Luxman C-900u Pre-amplifier
Designed for supreme tonal quality.
With improvements we achieve a more realistic, fresh reproduction - rich in musicality The result is an incredible refined product. Made in Kanagawa, Japan it is close to perfect, especially when it comes to price/performance and the materials used for production:
The LECUA Volume control
It can be said that accurate volume adjustment is fundamental to a control amplifier. The C-900u has been equipped with our new LECUA* 1000, a highly precise electronically controlled attenuator that has been used in LUXMAN's 80th-anniversary flagship model, the C-1000f. This system is extremely resistant to external vibration and changes in sound quality over the volume control range, as well as being an extremely durable design. The LECUA circuit uses stepped fixed-resistance and increasing the number of steps from 72 to 88 allows more delicate volume control adjustments, with no deterioration of sound quality from 0 dB to 87 dB. The completely balanced configuration of the C-900u features 4 of these new LECUA 1000s in parallel, achieving ideal balanced transmission. Also, the LECUA 1000 system handles left and right balance control adjustment and level adjustment in bi-amplified output mode. In addition, the new LECUA 1000 circuit has an improved three-dimensional structure and is directly connected to the amplification circuit, minimizing signal routing and improving efficiency. Our latest negative feedback circuit, ODNF** version 4.0, achieves higher performance, being quadruple paralleled in the first main amplifier stage, triple paralleled in the first error detection stage and featuring a Darlington-connected second stage. Only the distorted components of an audio signal are fed back to the amplification circuit to optimize the negative feedback effect. Increased primary slew rate and ultra-wide bandwidth contribute to an extremely low level of distortion, especially in the high-frequency range. An improved signal-to-noise ratio allows the full expression of delicate musical pieces where the amount of feedback should be minimal.
* LECUA stands for "LUXMAN Electrically Controlled Ultimate Attenuator".
** ODNF stands for "Only Distortion Negative Feedback".
Large capacity, highly stable power supply circuit
The high-performance power supply circuit features a CI-type power transformer, with the equivalent capacity to that of our B-1000f monaural power amplifier. Applying the philosophy of "Power Amplifier Driver", the voltage amplification stage drives the connected power amplifier stage precisely with sufficient power and is regulated by four large capacity 3,300μF blocking capacitors. The delicacy and vitality of various audio signals are transmitted to the power amplifier with this remarkably stable power supply with almost no small voltage fluctuations.
Multifunctional and user friendly
The multifunctional C-900u has been equipped with user-friendliness, flexibility, and expandability to fully integrate with the listening environment. The clearly visible fluorescent display shows the current input source and sound volume. A zoom function on the remote control can expand this 4 times larger. This unit is equipped with a bi-amplifier output mode, in which a balanced output circuit can be used as a 2-channel unbalanced output. An external pre-amplifier input is useful for connection to an AV system and the tone controls are electronically tuned for added tonal quality.
Highly rigid chassis, isolator legs & blasted white finish
The highly rigid loopless chassis used for the enclosure eliminates ground loops which can lead to deterioration in sound quality. Cast-iron isolator legs prevent resonance thanks to the characteristics of their metallic structure, the density gradient decreasing from the center to the periphery of each leg. The legs also eliminate adverse effects caused by vibration and effects from the power transformer or the supporting surface. The blasted white exterior has no visible structural screws, adding a touch of high quality and a dignified presence.
Reviews
"The Luxman C-900u amazed me. It makes me wonder how different my audio journey might have been had I listened to that salesman 33 years ago and bought the used Luxman integrated he recommended. The C-900u’s build quality is outstanding, its styling is superb, and its unique feature set will be useful for those who need things such as tone controls and a Loudness contour
But even if such features don’t float your audiophile boat -- and for many audiophiles, they won’t -- the C-900u’s sound will. It’s beyond reproach, even when compared with a topflight preamplifier with minimal controls. Incredibly detailed, stupendously spacious, and essentially flawless throughout the audioband, the C-900u did no wrong in my system and in my room. While I doubt I’d ever use its tone controls or Loudness contour, I’d be happy to own the C-900u as a sonic reference, and consider everything else it offers icing on a world-class cake.
I absolutely loved the Luxman C-900u. In my estimation, it’s a preamp for the ages -- and perhaps in a decade or two, it will have proven to be another classic from Luxman that will still be outperforming whatever’s new in 2024 or 2034" Doug Schneider review Soundstage hifi
"After I carefully positioned a pair of loudspeakers I removed my usual pink noise CD and replaced it with music. The room was flooded with Beethoven’s Seventh and my jaw dropped – not only is the new Luxman’s combo a two-generation leap but it also comes with performance that hardly has competition at its asking price"
Click here for the matching M-10X Power Amplifier
Specifications
|
Input sensitivity/Input impedance |
Unbalanced 255mV/43kΩ |
|
Output/Input impedance |
Unbalanced rating 1V/90Ω, max. 11V |
|
Frequency response |
20Hz to 20kHz (+0, -0.1dB) |
|
Total harmonic distortion |
Unbalanced 0.009% (20Hz to 20kHz) |
|
S/N ratio (IHF-A) |
Unbalanced 123dB |
|
Volume adjustment |
New LECUA1000 |
|
Negative feedback circuit |
ODNF 4.0 |
|
Max. tone control range |
BASS: ±8dB at 100Hz |
|
Remote control functions |
・Operation・Dimmer・ Input selector |
|
Power consumption |
42W |
|
External dimensions |
440(W) x 130(H) x 430(D) mm |
|
Net weight |
19.7kg |
