Luxman LE-117 (1987–1991)
The LE-117 is a standalone phono equalizer amplifier from the Alpine/Luxman era. It was introduced in September 1987 at ¥38,000 and produced into 1991. It follows the "phono separation" idea - pulling the phono stage out of the integrated amplifier and giving it its own chassis, on the reasoning that phono signals are among the most delicate in audio and need undivided attention. The unit is essentially an analog of the LE109, but with a single input rather than multiple.
The front panel has 3-step gain switching: 0 dB for MM, plus 22 dB and 32 dB positions for MC. There is also 3-step impedance loading for MC cartridges (3 Ω, 40 Ω, 100 Ω), which makes it flexible for a wide range of Japanese and international cartridges. MM input impedance is a standard 47k Ω. Inside, Luxman used a high-gain equalizer circuit said to simplify the signal path. It also uses their S.T.A.R. (Signal Transmission Alignment Routing) topology, which feeds each stage directly from the power supply rather than sharing lines. The idea was to improve perceived signal-to-noise. The chassis is thin at just 61 mm tall, but wide enough (438 mm) to allow a relaxed, spacious circuit layout.
Specifications are respectable for the period. Rated output is 150 mV. Harmonic distortion is 0.005% at 1 kHz (1 V output). S/N is 95 dB (MM) and 83 dB (MC), crosstalk is 85 dB, and frequency response runs 20 Hz to 20 kHz. It draws 25W and weighs 3.6 kg. The unit runs on 100 VAC only, so North American users will need a step-down transformer.
The LE-117 was made in Japan. Period reviews from major audio publications are scarce, though the unit has a following among vinyl enthusiasts. One Russian forum user described it as an "analog of LE109, but with one input," and added that it has "very decent sound." The same source noted that one seller experimented with Black Gate capacitors in the power supply and input, then returned the unit to stock condition. Common maintenance on these units, per forum reports, includes replacing the power supply capacitor and the RCA input/output sockets.
A few known specs at a glance:
- Inputs: MM (47k Ω) and MC with 3-step impedance switching (3/40/100 Ω)
- Gain: 0 dB (MM), 22 dB / 32 dB (MC)
- Distortion: 0.005% (1 kHz, 1 V output)
- S/N: 95 dB (MM), 83 dB (MC)
- Dimensions: 438 × 61 × 310 mm; 3.6 kg
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