Levinson Amps: What do they really sound like?

I use one 27.5 with Magnepan 1.6QC and a CAL AUDIO tube DAC...
I get the warmth of tubes and the power of solid state.
I love the combination !

Stefano

I got a 27.5 too.This amp along with the 23.5 are concidered one of the best solid state ever.
George

To my ears Levinson amps are very listenable and musical.
I work from home and am able to listen all day long. I never find my ears fatigued.

I will agree that they may not give you the "excitement" that you hear with some amps - but I think that is the key to the fact that I can enjoy listening for 8 hours or more.

I have compared a couple of very well respected amps in my system and typically my experience goes something like this.

"Wow - this thing is great - it sounds more open and unveiled than my amp". Then about 20-30 minutes in - I sense a throbbing in my ears and suddenly I simply cannot enjoy the music because I am so distracted by it. I don't know what exactly is causing it - but I would suspect the upper frequencies. The amps I've compared are NOT described as "bright" mind you.

It may be that I'm just very sensitive - but I've repeated this with several different amps always with similar results.

When I plug my Levinson back in I breathe a sigh of relief and go back to enoying the music. To me that's what it's all about - to other they live for the absolute minutia of detail and attack. I would say that Levinson is not for them.

Levinsons better amps give you the details - but does so with smoothness - at least to my ears. I have heard a few Levinsons that I didn't care for as much as my 336.

My amp has a wonderfull fullness and weight - especially in the mid-bass and bass. The top end is probably a bit rolled off compared to the other amps I've tested - but again I think that is the key to my enjoyment. The mid's are smooth and liquid.

Here's the rest of my system - I wouldn't consider any of my components inherently "bright" or "fatiguing" in nature.

Linn Unidisk (Source)
Meridian 861 (Pre/DAC)
Aerial 10T's (Speakers)

In summary - it really depends on what type of system you are trying to build and what you want out of it. For me the Levinson fits just right.

I have owned or listened to the 27, 27.5, 29 (recently sold to a happy buyer) 331, 331.5, and 336. I know what people mean by sterile, cold, or analytical but it depends on your other components including cabling. I find ML amps neutral meaning what you feed them is what they will play back. They can be non-forgiving with the wrong speaker but you will not find a better built amp. I love them especially the look of the 300 series. IMO they are a work of art and put a smile on your face just looking at them while listening. Levinson has been around a long time and look at the resale on the used market. Some amps have gone up in value especially the older .5 series. When I sold my 27.5 two years ago it sold within an hour. Impressive, and they still are snatched up quickly if the price is right and not blown out of proportion like some idiots think they can sell them for. I say buy one and don't look back.

Sam