Luxman T-300X (1978)
The Luxman T-300X is a dedicated FM stereo tuner released in December 1978 at ¥98,000. Luxman positioned it as a serious tuner, with design and circuitry similar to the 5T10 of the Laboratory Reference Series, but in a standalone package. The big feature is Luxman's proprietary C.L.L. (Closed Loop Locked System) tuning method. It controls the front end, IF stage, and detection stage from a crystal-controlled reference frequency. There is no conventional center meter. The C.L.L. circuit's control voltage detects the accurate center point, and an "Accu-touch" mechanism locks it mechanically. Tuning is precise and unaffected by temperature drift.
The front end uses a 5-row varicon dedicated to FM. The IF stage has bandwidth switching. The wide position uses two LC-type block filters for low distortion, and the narrow position adds a ceramic filter for high selectivity. A quadrature wide-band detection circuit and a pilot signal canceler in the MPX stage round out the design. The audio stage runs DC-coupled. Measured performance is strong: practical sensitivity of 1.7 µV (9.8 dBf), 80 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and stereo separation of 50 dB at 1 kHz in wide mode. Distortion in wide mode is listed at 0.05% (mono, 1 kHz) and 0.06% (stereo, 1 kHz). Selectivity in narrow mode is rated at 90 dB (±400 kHz), with a capture ratio of 2 dB narrow / 0.8 dB wide.
The T-300X includes a test tone switch for recording and a multipath confirmation switch, both handy for anyone recording FM seriously. Output is available fixed at 1 V or variable from 0 to 1 V. Antenna input is a 75 Ω coaxial connector. The unit measures 481 × 104 × 325 mm, weighs 6.9 kg, and draws 20 W.
The record is thin beyond the spec sheet. One Japanese owner reports using a T-300X for over 40 years, fed by a coaxial cable from a condominium TV antenna terminal. Another owner, while fond of the T-300X's appearance and sound quality, commented that stereo reception is "not great" and "almost the same as the LUXMAN T-12." No further reception or repair history is documented. A used example appeared on eBay in May 2026 at $600, described as tested and working.
- Type: FM stereo tuner
- Released: December 1978, ¥98,000
- Practical sensitivity (IHF): 1.7 µV / 9.8 dBf
- S/N: 80 dB
- Distortion (wide, 1 kHz): 0.05% mono / 0.06% stereo
- Selectivity (±400 kHz): 30 dB wide / 90 dB narrow
- Stereo separation: 50 dB (1 kHz, wide)
- Output: fixed 1 V / variable 0–1 V
- Dimensions: 481 × 104 × 325 mm; 6.9 kg
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