The short answer

Yes, if you want a turntable you will keep for decades. The PD-151 MKIIB Black Centennial Edition is mechanically identical to the standard PD-151 Mark II, a deck that earned Stereophile's Class A recommendation and praise from SoundStage! Ultra and Future Audiophile. The Centennial wraps that proven design in a strictly limited 100 unit all black finish made for Luxman's 100th anniversary. Owners describe rock solid speed, near silent running, and an unfussy ownership experience, which is exactly what a reference analog front end should give you.

What it is

Luxman has been building audio equipment in Japan since 1925. For its 100th anniversary the company gave four of its most respected products a special Black Edition finish in a strictly limited production run of 100 units: the L-509Z integrated amplifier, the D-07X SACD player, the NT-07 network transport, and the PD-151 MkII turntable.

The PD-151 MKIIB Black Centennial Edition is that turntable. Under the black finish it is the full PD-151 Mark II: a belt drive deck built around the LTA-309 tonearm, a proprietary brushless DC motor with a sine wave power supply and PID speed control, and a 4.0 kg machined aluminum platter. Nothing about the engineering was changed for the anniversary. The finish, the rarity, and the occasion are what set it apart.

One honest note before we go further. The Centennial edition is so limited that there is almost no grassroots owner chatter about it yet on Reddit, Audiogon, or the Steve Hoffman Forums. The impressions below come from professional reviews of the standard PD-151 Mark II, which shares the identical core design, plus the few owner sightings we could verify. Every quote is labeled with the model it describes.

Specifications

What it sounds like, in reviewers' own words

Garrett Hongo of SoundStage! Ultra, on the PD-151 Mark II:

"I was deeply impressed with its sonic density, thrilling dynamic shifts, saturated tones, and realistic instrumental textures."

Garrett Hongo, SoundStage! Ultra, reviewing the PD-151 Mark II

Paul Wilson of Future Audiophile, on the PD-151 Mark II:

"I found the overall sonics to be detailed, with excellent dynamics and excellent portrayal of the natural analog character of my better LPs."

Paul Wilson, Future Audiophile, reviewing the PD-151 Mark II

Wilson also noted that poor recordings were easy to identify on the Luxman, which he counted as a strength. On a battered original pressing of Deep Purple's Made in Japan he wrote that after cleaning it played nearly silent, with the famous opening showing "magnificent definition and dynamics."

Stereophile's review of the PD-151 Mark II put its speed stability to a torture test with sustained harpsichord chords:

"The chords never wavered and were always perfectly in tune, while the transient attack of the harpsichord was clean, clear, and fast, never becoming etched or edgy."

Stereophile, reviewing the PD-151 Mark II

Five things owners and reviewers praise

1. 1Build quality you can feel

   Reviewers of the PD-151 Mark II keep coming back to fit and finish. Future Audiophile called it excellent, and Stereophile summed it up in one line:

   "It looks beautiful, feels beautiful, and is beautifully made; but most importantly, it also sounds beautiful."

   Stereophile, PD-151 Mark II, Class A Recommended Component

2. 2Rock solid speed and near silent running

   The PID controlled brushless motor and 4.0 kg platter deliver exceptional stability. Stereophile measured wow and flutter at 0.02% WRMS, about half the factory spec, and reported that with a stethoscope held against the top plate next to the motor, it was impossible to tell whether the motor was on or off. It is that quiet.

3. 3Setup that takes an hour, not a weekend

   Paul Wilson had the PD-151 Mark II playing music about an hour after unpacking, joking that he "only cursed one time." The Absolute Sound had the original PD-151 up and running in under half an hour, calling setup "nearly foolproof." The removable H4 bayonet headshell makes cartridge swaps simple.

4. 4Dense, dynamic, natural sound

   Across three publications the same character emerges: weight and saturation without hardness, dynamics without etch, and an honest portrayal of the record. Hongo praised its "sonic density" and "thrilling dynamic shifts," while Wilson heard "excellent portrayal of the natural analog character" of his best LPs.

5. 5Ownership without the fuss

   Turntables can be temperamental. Reviewers say this one is not. Stereophile wrote that the PD-151 Mark II is "the opposite of" diva like decks: "It just plays your records superbly, without fuss, bother, or artificial pizzazz." Wilson looked for used Mark II units while researching resale and found none, which he read as owners having no reason to part with them.

Features, named by name

• LTA-309 tonearm. Luxman's original static balanced S shaped arm, created in cooperation with Japanese maker SAEC after longtime arm supplier Jelco closed in 2020.
• SAEC knife edge bearing. The concealed knife edge bearing gives the LTA-309 ultra low friction and precise groove tracing.
• Sine wave / Pulse Width Modulation power supply. Feeds ultra stable direct current to the proprietary DC brushless motor.
• PID feedback control loop. A Proportional Integral Differential loop constantly monitors and corrects platter speed.
• 4.0 kg machined aluminum platter. Diamond cut finish and high moment of inertia act as a flywheel against speed variation.
• PEEK thrust bearing. The stainless steel spindle rides on a polyetheretherketone thrust bearing with a brass radial bearing filled with organic molybdenum oil.
• Damped underslung hanging method. Heavy components mount beneath the 10 mm aluminum top plate to combine rigidity with vibration damping.
• H4 bayonet headshell. Machined aluminum, removable, with OFC wiring for easy cartridge changes.
• OPPD-DSC151 dust cover. The designated 4 mm acrylic cover with cam support hinges. Check the product page box contents for what ships with the Centennial edition.
• Independent pitch trim. Three recessed front panel screws fine tune 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm separately by up to ±6%.

YouTube reviews

Honest criticisms

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• StereophileLuxman PD-151 Mark II Record Player (Class A Recommended Component)
• SoundStage! UltraGarrett Hongo review of the PD-151 Mark II (quoted via dealer listings)
• Future AudiophileLuxman PD-151 Turntable reviewed by Paul Wilson
• The Absolute SoundLuxman PD-151 Integrated Turntable and Tonearm
• hi-fi+Sonic sensations mark Luxman's centenary celebrations
• StereoNETLuxman Marks 100 Years with Exclusive Black Centennial Package
• Music DirectLuxman PD-151 Mark II Black Edition Centennial Turntable
• Yorkshire AVLuxman Black Edition Centennial System (specifications)
• PMA MagazineLuxman America debuts a new integrated amplifier and upgraded turntable
• AudiogonLuxman PD151 MK2 turntable centennial edition black (listing)