In the Luxman and Magico room at AXPONA 2022, I drooled a lot. Luxman’s story over the last few years has been a treat for audiophiles all over the world–a legendary Japanese hi-fi marque re-invents itself (or, more accurately, goes back to its roots) and starts putting out some of the finest gear in the industry. There is a sad side to this story, however. Luxman is so highly desired in 2022 that it’s almost impossible to arrange for review samples. There’s a long list, and I’ve been on it for years.
The Luxman and Magico system included all of Luxman’s newest and most exciting releases, paired with a pair of Magico M6 speakers that come in at just under $200K for the pair. That should be a subtle hint that this new Luxman gear–especially the new D-10X SACD player ($16,995) and the simple yet stunning M10X power amplifier ($19,995)–are pushing the performance envelope like never before. AudioQuest cabling was used throughout, including some of the new and highly-regarded Mythical Creatures line.
The Luxman and Magico system didn’t disappoint, either. I heard tremendous bass slam, detail and precision, which is clearly tied in with incredible dynamic range, but I never lost track of that Luxman sound, that sense of the technology being in service to the music and none of this matters unless you get lost among the notes.
Just outside the Luxman and Magico room, I pleaded my case. Please let me review some Luxman again. It’s been over three years since I reviewed the LX-380 integrated amplifier and I still miss it! I can only hope, but I wouldn’t mind reviewing one of the older pieces, such as the D-03X, which I’ve heard is one of the most musical one-box CD players out there–and it’s very affordable. But this new D-10X? It has to be a winner in this newly burgeoning segment of high-end audio. And Luxman and Magico? It was superb combo.
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2022, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
