Luxman
Encyclopedia
Luxman is a brand name of Japan
ese , a company that produces a variety of audio electronic products. The company produces a variety of high-end hi-fi
products, such as turntables
, amplifiers
, receivers
, tape decks, CD players and speaker
s.
, in June 1925, by T. Hayakawa & his brother K. Yoshikawa. It began life as the radio equipment department of Kinsuido Picture Frame Store in Osaka, until then an importer of picture frames, and was founded just ahead of the time when radio was first broadcast that year.
At the time, Japanese radio listeners were dependent on technology originating in the United States and Europe. Importing radio equipment and parts was a very forward-looking enterprise (much today's cutting-edge businesses) for Lux, and passersby often crowded the store to hear the inviting sounds of the radios on display.
However Lux Corp. decided that in order to compete effectively as a supplier it had to not only sell equipment but manufacture parts in-house to reduce the costs of importing. So began the creation of the Luxman brand. As a result of this pursuit, Luxman became famous for the output of various quality transformers and switches in Japan, and today is one of the oldest manufacturers in Japan of electronic components. This is reflected in the company's motto Ultimate Fidelity since 1925.
In the mid 1970s and early 1980s Luxman came to prominence of the world hi-fi community due to the quality of sound of their equipment. Luxman were primarily specialists in making vacuum tube
amplifiers
of the highest caliber. In most cases Luxman designed equipment combined the quality and warmth of vacuum tube sound with powerful electronics and often beautiful aesthetic designs. Pre and Power amps such as the Luxman C-05 and M-05 with their champagne gold finish, highest-calibre electrical designs (pure copper
interconnects, Class A amp design, separately powered channels with dual AC cables, copper-plated chassis), beautiful sound and rock solid build became the dreams of audiophiles everywhere.
An engineer Atsushi Miura married Mari Yoshikawa, Mr. K Yoshikawa's eldest daughter and became a part of the founding 'Luxman' family. Atsushi Miura's father was an audio engineer and was head of Luxman for many years in Japan. In the early 1980s Atsushi took over the reins from his father to run Luxman. Sensing the Japanese audio industry was heading towards cheaper mass produced components and against the founding philosophy of Luxman, Atsushi sold Luxman to Alpine in 1984, before starting the Airtight audio brand.
In 1984 Luxman became part of Alpine Electronics
, another Japanese electronics
brand
. Alpine, wishing to merge their home hi-fi divisions and Alpage brand with Luxman gear, took actions that nearly bankrupted the company. The first was it got into a hi-fi market share war with rival Yamaha
. Up to the point of the merger Luxman was seen as a prestigious audio brand, and sold its equipment in specialist independent hi-fi shops. After the merger, Luxman looked to sell their products to companies such as Costco
in the US and Richer Sounds
in the UK
in order to compete with Yamaha. But the plan backfired. Where Luxman's reputation was in high end and the often expensive, the new distributors' reputations had been in selling budget and low value goods. This caused much problems for existing dealers and consumers. The second was problems with product branding and poor product planning. While Alpine equipment was seen as alright in most circles, Luxman was seen as a perfectionist or elitist brand. The co-branding of cheap plastic Alpine products with expensive Luxman gear (Luxman equipment was badged Alpine/Luxman) in both Alpine and Luxman factories confused the consumer marketplace. This totally destroyed the image and ultimately sales of Luxman equipment, and the company ended up retreating from all its sales network worldwide except Japan.
Alpine, due to all the troubles it experienced later sold off Luxman in the early 2000s. In recent times this had enabled the renamed Luxman Corporation to restart its founding objectives, which was to create the best audiophile equipment in the world. Today the company still produces vacuum tube equipment as well as SACD
/DVD players and the usual home stereo equipment.
The company closed the last of the Alpine home hi-fi factories in Hong Kong
in 2000 and currently sells mostly to Japan and parts of Asia, outside of Asia to the nited Kingdom], Germany
and Czech Republic
, and Slovakia
since 2005 and currently have a distribution network including the United States
, France
, Poland
, Romania
, Italy
, Denmark
, and Sweden
.
