Levinson 29 vs 27.5 vs 23.5

I owned a 23, I've borrowed a 23.5 and I owned a 27.5
Of the three, I think the 27.5 was the best amp at it's
given power rating but the other two had better bass
control and a more powerful sound as one would expect
given the difference in output. The 27.5 had a liquidity
and spaciousness which puts it in the upper echelons of
the best solid state amps. It may be one of the best ever
produced by Madrigal. I only sold it because it didn't
have quite enough juice to do my Magnepans justice. I
moved to a Levinson 335.

Hi there! I owned a 29 and a 23.5 some years back. The best bang for the buck is the 29. It may be only a 50 watter but it's enough for most bookshelf speakers. If you need the juice, go for the 23.5. It costs only a bit more for an additional 100 watts. I would rate the 23.5 much better than the 27.5. Much cleaner sounding. You be surprised how much a difference the additional 100 watts makes. I was using the 23.5 to drive my Apogees Duettas. The Duettas need a lot of choice. Anyway, I have both amps for almost a decade in two different systems.

.
My brother owns a 29 and I have owned both the 27.5 and the 23.5. The simple answer is get a 23.5.
.
I have Sonus Faber Extremas which also have am 87 db sensitivity. They 29's can not drive the Extremas very well and the 23.5's were far and away better in every way over the 27.5 (which is an incredibly good power amp). This one is a no brainer. Get a 23.5 for between $ 2,500.00 - 2,700.00 and smile.
.
Rgds,
Larry
.