Luxman LMC-5 – MC cartridge of the reference class

It is the component that is still missing to complete the product portfolio in the vinyl sector, according to Luxman Corporation. With the Luxman PD-151 turntable and the Luxman E-200 and Luxman EQ-500 phono preamplifiers, the company has already set standards, and now the new Luxman LMC-5 is to follow with an MC cartridge of the reference class.

Luxman LMC-5 is the new cartridge system from Luxman Corporation, which, according to the manufacturer, is to be regarded as a new reference and is completely in the tradition of the Luxman LMC-1 and Luxman LMC-2 solutions. The company also says that it closes a gap in its product portfolio, because with the Luxman PD-151 turntable and the Luxman E-200 and Luxman EQ-500 phono preamplifiers, it is now perfectly positioned in the vinyl sector.

Luxman LMC-5 on the occasion of the 95th anniversary

The presentation of the new Luxman LMC-5 is by no means a coincidence: this year the company celebrates its 95th anniversary, and a cartridge system of the calibre of the new Luxman LMC-5 is a more than worthy product. Especially since the presentation of the new Luxman LMC-5 comes 40 years after the introduction of the already mentioned Luxman LMC-1 and Luxman LMC-2 pick-up systems, which have long been considered legendary representatives of their genre.

Luxman Corporation is committed to vinyl

Luxman Corporation and vinyl are a long-standing friendship, according to the Japanese company. The company can point to many outstanding products in this field, not only from the past, but also in the present.

Of course, the Luxman LMC-1 and Luxman LMC5 systems, which have been mentioned several times, occupy a very special position, but the Luxman PD-300 turntable, which appeared in 1980, can also be regarded as a milestone in the company’s history. This provided a solution with innovative vacuum plate suction.

In the 1990s, the company openly admits that, like almost the entire market, it shifted its focus to “digital” and treated vinyl somewhat neglectfully. But when sales of digital recordings began to decline in 2010, the company returned to “analogue values” and recognised the trend towards vinyl early on. Sales of digital recordings declined by ten per cent from 2010, while those of vinyl records have increased tenfold since that year. So it was fitting that Luxman Corporation came up with the Luxman PD-151, a fine turntable, accompanied by the Luxman E-250 phono preamplifier with transistor circuitry and the Luxman EQ-500 with tubes.

The pinnacle of current vinyl technology

These two phono preamplifiers as well as the turntable are considered to be solutions at the forefront of vinyl technology, and the new Luxman LMC-5 cartridge system is designed to match.

Moving Coil Principle in Perfection

For the developers, there was no question that a reference-class pick-up system had to be designed as a moving coil. This should guarantee superior dynamics and detail resolution, and the well-known principle of earlier years has been refined even further for the new Luxman LMC-5.

Symmetrically wound coils provide significantly improved channel separation and the coil wire, which is only 30μm thick, is a guarantee for superior speed and the highest possible signal fidelity as well as maximum freedom from resonance.

The Luxman LMC-5 uses a housing made of aluminium, which makes it particularly robust and at the same time very light. The MC pick-up system weighs only 8.5 g. Even the design is such that resonances that could damage the sound are prevented from the outset.

This ensures that the inner workings are free from external influences.

In addition, this material allows a dark red anodisation and thus offers the classic brand colour of Luxman Corporation. The company logo in white also comes into its own. Of course, this is only an ultimately insignificant detail, but high-end hi-fi lovers in particular appreciate such subtleties, and rightly so.

Technical key data

The new Luxman LMC-5 uses a diamond with Shibata cut, the needle carrier is made of aluminium. With an impedance of 4.7 ohms and an output voltage of 0.4 mV, the manufacturer recommends a load resistance of 40 ohms or more. The tracking force should be in a range between 2.1 and 2.3 g, consequently 2.2 g is given as standard.

Countless tests until completion

Luxman Corporation states that nothing was left to chance in the development of the new Luxman LMC-5. In addition to an initially theoretical approach based on decades of experience of the developers, they relied on countless tests on a multitude of prototypes, paying attention to every detail to achieve the best sound reproduction.

According to the manufacturer, the new Luxman LMC-5 will be available in specialist shops from June 2021. The recommended retail price for this solution is stated at € 2,290.

Getting to the point

It is an extremely fine pick-up system that Luxman Corporation is now treating itself to on the occasion of its 95th anniversary, but one must rather see it as closing a gap in a very practical way. Luxman Corporation already has all the other components for vinyl at the highest level, what was missing was a suitable pick-up system, and that is exactly what the new Luxman LMC-5 is supposed to provide.