The Levinson Sound?

Thank You! nutty
Happy Listening!

generatorlabs-
you are certainly in a position to help other ML owners repair/restore their
300 series power amps. Well done.
Happy Listening!

I listened to a Leveson model ML 3 back in the 80s.  Nothing I have heard has ever had the low end Majesty and out right authority with clear crisp dynamics.  Absolutely silence between each note in great detail with instruments sounding spot on.  I have heard classe , MacIntosh. Nothing came close at that time.  A huge Rowland was sitting there in the room.  The dealer did not demo it. Wish he would have.  I see on forums people like them.  You need a listen Comparison with your gear to tell.  I suggest compare with Rowland.  This is great legendary audio.

Hello,

 My no. 335 is still OEM since Maio of 2007, excelent power

I recommend this series amplifier

Happy Listening!

...Hello,

does anyone know the references of the set of capacitors used an excellent Mark levinson 335 and their values of uf and Vdc
for a future review.

Merry christmas everyone

thank you

De, P O R T U G A L

Clemente Vicente

.

Mark series 3 is still surperb. If you do not want to bother buying 2nd hand historical amp, you can consider Viola current models, which has the same sound character as ML. I am using their Forte mono paired with ML 326s. 

clemvice12  POSTED IN THIS FORUM
  I've got the Mark Levinson 335 since 2007, no problem, no electronics review

the capacitors are NOT PHILIPS, they are SPRAGUE, except for error, they are blue

again I repeat, that only the first series 331,332 and 333 are equipped with PHILIPS capacitors

the series 334, 335 and 336 the problem was solved with other capacitors, in Portugal who has this series has not yet repaired it.

WRONG. THE LEVINSON 331/332/333/334/335/336 AND 33H USED PHILIPS CAPACITORS NOW MADE BY CORNELL DUBILIER THERE LOWEST PRICE CAPS SINCE CDE PURCHASED PHILIPS WHILE BACK.THE 3186 LINE. I HAD CORNELL MAKE THE PHILIPS 3186GJ503M125DPA2 (50000uF/125V ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO ALSO FLAGSHIP DCMC LINE DCMC503M125DP2D (50000uF/125V AND DCMC513M160DP2D (51000uF/160V AT 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND 5.8 INCHES LONG SUPER EXPENSIVE NOW $135 EACH $50 MORE THAN 3186GJ503M125DPA2 THE REASON THE DCMC LINE HAS A HUGE CATHODE FOR COOLER OPERATION. NOW CORNELL RELEASED THESE PARTS TO THERE VENDORS.THE ORIGINAL CHINA MADE PHILIPS ARE BLACK AND BLUE IN COLOR.

THE CORNELL 3186GJ503M125DPA2 MADE BY CORNELL ARE BLACK IN COLOR. THE FLAGSHIP DCMC LINE IS ALWAYS BLUE IN COLOR.
THE ML SERVICE BENCH USES ONLY UNITED CHEMICON FOR REPLACEMENT. PART# U36D612 GLOBAL PART NUMBER E36D1C1CPN503TEE9M (50000uF/125V THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE CAP MADE BY UCC. THE REASON HARMAN HAVE A CONTRACT WITH UCC. ALSO LOWER PRICE THAN  CORNELL. 

THE ML 383 INT AMP USED UNITED CHEMICON 25000uF/90V AT 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND 4.1 INCHES HIGH CRITICAL NO ROOM TO GO HIGH. THE ML-383 DONT HAVE CAP PROBLEMS BUT SEVERE BURNT RESISTORS AND OPAMPS LT109CN8 ETC.

THE ML-33H USED PHILIPS 3186FH603U075DPA2 (60000uF/75V DIAMETER MUST BE 2.5 INCHES AND 5.6 INCHES (143mm HIGH CRITICAL AND 1900uF/150V FOR REGULATOR CAPS TOTAL 8 BIG CAPS AND 4 SMALL CAPS. ML REPLACES WITH UCC CAPS I HAVE THE PART NUMBER.THE 33H SEEMS NOT TO MANY CAP PROBLEMS THE REASON THE WAY IT IS DESIGNED.

