Luxman PD-151 MK II
Brings what Audiophiles value most in a turntable;
Speed stability, low noise, vibration control and tonearm tracking
Audiophiles love the warmth, organic texture and uncanny beauty of analog music reproduction. But that beauty is notoriously fragile. Even slight variations in platter speed can blur the musical pitch, placing the sound behind an unnatural veil. From a high-torque motor, an ultra-wide drive belt and the 4.0 kg platter, every aspect of the PD-151 pursues stability and accuracy.
Proprietary high-torque brushless DC motor
The purity of musical pitch depends entirely on the stability of platter rotation. That’s why LUXMAN engineers went to extraordinary lengths. We start with our unique sine wave/Pulse Width Modulation power supply, which provides ultra-stable direct current to our proprietary DC brushless motor. The result of years of development, this high-torque motor incorporates low-noise acoustic bearings and an optimized number of coil turns. The drive system monitors and maintains speed with our Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) feedback control loop. Proportional means quick achievement of target speed. Integral means fast correction of minor errors. And differential means control over rapid fluctuations. For added precision, the motor drives the outside flange of the platter through an uncommonly wide belt.
Single point cross tonearm
The tonearm incorporates the classic single point cross suspension bearing for ultra-smooth motion. Static balance accommodates different cartridge-headshell combinations. Note : the cartridge is not included.
Underslung chassis fights vibration
LUXMAN engineered an underslung, suspended structure with components mounted under the 10 mm thick aluminum upper chassis. This achieves high rigidity while suppressing vibration.
Transformer and motorisolation damping
LUXMAN understands that even the player’s internal components can cause distortion-inducing vibration. That’s why the PD-151 isolates the chassis from the motor and power transformer with advanced rubber damping mounts. Sight unseen, these mounts help enable music reproduction of the highest order.
Separate 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm pitch adjustments
You can fine-tune the musical pitch of play-back with separate front panel adjustments for 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm. An LED indicator flashes green when the pitch is flat, flashes blue when it’s sharp, and lights solid green when the PD-151 is precisely on-pitch.
4.0 kg machined aluminum platter and stainless steel spindle
After going to extremes on the power supply, drive motor and belt, LUXMAN engineers were determined to optimize the last guarantor of stable speed: the platter itself. The 4.0 kg platter acts as a flywheel with extremely high moment of inertia, 21.9N-cm2, to suppress even minuscule speed variations. A platter this heavy requires bearings capable of sustaining extremely high pressure. LUXMAN engineers specified polyether ether ketone (PEEK) thrust bearings and a brass radial bearing filled with organic molybdenum oil for effortlessly smooth rotation and long life. These exhaustive measures require time, attention and cost. But they pay off in exceptionally stable platter rotation. Conservatively rated, wow & flutter is less than 0.04%, weighted RMS. In this way, the PD-151 delivers music with uncommon clarity, faithfully reproducing the original.
10mm thick aluminum top plate
Our latest design, mounting the three major elements of a turntable – tone arm, motor and platter, onto a hair-line finished 10mm thick top panel, aims to achieve beauty, simplicity and functionality. The matt black lower chassis creates a bold, yet sensitive contrast.
Heavy-duty insulator feet
A player this massive requires specially engineered feet. We created large insulators from rubber carefully selected for superb damping across all operating temperatures. Each insulator offers 8 mm of independent height adjustment.
Headshell
We make the supplied headshell from magnesium alloy for reduced weight and high strength.
Phono cable
As you would expect, the supplied DIN-RCA output cable uses audiophile grade Oxygen Free Copper.
Reviews
‘The PD-151 MK II in’t exactly cheap, but it’s affordable by current hi-fi standards, and it is convenient and easy to live with. Once you have it set up and dialed in, you can expect it to be about as unfussy and long-lasting as turntables come. It just plays your records superbly, without fuss, bother, or artificial pizzazz. It looks beautiful, feels beautiful, and is beautifully made; but most importantly, it also sounds beautiful’
read the review in Stereophile
Stereophile’s Recommended Component
This new version of a classic three-speed, belt-drive turntable from Luxman impressed MT with its speed stability: wow & flutter were both just 0.02%. This is achieved with a DC motor fed from a ‘sophisticated’ pulse-width modulation power supply. Although there isn’t a suspension, when MT held a stethoscope against the top plate adjacent to the motor, he couldn’t tell whether the motor was on or off: ‘It’s that quiet.’ An optional dustcover adds $795 to the price. The LTA-309 tonearm features knife-edge bearings and a H4 bayonet-mount universal headshell, and is sourced from Japanese manufacturer SAEC. MT used an Ortofon Cadenza Blue and Luxman’s own LMC-5 for his auditioning, and commented that with the Luxman cartridge a track from Willy DeVille’s solo album ‘sounded tonally vivid and three-dimensional with a soundstage that was wide and deep but tidy.’ He found that while the PD-151 couldn’t quite match the tautness and bottom-end slam of the ‘vastly more expensive’ SME Model 30/2A, it more than held its own in most other areas. (Vol.46 No.3 WWW)
Robb Report – Best Turntable (With Arm and Cartridge): Luxman PD-151 Mark II
‘Not many one-brand turntable, arm, and cartridge combinations exist, but for anyone looking for the same nameplate on each, the Luxman PD-151 Mark II equipped with the Luxman LMC-5 low-output moving coil cartridge hits the sweet spot. The Japanese brand’s “entry-level” deck—still a formidable investment—features a substantial chassis whose belt-driven, high-mass platter spins all three recorded speeds. The pre-mounted, static-balanced LTA-309 tonearm with detachable head shell is the ideal companion to Luxman’s new LMC-5 cartridge, the company’s first in 40 years. It’s a true overachiever in the world of low-output moving coils and the equal of cartridges twice the price.—RR’
Specifications
Phono motor section
- Drive system Belt drive system
- Motor Brushless DC motor with PID control
- Platter 30cm machined aluminum plate
- Revolution 33 1/3rpm, 45rpm, 78rpm(3 speeds selectable)
- Revolution adjustment range ±6% (each rotation speed adjustable independently)
- Wow and flutter 0.04% or less(W.R.M.S.)
- Weight(Platter) 4.0kg
- Tone arm section * Cartridge is not included
- Type Static balanced, S shaped, universal type
- Bearing Single point cross suspension
- Effective length 229mm
- Overhang 15mm
- Tracking error angle +1.9° to -1.1°
- Applicable cartridge weight 4 to 12g (including headshell 17 to 25g)
- Adjustable height range 38 to 60mm
- Anti-skating 0 to 3g
- Power source and others * Dust cover is not included
- Power source 110V~ 60Hz
- Power consumption 6W
- Dimensions 465 (W) × 133(up to top face of platter)(H)×393(D) mm
- Net weight 15.7kg (main unit)
- Accessories included – Platter, Headshell, Rubber mat, Rubber belt, Platter mount handle (2pieces), EP adaptor, Counterweight, Arm adjustment hex wrench set (3types), Flathead screwdriver for rotation speed adjustment, phono cable (DIN→RCA : already installed on the unit), Power cable
Optional Accessories
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