Sonus Faber Venere 3.0 sounded magical with my ML No. 436 mono blocks. They received some bad press as the cabinet was made in China. The bad press did not "rain" on my enjoyment of the speakers. Highly recommend.
Best low budget speakers for a Levinson 383 Integrated amp
Howdy folks!
I bought a Levinson 383 integrated years ago when it came out in 2000. I paired it with a pair of Revels and although it sounded good, not the perfect fit. Sold amp and speakers to sis and moved on. It worked perfect for her. After her recent passing, the amp is coming back home. Just curious what speakers you might suggest pairing it with. Nothing will replace my McIntosh Piega C10LTD combo in the main room but would like to hear it paired with the right speakers. That amp new was $6000 new. 100 watts.
Something on the used market. They don't even need to look pretty just sound perfect. $2000 tops used is plenty. Thanks for your suggestions!
Brent
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Here are some recommendations for the best low budget speakers to pair with a Levinson 383 Integrated amplifier: The Levinson 383 is a high-quality, powerful integrated amplifier that can drive a wide range of speakers. However, some users have found that the 383 can sound a bit "lean" or "lifeless" with certain speaker pairings [[1]](https://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/search.mpl?forum=amp&searchtext=levinson+383)[[2]](https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mark-levinson-no-383.172241/)[[3]](https://tmraudio.com/old-products/mark-levinson-no-383-stereo-integrated-amplifier-in-factory-box/?srsltid=AfmBOorRwj1sLbZXBiTd4N5060tmbBS5xIVSw-2DquumiN2XHF678umf). To get the most out of the 383, it's recommended to pair it with speakers that have a lively, dynamic sound signature. Some good low-budget speaker options to consider include: - Revel Studio speakers - These are high-end speakers that can be found used for a relatively low price. They are known for their excellent imaging and soundstage, which should pair well with the resolving nature of the 383. - Magnepan 3.6 speakers [[1]](https://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/search.mpl?forum=amp&searchtext=levinson+383) - Planar magnetic speakers like the Magnepan 3.6 can provide an engaging, spacious sound that may complement the 383's sonic character. - Sonus Faber Cremona speakers [[1]](https://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/search.mpl?forum=amp&searchtext=levinson+383) - These Italian-made speakers are known for their musical, organic sound, which could be a good match for the 383. - Martin Logan speakers [[1]](https://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/search.mpl?forum=amp&searchtext=levinson+383) - Electrostatic speakers from Martin Logan may also be worth auditioning, as their transparent, dynamic sound could work well with the 383. Ultimately, the best speaker pairing will come down to personal preference and the specific room/system setup. It's recommended to audition a few different options if possible to find the right match for your needs and budget. --- |
More great suggestions. |
The Revels you had already outperform the suggested Harbeths by a good margin. My advice: don’t drink that KoolAid, it’s way overrated. Anyhow, I would call up Ty of Tyler Acoustics and inquire as to what he could possibly build you for around that budget. Otherwise, there is a pair of Linbrook Signature Monitors for sale on that other site for $1200. Those will wipe the floor with most any <$6K/pair speakers currently available. For that price you are essentially only paying for the parts that went into building them.
