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452 THE STRP_200500_CV1.indd 1STRP_200500_CV1.indd 1 STEREOPHILE VOL.43 NO.5 MAY 2020 IN SEARCH OF THE EXCEPTIONAL LISTENING BY ART DUDLEY THIS ISSUE: From a time before man buns, beard oil, and spray-on tans comes the Luxman CL-1000 preamplifier. Art Dudley takes one for a spin.

Luxury you can (almost, sort of) afford

t may come as no surprise that the two Recommended Com- ponents issues we publish every year, in April and October, are IStereophile’s most popular. Both go hand-in-hand with increases in single- copy sales and subscription requests, and it’s worth noting that equipment and record suppliers line up to get their ads into those issues. I’m glad our Recommended Com- ponents issues make people happy, because they’re a pig-faced, needle- toothed, Bosch-ian hell of a miserable job to produce. As I write this, it’s one day after the April 2020 Stereophile went to the printers, and I scarcely know my own name. Jim Austin and I work even longer hours than usual during January and July—the months when we’re writing and editing prod- uct blurbs, tabulating ratings, chasing down updated information from man- ufacturers,1 putting all the categories and blurbs in order, and proofreading the whole damn thing—and when it’s all done, I always look back with fond- ness on the summers I spent driving a So I’m happy to start my next flagship preamp, heir to the throne dump truck and working as a busboy. work cycle by reviewing not just a once occupied by the classic 1970s-era But the post-RC wrap party, which preamplifier buta preamplifier—a big, Luxman C-1000. The CL-1000 uses isn’t a party at all but is actually eight heavy, wood-wrapped, multifunction vacuum tubes for voltage gain, and its hours of sleep followed by one day of beast of a thing. The Luxman CL- volume and source-selection knobs are summarily deleting all incoming emails 1000 ($19,995) is that company’s new supplemented with a brace of controls and phone messages, is that include a balance knob, a also a time for taking mono switch, a phase-inver- a second look at the sion switch, bass and treble reviews we’ve published controls, and a demagnetizer. over the past six months A demagnetizer, for God’s sake. and looking for trends in But let’s back up to that our equipment coverage. volume knob, which itself And this time out, the deserves more than passing first thing that jumped attention. For the CL-1000, out at me was how very the manufacturer has chosen few preamplifiers we what they refer to as a LE- reviewed in the months CUTA: a Luxman Electroni- since our last Recom- cally Controlled Ultimate mended Components Transformer Attenuator. The feature. In fact, there was 34-step rotary switch behind precisely one: the Dan the CL-1000’s volume knob D’Agostino Momentum selects from 34 relays, all out- HD ($40,000). Heck, side of the signal path, which during the same period 1 Thanks are due to Laura Atkinson, of time we reviewed who comes by every January and July to more tonearms than that. help us with this task. Reprinted from Stereophile magazine www.stereophile.com

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in turn select from 34 taps on match- ing left- and right-channel transform- ers, which have Hitachi FineMet cores, the nanocrystal structure of which is said to allow high saturation levels, high permeability, and low core loss. Transformers are also key ingre- dients in the preamp’s first line-level stage, which uses high-permeability Permalloy-core transformers for buffering and, I believe, some amount of voltage gain. Between those and the preamp’s output transformers, which are used to lower the unit’s output impedance—I think we’ve homed in on the reason for the CL-1000’s 54lb weight—are a total of six E88CC dual- triode tubes from JJ Electronic. But the CL-1000 is not all- tube: The phono Rear panel rotary switches control phono stage uses field- gain, impedance, and effect transistors capacitance. and an op-amp, and all power-supply rectification and the tone-control stage—as well as the panel are four line-level inputs—three regulation is accomplished with solid- Balance knob—for the least (presumed) single-ended (RCA) and one balanced state devices. signal degradation. (XLR)—plus two single-ended (RCA) The CL-1000 is the antithesis of a The fun continues around back, and two balanced (XLR) output jacks. bare-bones, “purist” preamplifier. Not where the Luxman’s single pair of Among the Luxman CL-1000’s other only are there Bass and Treble tone- phono inputs—curiously not labeled features is an “articulator” function. control knobs, but each is governed by Phono but rather Ext In—is governed This is essentially an oscillator that its own three-position rotary switch, to by two six-position rotary switches. demagnetizes the preamp’s many select the frequency ranges over which The first of these offers three settings transformers every time the unit is they function. There’s a Low Cut for moving-magnet cartridges and powered up—a luxury not unlike hav- switch (aka “rumble filter”) that applies three for moving-coil types, provid- ing a dog that walks itself at least once a a 6dB/octave slope with a hinge at ing different combinations of input day. There is also an Articulator switch 30Hz. A rotary switch selects between impedance and gain, the latter with a for users who want to supplement Unbalanced and Balanced outputs, range of 38 to 66dB. The second rotary that regimen with occasional manual and separate toggles allow the user to switch, geared toward the MM enthu- demagnetization. Cast-iron isolation invert signal polarity within those two siast, allows the user to select between feet, a walnut “wrap” with a glossy red settings. A Line Straight switch allows six different settings of phono-input finish, and rubber circuit board damp- the audio purist to bypass altogether capacitance. Also provided on the rear ers are also included. One of the best A look inside the things about the Luxman CL-1000. Luxman preamp is something it doesn’t have: a remote handset. I detest those things. Every time a review sample ar- rives with a remote handset, I feel like going for a drive and throwing it out the window the way Americans used to do with their lunch bags and soda cups before the TV commercial with the crying Indian. Caveat venditor. What really completes the picture for me is something that Luxman has been adding to their products for as long as I can remember: an owner’s manual that suggests a manufacturer who gives a shit about the customer and who realizes that anyone who spends this much money on a single audio product might be presumed to have more than a passing interest in how the thing works. To that end, the Reprinted from Stereophile magazine www.stereophile.com

