and D with outputs from a handful of watts to 300.

I loved the construction and features on one Class A (Accuphase A-36), but it was a little too "polite" so I sold it after a year or so. The other Class A were disappointing to the extent of some being "dull" or "uninvolving" (Sugden a big surprise). Another outstanding amp was the A/B GamuT D200 Mk III but this proved unsatisfactory as it sent a nasty shock to my very sensitive speakers on powering up or down. Again sold on. In the end I chose a Class D amp as it matched or bettered all others in terms of musical excitement and sheer gutsiness. This was a Purifi Eigentakt-based amp, though not one you find offered cheaply on Ebay and similar places. These are generally based on the Eval(uation) board that Purifi offer to the DIY buyer. NAD, T+A and one or two other brands build under license with superior components and they match other sections to produce an exceptional product and a reasonable price. I'd certainly not want to return to SET or Class as the best modern Class D beats them - and costs a fraction in terms of running costs that in the EU and UK in particular is something to seriously consider.
 
Thank you all for the warm welcome and for your thoughtful replies — I really appreciate your insights! As suggested, let me give you a bit more context about my room and system to help clarify my situation.

My room is 18 x 26 feet, with a rectangular layout divided into two roughly square-shaped functional areas: a listening/lounge area and a dining area. The room is fully furnished (sofas, table, cabinets), with windows covered by curtains on both short walls, which provide some basic damping.

The listening area is set along one half of the long wall (26 feet), where the TV is located. I'm considering Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 as my speakers — they would be placed on either side of the TV. Both the TV and speakers are positioned along the long wall, firing across the width of the room — about 18 feet. I would listen from a sofa positioned opposite the speakers, about 8 to 10 feet away.

My musical taste is quite broad, but I mostly listen to emotional, melodic music — I value tone, atmosphere, and how music conveys emotions. A lot of indie, alternative rock, soul, acoustic and vocal-driven music, some pop and electronic. I enjoy intimate, engaging vocals, natural timbre, rich midrange, smooth highs and bass that supports the flow of music without dominating it. I’m not looking for hyper-detail or surgical precision — I care more about musicality, coherence and natural warmth that draws me into the performance.

Unfortunately, due to limited availability of the L-590AXII, I won’t be able to audition it anytime soon — I would have to wait for a unit to show up on the used market, and it’s hard to predict when that might happen. So my question remains: considering my room, speakers (likely B&W 805 D4) and musical preferences — is the L-590AXII worth waiting for? Or would the L-507z be a more practical and universal choice in my situation?

Thanks again for all your help — I'm learning a lot from this discussion!
 
Welcome.

I can't speak to your Luxman question but I recently heard a couple integrated amps that you might want to look at based on your comments. The Yamaha 3200, forget the letters in the model and Accuphase. The Accuphase was a 50 wpc Class A but I didn't get the model#. The Yamaha is Class A/B but had a sound I could have listened to for hours without being fatigued or bored.
 
2 or 3 years ago we brought my sons Cary SI300.2d 450wpc Integrated to Audio Perfection in Minneapolis and compared it to a $10k Luxman integrated. The Cary at that time sold for $6K. While the Luxman had a hint more detail and air, the Cary had a more totally rich and dynamic sound. The Cary sounded much better. We brought it there to audition dacs.
 
radical-squared said:
Thank you all for the warm welcome and for your thoughtful replies — I really appreciate your insights! As suggested, let me give you a bit more context about my room and system to help clarify my situation.

My room is 18 x 26 feet, with a rectangular layout divided into two roughly square-shaped functional areas: a listening/lounge area and a dining area. The room is fully furnished (sofas, table, cabinets), with windows covered by curtains on both short walls, which provide some basic damping.

The listening area is set along one half of the long wall (26 feet), where the TV is located. I'm considering Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 as my speakers — they would be placed on either side of the TV. Both the TV and speakers are positioned along the long wall, firing across the width of the room — about 18 feet. I would listen from a sofa positioned opposite the speakers, about 8 to 10 feet away.