NOW THE MEGA STATEMENT ML No.33 MONO BLOCKS NEVER USED PHILIPS IT USED 12 CAPS 39000uF/100V AT 95C UNITED CHEMICON DIAMETER 3 INCHES AND117mm HIGH CRITICAL AND 1900uF/150V REGULATOR CAPS. TOTAL 24 BIG AND. TOTAL CAPACITANCE 1 MILLION IN uF. ALL WERE DESIGNED BY MARK THE NEWER 400 AND 500 SERIES NOT EVEN CLOSE MADE BY HARMAN. THESE LEVINSON WILL SMOKE PASS AND KRELL IN SOUND. THAT IS MY OPINION. NO ONE USED THIS HIGH IN CAPACITANCE IN AMPS. THE PROBLEM WAS PHILIPS.
I HAVE SOLD CAPS FOR ALL OF THESE AMPS 331/332/333/334/335/336/33H AND No 33  JUST SOLD A A SET OF CAPS FOR 336. I HAVE  FEW SETS OF CUSTOM MADE SURGE RESISTORS THAT MUST HAVE JOULES FOR SLOW START ON THESE AMPS. 

THANKS MY FORMER ID WAS renjy651. 

I have owned a lot of Levinson equipment, dating back to the 1980’s, including the ML-2, ML-3, and No 20 amps, and the ML-7 and No 26 preamps.  The earliest stuff was wonderfully musical, but did have a somewhat dark sound.  By the time of the No 20 and No 26 that characteristic was greatly reduced.  I currently own the 585 integrated amp, and it is extremely neutral and transparent. The characteristics that have remained constant are excellent dynamics, bass slam, and fine detail with any harshness.

I have owned a lot of Levinson equipment, dating back to the 1980’s, including the ML-2, ML-3, and No 20 amps, and the ML-7 and No 26 preamps.  The earliest stuff was wonderfully musical, but did have a somewhat dark sound.  By the time of the No 20 and No 26 that characteristic was greatly reduced.  I currently own the 585 integrated amp, and it is extremely neutral and transparent. The characteristics that have remained constant are excellent dynamics, bass slam, and fine detail with any harshness.

I have KEF LS50 and it goes very well with ML 27.5 
The ML calm down the brightness of the KEF's treble, producing a very fluid and liquid sound and yet very revealing.

So far, I am enjoying my ML 27.5 and will never sell it until the date it stops working

I just acquired an ML 12 preamp. Unfortunately, it did not show up with matching ML 11 power amplifier. I don't have a way to test it. I'd appreciate any suggestions, as well as any reviews/opinions on the quality and sound. Many thanks!

ML2 monoblocks, the best sounding amp they ever made. Only 25w but with enough current to drive any speaker to a certain level.

http://www.hifido.co.jp/photo/05/504/50446/c.jpg

https://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/2018/55/649485879_large_65b80b07ca84be5a3d3a788498ebd2bd.jpg

Cheers George

Owned ML-2, No 27.5, 23.5, 20.6, 333, 336, 33H.  20.6 were the best sounding.  Preamp wise ML-6B, 7A and 32 Reference are the best

Even from the Mark Levinson vintage website they state there was only one "Legend" poweramp, the ML2 Class-A monoblocks

Quote:
" Power Amplifiers Mark Levinson Power Amplifiers: only 4 designed, one became a legend.
ML-2Class AML-2 2 × 25W monoblocs (the legend).
Class ABML-11 2 × 50W class AB (the entry level)
ML-3 2 × 300W class AB (the huge one)
ML-9 2 × 100W class AB (the baby ML-3)."

Cheers George

Having owned 3 pairs of ML-2s, I can say with confidence that they are NOT the best sounding Mark Levinson amps.  They do have somewhat "dark" sound that plagued some of the early ML amps, and they can be hard (and $$$) to repair if and when they fail, and they DID fail.  

