The Monkey Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 ^hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riceboy Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 4x quieter? I don't hear any noise in mine at all. What is 4x zero... Hmmm, maybe I should try it in the middle of the night, when it is dead quiet, to see if i hear anything. Not that I'd sell it anyway. I like my P-1. P1u... I guess the "u" means ultimate in this case, going by the claims of performance. Gotta agree about the 4x quieter? Mine is dead quiet and I love my P-1 as well. With the HD800 and the R10 it rocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aardvark baguette Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 How loud is it w/ IEMs? If anything were noisy it would probably be that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Currawong Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 It probably measures some dB lower distortion or whatever, which qualifies as 4x quieter. Balanced amps don't seem to be very interesting to the Japanese for some reason. People who buy brand-name gear in that manner I imagine are not the type to re-terminate their headphones so readily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seacard Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Looks like the new Luxman is now available from Audiocubes. Audio Cubes II - High Fidelity Audio Products. Of course, this is the Japanese voltage version, but it comes with a 1000W voltage transformer. Putting aside that $2000 is probably a bit of a goofy price to pay for this particular amp, do transformers diminish the sound quality of an amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Currawong Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 4x quieter = a few dB lower THD probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherwood Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Putting aside that $2000 is probably a bit of a goofy price to pay for this particular amp, do transformers diminish the sound quality of an amp? You'll only get opinions to this, not answers. My answer is "no", but i like a good transformer just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seacard Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 You'll only get opinions to this, not answers. My answer is "no", but i like a good transformer just fine. Hey, at this point I'll take opinions. Of course, if somebody has a scientific answer for why it may or may not make a difference, I'd welcome that as well. Regardless, I don't know why I am even asking; I am in love with the Phonitor and don't need another amp. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopstretch Posted September 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Regardless, I don't know why I am even asking; I am in love with the Phonitor and don't need another amp. Right? So, so wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 Received the P1u from Todd today and it is a beauty. I actually might like the brushed silver face more than the original P1's champagne gold. The P1 is about one inch wider, but the other dimensions are very close between the two units. Obviously, the P1u has 2 headphone outs instead of 3, but it does sport a loop out that is nice. The unit comes with plastic caps on all the inputs and the outputs, which I left on except for the XLR ins. The P1u feels much like the tank that the P1 is. I set them up stacked on top of each other, and they are both plugged into a Shunyata Hydra 8 power conditioner with Crystal Cable Reference PCs. They are receiving identical inputs from the Amarra Model 4, which has 8 channels of XLR output. The cable, I believe, is a Mogami wire product, and it breaks out the 8 channels from a DB25 connector. Other than volume matching, there shouldn't really be any variables going back and forth between the two siblings. I have just started listening and have tried a number of songs of different varieties, using an Audio Technica AD2000 and a Sennheiser HD800. Without going into detail, which I cannot really offer as yet, I would say that the two units sound more similar than different. I hope to spend some quality time with both of them to really see what I can hear that distinguishes them. From what I can tell early on, the P1u easily steps into its big brother's shoes. Here are some pics, and it is particularly difficult to photograph these shiny beasts at night so they are nothing special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monkey Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 I am looking forward to the P1u's visit to my home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming oranges Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 I like the fact that they included plastic caps. It's simple details like these that let you know that if they care as much about something so trivial, the stuff that matters is really looked after (much like a woman's toenails... always look at a woman's toenails, I always say). Anyhow, it looks better than I expected (judging from Voltron's pics). Say, where could I get plastic caps anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asr Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Say, where could I get plastic caps anyway? Not completely plastic but these are snazzy: MUSICDIRECT - AUDIO ADDITIVES - RCA CAP (EA) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 (edited) 4x quieter? I don't hear any noise in mine at all. What is 4x zero... Hmmm, maybe I should try it in the middle of the night, when it is dead quiet, to see if i hear anything. Not that I'd sell it anyway. I like my P-1. P1u... I guess the "u" means ultimate in this case, going by the claims of performance. I was sitting here listening to the P1u when you posted the caps/toenails comment, and noticed this post about quietness. The P1 is a silent, silent amp, and I had the same reaction as you. I have both of them hooked up right now to the same balanced source and nothing in the RCAs. The P1u has the plastic caps, but otherwise they are set up the same. I