Mark Levinson 27.5 versus modern day amps

I know this is a very old thread, but wanted to add my comments. I recently purchased a pristine 27.5.  On consignment at a guitar store in a small town.  To be honest, bought it because it was a ML and the price was so low. Boy am I impressed.  The amp hits way above it pay grade. The current is amazing. Driving Aerial Acoustics 8B's, which should have 200 a channel. The 27.5 handles them in spades.  Watts vs current really do seem to be like torque vs HP. 

Have used it both with a recapped/updated SF Line 2 PRE and with a Levinson 38.  Very different sound. Both very refined and enjoyable. 

There is something to be said for a beefy or brawny amp that exhibits eye candy, power and finesse.  The older Levinson amps are hard to beat in this regard IMO. 

I’ve just purchased this 27.5 second hand (traded some Mission 782, 782 SE towers, 78C center and 78ds surrounds plus $500) and couldn’t be happier.  This Levinson replaced a Rotel RM1080 which I swore was one of the best amps I’d heard.  I’m hearing things in music I hadn’t heard previously. This amp is paired with my B&W 804 Matrix speakers and does it make them sing.  I think it’ll stay with me for quite some time. 

Just purchased a 23.5 last week. Whoah!!!! 30 yrs old!? No way. This amp is STILL WORLD CLASS!!!! Vocals float grainless in space. The bass is beyond comprehension. You find yourself following the backup instruments and their melody line that you have never heard before. 23.5 and 27.5 were the best amplifiers of ALL TIME. A MADRIGAL tech noted in Audiogon that they built those amps to last a lifetime. To clarify he went on to say 100 years!!! LEVINSON IS GOD!!!! HAIL TO THE 23.5 AND 27.5!!!

@porschefanatic99 

 

Nice setup. I still have the 27.5, but my son has the B&Ws. If you know how to solder, bypassing any electrolytic capacitors in series with the drivers with say ODAM caps won't kill the house sound of the 801Ms, but it will open them up, and the house sound will be diminished. Granted, the house sound is seductive as heck, but it's not gone, and you'll almost certainly love the improvements. If you really want to nail it, get a DS2 preamp before Don Sachs stops making them, he's semi retired now, and the best Lampizator DAC. Don't buy the DS2 used as he has made important upgrades lately, the Lampizator due to supply and other issues I would buy used, but only ones made after 2020. If you get a Lampizator, I intend to bypass the splendid o/p caps with ODAM and V-Caps, so let me know and I'll tell you if it's worth it. I won't go into what I replaced, but 2 very well reviewed, and actually impressive DACs were slaughtered by an inexpensive, relatively speaking, Amber 3, unmodified but with a very expensive Maxda cap in the output.