The Luxman L-100 Centennial integrated amplifier has received a glowing review from Ken Micallef in the October 2026 issue of Stereophile. Celebrating Luxman's 100th anniversary, this pure Class A statement piece proved to be a landmark component.
Stereophile put it on the cover under the line "Best Solid State Luxman Amp Ever?" Micallef started where any reviewer with a paper trail would, by rereading his past Luxman reviews. Then he asked the obvious question: is the L-100 "a genuine centennial statement or just a 509 in a new suit?"
What Micallef heard
"Whatever the genre, the L-100 lent music aliveness and speed, a sense that the music was present and palpable in the room," he wrote. "The L-100 seemed to float images into the room, not simply between the speakers." Against his memories of earlier Luxmans, the new amplifier came out ahead: it "outplayed every memory I had of its Luxman siblings."
"Full-bodied and engaging, the L-100 brought exceptional layering, imaging, and speed, with a relentless sense of musical momentum and drive, while recovering subtle details in the wholeness of a large dimensional space. This is a landmark product for Luxman." Ken Micallef, Stereophile
His verdict: "It's the best Luxman I've heard." The review closes plainly: "It comes very highly recommended."
What the measurements showed
Stereophile's Dylan Wahl then took the L-100 to his test bench. Luxman rates it at 20 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 40 into 4 ohms in pure Class A. Wahl measured clipping at 72 watts into 8 ohms and 122 watts into 4 ohms. In his words, the L-100 Centennial "meets its class-A power ratings, with class-AB margin more than 3× higher."
The built-in phono stage, for playing records, held up just as well. Its overload margins were, Wahl wrote, "among the highest I have ever measured." His summary: "a product designed with care in every technical aspect."
Made by hand in Japan
Inside is Luxman's LIFES 1.1 (Luxman Integrated Feedback Engine System) circuit, which uses only about 0.3dB of feedback, with volume set by the LECUA1000 (Luxman Electronically Controlled Ultimate Attenuator). In the power supply, a custom EI-core transformer works with eight 10,000µF filter capacitors.
The L-100 is made in Japan, where a carefully selected team of four specialists builds each unit by hand.
Download the full Stereophile review (PDF)
Luxman began in Osaka in 1925. Explore Luxman at Rhythm and find a Rhythm dealer to hear the L-100 Centennial for yourself.
