Should I upgrade my Levinson 38S preamp to 380S?

All those naysayers stating that Mark Levinson will go the way of the dinosaurs was simply ignorant & goofy and will never happen.  2020 and the brand is still going strong.  Don't believe there quarters of what you read on these forums!

The 32 is remarkably quiet and has the dynamic throughput of a good tube preamp.It is very neutral and open and allows the sound to burst on the quietest of soundstages. In the lower registers, say the bass clef of a concert grand piano, the 32 does not quite convey the full decay and resonance that my ARC Ref Two did. However, you gain a crystal clarity that allows you to hear all the sound/noise in the recording. Over time, I preferred clarity and silence to the slight haze of tubes and kept the 32. I had the 38S, too, and it is very good. If you have not considered it, the Rowland Synergy is very good but a bit constricted, however the tonality seems spot on. It's expensive but the 32 has all the best virtues of solid state and some of the virtues of the best tube preamps.

Thank you all for your input!

Does anyone prefer the 38S to the 380S?
How does the 32 compare to other top flight preamps, tubes?

Sell the 38S! Look out for 380S on Audiogon and E bay...I bought a 380S at a "reasonable price". I am afraid that Mark Levinson may go the way of Dunlavy, Tice, Proceed, etc. I hope not because I have invested heavily into ML components. Great stuff and still American...I think?

with the system you have you should move up to at lease 32.

I replaced my 38S two years ago with the 380S. I still have the 380S today and it has been a wonderful upgrade. The 38S, while having a very low noise floor, has a very antiseptic sound, e.g. clean, detailed, but no body/emotion. This was the biggest change for me when going to the 380S. I have been looking at the 320S as a possible upgrade option when it becomes available. I think you will find that it will be cheaper for you to sell your 38S and pick up a used 380S vice sending yours into Harmon, provided they are even going to still offer the upgrade. My experience with them is that they do not support upgrading a model to a newer version that has also been discontinued. Enjoy.

Yes do the upgrade before the Levinson brand is history!

Happy Listening.

Wow what a system! I have a similar system but with Salons, a #32 preamp,31.5, 360s DAC, and 436 monoblock amps. You might want to upgrade to the #32 or the new #320s which replaces the 38 series preamps.
Check it out at HarmanSpecialtyGroup.com
I'd love to hear or discuss your system.
Steven