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CL-1000 manual, like releases where a record- every other Luxman ing company appears to manual I’ve ever seen, have allowed a few very includes a block diagram: young, technically green not a schematic that performers to come might show enough into their studios and details to give away the essentially muck about— store, so to speak, but and the results, although a simplified if techni- technically/sonically cally savvy diagram that uneven, are brilliant. But outlines the designer’s key to those results is basic vision for the thing. a production in which Nice. some sounds—the vocal in “Ben Crawley Steel Getting started Company,” the electric After hoisting the bass in “The Minister,” CL-1000 atop my Box and so forth—sound Furniture equipment almost frighteningly rack—the preamp’s 17.9" direct and unadulterated deep chassis, not includ- and there. Those sounds ing jacks, barely fit—I emerged from the Lux- warmed it up by playing man with colors, flying a few LPs and CDs. For The CL-1000’s very As for that last quality in par- and otherwise. the former I preceded unusual but no doubt ticular: I can’t imagine how long After all that I went in yet another the CL-1000 with my useful Articulator it took Sir John Barbirolli to completely different direction and switch. Hommage T2 step-up work with the musicians of the spent an evening listening to some of transformer, driving the Philharmonia to achieve the nu- my favorite bluegrass records. Doc Lux’s MM phono input set for 50k ances of tempo and dynamics evident and Merle Watson’s 1978 album ohms/38dB and 100pF; for the latter in his 1963 recording of Elgar’s Enigma Look Away! (LP, United Artists I used my Hegel Mohican CD player Variations (LP, EMI ASD 548). How- UA-LA887-H), which is not terribly into one of the Lux’s line inputs. ever they were accomplished, the Lux- well-produced—the metronomically I came to the early conclusion that, man laid them bare, to an extent that unnuanced electric bass playing of the with line-level inputs, there were more escapes even the Monbrison. Listening otherwise estimable T. Michael Cole- similarities than differences between to this record through the CL-1000 man is way too high in the mix—was the Lux’s tonal character and that was a spellbinding, wholly engross- more listenable through the Lux than of my reference Shindo Monbrison ing experience: The house could have my Shindo. On Tut Taylor’s Dobro preamp, but that their phono sections come down around me and I might Country (LP, World-Pacific 1829), the sounded very different. In a nutshell, not have noticed. Indeed, while listen- brilliantly quirky timing of flatpicking and speaking off the cuff—these are ing to that LP—as with Barbirolli’s guitarist Clarence White came across pseudo-technical impressions made famous recording of the Elgar Cello with exceptional clarity, physicality, and without technical evidence—the Concerto, with Jacqueline DuPre (LP, drive. Perhaps best of all was the album Shindo’s phono equalization sounded EMI ASD 655), there is no reason to Skaggs & Rice, by Ricky Skaggs and less accurate than the Lux’s, with a own another version—I found myself Tony Rice (LP, Sugar Hill SH-3711), low-frequency boost in particular: inhabiting the recording to such an which sounded amazing through the It sounded more exciting on double extent that it seemed almost possible Luxman.2 This is a blessedly simple re- bass, orchestral drums, and the lowest to imagine the players’ individual per- cording of two artists, singing and play- notes on the piano. The Lux, for its forming styles. That was especially true ing—acoustic guitar for Rice, mandolin part, appeared to have flatter frequency in Variation 7 (“Troyte”), the very brief and acoustic guitar for Skaggs—made response and sounded altogether more Variation 8 (“W.N.”), and the famous without overdubs. And here, those serene, if you will—but along with that Variation 9 (“Nimrod”), in which the sounds were just about perfect, in their was also a sense that the Luxman’s au- majesty of the music—not to mention lifelike tone as well as their uncanny dible range was a bit more spread out, Sir John’s uncanny ability to coax from spatial presence. The music had flow from bass to treble, in contrast with the his colleagues/players just the right and, where appropriate, drive, and the Shindo, where my attention was more shapes—was almost overwhelmingly rapport between the two musicians, drawn to those bassier sounds. The beautiful. And I would be remiss not as well as their enthusiasm for the Shindo sounded more exciting and to mention the Lux’s spatial prowess in program of old country and bluegrass engrossing on most LPs, but a bit over- that last passage, as the sizes and sheer standards, was unmistakable. rich on a few; the Luxman, for its part, physicalities of the various string sec- Speaking of hot guitar playing, my approached but didn’t quite match the tions successively grew and receded in XRCD of the 1973 album Virtuoso, Shindo’s level of excitement on the response to the crescendi/diminuendi. by Joe Pass (CD, Pablo/JVC VICJ- best LPs, but neither was it ever less In a very different vein, The Move’s 60256)—which as far as I know was than listenable—in addition to which, brilliant Message from the Country (LP, 2 While listening to this album, I was reminded that the Lux was more explicit, in a very EMI/Harvest SHSP 4013) is one audiophile Tony Rice himself listens through an old- pleasant and nonfatiguing way. of those wonderful, God-blessed style full-feature preamp—in his case, a Marantz 7T. Reprinted from Stereophile magazine www.stereophile.com