My musical taste is quite broad, but I mostly listen to emotional, melodic music — I value tone, atmosphere, and how music conveys emotions. A lot of indie, alternative rock, soul, acoustic and vocal-driven music, some pop and electronic. I enjoy intimate, engaging vocals, natural timbre, rich midrange, smooth highs and bass that supports the flow of music without dominating it. I’m not looking for hyper-detail or surgical precision — I care more about musicality, coherence and natural warmth that draws me into the performance.

Unfortunately, due to limited availability of the L-590AXII, I won’t be able to audition it anytime soon — I would have to wait for a unit to show up on the used market, and it’s hard to predict when that might happen. So my question remains: considering my room, speakers (likely B&W 805 D4) and musical preferences — is the L-590AXII worth waiting for? Or would the L-507z be a more practical and universal choice in my situation?

Thanks again for all your help — I'm learning a lot from this discussion!
Click to expand...

Well, given the very low sensitivity of the B&W speakers, I'd suggest against Class A (or SET for that matter) as those speakers need plenty of watts and Class A watts and SET watts are ridiculously expensive. And you'll need your AC running continuously to rid your room of the heat that the powerful Class A will be generating!

Much as I loved the Accuphase Class A that I had for a while, I found it a little too polite and it was powering speakers of 107 dB - much more suitable speakers for Class A or SETs. Not so with your 88 dB speakers.
 
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Hi there,
I’ve been exactly where you are — I recently went through a deep dive comparing Luxman’s Class A models vs. their latest Class A/B Z-series. I ultimately chose the Luxman L-509Z and couldn’t be happier.
I was originally drawn to the idea of Class A warmth (looked hard at the L-595ASE and 590AXII), but after spending a lot of time researching and speaking with fellow enthusiasts, I realized how far Luxman has taken their new Z-series in terms of refinement, tone, and emotional engagement.
The 509Z absolutely delivers the kind of sound you’re describing — it’s rich, holographic, and full of nuance, but with the added dynamics, bass control, and effortless scale of a high-current Class A/B design. It’s not sterile or clinical at all. In fact, I’d argue it retains a lot of what people love about Class A — texture, bloom, and realism, especially in vocals and acoustic music — but without the heat, power limitations, or softness in the bass.
My setup includes Wilson Yvette speakers and a dCS Lina DAC, so the system is very revealing — and the 509Z absolutely holds its own at a very high level. It pairs beautifully with both digital and vinyl sources. I’ve also compared it directly to some high-end tube gear (VAC, etc.), and while they’re different flavors, I never feel like the Luxman lacks soul or emotion. It’s incredibly satisfying and engaging.

So in short — yes, I think the 509Z closes the gap with Luxman’s Class A amps in many ways. If anything, it gives you the best of both worlds: beauty and grip, liquidity and punch. If you’re on the fence, I’d strongly recommend giving it a listen. For me, it was the right choice — and I haven’t looked back.

Happy to share more if helpful!
 
Hear Here said:
Well, given the very low sensitivity of the B&W speakers, I'd suggest against Class A (or SET for that matter) as those speakers need plenty of watts and Class A watts and SET watts are ridiculously expensive. And you'll need your AC running continuously to rid your room of the heat that the powerful Class A will be generating!

Much as I loved the Accuphase Class A that I had for a while, I found it a little too polite and it was powering speakers of 107 dB - much more suitable speakers for Class A or SETs. Not so with your 88 dB speakers.
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I think you need to 're-think' your reply..........

As for the Op and his preferred speaker, Gene's video gives some pretty good advice..........

 
I'm never a Youtube watcher when it comes to audio reviews. There's invariably a vested interest associated with the "reviewer" who often knows less about audio than me, or probably you!

My point is simple - speakers with as low a sensitivity as the B&W's 88 dB (though the reviewer's graphics show 86!), amps that can deliver lots of watts are needed. Class A of the required output are crazy-priced or they secretly switch to AB once they are delivering more than a handful of watts.

