Luxman LMC-5 Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

Rediscover What's Actually in the Groove

The Luxman LMC-5 Moving Coil Phono Cartridge was developed for serious vinyl listeners who want to extract more information, texture, dynamics, and musical expression from their record collections.

The LMC-5 marked an important return for Luxman as the company's first original phono cartridge in approximately 40 years. Developed over a two-year period, it combines a solid-diamond Shibata stylus, aluminum cantilever, moving-coil generator, samarium-cobalt magnet, and precision-machined aluminum body into a cartridge engineered for high-resolution analog playback.

With a 0.4mV output, wide 10Hz–35kHz frequency response, and carefully controlled mechanical construction, the LMC-5 is designed to become the first link in a truly high-end analog signal chain.

Solid-Diamond Shibata Stylus

Every piece of information reproduced by a vinyl system begins at the stylus.

Luxman equips the LMC-5 with a solid-diamond Shibata stylus, a sophisticated profile designed to accurately trace the extremely small modulations contained within a record groove.

The stylus is attached to a lightweight 0.5mm aluminum cantilever, allowing the cartridge's moving assembly to respond quickly to changes in the groove.

For the listener, the goal is greater retrieval of low-level information, cleaner transient response, improved spatial definition, and a more convincing presentation of the textures and dynamics captured in the original recording.

Precision Moving-Coil Generator

At the heart of the LMC-5 is its moving-coil generator system.

Luxman uses a cross-mounted iron core with symmetrically wound left- and right-channel coils. A compact magnetic structure utilizing a samarium-cobalt magnet reduces the size and weight of the generator assembly while helping minimize the influence of external noise.

The cartridge produces 0.4mV at 1kHz, with channel separation rated at 28dB and channel balance held to 0.5dB at 1kHz.

This is a true low-output moving-coil cartridge and should be paired with a properly matched MC phono preamplifier, MC input, head amplifier, or step-up transformer.

A Cartridge Body Designed Around Resonance Control

The LMC-5's unusual open-body construction isn't simply cosmetic.

Luxman found that unwanted reflected energy inside a conventional cartridge enclosure could interact with the cartridge's extremely sensitive cantilever and generator assembly. The LMC-5 therefore uses a minimalist body machined from A6063 aluminum.

Its distinctive inverted egg-shaped form reduces unnecessary surrounding material while providing a rigid foundation for the generator.

The aluminum body is finished in Luxman's distinctive deep red, with the Luxman "L" laser-etched into the front.

At only 8.5 grams, the LMC-5 can also be matched with a broad range of suitable high-performance tonearms.

Phono Stage and System Matching

Correct matching becomes particularly important with a cartridge at this level.

The LMC-5 has an internal impedance of 4.7 Ohms and Luxman recommends a load impedance of 40 Ohms or greater when using an active MC phono stage or head amplifier.

When using a step-up transformer, the recommended load is 2.5 to 10 Ohms.

Tracking force is specified between 2.1 and 2.3 grams, with 2.2 grams as the standard recommended setting.

Proper alignment, vertical tracking force, tonearm setup, and phono-stage loading can have a significant impact on the performance of any moving-coil cartridge. Getting these details right is especially important when you're investing in a cartridge capable of retrieving this level of information.

Built for a Serious Luxman Analog System

The LMC-5 is a natural partner for a high-performance Luxman turntable and Luxman phono preamplifier, allowing the cartridge, turntable, and phono electronics to operate as part of a carefully matched analog front end.

It isn't restricted to Luxman equipment, however.

Its conventional mounting system, 8.5-gram weight, 0.4mV output, and clearly defined loading requirements allow the LMC-5 to be integrated into many premium turntable systems when appropriately matched with the tonearm and phono stage.

The Grid's Take on the Luxman LMC-5

The cartridge generates the first electrical signal in your analog system, and with the LMC-5 that signal begins at just 0.4 millivolts.

Everything downstream can only work with the information the cartridge successfully retrieves from the groove.

That's why we view the LMC-5 as more than an accessory to a high-end turntable. Its Shibata stylus, lightweight aluminum cantilever, moving-coil generator, carefully controlled body construction, and low-output design make it a legitimate foundation for a reference-quality analog front end.

It also gives us the ability to build a Luxman analog system from the groove forward—cartridge, turntable, phono stage, preamplifier, and amplification—with components designed around the same engineering philosophy.

At The Grid HiFi & Home Theater, we can help properly match the Luxman LMC-5 to your turntable, tonearm, phono preamplifier, and the rest of your system. We can also help with cartridge selection and setup so you're getting the performance your analog system is capable of delivering.

Luxman LMC-5 Complete Specifications

Included Accessories

The Luxman LMC-5 includes the owner's manual, two washers, 5mm mounting screws, 8mm mounting screws, 10mm mounting screws, a hex wrench, and stylus cover.

The LMC-5 uses a fixed stylus assembly rather than a user-replaceable stylus.