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the first-everpop -music album of just possible. And as I came to realize in the that the Luxman CL-1000 has only solo guitar pieces3—has never sounded days that followed, there are relays, and one stereo phono input; especially better than it did through the Lux. thus delays, in the functioning of other for this kind of money, that seems a It was easier than ever to hear and toggle-switched features, such as the glaring omission. Second, I wish this appreciate various elements of Pass’s mono and phase-inversion functions. beautiful, traditionally styled preamp’s technique, such as his frequent use Anyway, yes: I soon came to realize wood wrap were available in a tradi- of alternating up and down strokes that the Line Straight switch is there tional walnut finish; to my eye, the red in playing arpeggios—that in contrast for a good reason. The sound of the tint is rather too . . . well, red. to the guitarist who most One more brief note inspired him, Django Re- before I close: During inhardt, who relied mostly the past year, I heard on downstrokes, in a quick someone in the industry raking motion across the suggest that Luxman’s strings—and his infrequent products are no longer use of hammer-ons. And made by Luxman and are the tone of his big, hollow- in fact produced over- bodied Gibson electric seas—so I did what that guitar was perfect, especially person should have done the rich but still crystal-clear and asked. According to sound of his lowest bass Jeff Sigmund, the head of notes. Luxman USA, all of the The last record I played company’s products are at before putting my Shindo the very least assembled Monbrison back in place of in Japan, and the vast the Lux was the Univer- majority of them, includ- sal Music reissue of Nick ing the CL-1000, are Drake’s Pink Moon (LP, manufactured in Japan, UMe/Island 1745697). First at the Luxman factory, through one preamp and in their entirety. Which then the other, I played the stands to reason: During album’s last song, “From the 20th century, Japanese the Morning,” and heard industry distinguished a couple of distinctions itself for mastering the art between the two. Strangely, of selling to Americans through the Shindo, the that which we already image of Drake’s voice on know and love yet have this stereo record physically forgotten, and offering overlapped the image of his it back to us—only better. fingerpicked acoustic guitar, whereas, Luxman CL-1000 with its various One may regard the Luxman CL-1000 through the Lux, there was a slight functions engaged is still good—but not as part of that tradition—or one may side-by-side separation between them, as good. I could describe the distinction sidestep the history and regard the Lux albeit not one of tremendous apparent in audiophile terms by telling you that as simply a hell of a good product, at a width. Yet through the CL-1000, the to kill the Line Straight function is to high but not unreasonable price. Either lower of the two alternating bass notes leach out some of the sonic color, to way, it’s a hell of a thing, and I loved that predominate during most of each blunt the physicality and presence of every minute with it. n verse wasn’t as strong as through the sound images, and to make the sound Shindo, and the alternating pattern as a whole a little grainier, quieter, and 3 I welcome correction on this point. itself seemed less purposeful. more distant than before. Or I could As for the sonic contributions (or tell you the first thing that entered my not) of the Lux’s various controls: As mind when I first tried defeating the CONTACTS I noted above, the CL-1000’s Line Line Straight function: that the sound Straight switch is, in a manner of speak- with those extra functions out of the Luxman Corp. ing, the doorway through which the circuit was like having real sugar in 1-3-1 Shinyokohama, Kouhoku-ku listener must pass before availing him- my coffee, and the sound with those Yokohama-shi or herself of any of the preamp’s other functions enabled was like a sugar Kanagawa 222-0033 luxury features. So I tried to get a sense substitute: flavors were a little more Japan of how its use affects the sound and distant and chemically, and not as real. Tel: (81) (0)45-470-6980 in so doing discovered that the switch Take your pick. Web: luxman.co.jp works by means of a less-than-light- US distributor: Luxman America Inc. ning-fast relay—thus there’s a second or Wrapping up 27 Kent St., Unit 122 two of silence between having the tone Regrets? I can think of only two. First, Ballston Spa, NY 12020 controls/etc. switched in and out of as someone who dearly misses the Tel: (518) 261-6464 the circuitry. That made instantaneous switchable twin phono inputs of my Web: luxman-global.com comparisons a bit clumsy but not im- old Shindo Masseto preamp, I regret Reprinted from Stereophile magazine www.stereophile.com

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