Luxman LV-109 (1985)

Name: Luxman LV-109
Brand: Luxman

The LV-109 was Luxman's flagship integrated amplifier when it came out in 1985. It has no phono inputs, and that is the first thing collectors bring up. It wasn't an oversight, and Luxman hadn't given up on vinyl. As Audio (September 1987, p.63) explained at the time, Luxman deliberately split low-level phono preamplification into a companion component, the LE-109 phono preamp, which could be added if desired. A buyer listening only to CD, radio, tape, and video sources wouldn't pay for a phono stage he never used.

What you got instead was a high-power amplifier built around dual mono construction and Luxman's Duo-Beta circuitry. Rated output is 130W per channel into 8 ohms and 200W into 4 ohms, with total harmonic distortion specified at 0.009%. Frequency response runs from 5Hz to 100kHz, and signal-to-noise ratio is rated at 100dB. It's heavy at 20.2kg, in a chassis measuring 452 x 169 x 434mm. Power consumption is rated at 500W.

Audio's test of the LV-109 focused on its digital inputs and overall transparency. The reviewer noted no audible difference when switching between analog and digital inputs, which spoke well for Luxman's D/A circuitry at the time. Measured input sensitivity for all high-level inputs was 12mV for 1 watt of output. That works out to roughly 147mV for rated output, very close to Luxman's specified 150mV. Signal-to-noise ratio with respect to 1 watt output, referenced to 0.5V input, measured 80dB.

The fact sheet is thin on some details. No original price, no damping factor, and no input/output counts are documented. All specifications trace back to a single source (vintage-audio-luxman.com), so some caution is warranted.

Known Specifications

Output Power: 130W RMS per channel into 8 ohms; 200W RMS per channel into 4 ohms
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.009%
Frequency Response: 5Hz – 100kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio: 100dB
Power Requirements: AC 110V, 50-60Hz
Power Consumption: 500W
Dimensions: 452 x 169 x 434mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 20.2kg