Rather than look at Class A amps, the OP may be well advised to keep an open mind and audition good amps of all classes - A, AB and D. If he makes a carefully chosen short-list, he may well change his mind about A - and likely choose something else.
 
Hear Here said:
I'm never a Youtube watcher when it comes to audio reviews. There's invariably a vested interest associated with the "reviewer" who often knows less about audio than me, or probably you!

My point is simple - speakers with as low a sensitivity as the B&W's 88 dB (though the reviewer's graphics show 86!), amps that can deliver lots of watts are needed. Class A of the required output are crazy-priced or they secretly switch to AB once they are delivering more than a handful of watts.

Rather than look at Class A amps, the OP may be well advised to keep an open mind and audition good amps of all classes - A, AB and D. If he makes a carefully chosen short-list, he may well change his mind about A - and likely choose something else.
Click to expand...

LOL, Gene has forgotten more than you will probably ever know. Comparing him to the other closet load of clowns out there is absurd.
 
Mikado463 said:
LOL, Gene has forgotten more than you will probably ever know. Comparing him to the other closet load of clowns out there is absurd.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying anything about the Youtube guy, only that I don't watch Youtube "reviews", as they are normally singing the praises of equipment they have a vested interest in promoting. In any event I see nothing in a very quick scan of that video that may help the OP in his Class A question. Have I missed something?
 
Hear Here said:
I'm not saying anything about the Youtube guy, only that I don't watch Youtube "reviews", as they are normally singing the praises of equipment they have a vested interest in promoting. In any event I see nothing in a very quick scan of that video that may help the OP in his Class A question. Have I missed something?
Click to expand...

i was merely pointing out that with respect to amplifier power, the speakers in question do not require the kind of power you think they do. As for Class A vs A/B, most competent A/B amps have enough initial Class A bias that I doubt very much that one would have 'tone issues'..........YMMV ;)
 
sofer said:
Hi there,
I’ve been exactly where you are — I recently went through a deep dive comparing Luxman’s Class A models vs. their latest Class A/B Z-series. I ultimately chose the Luxman L-509Z and couldn’t be happier.
I was originally drawn to the idea of Class A warmth (looked hard at the L-595ASE and 590AXII), but after spending a lot of time researching and speaking with fellow enthusiasts, I realized how far Luxman has taken their new Z-series in terms of refinement, tone, and emotional engagement.
The 509Z absolutely delivers the kind of sound you’re describing — it’s rich, holographic, and full of nuance, but with the added dynamics, bass control, and effortless scale of a high-current Class A/B design. It’s not sterile or clinical at all. In fact, I’d argue it retains a lot of what people love about Class A — texture, bloom, and realism, especially in vocals and acoustic music — but without the heat, power limitations, or softness in the bass.
My setup includes Wilson Yvette speakers and a dCS Lina DAC, so the system is very revealing — and the 509Z absolutely holds its own at a very high level. It pairs beautifully with both digital and vinyl sources. I’ve also compared it directly to some high-end tube gear (VAC, etc.), and while they’re different flavors, I never feel like the Luxman lacks soul or emotion. It’s incredibly satisfying and engaging.

So in short — yes, I think the 509Z closes the gap with Luxman’s Class A amps in many ways. If anything, it gives you the best of both worlds: beauty and grip, liquidity and punch. If you’re on the fence, I’d strongly recommend giving it a listen. For me, it was the right choice — and I haven’t looked back.

Happy to share more if helpful!
Click to expand...


That's great to hear about the new Luxman sound because the integrated amp we heard was not emotionally engaging and seemed sterile powering a pair of Wilson speakers. I may have to look at them again when I down size which is going to happen sooner than later.
 
A friend of mine had the top of the line Luxman mono blocs last year, while his Audionet Max's were in for an update. His speakers are the Vivid Audio Giya Spirits, for reference. While the Luxmans performance with his speakers were ok, they didn't draw either him nor I into the music like his Max's did. In fact, when he put the Max's back in, it was readily apparent how much better they were in his system. This is just a reference point provided to you. Like has been said, you really need to audition amps within your own system.
 
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