Luxman M-6000

The M-6000 is so big, so heavy, so powerful and so good it is... invisible.

LUX's had its 50th anniversary in 1975 and called on Tim de Paravinci to design several "ultra" components : the M-6000 and its C-1000 preamp companion.

After that was made, lavishly, with grandeur and style but without bluff, the two lesser versions were designed and launched throughout 1975 : M-4000, M-2000.
A two year old design inherited a new name for the occasion (M-150 / M-1500), probably to try and recoup' some of the previsible M-6000 losses by way of the lower-end of things.
It didn't work but the M-4000 and M-2000 sold quite well so, for once, LUX made it safe.


The circuit of the M-6000 is a 2-stage constant current differential amp ending in triple push-pull pure complementary OCL output with an emitter-follower in between the differential driver stage in Class A and the output stage in Class B.

The dual power-supply, the gigantesque power-supply, feeds the circuits with two 1kW transformers and four 20,000µF / 100V caps and separate windings used for the driver and output stages.

Protection schemes were particularily cared for - there are four !
DC-drift sensing when ± 3V are detected at the speaker terminals, power transistor failure sensing shuts everything down, high temp sensing shuts everything down again when heatsink temp rises above 100°C and over-current sensing when DC current appears with the signal and is detected by the comparator.


Meters are doubled-up with the average levels handled by the VU and the peak spots by the six added red LEDs. If you see the +3dB light up, you'll know you've just hit 1,2kW but you won't hear anything anymore.
These peaky LEDs can be switched to x10 scale or be turned off completely and this flashy addition was, visually, done very intelligently.

Input level "setters" allow to balance respective levels in optimal ranges for both preamplifier and amplifier between -20dB and 0dB in 1dB steps. This is done with stepped metalized film precision pots.

A relay and blinking LED show up when the magnificent "power on" button is used : five seconds of delay and the music, mmmm, make that MUSIC can play.
A safety switch is also placed within the top part of the enclosure : the M-6000 can't function without it as currents as high as 69,3V can be output when the M-6000 is pushed at its maximum power... Beware.

The two back heatsinks are in proportion of the rest (!) and efficiently cool down the twelve output transistors


The M-6000, visually, is simply stunning and its design is on par with the circuit, perhaps even better - that says a lot.

If M-6000s could still be purchased here and there until the late 1970s, there was only one production run, as often with super-ultra components.

Massive sales naturally weren't the point -at 650,000¥ it would've been difficult- so the production run must have been very low.
I don't know (yet) how many were actually made but will very soon.


A real M-6000 at hifi-do's.