-World's first DC-configured amp and synthesized tuner
-Computer-controlled cassette deck
-Construction chassis allowing stacking of components
At Japan's Tokyo Audio Fair in October, Luxman showed prototypes of the X-3K Cassette deck, X-2A PCM encoder/decoder and X-1D vertical loading CD player also rebadged in Alpine brand-form. These were never put into production.
Luxman's first CD player was the DX-104 launched in 1983. This was a design based on the Alpine Electronics
AD-7100 and featured a vertical loading tray.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese , a company that produces a variety of audio electronic products. The company produces a variety of high-end hi-fi
High fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
products, such as turntables
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
, amplifiers
Electronic amplifier
An electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal.It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude...
, receivers
Receiver (radio)
A radio receiver converts signals from a radio antenna to a usable form. It uses electronic filters to separate a wanted radio frequency signal from all other signals, the electronic amplifier increases the level suitable for further processing, and finally recovers the desired information through...
, tape decks, CD players and speaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s.
History
Lux Corporation was founded in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in June 1925, by T. Hayakawa & his brother K. Yoshikawa. It began life as the radio equipment department of Kinsuido Picture Frame Store in Osaka, until then an importer of picture frames, and was founded just ahead of the time when radio was first broadcast that year.
At the time, Japanese radio listeners were dependent on technology originating in the United States and Europe. Importing radio equipment and parts was a very forward-looking enterprise (much today's cutting-edge businesses) for Lux, and passersby often crowded the store to hear the inviting sounds of the radios on display.
However Lux Corp. decided that in order to compete effectively as a supplier it had to not only sell equipment but manufacture parts in-house to reduce the costs of importing. So began the creation of the Luxman brand. As a result of this pursuit, Luxman became famous for the output of various quality transformers and switches in Japan, and today is one of the oldest manufacturers in Japan of electronic components. This is reflected in the company's motto Ultimate Fidelity since 1925.
In the mid 1970s and early 1980s Luxman came to prominence of the world hi-fi community due to the quality of sound of their equipment. Luxman were primarily specialists in making vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
amplifiers
Electronic amplifier
An electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal.It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude...
of the highest caliber. In most cases Luxman designed equipment combined the quality and warmth of vacuum tube sound with powerful electronics and often beautiful aesthetic designs. Pre and Power amps such as the Luxman C-05 and M-05 with their champagne gold finish, highest-calibre electrical designs (pure copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
interconnects, Class A amp design, separately powered channels with dual AC cables, copper-plated chassis), beautiful sound and rock solid build became the dreams of audiophiles everywhere.
An engineer Atsushi Miura married Mari Yoshikawa, Mr. K Yoshikawa's eldest daughter and became a part of the founding 'Luxman' family. Atsushi Miura's father was an audio engineer and was head of Luxman for many years in Japan. In the early 1980s Atsushi took over the reins from his father to run Luxman. Sensing the Japanese audio industry was heading towards cheaper mass produced components and against the founding philosophy of Luxman, Atsushi sold Luxman to Alpine in 1984, before starting the Airtight audio brand.
In 1984 Luxman became part of Alpine Electronics
Alpine Electronics
is traditionally known as an aftermarket car audio and navigation systems manufacturer, famed for their high quality, premium in-car audio units commonly known as headunits. It is a subsidiary of Alps Electric Co. and its registered head office is in Tokyo, Japan. However its main offices, or the...
, another Japanese electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
. Alpine, wishing to merge their home hi-fi divisions and Alpage brand with Luxman gear, took actions that nearly bankrupted the company. The first was it got into a hi-fi market share war with rival Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
. Up to the point of the merger Luxman was seen as a prestigious audio brand, and sold its equipment in specialist independent hi-fi shops. After the merger, Luxman looked to sell their products to companies such as Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
in the US and Richer Sounds
Richer Sounds
Richer Sounds is a British home entertainment retailer that operates online and through a chain of 51 stores distributed across the United Kingdom. The business is 100% owned by Julian Richer, the founder and managing director of the company....
