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Ask us to talk about some of our favourite high-end phono stages of all time, and it wouldn’t be long before Luxman’s excellent valve-based EQ-500 is mentioned. What Hi-Fi? tested this immaculately engineered unit back in 2017, and it made such an impression that we even used it in our reference system for a while.
The Luxman E-07 replaces that capable model, and quite clearly has a lot to live up to. This new design is no mere tweak of its predecessor, using a solid-state circuit rather than valves, but in terms of build and performance, it is every bit as impressive.
Build
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Luxman is currently celebrating its centenary, a milestone that few rivals can match. All that experience shines through in the construction of this phono stage. The company’s products have always been understated in appearance, and the E-07 is no different.
Its casework is reassuringly solid and well-damped, while every switch and control dial works with quite lovely precision.
The base of the chassis is made of two copper plates stacked together to a thickness of 3.6mm. This type of construction not only adds mass and helps to control resonances, but also improves chassis rigidity. In addition, the E-07’s feet are made of dense cast iron to provide greater resistance to unwanted mechanical vibrations entering the phono stage’s structure.
Its all-in weight is a hefty 13.2kg, which is more than most premium integrated amplifiers that come through our test room.
Features & connectivity
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There is definitely a no-nonsense aura about the E-07, though don’t take that to mean that it is a stripped-down, bare-bones design. It has three inputs, one of which is balanced, and that connectivity is mirrored on the output side.
Multiple gold-plated, solid brass posts offer slightly different grounding options to allow the user to minimise hum, and, as is typical for the price point, there is a full complement of cartridge loading options on offer.
Luxman E-07 tech specs
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Moving magnet? Yes
Moving coil? Yes
Cartridge loading adjustment? Yes
Remote control? No
Dimensions (hwd) 92 x 440 x 407mm
Weight 13.2 kg
You can change the Luxman’s moving coil input resistance loading in five steps (4.7, 10, 40, 100, 300, 1000 ohms), and the gain of the MC section changes from 57dB to 66dB when the resistance value selected is below 100 ohms.
Moving magnet gain is an entirely conventional 38dB, which should be fine for most such cartridges on the market. Unusually, the E-07 also has loading options for MM cartridges, with four settings for both resistance (34, 47, 56, 100 kOhms) and load capacitance (0, 100, 220, 320 pF).
However, the placement of some of these adjustments is one of the few areas where we feel that E-07 has taken a backwards step over its predecessor, as it puts the moving magnet loading dip switches on the back panel where they are more awkward to get at. The previous generation model had an array of metal dials for both MM and MC, easily accessible on the front.
Of course, it’s easy to argue that such adjustments aren’t used often, so the lack of easy access shouldn’t matter. It is also fair to say that the vast majority of high-end cartridges tend to be moving coil designs, and so it makes sense to give the dedicated controls priority.
Even so, the E-07 is aimed at enthusiasts, the kind of people likely to have a whole collection of cartridges of all types, so why make things harder than they should be?
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Elsewhere, you will find toggles for switching to mono, a bass cut to help with warped records and a phase invert option that switches the pin connections of the balanced output. You will also see a switch labelled as ‘Articulator’. This function uses the cartridge’s signal to demagnetise the cartridge itself and the E-07’s internal moving coil step-up transformers.
This control sparked our curiosity. Turn it on while a record is playing and the sound mutes, as the signal is rerouted. It needs to be left on for around half a minute to work. We notice a slight improvement in clarity and definition once the operation is carried out, so it is worth the effort every once in a while, but you will need a revealing system to hear the benefits.
We’re less convinced by the bass cut function. It does what it says on the tin, reducing speaker cone flap, but the sound also becomes more veiled and less clear. This is something we would avoid using unless we really had to.
Design & engineering
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Take a look inside the E-07 and you will find that it is an obsessively designed product with a generous power supply arrangement and carefully crafted audio circuitry packed with high-quality components.