paused the music and listened on both amps with the HD800s. At 10:00 on the volume, neither was making any noise--no hiss, or what I call "presence" when you can just hear enough to know it is on. I then cranked the volume all the way on the P1u and there is only the slightest hiss/presence audible. It is there, but it is very, very faint. Also, the "sound" does not ever appear until 4:00, which is almost fully open (5:00 is the end of the dial). I then did the same on the P1 and it was FOUR TIMES LOUDER! Well, I'm kidding, but it is noticeably louder even though it is still very quiet compared to many amps. It also kicked in around 3:30/4:00 on the dial. Interesting. I also switched the input selector to coax and there was NO noise at any volume level on either amp. Pretty impressive. I don't know where to get the plastic caps for RCA and/or XLR. Elephas gave me some metal RCA plugs, and I know Cardas makes that type. Edited January 30, 2010 by Voltron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming oranges Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Not completely plastic but these are snazzy: MUSICDIRECT - AUDIO ADDITIVES - RCA CAP (EA) Awesome! thanks Also, Voltron, nice info on the blackness comparison of the amps. It is beginning to sound like the units are more akin to twins than just standard brother variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Copying post from HF: Todd asked me if I was interested in starting out another one of his great loaner programs by checking out the Luxman P-1u because I own and love the P-1 and therefore I might be able to provide some comparisons, context, etc. After mulling it over, I decided it would be fun to hear them together and I am very glad that I did. I knew about the planned release of the P-1u, but hadn't been really focused on it and I wasn't sure whether the P-1u was supposed to be better than my P-1 or not quite up to its predecessor, cheaper or more expensive, or what. Todd has done a nice summary of his impressions of the P-1u and I pretty much have to agree with everything he wrote. I have been enjoying some good concerted listening and wanted to share a few impressions and comparisons, although I am not sure this rises to the level of a "review." I have been listening to the P-1u and P-1 and even the headphone output of my Amarra Model 4 DAC over the last week or so, and it has been the most concentrated headphone time I have spent lately. I have a Mac Mini connected by Firewire to the Amarra Model 4, and have been playing tunes from the hard drive or on CD using Amarra software. The Model 4 has 8 channels of identical output so I have both Luxmen receiving identical signals through the identical cable (Mogami breakout cable from a DB25 connector on the Model 4). I also connected my iPhone 3GS by a mini-RCA connector and ran it into the P-1u and even out through the pass through to the P-1. The latter source didn't quite match up, but it was an alternative that isn't out of the question and sounded pretty darn good. The output levels on the two Luxmen is very similar, but I wanted to match the levels to the extent I could using an SPL meter. I found that the P-1u is a little higher output such that when it was on 10:00, the P-1 was on 9:57/9:58. Very close but I kept that difference in mind and matched the levels throughout. I used a wide variety of headphones on both amps, with an emphasis on the P-1u, obviously. I started with the HD800 for the sake of trying to hear the amps at their purest because I think those cans are a pretty clean and neutral option. I also used the AT AD2000 quite a bit, the Sony CD3000 for a long session, the Grado HF-1 for a while, and now the AKG K340 just to see how well this amp can drive one of the hardest loads around. Are you surprised to learn that it can? At half way up the volume, it sounds wonderful, which would have melted my ears on some of the other cans. At 3pm the volume is darn loud but not until pretty much fully pegged can I induce some distortion on the K340s at dynamic peaks. That is pretty impressive to me. For music selections, I was really trying to get a wide range through the amps to see how well they could portray different styles and deal with music that might be quieter, faster, louder, denser, leaner, more acoustic, more electronic, etc. A number of selections that stand out include the following: Anour Brahem, The Astounding Eyes of Rita Queen, News of the World Dave Alvin, Blackjack David Gerry Mulligan & Thelonious Monk, Mulligan Meets Monk Lorin Maazel: Cleveland Orchestra, Pictures at an Exhibition Ray Charles, etc., Genius Loves Company The Beatles, Rubber Soul Ry Cooder, Paradise & Lunch David Russell, The Art of the Guitar Robert Plant & Allison Kraus, Raising Sand Toe, For Long Tomorrow The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms Patricia Barber, Companion Clark Terry, One on One The Smithereens, Play Tommy Dick Hyman, Thinking About Bix You get the point. I was trying to listen to stuff I know pretty well, and stuff that represented a lot of genres and challenges for an amp. Much of it was high resolution music, at 24/96, 24/88.2, 24/176.4 or 24/192. The CDs and rips were at 16/44.1. The iPhone tunes were Apple Lossless files. The bulk was well-recorded, some not so much. I had a really good time listening. As Todd points out, one of the strengths of the P-1u is how involving it is. As a starting point, I can say that I did not find one single headphone or type of music that the P-1u handled well and others that are not as good a match. All of the cans I tried sound about as good as they can sound, and draw you in to keep listening. It does not sound "solid state" to me, and neither is it mushy or "tubey" as some might use that term. The detail and clarity are stunning and superior. The body, cohesion, and balance are really impressive. True timbre and tone something that I think sets this amp apart from many others. Piano keys sound like they should, guitars -- whether acoustic and jazzy or amplified and crunchy -- sound like they should, and vocals have