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in order to compete with Yamaha. But the plan backfired. Where Luxman's reputation was in high end and the often expensive, the new distributors' reputations had been in selling budget and low value goods. This caused much problems for existing dealers and consumers. The second was problems with product branding and poor product planning. While Alpine equipment was seen as alright in most circles, Luxman was seen as a perfectionist or elitist brand. The co-branding of cheap plastic Alpine products with expensive Luxman gear (Luxman equipment was badged Alpine/Luxman) in both Alpine and Luxman factories confused the consumer marketplace. This totally destroyed the image and ultimately sales of Luxman equipment, and the company ended up retreating from all its sales network worldwide except Japan.
Alpine, due to all the troubles it experienced later sold off Luxman in the early 2000s. In recent times this had enabled the renamed Luxman Corporation to restart its founding objectives, which was to create the best audiophile equipment in the world. Today the company still produces vacuum tube equipment as well as SACD
SACD
SACD, founded as Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques on 7 March 1829, is a French collecting society, undertaking collective rights management for authors...
/DVD players and the usual home stereo equipment.
The company closed the last of the Alpine home hi-fi factories in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 2000 and currently sells mostly to Japan and parts of Asia, outside of Asia to the nited Kingdom], Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
since 2005 and currently have a distribution network including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Company milestones
- 1925 - Lux Corporation founded in Kinsuido Picture Frame Store. Kinsuido Radio Book published - "Read it once and you're a radio expert," runs the blurb to the book that eventually went through 14 editions, helping to promote radios and phonographs in early days.
- 1928 LUX-735 Radio Set with Magnetic Speaker. Lux markets the LUX-1730 Electric Phonograph
- 1931 - Magnetic Pickup developed
- 1952 OY-15 Output Transformer - Lux markets OY-Type transformers, high-regulation power-supply transformers, and many others. All received popular acclaim for delivering the highest performance on the market.
- 1955 - Crossover Negative Feedback Circuitry developed
- 1958 The 45/45 stereo record makes its debut.
- 1958 MA-7A Mono Vacuum-Tube Amplifier. The MA-7A becomes the first fully assembled mono hi-fi power amp marketed by Lux after the war. It featured crossover NFB(Negative Feedback), Lux's worldwide patent.
- 1961 SQ-5A Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier. One of the earliest stereo integrated amplifiers, the SQ-5A proved a hit because of its unique design incorporating a metre and also because of the high-quality sound it delivers. It featured the Lux's unique tone control circuit, still found in current models.
- 1962 SQ-65 Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier. The SQ-65 featured a motional feedback (MFB) circuit, a patented development by Lux that incorporates the motion of the speaker cone into its feedback control system.
- 1962 PZ-11 Phono Amplifier. The very first phono equaliser amp made in Japan to feature germanium transistors, the PZ-11 was popular for its slim design.
- 1964 SQ-38D Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier. The SQ-38D is one of the first models to feature triodes and also the very first of the "38Series" that eventually includes the SQ-38F, SQ-38FD and the current SQ-38S.
- 1966 MQ-36 Vacuum Tube OTL Power Amplifier. The MQ-36 is an OTL (Output Transformer-Less) vacuum tube amplifier. It became a long-term seller for its high-quality sound.
- 1968 SQ-505/507 Integrated Amplifiers. The SQ-505 and SQ-507 are the first of the "500 Series" and the predecessors of Luxman's current L-505s and L-507s.
- 1971-1980 Luxkit Brand. The LuxKit brand was developed to satisfy the demand of do-it-yourself audiophiles. Lux marketed a total of about 70 kit models, vacuum tube amps, transistor amps, turntables, measuring tools, etc.
- 1972 Lux establishes L&G. Lux established new audio brand "L&G" to promote a line of colourful high-quality stereo systems designed to fit new lifestyles and created a new dimension in audio enjoyment.
- 1973 - All-stage Parallel Push System developed.
