In what ways is Mark Levinson better than Krell?

Yes Larry, but there also a ton of Levinson wanted ads as well.

Both are good companies, and have had amps from both of them. Sorry to say it depends of what models and generations one focuses on, but generally speaking I should say that:

1.- Levinson amps are a tad more real sounding, transparent midrange presentation andmore holeographic recreating soundstage.

2.- Krell amps are more dynamic, bass-slamming and thrilling.

3.- I spent more time in front of a Levinson amp than a Krell one listening to music.

My two cents

Fernando

Greetings,

I am the new VP of Sales and Marketing at Mark Levinson/Harman Specialty Group, and I can assure you that we take the sound quality of our newer components VERY seriously.

I sold Mark Levinson at retail locations for many years, and worked with other manufacturers that would be well known to all of you. While there were certainly some ML components that I liked better than others, none were "non-musical" when in the company of decent ancillary components.

We prefer to think of our components as being true to the source, adding or taking away nothing from what was intended.

The components that we are building now, by dealer concensus, are some of the best sounding ever. Please listen for yourself.

By the way, Krell, as well as many other companies make great sounding gear as well...it just depends on what you prefer.

If there was one bit of advice that I can offer to all of you it's this; don't rely on reviews from anywhere in place of your own listening. Expert reviewers disagree as to what sounds better, so why should you rely on reviews in any forum to determine what is a very personal decision/opinion.

It's all about the emotion in music and movies my friends, and we'll never forget that what you hear, makes you feel.

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Nsgarch,
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My point was that there has been a ton of Levinsons sold over the years and it is quite logical that there should be a good number up for sale on a regular basis.
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I think quite highly of the older Levinson Amps. I own a 23.5 and 27.5 and I love them both. I prefer the 23.5 over the 27.5.
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I did not enjoy the 300 series and have not listened to the 400 series nor their latest iterations.
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I have never enjoyed any Krell amp that I have heard. For my taste, they are too bright. They have great dynamics and slam, but they chase me out of the room after a while.
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wschofield, Thanks for your post....well said and good to hear your enthusiasm for what is going on currently at Levinson. Best of luck with the future of the company.
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A service question for you: Do you still service older Levinsons (like my 27.5) and if so how does one go about sending a unit in for repair. Do you still have technicians that are experienced with the older Amps ?
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Rgds,
Larry

For musicality, I would go for older Krell. I have had listened to KAV series over KSA series (KSA 80B) and I think KSA is very much better in every way...and even pure class A. Haven't heard the FPB series. For Mark Levinson, the sound much more like older Krell, IMHO