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this may sound like a funny suggestion but can i recommened something vintage? maybe somethng to change the mood in this set up. Look for some vintage A/D/S three way design speakers. They are all quite good and well within your budget. I think you'd be surprised. ADS speakers have not really gone nuts in the used market like other vintage speakers have and IMO are some of the best from that erra. The three way designs use an excelet soft dome tweeter and Midrande. its the soft domed midrande thats the star of the show. they aslo have very good bass, sealed designs very well damped cabs for the time. I have a great main system but i dable in vintage audio for my office reason I love ADS so much. I have L710's and L910's and I still toss the big L910 into my main system for a listen as thay do so much right. very impressive for what they cost on the used market. considering old Klipsch LaScalas are going for silly money on the used market, most larger (Three way's) ADS speakers way out perform the Klipsch. Most are quite efficent as well and will pare nicely with your Levenson. |
You don't have enough power there to drive Maggie's properly and I said Properly....The most "musical and Fun" to listen to IMO is the $1500 pr................wait for it.....................KLH Model 3 with stands. I have 15 pr. of speakers and these are a real kick to listen to...Cabinets are gorgeous...Many have said they love the sound of the 3's over the 5's. Good Luck. |
@yogiboy I'm by no means an expert on this kind of stuff. So, I can't explain, from an electrical engineering vantage point, why this is. I've had experts explain the science to me and read some stuff about this, but I still don't get it. However, from personal seat-time experience auditioning speakers & power sources, I've found that less than 8 Ohm nominal load speakers, even very efficient or sensitive ones, tend to crave current in order to perform their best. Although the Levinson 383 seems to have a quite robust power supply (i.e. double the watts from 8 Ohm to 4 Ohm), I don't know if it could generate enough current to make most less than 8 Ohm nominal load speakers in the OP's budget range truly sing? Would it be enough to drive a lot of less than 8 Ohm nominal load speakers? Yes. However, there is a big sound quality difference between just having enough juice (i.e. current) to drive some less than 8 Ohm nominal load speakers and making them sound their best. Here's just one recent example of what I mean. I won't cite all the specs involved here. You can look them up on the web if you are so inclined. Several years ago, during a several months' quest to update my two-channel system speakers, I fell in love with a pair of Aerial Acoustic 6T (i.e. 4 Ohm speakers). When I heard them through a big MAC 75-watt tube amp with power (i.e. current) to spare, they sounded just heavenly. However, when we switched to a 100-watt MAC SS integrated without Autoformer, it took about 5 seconds for my ears to hear the little MAC just couldn't deliver enough juice (i.e. current) to make those Aerial sing. It had enough to drive them and still make them sound very nice indeed, but not enough to squeeze everything out of them that they were/are designed to deliver. I've had the same experiences, over the years, with other mismatched amps & speakers. |
A pair of Fyne Audio F500SP speaker are right at your $2K budget. Have the F-702s and love the sound—wonderful tonal qualities and imaging. They are made in the UK, Scotland, I think. I may get a pair myself in the near term to replace my office Infinity Modulus sats (the Modulus made before Infinity went mass market) I purchased in 1990 and were replaced by the F-702s in my main system. |
The Revels I paired with the Levinson were the F30’s. It wasn’t necessarily my distaste for the Revels, I thought they were fine. I was disappointed with the fact that I just paid 6 grand for an amp that would clip when i really wanted to rock out. That’s the scoop with the Revels folks. 100 watts of solid state gets gobbled up quick. I have a MC402 McIntosh with 400x2 for my Piegas and I can clip that thing! |
@oldaudiophile What makes you come to that conclusion? Amplifier section: Rated output power: 20Hz-20kHz, less than 0.3% THD (FTC): 100Wpc into 8 ohms (20dBW), 200W minimum continuous into 4 ohms (20dBW). Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz, ±0.1dB. Output impedance: ±0.05 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz. Damping factor: greater than 800, 20Hz-20kHz into 8 ohms. Speaker connections: one pair Madrigal-designed speaker binding posts. |
@knollbrent I've never spent any serious seat-time with a Levinson 383. However, based upon its specs, I would recommend 8 Ohm nominal load speakers. Given your budget range, there are many to choose from. Only your ears can and will tell you what fits the bill. |
@soix low budget is very telling. |
@jond I misunderstood. There was a 35th anniversary of the Harbeth I saw on Ebay. Not familar with the speaker but I'm sure it's good. Great info all around. |
@knollbrent I wouldn't really call the Harbeth M30.1 vintage it was current just 6-7 years ago. Also in terms of audio gear that lasts speakers are at the top of the heap I wouldn't worry overly much about speaker age. Listened to a speaker from 1937 the other day it sounded fantastic! |
@mrfrito for some reason my responding to messages is disabled. Thank you for your note, I am honored! |
Ive run B&W 804D3s for three years and I love them . Back in 2020 I listen to a pair of Harbeth 30.1s and they were specular to me . I couldn't get them out of my head. The Music Room had a pair on sale and I bought them . I am so pleased with them ,I also run a SVS sub with them . You Levinson has plenty of good clean power and that's what the harbeth need . My room is 13 X 24 and if you don't need lots of hard rock and roll these speakers for me are hard to beat. ! You can find a pair from around 2000 to 2500 used . Good Luck! |
https://speakerchoices.com/ I would look at Canadians |
