Levinson Amps: What do they really sound like?

IMO, you cannot generically say Levinson amps sound like XXX. Levinson has been around a very long time and my guess is that they have evolved over time, therefore the current amps will not sound like older ones.

From what I have read from users, it appears the current 300 line, 334/335/336, is a great improvement over the prior 300 series.

One thing is sure about Levinson, it is very popular, which causes a couple things:
1) Allows for the possibility of a lot available on the used market. (To answer Mythtrip.)
2) The popularity evokes some negative reactions from some, whether they have heard any Levinson gear or not. Some people just like to take shots at those at the top. More than once I have read someones glowing review of a product and they state, "it blows the Levinson XX away". Depending on the situation, I find this a compliment to Levinson, as they singled out Levinson.

Like any company that makes a lot of products and/or has been around for years, a product they produce may be outperformed by another company. Basing your opinions off one product may not always be fair.

It seems to me that Levinson has earned it's reputation for making great equipment.

Regarding used Levinson equipment, I just want to add that I've always watched for the new 300 series on Audiogon. I don't see a lot of them listed all the time. When they do get listed, they're picked up rather quickly, especially if the price is good.

There are a handful of items that people are always looking for on the used market and used Levinson 300's seem to be one of them.

I recently heard a Levinson 335 amp with a pair of Revel Ulimate salon's. All Cabling was with Transparent Audio and the associated gear was a 380s preamp, NO. 37 transport and 360S DAC. I listened to this rig for quite awhile and was impressed by all the things that it did right, but vocals sounded thin and artifical. The sound was dry, sterile and artificial like a steak cooked in a microwave. I told this to my friend and he agreed. A few weeks later he purchased a pair of Eggleston Andras. Instantly the sound was much more livelike and the music was beautiful and full bodied. The low end seemed alittle lacking but the system sounded so much better. I found this interesting, because Levinson and Revel are owned by the same company, Harman International and the sound was boring. Just goes to show that system synergy and individual tastes will dictate the proper components for you.

Hope this helps,

Johnny

I listened to a pair of tall Levinson monoblocks once. They were ok, but too gray and boring for the money. I prefered Classe's Omega which was scary-good in comparison. Classe, however, comes with as many critics as Levinson, so go figure.

I listened to a complete Levinson CD/preamp/amp plus big Revels with (I think) megabuck Transparent cable in a purpose built listening room. I listened to my classical disks as well as the jazz the owner spun. My female companion and I both felt it sounded very "electronic" (no matter what its clear benefits were.) This fact alone disqualified it from consideration. Frankly I was very surprised because I really wanted to like the system based on reputation, value and so on. IMHO.