Luxman KD-117 (1980)
The Luxman KD-117 is a direct-drive turntable introduced in 1980, and it occupies a slightly odd spot in the Luxman catalog: it was built as an auto-return changer, yet it carries the kind of specifications you'd expect from a serious audiophile deck. The record is thinner than it deserves to be — no original price survives in the archive, and production years beyond the 1980 introduction aren't documented — but what's known paints a picture of a solid, well-made machine with a notably good midrange.
The KD-117 runs at 33⅓ and 45 rpm with quartz-locked speed stabilization, keeping wow and flutter low — period database listings vary between 0.025% and 0.02% WRMS, with the more conservative figure likely closer to the truth. Rumble is rated at −70 dB (DIN B). The static-balanced tonearm measures 227.5 mm effective length with an effective mass of 9 g; total tonearm mass including the 8.5 g headshell comes to 17.5 g. Stylus pressure range is 0–3 g. The whole thing draws 13W from an AC 100V, 50/60Hz supply and tips the scales at 10.8 kg (23.8 lb), with dimensions of 450 × 178 × 420 mm.
HiFI-Stereo (June 1988, p.58) tested the KD-117 and found its digital-era measurements impressive — no detectable wow and flutter, since the digital process precludes it, and playback response checked with calibrated test tones came back clean. The same review noted a thoughtful feature: a special CD input with screwdriver-adjustable level controls, letting you match a CD player's output to the recorder's. That's a small touch, but it says something about how Luxman was thinking about the changing source landscape in the early Eighties.
Owner reports from the field are generally positive — "built solidly" with a "nice, full sounding midrange" is a typical assessment — though the usual age-related caveats apply. The speed adjustment pots often need cleaning, and the cueing mechanism may not lift properly on units that have sat for decades. Many KD-117s surface as-is / for parts on the secondhand market, which suggests the failure points are known and repairable rather than fatal.
Known specifications:
- Direct-drive, auto-return record changer
- 33⅓ and 45 rpm, quartz-locked
- Wow and flutter: 0.025% WRMS
- Rumble: −70 dB (DIN B)
- Static-balanced tonearm, 227.5 mm effective length
- Dimensions: 450 × 178 × 420 mm; 10.8 kg
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