Levinson 332 v Levinson 431

yeah the upgrade would be nice but i would listen to the Theta enterpries first i use to have the .332 great amp but not close to the new Theta Enterprise!!

Funny thing people dont realize is that the ML 4 series amplifiers is NOT an upgrade from the 3 series amplifiers. In fact the 4 series Mark Levinson amplifiers use alot of parts from the older less expensive Proceed line that was discontinued. I have heard both extensively. Both sound very similiar, but then again I could also state that Proceed HPA amps and 3 series ML amps sounded about the same too, but there in lies the full circle. Lets pay twice as much money now for an HPA series Proceed amp with the ML tag slapped onto it. That is in essence what the new 4 series amp is all about. I used to sell Proceed and ML and know the company very well.

Stick with your 3 series amp. Send it back out for repair, or better yet, get it repaired and upgrade to a ML N0. 335 or 336 which is basically a small improvement in design and reliability over the first 300 series amplifiers made from ML such as the unit you have.

I, too, would agree that the new 400 series Mark Levinson amps are more like the Proceed line in sound than the previous 300 series. Both the Proceed line and 400 series amps are warm, rich, full-bodied, reasonably detailed, dynamic, but not overbearing, and reasonably transparent. The 300 series has many of the same attributes, but seems to be a little less warm, slightly more transparent, a little more extended at the frequency extremes, and possesses a bass response that's a little more powerful. The differences among all these amps, however, are small. I would say that the 300 series is Mark Levinson's best made amps, your current amp's problems notwithstanding, followed by the 400 series. The Proceed brings up the rear, but offers the best value by far. Currently, I own the Proceed AMP 5, which is five years old and has more than 3000 hours of use. The unit has been very reliable and faultless in its delivery of both sound and power. I am considering adding the Mark Levinson 431 to my system, but feel, to a large degree, that such an upgrade would not give me any significant improvement over what I currently own.

Artarl
I am considering purchase of an AMP5, and an AVP(not AVP2)ex-dem. I too find the sound lush but detailed, and quite dynamic, without having the attack of Naim, or the aggression of many others. I am put off by worries about reliability, particularly under the circumstances. You appear to have had no problem with your AMP5, are you aware of any on the AVP?
BTW both dem units run pretty warm ,even on standby. Is this normal?
Many thanks
Peter

I have both the Proceed AMP 5 and Proceed AVP. I bought them in 1998. Both units did not fully break in until about 1,000 hours of play (no typo).

Both the AMP 5 and the AVP have been the most reliable units I have ever owned, and the sound is excellent with my Musical Fidelity NuVista 3D CD Player and Martin Logan Ascents.

I will keep both units until they completely fall apart and cannot be repaired.

I would not worry too much about Proceed reliability.

If you have the chance to buy from a private party, I would go that route. Demo gear is left on all day, day in and day out, which I don't think is a good idea.

Also, remember to give both units air space in your equipment rack. The AMP 5 and AVP only become moderately warm in my experience after four hours of continuous use, and the AVP is much cooler than the AMP5.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice. the units I have been offered are ex-dem, but apparently with little use. I've had them at home and the sound is really sweet. They botyh appear to run warm when left on standby, however, which seems a bit at odds with your experience

I don't leave my equipment in Standby mode. I turn off all of my equipment when not in use.

Just last night I watched three hours of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV series), and my Amp 5 heat sinks were only warm to the touch.

I also have about 10 inches of clearance over my AMP 5 on my equipment rack.

My speakers are the Martin Logan Ascent i.

Maybe your speakers are drawing more current?

Also make sure not to block the air flow of either unit, and don't place the amp on the rug.

Thanks for this advice. I am sure this will help.I am using very efficient 94db speakers, so I doubt current draw is a problem. Still sounds great with my Wadia 6 Cd player. Don't think I can accomodate 10" clearance over the AMP, but probably 6" will be good enough. Anyway, what's a little heat. Just makes the whole experience warm!
Peter

Some heat should not be too big a problem for the Proceed gear. But excessive heat can add to circuit deterioration over time, albeit a long time. A six-inch clearance should be enough.

It's not so much the efficiency of a given loudspeaker, but its overall impedance curve that matters, as well as if there is any exaggerated phase angle along the frequency spectrum that might cause the speaker's impedance curve to dip to 2 ohms or below.

You may know that as a speaker's impedance decreases, especially in the bass and midrange region, current flow from the amplifier increases, and higher current flow, or draw, places a higher demand on the amplifier causing it to run hotter.

Best of luck!