- 1975 M-6000 Power Amplifier/C-1000/T110. A product to celebrate Lux's 50th anniversary, the M-6000 represented the company's first serious effort to break into the high-end market. A power amp boasting 300 W x 2 high power and excellent sound, the M-6000 was well received.
- 1976 Laboratory Reference Series launched which included the 5T50 FM-only tuner, 5G12 graphic equalizer, 5F70 parametric tone control unit, and 5E24 LED power meter; the 5L15 integrated amp; and the 5C50 preamp and 5M21 power amp. The Lux Laboratory Reference Series makes its debut: highlights are the world's first DC-configured amp and synthesized tuner. Each product's functionality, performance and innovative design differentiate the series. After initial production, some of the equipment was specially customised by Lux engineers for even better quality sound, and became sought after.
-World's first DC-configured amp and synthesized tuner
-Computer-controlled cassette deck
-Construction chassis allowing stacking of components
- 1980 PD-300 Vacuum Suction Turntable. Lux introduces an innovative turntable that uses a vacuum suction system to prevent record warpage and resonance, factors that cause degradation of sound quality.
- 1981 - CAT - Computer Analysed Tuning System
- 1981 - Duo Beta circuitry
- 1982 D-05 Omega-Loading Cassette Deck. The D-05 appears at the time when the market was moving away from the open-reel format toward the cassette. It boasted the hi-fi performance of an open-reel deck and the ease of use of a cassette deck. The MB-88 limited edition amp (run of 200) was produced. This is one of the last pieces of work Chief Engineer Mr Susumu Uehara, one of Luxman's longest-standing engineers.
At Japan's Tokyo Audio Fair in October, Luxman showed prototypes of the X-3K Cassette deck, X-2A PCM encoder/decoder and X-1D vertical loading CD player also rebadged in Alpine brand-form. These were never put into production.
- 1983 - K-05 Computer tuning cassette deck launched.
Luxman's first CD player was the DX-104 launched in 1983. This was a design based on the Alpine Electronics
Alpine Electronics
is traditionally known as an aftermarket car audio and navigation systems manufacturer, famed for their high quality, premium in-car audio units commonly known as headunits. It is a subsidiary of Alps Electric Co. and its registered head office is in Tokyo, Japan. However its main offices, or the...
AD-7100 and featured a vertical loading tray.
- 1985 - C-05 Pre-amplifier, M-05 Power amplifier launched.
- 1987 DA-07 Fluency DAC and DP-07 separate CD Transport. Fluency DAC is an application of the function interpolation theory developed by Dr. Toraichi, a professor at Tsukuba University, Japan. The DA-07 became a sensation because its high-speed DSP claimed the recreation of the frequency range not recorded on a CD. KD-117 Digital Audio TapeDigital Audio TapeDigital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a compact audio cassette, using 4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As...
recorder launched.
- 1990 - D-500 Top loading CD player launched.
- 2004 - CU-80 Multi Channel Control Amplifier launched.
- 2005 - B1000 Monaural Power Amplifer and C1000F Digital Control Amplifiers, 80th Anniversary Commemoration Models launched.
- 2006 - DU-50 and DU-80 Digital Universal players launched.
- 2007 - M-800A, L-550A II and L-590A II launched.
- 2009 - D-08 SA-CD / CD player, SQ-38u (the eleventh generation SQ-38), E-200 (phono stage), P-200 (amplifier) launched.
External links
- Luxman Japan website
- Luxman Germany website
- Luxman Czech and Slovakia website
- Luxman U.S. website
- Luxman Strona Polska
- Luxman Finland website
- Vintage Luxman Cassette Decks
- Luxman Forum at Vintage Audio (includes many brochure and catalog scans)
- Luxman Yahoo discussion group
- Luxman Vintage Audio website (site includes a table of manufacturing dates)
- Audiotools website on Luxman history
- FMTunerInfo site on Luxman tuner history
- AudioInvest - site with useful links and information on Luxman
- Japanese site with photos of Luxman equipment circa mid 1980s
- Private German Luxman site with lots of classic Hi-Fi pictures & specifications.