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Levinson 23.5 vs. 331 amplifiers - warm vs. cool?

Hi. I just bought a Levinson 23.5 amplifier, based primarily on hearing a friends 331 and liking it. I can't get over how much heat the 23.5 generates compared to the 331 - it is by design, or is it more heavily biased in Class A type operation ? Also, the manual says that this amp ( the 23.5 ) can be left on all the time - would this be advisable given current hydro rates ? Any comments would be appreciated. thanks.
dbamac
rwwear
2,904 posts
 
Does it give off a lot of heat at idle? The owner's manual should state how much power it uses when left on at idle.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I believe the older Levinson were biased higher into pure class A. I like the sound of the 23.5 better than the 33X series. All SS gear will sound best if left on all the time, whether it is advisable is up to you pocketbook.

John
classic95
52 posts
 
That's a nice amp, how does it sound compared to your friend's 331? Personally if that's the amp I was going to run I would deal with the electric bill and leave it on all the time. Both because I think my 27 sounds much better when it has been on for at least 24 hrs. and, only my opinion, but I think the stress of heating and cooling on an older amp is worse than any heat degradation.
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