The Levinson Sound?

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