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Mark Levinson Sound that Speaks for Itself

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  #11  
Old 08-20-2017, 02:33 AM
gadawg gadawg is offline
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Went to another location today that had the 526 and a pair of 536 with the 519 connected to Martin Logan Renaissance. I can't begin to describe how ... terrible it sounded. My wife just walked out. It literally sounded like a cheap receiver.

Now the rest of the story ... was in a 8X8 room with very inexpensive interconnects and one of the amps was so hot it would have burnt my hand had I left it there. It was also a different location of the same store I visited with the blown No53. They will soon have a dead 536 I'm afraid.

Harmon can build all the greatest stuff in the world but unless they get some real dealers where we can actually hear this stuff I'm afraid the Levinson line will fade away.

By the way ... there is interest here in the new product as two other customers who had both old Levinson and Pass gear had stopped by to take a listen. We all just looked at each other in disbelief.
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  #12  
Old 08-20-2017, 09:56 AM
Karl Maga Karl Maga is offline
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Incredible story. 8 x 8 room, uh, what? That's a crazy dealer based upon your descriptions! I agree, without a retail presence in learned, competent dealers, they won't sell a lot of product. But I assure you, the new gear sounds superb. A dealer's setup plays a big role. B&W 800 D2's sound way better in my room than they do at my dealer. My dealer uses McIntosh electronics, including MC601's, and I use Mark Levinson. Room acoustics is the difference IMHO.
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  #13  
Old 12-28-2017, 05:13 PM
RED1TOP RED1TOP is offline
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Default 523 vs 326s

523 vs 326s no contest the 523 blows it out of the water, the 52 vs 523 was real close hard to tell was @ a levinson dealer in new york with no time left to demo
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  #14  
Old 12-28-2017, 10:00 PM
gadawg gadawg is offline
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Good to know and figured as much. I'm going to Axpona in the spring so I should be able to hear the new stuff then.
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  #15  
Old 12-29-2017, 01:21 AM
Karl Maga Karl Maga is offline
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Given the dearth of comments about the new Mark Levinson products in online forums, I’m unable to resist commenting when the topic comes up.

In my home, I listen to the No. 523 and No. 536 multiple times per week. I’ve had B&W 800D2’s and Revel Ultima Salon2’s connected to them. I can’t fathom what more could be desired, they sound superb. Their level of refinement is readily discernible, and music sounds exquisite.
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  #16  
Old 12-29-2017, 01:10 PM
gadawg gadawg is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karl Maga View Post
Given the dearth of comments about the new Mark Levinson products in online forums, I’m unable to resist commenting when the topic comes up.

In my home, I listen to the No. 523 and No. 536 multiple times per week. I’ve had B&W 800D2’s and Revel Ultima Salon2’s connected to them. I can’t fathom what more could be desired, they sound superb. Their level of refinement is readily discernible, and music sounds exquisite.
When you bought the new gear ... did you have the change to compare it to D'Agostino, VTL, or Audio Research? Just curious as I have had the chance to listen to those a good bit as of late and wondered what your impressions were having made the choice to go Levinson.

Thanks

George
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  #17  
Old 12-29-2017, 11:41 PM
Karl Maga Karl Maga is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gadawg View Post
When you bought the new gear ... did you have the change to compare it to D'Agostino, VTL, or Audio Research? Just curious as I have had the chance to listen to those a good bit as of late and wondered what your impressions were having made the choice to go Levinson.

Thanks

George
George,

I have heard D’Agostino with Wilson Audio and B&W at a local dealer, the sound was superb. I believe I mentioned in another thread that I bought my Mark Levinson gear without hearing them first because I was offered no brainer pricing, and a promise to buy them back if I was unhappy (no risk, other than a relatively small fee). So I’ve not done a side-by-side comparison, nor have I heard anything else in my home.

I’m not a case study that exhibits a reasoned, comparative decision process. At least not in a classic sense. I did hear McIntosh, Krell, D’Agostino, and Classe’ extensively prior to purchasing. I’d have been happy to own any of them, but I rarely purchase in the absence of extreme discounting. When I found an opportunity to purchase at uncommon pricing new gear that was engineered by a team with a successful history prior to being hired by Harman, I took a leap of faith. My faith was rewarded!

What I hear is:
- dead quit, black hole level noise floor.
- complete absence of distortion.
- fast, effortless dynamics.
- revealing, textured, full bodied voices, strings, horns. I hear the felt of the kick drum hammer and the air displaced as the hammer travels. Wood resonance of a drum stick striking the rim. Etc. I hear everything captured in the recording.
- bass impact, body, rock solid control of both the 800D2’s and Salon2’s.
- musicality in abundance.

It sounds as good as anything I’ve heard (see previously mentioned brands).

Last edited by Karl Maga; 12-29-2017 at 11:43 PM.
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  #18  
Old 12-30-2017, 09:11 AM
Mikado463 Mikado463 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karl Maga View Post
Given the dearth of comments about the new Mark Levinson products in online forums, I’m unable to resist commenting when the topic comes up.

In my home, I listen to the No. 523 and No. 536 multiple times per week. I’ve had B&W 800D2’s and Revel Ultima Salon2’s connected to them. I can’t fathom what more could be desired, they sound superb. Their level of refinement is readily discernible, and music sounds exquisite.
I agree, for when I purchased my Studio 2's last year it was thru 536's that they were demo'ed , sounded excellent !
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  #19  
Old 12-30-2017, 08:22 PM
gadawg gadawg is offline
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Thanks for the info ... Hoping Levinson will have a great setup at Axpona which I'm sure they will. I did notice that Music Direct had their product on the Website for a few days then took it down. Still has it listed as a brand but no products. Weird!

George
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  #20  
Old 12-30-2017, 08:30 PM
Karl Maga Karl Maga is offline
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I’ll be curious to learn of your impression once you hear it/them.

You’re welcome to visit and listen to mine, but Michigan is not a great place to visit this time of year. Well, unless you like to ice fish or snowmobile!
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