Denon
Wow and flutter: less than 0.018% WRMS (measured by Denon method using magnetic pulse wheel)
S/N ratio: more than 75dB weighted DIN-B
Weight: 10.7kg
Luxman
Wow and flutter: 0.035% WRMS (measured with test record, so the figures can't be compared - the test record method always gives "worse" figures for the same turntables)
S/N ratio: better than 60dB (IEC-B) (Note that this is a different method to the DIN-B method used by Denon, and yields smaller figures, which don’t look as good.)
Weight: 5.8kg
Luxman were always extremely conservative with their figures compared to other makers, including Denon, so in independent testing using the same test method, would probably be extremely similar to the Denon. That’s based on the reviews I have of turntables from both makers. In other words, Luxman were more likely to meet or exceed the maker’s specs when tested independently!
The signal to noise figure for the Luxman was taken from the service manual, and was the only figure given for rumble in that. However, based on my own Lux PD-288 turntable, which gave the DIN-B figure in one of the languages in the owner’s manual, and which had the same IEC-B figure, -60dB, it’s probably around -75dB DIN-B, the same as the Denon.
Advantages:
Denon
• Heavier (higher resistance to acoustic feedback)
• Uses high quality Denon s-shaped tonearm – medium weight, and uses standard universal plug-in headshell, for easy cartridge changes
Luxman
• Uses excellent Micro-Seiki made lightweight tonearm, with fixed headshell and double pipe structure near the pivot, both of which give a more rigid tonearm with lower effective mass. In other words, it has a superior tonearm, but it’s not as user friendly due to the fixed headshell.
Can’t compare rumble or wow and flutter figures, as Luxman uses different ways of measuring, and a different specification standard for rumble. I’d be surprised if the figures between the two turntables were much different. Because they were measured by different people, they are at best a rough guide – only a test in the same conditions, using the same meter, would tell which was better.
So the only thing you can positively say is that the Luxman has a better tonearm, and the Denon has heavier weight. One win for each, in other words. However, the light weight points to the fact that this was one of Luxman’s lower spec models – it was the cheapest Lux turntable in my 1982 Stereo Buyer’s Guide list, at AUD$248. The Denon was a mid-70’s turntable (1975), while the Luxman was made from 1980 to 1982, right at the height of the turntable boom period. This is reflected mainly in the better tonearm Luxman used - Denon themselves changed to similar tonearms in the 80's.
The Denon, due to its increased weight in the turntable base, will be less sensitive to acoustic feedback. The equivalent Luxman from the early 1980’s for your Denon was probably the PD-277 (1982 price AUD$398), which was two models up, and a similar weight to your Denon (the PD-272, $348 was in between).
The Ortofon 2M Red won’t be in the same class as the ADC ZLM – you need to move at least a step or two up the 2M ladder to match it. Remember, the ZLM was ADC’s best cartridge for a while (late-70’s?), until the ADC Astrion was introduced. The Ortofon will be better suited to the Denon tonearm, while the ADC will be a better match for the Luxman tonearm.
