The stereo amplifier that meets the requirements of the space conscious audiophile – Luxman M-200

I was first exposed to the remarkable Luxman M-200 during CES 2013, where we used a Macbook’s USB output to connect to a Luxman DA-200 and have it feed the M-200, while driving the unique Eclipse TD 508 mk III desktop speakers.

Stephen Mejias (Stereophile) was full of praise: “We listened to “The Boy In The Bubble” from Peter Gabriel’s Scratch My Back, and the sound was sumptuous—warm, detailed, spacious, altogether involving, and intensely emotional. I could have stayed and listened for hours.” At Mike Lavorgna’s blog post (AudioStream), he had further praise about the component: “headphone-like immediacy, presence, and space… sounded like the singer was whispering in my ear!”

The M-200, high quality stereo amplifier, can be used with various audio components; such as the USB D/A converter DA-200 with high-grade built-in potentiometers and / or the E-200 phono stage. The M-200 has both fixed & variable inputs, so it can be used with an external preamplifier if you wish or with a single source as an integrated amplifier. The display meters show the output power at any given moment in time; I am always amazed by how little power we need to enjoy intimate chamber music. The 25 wpc output never left me wanting for more oomph.  While this is a Class AB design, there is nothing edgy or musically fatiguing about the listening experience.

I was surprised to hear  that one of our dealers was using the M-200 to drive Magico Q3; he said that while it was a $$ mismatched system, the little Lux amp had plenty of power. If you feel the need for more oomph, Luxman kindly provided a MONO switch on the rear panel, which triples output power  to 70 wpc, though of course you will need two amps for stereo.

I have been listening to the M200/ DA-200 in my office for the past month driving my custom QUAD ESL57 and I must say that I am delighted with the results. The numerical display does show you if you are over-driving the speakers (they only take 15 watts or 30 volt before arcing the panels).  Been playing digital files from Audirvana and listening to vinyl rips as well as high rez downloads and of course my CD collection converted to AIFF; its a delight to use and a pleasure to listen to. But don’t take my word for it; ask your local Luxman dealer for an audition…

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