While all of this would be expected given the price level, it is unusual to find that some of the components have been custom-developed by Luxman itself. When a brand chooses to develop its own components rather than buy off-the-shelf items, it points to an engineering team determined to get the performance of the product just right.
The E-07’s power supply packs three mains transformers: one for each channel and the third to power all the control circuitry. This kind of arrangement not only prevents the sound from one channel adversely affecting the other, but also stops unwanted noise from the control circuitry spoiling the results. Great care has been taken to make sure mechanical vibrations from the power supply don’t disturb the sensitive audio circuitry, too.
Any product of this type positively demands a top-class partnering system. Our main source is the Technics SL-1000R record player with a Kiseki Purpleheart moving coil cartridge. We also try Vertere’s Dark Sabre cartridge to test out the Luxman’s moving magnet capabilities. The rest of our system is the Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power amplifier and ATC SCM50 stereo speakers.
Sound
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The first thing we notice is just how quiet this phono stage is. Noise levels are exceptionally low, with hum and hiss barely audible even with the Burmester preamp’s volume level turned up with no record playing. This speaks well of the Luxman’s electronic design and the care taken by the engineers to keep the sensitive audio circuits protected from sources of noise and interference.
Once we start listening, it doesn’t take long to conclude that the E-07 is an exceptional performer, even for the money. This isn’t the kind of product that impresses through sonic fireworks, preferring instead to deliver the sound in a natural and unforced manner. It’s all about honesty and balance.
This Luxman is a transparent performer, one that’s tonally neutral and refuses to stamp too much of its own character onto the sound. The result is that the spotlight falls firmly on the partnering record player and the quality of the recording. If those are of a high standard, then the Luxman will sing, conveying the feel and drama of the music superbly. However, while not ruthless in the sense that it will go out of its way to highlight flaws in the source signal, it will not hesitate to reveal any shortcomings either.
As we work our way through our record collection, we can’t help but admire the sense of scale and authority our system produces with the Luxman in the signal path. Given an appropriate recording, the Luxman sounds brawny and powerful without sacrificing finesse in the process.
Orff’s Carmina Burana is a famously demanding piece of music, with savage dynamic sweeps and dense instrumentation, yet the E-07 handles it all with ease. This phono stage’s exceptional detail resolution comes to the fore in its rendering of vocal and instrumental textures. There is delicacy here, coupled with a pleasing sense of solidity to the sound.
Leading edges of notes are crisply defined without ever sounding like they are being artificially highlighted, and the subsequent decay is smooth and convincing. When it comes to refinement, this Luxman is hard to beat at the price, and we are pleased to note that there isn’t a trade-off in terms of the phono stage’s ability to excite and entertain.
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The E-07’s stereo imaging capabilities are also pleasing. It presents a broad and deep soundstage and populates that with precision. Instruments and vocalists are positioned with care and nicely layered. They remain locked in place even when the music becomes demanding. Those familiar with this classic Orff work know that it can get frantic on occasion, but when it does, the Luxman’s innate composure keeps everything organised.
A spin of Bob Marley’s Catch A Fire set confirms the E-07’s surefooted handling of rhythms and its ability to convey the subtle yet insistent momentum of a track like Stir It Up. Basslines are taut and tuneful while Marley’s voice comes through with passion intact. There is plenty of punch when the music demands it, but the Luxman never sounds like it is forcing things.
We’re pleased to report that the Luxman’s performance stays consistent whether we’re using a moving coil or a moving magnet cartridge. The Luxman simply steps out of the way and allows the inherent character of the cartridges, in this case the Kiseki Purpleheart moving coil or Vertere Dark Sabre moving magnet, to shine through.
Verdict
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The Luxman E-07 is a classy product in just about every way. It is beautifully made and carefully engineered, but most importantly, it delivers an exceptional sound for the money. Provided you have a suitably talented record player and system to match, we have no choice but to recommend this excellent phono stage highly.
Review published: 24th December 2025
SCORES
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