Thought to let you all know my experience with Luxman D-10X. I got the unit last week and it has been broken in after nearly 100 hours. I play some MQA CDs and mostly stream roon via USB. I mostly listen vocals (female), Jazz, instrumentals, R/B, classic and soft pop/indie. The dac in D-10X is very special and musical. Soundstage is wide and deep, very holographic and detailed with separation of instruments. The presentation has 3D like aura. The best part are the mids. Voices, especially female vocals, seem laid back but organic and life like. Nothing screams to your face, instruments are just well dispersed in air. Bass is very well defined. It plays MQA files a gem. I could not be more happier.
I was surprised by the recent review in What Hifi of the D-10x that described its sound as analytical and lean through the midrange. That's not what I expect to hear from previous descriptions of other Lux components.
I suppose I need to hear it for myself but it dampens my enthusiasm to audition it
Luxman 590axii with class A is a very good match and I like the combination. I think d-10x deserves more. I am planning to go separates, may be luxman c900u and m900u.
Initially I had impression of d-10x being analytical. D-10x is very sensitive to cabling. I changed power cable to shunyata anaconda and it changed the whole character. It is not at all analytical now and very musical. Not sure whether it was related to more break in time or cables, but now they are wonderful. I enjoy every bit of them, especially instruments. I don’t agree with mid range being thin. If at all, it is more meaty and full bodied in mid range but in a melodious way. Playing CDs are awesome. Streaming through roon with dsd is more neutral and with PCM it gives a warm feel.
I was surprised by the recent review in What Hifi of the D-10x that described its sound as analytical and lean through the midrange. That's not what I expect to hear from previous descriptions of other Lux components.
I suppose I need to hear it for myself but it dampens my enthusiasm to audition it
From what I've read elsewhere, it sounds like the reviewer was judging a unit that had not yet been sufficiently broken in. I ran the review comments by a D-10X owner whose ears I trust, and his impression was the same.
Not much more than 50% over the ML price - 8500 vs 5000 GDP. And judging by the massive mark-ups of some Japanese prices (eg Accuphase), I wonder if the effective price is much the same. Question is, how good are each of them at what they are designed to do - irrespective of price.
I was surprised by the recent review in What Hifi of the D-10x that described its sound as analytical and lean through the midrange. That's not what I expect to hear from previous descriptions of other Lux components.
I suppose I need to hear it for myself but it dampens my enthusiasm to audition it
You should give a listen to a "burned in" unit. It's likely that this unit was not broken in. Based on my experience with the D06u, it takes at least 300 hours and preferably 500.
Even I was surprised by that review. I now have more than 500 hours on my d-10x and they are extremely musical. I can’t agree with anything mentioned in the whathifi review. May be it is their set up or synergy, but my experience with my system has been wonderful. I usually change gears very often, but not this one. This is going to stay for long. It is an end game for me.