a beautifully real texture to them. The Amarra Model 4 sounds like a world class source and the iPhone sounds like a hobbled but passable alternative. Some examples come to mind from my listening. Trumpeter/flugel-hornist Clark Terry was over 80 when he recorded 14 duets with 14 different piano players on the same piano in the same recording space and I listened to all 14 in a row on the P-1u/P-1. I don't think I have listened to this Chesky Records session as closely before and I loved it because the distinct sounds and styles were all there. The details like creaking foot pedal or the breathing/lips sounds before Terry started a run were present but not artificially enhanced or exaggerated. The organic presentation of these very nicely recorded sessions was outstanding. The super, hi-rez recording of Dick Hyman solo piano by Reference Recordings is another piano challenge that not all amps can meet. I thought the P-1u made this recording sound pretty much perfect, and I listened straight through for over an hour without noticing the time fly by. The oud is not an instrument I am really long-familiar with, but the ECM recordings of Anour Brahem are fantastic and allow you to hear this string instrument with remarkable clarity. I loved they way these sounded on the P-1u, just like have already heard them on the P-1. It is a dynamic sound that brings in the sound of the room and the reverberations of the strings and the notes that flow from them. The P-1u portrayed this recording with delicacy and power. The Feelies are not particularly well recorded, and neither is Toe. But they are powerful, driving records and the P-1u pumped them out to the AD2K and HF-1 with lots of force. I really liked the bass tone on the Feelies and in general I think that the bass presentation of the P-1u is very well defined and nicely deep. It is not overpowering, but that is not what it should be, imo. On the other end of the spectrum, cymbals sparkle and sound very clean and clear. Toe is dense and layered and came through with nice effect. Rubber Soul in mono was tons of fun on the HF-1, as was Ray Charles on the CD3000. The Smithereens, Plant/Krause and Dave Alvin (MFSL) are very well recorded and well-mastered, and reflect some difficult loads for headphones. The Tommy songs Sparks and Pinball Wizard on the Smithereens are fast and dynamic and the amp kept up well. The vocals (Pinball Wizard) are nicely placed and have their own place in the soundstage, and the mid-range cannot be questioned. The vocals stand out even more as the focus on Raising Sand and the duets sound wonderful. Another bass test I often use is Dave Alvin's vocals on his Blackjack David album, and the P-1u portrayed the depth, body and soul of those vocals just like I like them. All of these statements apply about equally to my P-1 and I have been saying them for a long time. Somebody else reading my comments about these two amps may have hit the nail on the head when he mentioned that these two amps may be more like twins than mere siblings. To me, that is quite accurate because I have a hard time hearing more than subtle differences between them. It is also a huge compliment in my book because I thought (without knowing) that the P-1u might just be a lesser replacement. If anything, it might edge out the older brother. Just don't tell my P-1 I said that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torpedo Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Nice write up Al, thanks for sharing your impressions. They make me wonder if the P-1/1u would make the HD800 to sound more like music than the Gilmore Ref or B22 do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 I have heard the HD800 a lot on the P-1 and now P-1u, I have heard them a little on the B22, but I don't think I have heard them on a Reference. I can say that I think the HD800 sound musical and engaging on the P-1, as they do on my SinglePower amp. The B22 is more dry/thin and less engaging with the HD800 to my ears. The Gilmore solid state designs in general have a flatter and colder sound that doesn't have the kind of body or tone that the Luxmen have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penger Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 If you want to borrow a B22 for more listening, I can probably lend you mine after the Norcal meet... It's the Mike's old Nugget 2-ch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aimless1 Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 As I mentioned on the other site, nice writeup. I can't fault your view of the P1 and am glad to hear the P1u is "more like a twin"...saves me from an upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 If you want to borrow a B22 for more listening, I can probably lend you mine after the Norcal meet... It's the Mike's old Nugget 2-ch. Thanks, but I have owned a 6-ch B22. That is a nice one you got there, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torpedo Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 I have heard the HD800 a lot on the P-1 and now P-1u, I have heard them a little on the B22, but I don't think I have heard them on a Reference. I can say that I think the HD800 sound musical and engaging on the P-1, as they do on my SinglePower amp. The B22 is more dry/thin and less engaging with the HD800 to my ears. The Gilmore solid state designs in general have a flatter and colder sound that doesn't have the kind of body or tone that the Luxmen have. Kind of hating you right now Not sure if asking you about the P1-R10 pairing hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 No R-10 here, so I cannot really say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torpedo Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Oh I thought that you might have tried them eventually at one of the meets. Not sure I really want to know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPH Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Great writeup, thanks! Did you have a chance to try the JH13 with the Luxman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.