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T
he f il t e r a nd t o ne co ntr o l se ctio n is fe a tu re r ich , b u t co mple te ly defe a ta b le n e ve r t h e le ss. T he b ass and
t
r e ble co ntr o ls have t h re e ce nte r fr e q ue nci es each - 1 5 0, 3 00 , 6 00 H z and 1 .5 k, 3 k and 6 kH z re sp ect ive ly.
T
he co ntr o ls th e m se lve s are th ick film o n ce ra m ic su bst ra te sw it ch es ra th er th an p ots, w it h 1 dB d ete nts. A
b
ass boo st is pro vi ded in st ead o f th e m ore tr a dit io n al lo u dn ess contr o l, d e fe a ta b le in co nju nct io n w it h th e
t
o ne co ntr o ls. T he filt e r se ctio n h as a lo w /su bso nic filt e r w it h 1 0H z and 7 0 H z, a n d a h ig h filt e r w it h 7 kH z and
1
2kH z se ttin g s. T his se ctio n is fo llo w ed b y a m ono -st ere o-r e ve rse sw it ch a nd a sw it ch to d rive o nly th e le ft o r
r
ig h t ch ann els (th is is usa ble f o r si m ulca st F M ).
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T
he vo lu m e co ntr o l se ctio n is qu it e u niq u e in h a vi ng a d ual vo lu m e a nd m utin g co ntr o l - a lo ng w it h t h e m ain
vo
lu m e co ntr o l, w hich is again a th ick fil m o n ce ra m ics swit ch ed a tte nu ato r, r a th er th an th e tr a d it io na l
p
ote ntio m ete r, th e re is a se pa ra te a tte n uatin g p ot th at se ts th e 'b ase lin e' vo lu m e in si de a 2 0 dB r a ng e. T his
h
as a co axi al b a la nce co ntr o l. In a dd it io n, th e re is Luxm an 's un iq ue to u ch -m utin g , w hich is de fe a ta ble vi a a
sw
it ch o n th e r e a r p an el. T ouch in g th e ce ntr a l m eta l p a rt o n th e vo lu m e co ntr o l a ct iva te s a 1 5d B a tt e nu ato r
a
nd lig hts th e m utin g L E D . T ou ch in g t h e o ute r m eta l r in g o f th e vo lu m e co ntr o l d ea ct iva te s th e 1 5d B
a
tte nua tio n a n d sw it ch es off th e L E D . T he co ntr o l is 't o uch -sp eed ' se nsi tive - it o nly act iva te s when yo u
q
uickl y to uch th e m eta l ( "b oun ce yo ur fin g er o ff it ") . T he p o w er a m p se ctio n h as sw it ch es fo r tw o sp ea ke r
p
air s. B uild q u alit y is am ong st th e b est o ffe re d a t th e tim e, a nd e xce lle nt ( o r b e tte r!) fo r to day' s stan da rd s.
F
air w arn in g: it w eig h s a T O N. D
ET AIL ED IN FO T
his am p w as th e t o p o f th e lin e in 1 9 76, a n d o ne o f th e m ost e xp ensi ve in te gra te d a m plif ie rs of th e d a y. T he
p
rice is no d o ub t d u e to th e se le ct io n o f co mpon en ts th at co uld b e co nsi dere d t o ve rg e o n e so te ric fo r th e
t
im es. F or in st ance , t h e a ud io si gn al o nly passe s th ro u gh fo il ca pa ci to rs, a nd th e n u m ber o f t h ese h a s be en
l
im it e d to a s fe w a s possi ble . T
he a m plif ie r fe a tu re s a tr u ly hig h -e nd p h on o se ctio n, w hich , h o w eve r o nly acce pts M M ca rtr id g es (a nd w it h
f
a ir ly la rg e o utp ut vo lt a ges at th a t) , a lt h ou gh I e xp ect a h ig h o u tp u t M C w ill w ork fin e a ssu min g th e g ain o f
t
h e p ho no st age is se t to it 's hig h est . In st ea d o f t h e va ria ble ca pa ci ta n ce co ntr o l, lu xm an in cl ude s
co
ntin io usl y va ria b le lo a din g ( fr o m 1 0 k to 1 0 0k) , a nd th eir e xcl usi ve lin ear e qu alize r. T his is a sp eci al typ e o f
l
o w p ha se sh if t f il t e r th a t e ffe ct ive ly tilt s th e w hole r e sp on ce to w ard s th e lo w o r h ig h e n d ( d e pe ndin g o n
se
ttin g ). 5 se tt in gs are p ro vi ded , f la t p lu s ap pro x. 2 d B a nd 4 dB tilt in e it h er d ir e ct io n. T he in flu en ce o f th e
co
ntr o l is quit e su btle . T he P ho no se ctio n h as no le ss th an 4 p ow er su pp lie s, u se s se le ct ed lo w n oise
t
r a nsi st ors and p re ci si on ca paci to rs, a n d r e si des in a se pa ra te sh ie ld e d b ox, a s fa r a s possi ble fr o m t h e
p
ow er t r a nsf orm er. T
he p ow er a m ps are tw o se pa ra te m odu le s, p ow ere d b y a h ug e t r a nsf orm er a nd tw o p osi tive ly eno rm ou s
f
il t e r ca ps - th e se co mpute r g ra d e ca ps fr o m N ip po n C he m ico n h ad to b e o rd e re d sp eci all y, th e d im ensi ons
a
re cu stom to th e L -1 00 . O ne e B ay use r d escr ib e d th em a s be in g a s big a s Satu rn V b oost er r o cke ts, a nd
t
h e d escr ip tio n fit s! N ee dle ss to sa y, th e p o w er r e se rve o f th is am p is ext ra ord in a ry. T
he a m plif ie r is a d ua l d if fe re ntia l sym etr ica l a m plif ie r, a s ad va nce d a s yo u g et fo r th e tim es - e ve n to d ay
so
me h a ve n ot ca ugh t o n ye t. T w o p air s of p o w er tr a n si st ors sh are t h e o utp ut cu rre n t w it h a n a dd it io na l p a ir
o
f p ost -d rive rs - th e o utp ut co nfig ura tio n u se s a th re e st ag es. A co mpre he nsi ve a rra y of p ro te ct io n f e atu re s
