If you are looking for a phono preamplifier that will not only play your records, but also construct the sound with almost architectural precision, take a look at the Luxman E-250. This model is more than just a link between the turntable and the amplifier. It is a strict judge and a talented conductor for your vinyl collection.
In this test, we listened to how the E-250 reproduces old and new recordings. The first thing that strikes you is the incredible clarity and orderliness of the sound. The instruments do not overlap each other, but occupy their precise place on the stage. The sound becomes harmonious, transparent, and surprisingly detailed.
But the purity of the analysis does not mean that the music loses its soul. On the contrary, the E-250 delivers powerful, controlled dynamics. Quiet passages are full of nuances, and climaxes are striking in their scope and energy without distortion. This equipment is for those who want to hear everything that was laid down in the track during recording — without embellishment, but with great respect for the material.
The Luxman E-250 is a phono preamplifier that immediately catches the eye with its honest, energetic sound. It does not embellish the music, but reproduces it clearly and accurately: the bass drum beats are clearly felt, the vocals stay in the center, and the instruments do not blend into a mush. Compared to other models in its class, it sounds stricter, a little colder, but at the same time noticeably livelier and more dynamic. If you're not looking for sweet “vinyl” comfort, but want to hear music as it is, the E-250 will deliver it without embellishment or loss.
Neat and convenient
The first and most important thing to say about the Luxman E-250 is that it is a transistor phono preamplifier, unbalanced, built on discrete components, uses NF correction, can work with MM and MC cartridges, and has a transformer MC section.
The metal case with an aluminum front panel is neatly assembled. The design is simple and elegant — to my taste, the device looks beautiful. The display is minimal and unobtrusive, informative and nothing more. The toggle switches on the front panel are pleasant to look at and use. The switches are mechanically smooth, and instead of a mechanical click, only the relay inside the device can be heard.
The connectors on the rear panel are also up to standard, and all of these criteria are definitely good. The case is mounted on the surface using small, neat feet with rubber inserts.
The power switch, and next to it, the device status indicator. There is no other backlighting.
Externally, the device looks similar to the E200, but the similarity is limited to the size of the case, which is slightly smaller than standard in width. Even the controls are different. Of the external functional features, two equivalent ones remain (more precisely, almost equivalent) input. Overall, the functionality of the device has become more complex.
On the front panel, there is an on/off button and a two-position input switch that allows you to first select the type of cartridge and then, for MC, high or low output. Low or high output means you can choose between 2.5 or 40 ohms.
If you want to sleep comfortably and quietly, choose earplugs with active noise cancellation. Over-ear headphones with active noise cancellation: now for adults
In-ear headphones with noise cancellation are quite rare, but they do exist. A possible reason for their unpopularity is the battery and processor unit that processes the sound. It is quite large, heavy, and looks and weighs like an MP3 player. However, these headphones can be very effective, especially with the right ear tips. Their main advantage is that you can sleep in them, for example, on a plane or intercity bus: there is no headband or large ear cups to prevent you from lying down comfortably.
The principle behind active noise cancellation is simple. The headphones have a microphone that picks up external noise and adds it to the audio signal in reverse phase. Superimposing external noise on its inverted version results in silence. And the music remains unaffected. Well, almost unaffected. Life hack:
Noise-canceling headphones don't have to be big and bulky; there are also in-ear models.
Small noise-canceling earbuds work well at medium and high frequencies.
The bottom line:
Now let's take a look inside. Here, the changes compared to the E-200 are also quite significant, and in combination with the functionality, we can already say with confidence that these are different devices. The circuitry has been greatly changed — and not just the board topology.
The power supply is designed differently, and—which is very important for those who are looking at the secondary market—while the E-200 could be easily switched to our voltage, the E-250 is made for a specific voltage, has a transformer of a different design, and, judging by what we have seen, cannot be switched to a different voltage. Otherwise, it has a decent component base and is very neatly manufactured and assembled.
The settings are clear and understandable
Delicate and tactful
The first record is Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan's Epistrophy. The recording itself is quiet and intimate, and all of this is conveyed perfectly, but without amplifying the effect of savoring the notes or adding warmth. The sound is rounded, not sharp, but at the same time iridescent and detailed, with the right balance between the main sounds and the reverberations. The timbre is honest, accurate, and delicate.
The equalizer rendered the sound well, without becoming overly complex or ornate. It handled the musical material delicately, adding just a touch of warmth. The intimacy, as exemplified by the record we listened to, was well rendered, but this was more a feeling than the size of the soundstage, which was actually quite good. The music played effortlessly, easily, without resistance or struggle.
Luxman E-250 rear panel
The bass is deep, voluminous, and fast, not only on large forms. Quiet and soft parts in the bass register were reproduced very pleasantly — they did not lose their harmony, without formality. When necessary, there was sharpness, and when necessary, softness.
The midrange is smooth, transparent, completely free of bloat and protrusion, and devoid of dryness and formalism. The high frequencies are not bright or forced, but also natural and accurate. At least, as far as the recording I listened to is concerned, I didn't notice anything inappropriate.
The presentation as a whole tended to be as natural as possible, not interfering with the music or embellishing it. However, even this very calm album did not have a soporific effect. The attention to the music remained, but the attraction worked extremely delicately and tactfully.
Separate settings for MM cartridges are located on the rear panel.
High detail. Despite the apparent smoothness and softness, many nuances can be heard, but they are perceived primarily not separately, but as parts of a whole. The dynamics for this recording are more than sufficient: even though the music is calm, the way the sounds arise and fade away was clearly audible without any blurring.
