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Repair / Help Forum => Repair / Help => Topic started by: Age on June 07, 2019, 01:26:08 PM

Title: Luxman Power Amps MQ-70 vs MQ-50 vs 3045
Post by: Age on June 07, 2019, 01:26:08 PM
Hey Guys

I have absolutely never joined a forum in my life but here I am.

I have acquired from a friend some Luxman tube power amps and a bunch of tube and solid state pre-amps.

They were his fathers and I can have what ever I want and he wants to have a setup himself.

They aren't in the best condition. They have been sitting uncovered for about 10 years with no use.

I have started cleaning them up with alcohol swabs.

I have a pair of Luxman 3045's, a pair of Luxman MQ-70's and 1xMQ-50.

The MQ-70's still work ok, 2 of the small tubes of the MQ-50 are blown and one is nearly dead.

I haven't cleaned up the 3045's yet.

My question for now is which would be better to keep, the MQ-70's or the 3045's????

I would really appreciate any help as I am a total beginner with antique stereo equipment.

Thanks
Title: Re: Luxman Power Amps MQ-70 vs MQ-50 vs 3045
Post by: Sir Thrift-a-Lot on June 07, 2019, 03:07:12 PM
Oh man, don't plug that stuff in again until you get it properly serviced or at least get some guidance.   Old tube amps usually have bad or failing caps.   You don't want to take out an OPT doing something careless.

Are you in the Pittsburgh area?   I could help you out with them like my friend Scott (now in the deep south) helped me out back in the day.
Title: Re: Luxman Power Amps MQ-70 vs MQ-50 vs 3045
Post by: Age on June 09, 2019, 09:56:42 AM
Thanks for the offer but I live in Japan.

I also scored 5 Luxman preamps: 35, 35II, 36, 38, 38FD!!!! As well as a Luxman solid state preamp and power amp.

It is really hard to find any good information on them in English. If I can't get any help I will have to hassle my wife to find out in Japanese as my Japanese is not that good to talk technical.

I would really know which preamp is best out of that bunch and which of the power amps are best.
I cleaned up the MQ-70's and they work fine. I will clean up the 3045's this week. I would really like to know which of the two pairs are best for which preamps or if anyone has any suggestions for the best set up of all of this gear.

Does anyone know where I can get replacement tubes?? Some of the the tubes will for sure need replacing. The MQ-50 has 2 dead (small) tubes and another is almost dead (there is a very slight glow).

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

Thanks
Title: Re: Luxman Power Amps MQ-70 vs MQ-50 vs 3045
Post by: Sir Thrift-a-Lot on June 09, 2019, 06:18:43 PM
Thanks for the offer but I live in Japan.



Yeah, that's a bit of a commute.

Do have them looked at by someone knowledgeable.
Title: Re: Luxman Power Amps MQ-70 vs MQ-50 vs 3045
Post by: steinjw on June 09, 2019, 07:29:20 PM
Will add more later, but to get you started:

https://www.tonepublications.com/old-school/luxman (https://www.tonepublications.com/old-school/luxman)
Title: Re: Luxman Power Amps MQ-70 vs MQ-50 vs 3045
Post by: steinjw on June 14, 2019, 08:09:45 AM
Don't know if you are still following this thread, but ...

An ebay offering from Japan of a Luxman MQ-80, in the line of your MQ-70:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-LUXMAN-MQ80-Tube-Stereo-Power-Amplifier/153507283711?hash=item23bdbf42ff:g:qqwAAOSwMqZc71Pn (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-LUXMAN-MQ80-Tube-Stereo-Power-Amplifier/153507283711?hash=item23bdbf42ff:g:qqwAAOSwMqZc71Pn)

For what it is worth, the following quote some up what many believe:

"All Luxman gear sold in the USA was good, the silver era gear made pre-Alpine was best of it." ...

the Alpine take-over would have been around 1984, lasting to 1994, others can correct me if I have that wrong. Generally felt to have returned to better quality in recent years.

Jim