27.5, 23.5, 20.5(6), and later 3XX series amps are all much better sounding 

All I can say is you must have heard tired ones, I heard a fully restored pair through 2 pairs of stacked ESL:57's with Kelly Decca ribbons from 12khz up and they were magnificent, and they wiped the floor with the massive ML3 that was on hand. And that's why the ML site calls them the "Legend"  

Cheers George  

I also ran a pair of stacked Quads for over a decade with a pair of ML2s so I am qualified to comment.  Yes the ML2s can and do sound wonderful with the Quads but do sound dark and grainy when compared to some of the better modern amps.  

That said, I no longer own any ML amp (I prefer Goldmund amps), though I still own and enjoy a ML-7A preamp, which remains one of the best preamps ever

I have a mark Levinson no 336. I have it paired with a mark Levinson number 32. Also have the no 31.5 and 30.6. I bought it to replace the no 23.5. to my ears there is no comparison. The no 336 is a much nicer sounding amp!

All ML are great, except for one.
They really tried to cure the evils of that topology class, but only made things worse, it was never going to happen the doomed Class-D No53 monoblocks
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mark-levinson-no53-reference-monoblock-power-amplifier

Cheers George

ML-2 is a legendary amplifier without peers - really.
Not only can it compete with modern designs (2020), it’ll subjectively and objectively outperform 99% of them.

Sonics far superior to anything of the time (70s) from Threshold, Krell, Phase Linear, Harman, Marantz or anything else. Phenomenal build quality & design.

ML later opted for far more complex, multiple gain-stage, massive feedback circuits and so was the magic of ML-2 gone forever.
I had a dealer-friend and had the chance to frequently listen to the newer ML amps (and other brands for that matter) and compare them to ML-2’s.
Nothing came even close to the sound of the Ml-2’s.

I found (and still do) the sound of the newer ML creations unable to match the sweetness, effortlessness, natural timbre and depth of the ML-2’s, 33 and 33H included.
ML-53’s sounded way too flat and bright for my taste, almost pierecing :-(

Remember: For best sound quality RUN SINGLE ENDED, NOT BALANCED!This is very important.

Problems?
Low power:
For low sensitivity speakers playing in large, deadening rooms, 25W in 8 ohms is not gonna cut it.I know guys who’ve modified it for higher power (60W in 8 ohms), but you’ll need electronics knowledge and tools to do it, so not recommended for John Doe.

Logistics:
Big and heavy. You must put them in your own separate listening room. Or as my wife put it: either they go or you go ;-)


Electricity consumption:Actually not that bad, compared to say Aleph 2’s or some older Krell (prior to Plateau Bias) which were electrical ovens.


I’ve heard a cpl of Chinese clones... they’re not even close, so don’t throw away your money. In one word: If you find one = get it !!

I have ml 532 and 326S cd ml 512 speaker jbl DD66000 sound fantastic dynamik details everything in very High performance class speaker cables Bertram proxima CU and silver not be wire just changes between Them from time to time 
Use to have ml 433/380S and ml 390 S and speakers like jbl 4430/35 4343 and jbl 250 jubilee and I dont miss any of these compaired with my set up now 

Anyone heard the ML No 532? I have been told it’s more analytic much higher resolution than previous series but less musical. Did anyone compare it to the 33x and 33h? It seems difficult to get any reviews on the No 532 and it is not anymore on ML’s website. Thanks a lot 

i think that ML gets hit with the bias of the darkish sounding gear of way back. the 326s and the current 523 are superb preamps by any measure. i also think the 585 integrated lives up to the rave reviews it’s gotten. 
we audiophiles pigeon hole a company’s sound whether they change over time or not.
as an example i won’t purchase mcintosh because i have a bias that their gear is somewhat dull sounding and doesn’t use high end audio parts. i have no idea what it sounds like today.
same for cardas. i’m biased that it lacks clarity being full and soft on top. is it still? i doubt it. 

ML 336 is the worst amp ML ever made I had 20 years  and nothing but headaches