The second record from the main test material is Richard Hawley's Standing At The Sky's Edge. Even against the backdrop of a forceful and saturated drive and guitar overload, the nuances, melody, and secondary sounds were clearly audible. There is no muddiness at all, but there is no excessive transparency either, and the sound intended during recording, in my opinion, was reproduced quite correctly, with the priorities set correctly. The emotions and atmosphere were conveyed excellently, clearly and multifaceted.
With a formally accurate presentation, the listening experience and emotions are definitely higher than expected. The sound is full-bodied, without emphasizing any part of the range and without gravitating toward intimacy. In terms of coloration, it's hard to say anything: perhaps a small amount of warmth could be detected at times, but nothing more. But this is not warmth in the usual sense, but rather a certain velvety smoothness and neatness, an absence of sharpness and shrillness.
Everything is harmonious and accurate overall. And in fact, it does not detract from the dynamics and detail. I did not notice any obvious or one-sided bias in terms of the emotional component — it all depends on the music, which is not confined to a single type of framework.
The legs of the device are almost the most ordinary ones.
Everything is as it should be.
Next up are a couple of heavy genre records. Burzum's Belus sounds quite clean, although the peculiarity of the “material” was clearly audible. It is heavy in mood and emotion, but in its own way messy and not ideal for vinyl release.
But all the details were clearly audible: both the recordings and the releases. There was plenty of detail and clarity, the emotional delivery and mood were as expected, and, overall, the equalizer, which had already proven itself to be quite honest but friendly on the first records, did not try to remake this music into something positive and pleasant. Very good.
But the Esoteric album Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum, which is similar in genre but completely different in mood and presentation, played differently. The detail and dynamics are there. But there is also an excellently conveyed slow and lingering feeling of the music itself. The semi-frozen, slightly ambient sound architecture was perfectly conveyed in both form and mood. The space and stage were not lost even in complex passages.
So if a heavy genre is not recorded in a plush or synthesizer-operatic way, and the rest of the chain allows it, it will be scary. In other words, everything is as it should be. Perhaps the sharpness of the attack will seem slightly smoothed out, but again, this is not a “cotton blanket” effect, but good detail that prevents several small sounds from merging into one large one.
Luxman E-250 — view from the inside
Then I decided to change the genre I was listening to and chose Hugh Laurie's album Let Them Talk. It was also quite good. Natural delivery, good detail. The small form of music, as it can be described in this case, did not sound pale or dull.
The instrumental parts are distinct, rich, and concise, while the vocals are detailed, well-articulated, and correctly placed in the soundstage. The volume and airiness are well felt. There is no tendency toward intimacy, but there is no bloatedness either. Clear and transparent delivery of emotions. There is nothing to complain about here — as, indeed, on other records.
The strange album of the same name by the band Futuro Antico, originally released in 1980 in a samizdat format on cassette and inexplicably reissued on limited edition vinyl, would seem to be strange material for a test. But even here there are some revealing moments. In terms of sound (not music, but sound), it is simple, slightly flat, but overall better than one might expect.
But at the same time, it was not difficult to switch to the music itself, although when I listened to this record on some other systems, it was difficult to switch precisely because of this crumpled simplicity and detachment in the presentation. The corrector cannot correct the peculiarities of the recording, but it can prevent them from getting worse. And even a little more: it seems to gently pull the sound out of its flat state into a more airy and lively one, without adding any noticeable coloration.
Of course, the whole circuit is working here, but if, with all other components remaining the same, we were to replace our test device with another device, the difference would be quite obvious, and in some cases, it would be for the worse.
Here you can see the built-in step-up transformers
At the end, as usual, something from classical music. I chose a recording of Rachmaninoff and Schumann's piano concertos as the main record for this test. The sound is delicate, accurate, but strong. The soundstage is wide and deep, airy and correct. Detail, emotion — everything is in place.
The drama is slightly smoothed out, but it is very easy to follow the emotions in Sviatoslav Richter's playing; everything is easy to read and at the same time complex, because the subtleties and nuances are clearly audible. All in all, this is clearly better than expected.
Conclusions
The phono preamplifier is definitely a success. I would even say it is one of the best not only in its class — it can confidently compete with a number of more expensive devices. Perhaps everything could be played back in a little more detail, a little more expressively, or rather, more emotionally and dynamically, but to hear a clear step up in quality, you would have to move to a significantly more expensive category. So in terms of sound quality and cost, everything is very good.
Incidentally, during the time that the Luxman E-250 has been in my system, I have not only listened to it carefully and compared it with several other devices, but also tried it with different cartridges, including a couple of models that are significantly more expensive than the equalizer itself. I can't say that the equalizer performed poorly in these combinations — on the contrary, it performed more confidently than could have been expected.
The functionality and convenience of the device are also important. And the presence of two inputs in such an implementation can come in very handy.
As for the differences from the E-200, the functionality has been enhanced, but it has not lost its ease of use. The sound has changed, and definitely not for the worse. Slightly less warm and less rounded than before, it has become more austere, more refined, and more dynamic. And slightly more restrained emotionally. In my opinion, this is definitely more interesting in terms of nuances.
What the Luxman E-250 offers is not a rough drive or artificial brightness to attract attention. Instead, it makes the music more coherent, more precise, and in a sense, more honest. Instruments take on clear contours and natural timbre, and the rhythmic foundation of compositions becomes incredibly cohesive and resilient.
This is a phono preamplifier for the thoughtful listener who values clarity and control. It will not flatter your records by adding unnecessary “warmth” or smoothing out details. On the contrary, it requires high-quality sources and good tuning, but it generously rewards you for it.
The result is a sound with excellent dynamics and structure, where each element of the music takes its rightful place. The Luxman E-250 is a step towards a more disciplined and, as a result, more exciting listening experience for your vinyl collection.
