Luxman M-12

preliminary

Part of the beautiful and renowned series of ultra-slimline components taking things where the Laboratory Reference Series left off :
C-12, M-12, B-12, T-12.

Several other siblings were also around for those who couldn't spend 500,000¥ for a complete "12" set : L-10 integrated, T-10 tuner and the (completely different and not slimline at all) L-11.


The M-12 is the stereo version of the B-12 monoblocks with (slightly less) bigga toroidal transformers (two), (still) bigga 10,000µF caps (two) and double push-pull (per channel) based on the Lux Realtime-Processed DC circuit.

Regulated driver stages are in Class A, regulation being done separately for the L and R channels.
Output is in near-Class A (ie. 60mV high idling current) Class AB but I don't know which output transistors were used.

Realtime-Processed DC relies on a proprietary IC, the DML-01 which holds the first stage differential amplifying circuit, the cascode circuit to assist it, and the constant current circuit all in one (little) box.
Those ICs are alas NLA and have proven not completely reliable...


The back has all of the B-12, multiplied by two : two input attenuators, two 4A fuses, two RCA inputs and a switch selecting either DC mode or input coupling for electrostatic speakers.

Luxman sold many M-12 : they sound good, very good, and they look very good.
The design puts the transistors at the front of the enclosure, encased in between their respective heatsinks, partly hidden under a meshed grill.
Striking. Even if full-black in color was a bit... dark.


Being from the 1977-1978 era, M-12s all have... no T-Tag !
It must have slipped somebody's mind at the factory but it should be an LCJ ; serial numbers are #K7100xxx.
M-12s were "customed" by Lux, customed meaning here that the 12s were limited edition - small numbers.



An M-12 at hifi-do's.
Warning, schematics and possible DML mods here.