Will a New Amp Sound Better Than My ML333?

i really don't think so... to my recollection the higher end levinson sound is very very similar to that of benchmark and also the better bryston stuff

Don't upgrade the amp, maybe upgrade your room? Room treatments? DSP?

If you don't listen you have no idea if a change is an upgrade for you or not.

Having said that, it may be good to get the amp recapped if it hasn't already.

to erik's point, what i said below assumes the levinson amp is working properly, fully performing to spec

No, a sideways move at best.

Great amp you have

Amps have sonic character. If you were to buy another Mark Levinson of equal or greater level it would probably have the same character, but with much better performance. For much of the last 40 years I had Pass amps and found a significant (worthy of spending money) every ten years. I would think ML would be the same.

If you are changing brands then the character is going to change, maybe a little maybe a lot. My tastes have changed dramatically over the decades as I have been exposed to much more live acoustic music and recognized the emotional connection that my system lacked. This caused me to change my approach to amplification. Mark Levinson is a very respected brand, but I have always found it lacking in emotional connection. This certainly does not mean you will.

I think you are in a great position. Not in a hurry to make a change… basically pretty happy. Time to browse. Take your time and listen to different alternatives. You have the luxury of not doing anything unless something sounds great. Go listen to Boulder, Pass, Audio Research, and a couple more.

If you are not near dealers make a couple “audio” trips to the city… spend the night, make appointments at high end shops to listen. Take your wife… dinner, go hear some live music. Make it fun for both of you.

You could try Van Alstine amps, are said to be very good and reliable.

Keep your amp as it sounds it’s running great and guessing the extensive work done was likely the caps, which is what the 300 series are known for. The amp may last you another twenty five years. If you’re looking to upgrade, speakers will always be more noticeable/rewarding or speaker cables. That’s a beast of an amp so if you don’t have dedicated circuits, you have no idea what your 333 is capable of. 

As with everything audiophile, if you try something new you will be excited by whatever you have heard from pundits is the defining difference (more bass, air, soundstage, etc), only to eventually realize that it sounds no better than what you substituted. How many times have we tried a new component armed with preconceived notions of how it should sound, only to discover after some time that it is no better than what it replaced (assuming you have the previous component available to substitute back in)? As audiophiles, we are all chasing something that can never be caught. If you say you have an “end game” system, you are not an audiophile. 

rimer

... if you try something new you will be excited by whatever you have heard from pundits ... only to eventually realize that it sounds no better than what you substituted ... As audiophiles, we are all chasing something that can never be caught ...

That's not my experience at all. It might be best if you spoke for yourself.

@jrimer 

There are people for which that is true I have no doubt. I am definitely not one of them. 

@cleeds 

Why might that be best? I think I speak for many audiophiles I know. At least the ones who are honest with themselves. 

let’s not get too amped up over jabs by mister 4 posts.... 

The ML 333 is a very good amp. Unless you are willing to spend more it’s hard to beat the ML333.

@jjss49 

That’s “Mr. 5 posts” to you, buddy. 😂

I’ve been an audiophile for almost 40 years. Not posting here does not disqualify me from having an opinion, nor does it make my opinions any less valid. I’ve bought and sold on Audiogon for many years and have been reading these forums for quite a while. Now that I’ve submitted my resume, let’s get back to that double blind 27.5 vs. 333 test. 😁

@jrimer I will say it, Welcome and do not let this charming poster deter you. 

@jrimer

welcome

perhaps you woiuld post your system so we can see what an experienced audiophile you are... i see you sold a cary sli-80 in 2017, nice lush tube amp 👍... now did that sound like a levinson? .... or did you actually find something better?  😂🤣

Road-trip!! To the ML factory for recapping and anything else which you may need. 
 

  Which is why I pray every day my McCormack amp stays healthy. 
commiefornia is a loooong drive from the Midwest 

your ML amp is top tier stuff, keep fixing her, will last another 20 years. 
im jealous, not many people get to jam to a ML 333 power amp. 
 

I would do,the road trip with the wife, if your married, pack the car and get going!

@adg101 

 +3. Good response,

@jjss49 

I somehow feel that posting my system is not going to convince you of the point I was making. Let me clarify: I don’t feel that the quest for sonic bliss is necessarily linear. I think it is just as likely to be cyclic. We are all chasing the best sound reproduction we can achieve. That we can agree on. I have shelved or sold gear that I felt was either inadequate or no longer for my taste, only to circle back years later and rediscover and embrace those sonic merits that I felt I had moved past. I’m a big fan of classic gear. I feel that well designed gear from years past can hold its own with most of the components of today. At an absolute FRACTION of the price. I sometimes find myself reaching into the past to move “forward”.
 

The beauty of being an audiophile is that you can never be accused of being wrong. Everyone’s impressions of sound are unique and individual. Just like there is no best “style” of music, we all have opinions of what sounds good to us. You may not agree with what I think sounds best, but that doesn’t mean either one of us is right and the other is wrong. Your sonic journey may take you on a path where you never look back from where you came. My sonic journey is more of a circuitous route that intersects itself at various points along the way. I’ve read countless people on here lamenting the sale of a component that they got rid of years ago. I’m sure at the time they felt it was all in the name of progress. Would they trade what they have now for what they had? Maybe not, but the fact that they are lamenting getting rid of older gear makes me wonder how much progress has really been made. 

@jrimer

appreciate your clarification

no argument with what you said just now, while your earlier statements did not ring true to a number of us longtimers who frequent this forum and contribute consistently, sharing our experiences

@arcticdeth 

Good idea, but that could be several thousand and a long wait time. Over the decades I have owned many high quality SS and tube amps, none any better top to bottom than my LSA Voyager GaN 350 MSRP $3000, but often on sale for $2400. Lots of exceptional reviews

@jrimer 

Your virtual system audio room is attractive and comfortable looking in spades and I bet your system sounds great.