Pre-Owned Luxman Pre + Power Amplifier Set

Luxman M-600A stereo power amplifier

The M-600A stereo amplifier is a pure solid-state Class A design that puts out 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms. The power increases inversely proportional to the speaker impedance to a rating of 120 watts into 2 ohms for those difficult speaker loads.

The amplifier can also be bridged for monoblock operation with a mere flick of a switch on the back to further double the power. Because its bridged operation, the power output quadruples, hence a stereo amplifier putting out 30 watts @ 8 ohms, puts out 120 watts @ ohms as a bridged monoblock. So even though this amplifier starts out with what sounds like a fairly puny 30 watts per channel it is really a massively powerful amplifier, and it has the size and weight to match.

The matching C-600f has a similar understated appearance with a chassis finished the same as the power amp and, although not as heavy, the preamp is also quite a stout piece of equipment. It has just two control knobs, three small buttons and a small display area on its front panel in addition to a hefty power switch. One knob selects the input and the second controls volume and both have a very smooth feel fitting for a piece of equipment in this price range. The three buttons control the tape monitor and whether the balanced or unbalanced inputs are selected. The third button inverts the phase of the balanced output. I’m sure the circuitry behind these knobs and buttons has the typical Luxman quality imprimatur.

The simple yet sturdy remote control repeats the front panel functions and also includes control of the Luxman tone controls. Yes, this preamp has tone controls, an unusual feature in audiophile gear, but a very useful one if your musical listening extends beyond audiophile-endorsed recordings or if you must cope with a listening room unadorned with rampant acoustic treatments. The black display area on the C-600f front panel indicates volume setting, selected input, whether the tone controls are in or out, and whether the balanced or unbalanced outputs are being used.