Levinson 33h or 336?

Rjr1, Last year i switched from the Levinson #32, #33 and WP6 to tubes and different speakers. before i had the #33 i had #332 and then #33h. i had also demoed the #336.

the #33h is definitely a step up from the single-chassis models of Levinson, greater ease and presence....more satisfying.

i actually prefer the newest Levinson monoblocks #434 and #436 to the bigger Levinson amps due their much lower noise floor. you do give up some body and weight (and ultimate slam and majesty with the #33) but there is more detail and a more transparent soundstage. with the WP6 i would seriously consider the #436.

What about the simple truth the 33H - speaker lengths are reduced - potential cable noise gone - funds for high priced cable if necessary - and I agree with Egrady why second guess your choice using the 336 unless your on a budget. IMHO there will be improved sound with shorter cable lengths and funds to spend on higher priced cables and IC's if necessary, either way you can not go wrong. My preferance would be the 33H's even though I am happy with the ML336 on my budget.

I have a 335, a CAT Ultimate and WP 5.1's. I'm very happy with them. I can tell you the 335 is a step above the 333 which I compared head to head. If you believe the advertising the newer dual mono single chassis amp's have improvements from what they learned in developing the Reference 33.

While I've never heard the 33H I'm sure it's better than the 336. At your level of equipment are you sure the $6000 difference(used)is material? If you got the 336 and saved the money, won't you still be second guessing yourself even if you like the 336, which you most certainly will! If you had the 380S you'd have a harder decision but given your assault on state of the art why stop short now?

I never compared the 33H to the 336, but did compare it to its precedessor, the 333. At the time, there was no comparison--the 33H was far superior. I bought a pair and still have them. I can't imagine owning better amplifiers (just be sure you have a dedicated 20 amp circuit for each one). I am using mine with a Levinson 380S preamp, and the results are sensational.

IMHO (having compared both on the WP6 with transparent opus and all ML ref gear), the 33H is clearly the way to go if you like the ML sound. The 336 is far less subtle and a lot less involving to listen to at length... I auditioned with two of my friends and we all had the same experience (which, incidentally, went against my expectations).

If possible, you should definitely go the extra distance to hear the 33H.

Good luck,
Jacob