Luxman MS-11

First foray for Luxman in loudspeakers - first visible foray that is, or almost visible.

Although having loudspeakers in its lineups since the 1930s, Luxman never was and still isn't a 'speaker manufacturer. So its attempts were outsourced elsewhere...
I don't know exactly where for the MS mini-series but will for sure very soon.


An updated MS-10, the MS-11 is a beautiful looking bookshelf of modest dimensions and modest power i/o made with a refined structure and original parts.

The bass/mid driver uses an Aramid cone : a mix of multiple plastics meshed up together, chemically coated and heat treated.
Aramid was the answer to the equation : rigid but lightweight. One of the possible answers, that is, but a new and high-tech one in 1979.
Aramid is also used for the driver's damper supporting the diaphragm.

A further polyurthane coating of the cone's edge helps further lowering of the remaining resonance while the specially designed aluminium diecast frame helps back venting.

The high driver is a 2,5cm polyester dome covering the 3Khz to 20Khz range but able to go down to 1Khz ; its large 11,000g magnet and nomex bobbin allow good power handling.

The crossover uses a sharp 18dB/octave slope with select metalized film caps and low DC resistance coils.

The enclosure uses very high density particle board and LUX's own Multi-Vent Controlled Speaker System : three small holes make for a moderate venting system giving advantages of both acoustic suspension and bass-reflex routes, sans the problems of either systems.


Alas, the very nice design trait made with the front mousse cutout of the MS-10 was lost with the MS-11's less transparent grille.

Being a real bookshelf, it can be used in several positions - or at least upside down and downside up : woofer up or woofer down.
The latter is the default but if the former were to be prefered, the Luxman badge can easily be reversed so that it doesn't read namxuL.


Rapidly followed by... nothing, the MS-11 wasn't too successful to say the least : Luxman had started such a spree of lineup multiplications since 1976 that the entire MS series probably got lost in translation, marketing, distribution and change of plans.