Luxman’s New Turntable Blends Bleeding
Luxman is one of the oldest audio brands in the world. Two years shy of its centenary, the Japanese manufacturer excels at solid-state and digital electronics, while continuing to make exceptional vacuum-tube amplifiers, integrated amps, and turntables, burning the torch even during those dark decades when other companies—and many audiophiles—gave these time-honored technologies up for dead. But time, tastes, and trends have proven that perseverance pays off, and today, consumers have more turntables and vacuum-tube options to choose from than ever before in the history of the audio industry.
We’ve long been fans of Luxman turntables. Its PD-151 Mark II earned a place in the Robb Report 2023 Audio Awards as our best turntable, arm, and cartridge combination. While not inexpensive, it offers excellent value and a taste of state-of-the-art without diving headlong into the vinyl abyss.
Now, vinyl lovers inclined to go further can up the ante with the new $12,495 Luxman PD-191A, which replaces the long-unavailable PD-171 as the brand's most ambitious turntable. While its appearance and dimensions are roughly similar to that of the PD-171, this belt-drive monolith spins all three record speeds (33 rpm, 45 rpm, and 78 rpm). Its predecessor eschewed 78 rpm, to the dismay of serious record collectors.
A reflected LED stroboscope and revised strobe markings on the underside of the nearly 1.5-inch-thick, 12-pound aluminum billet platter add enhanced visibility and allow precise pitch adjustments of all three speeds. Ensuring stable and silent rotation is a high-torque, brushless DC motor and high-capacity power supply, running the high-mass platter with a drive belt formulated for excellent resistance to aging.
The PD-191A combines a thick aluminum plinth with an underslung suspension to achieve maximum rigidity and damping, while the motor and power supply are mounted on a rigid bottom plate to isolate the tonearm and cartridge from transmitted vibration. Four height-adjustable insulator legs—with special damping rubber—further eliminate feedback and external vibration. And the repositioned motor and power supply allow the PD-191A to have a lower center of gravity than its predecessor, as well as being almost a half-inch lower in height. The rosewood-stained front panel, which is made of high-gloss-lacquered wood, offers a touch of tactile luxury and gives a nod to the craftsmanship and refined aesthetic that's a Japanese tradition.
Notable is the sophisticated tonearm developed jointly with SAEC, one of Japan's most respected tonearm manufacturers. "Serious" tonearms are complex and sophisticated devices—scientific measuring instruments, really—and a turntable the caliber of the PD-191A demanded the best.
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Previous Luxman ‘tables feature arms made by Jelco, a decades-old Japanese manufacturer that, regrettably, closed its doors during the pandemic, and so the new LTA-710 static-balanced tonearm is a welcome inclusion. Utilizing knife-edge bearings, it's an original design requiring almost three years of development and presents an effective arm length of 10 inches (most arms are nine-inch designs). The additional length further reduces cartridge tracking error.
Owners wishing to use other arms, though, can choose from about a half-dozen interchangeable base plates, and a novel mounting base (accommodating 12-inch SME-mount arms) can be attached to the rear of the chassis for a flexible two-arm system. Add the optional acrylic dustcover and Luxman's $2,695 LMC-5 moving-coil cartridge for a complete vinyl-playback system that will satisfy even the most particular LP collector.
Click here for more photos of the Luxman PD-191A turntable.
Click here for more photos of the Luxman PD-191A turntable.