Mark Levinson 23.5

Update, received my ML 23.5 back after I brought it back in for service because I felt it was running too hot, much normal than it use to. After another 3 weeks I received it back. The repair shop checked and adjusted the bias. They claim to have load tested it and basically abused the amp in their sound room. They said after this extensive use, the temp only got up to 128f*. I brought it home and set it up in my system. I'm using new speaker and balanced interconnects that I am auditioning. This should eliminate any issues with cables causing possible heat generation. I swapped left and right speakers as well in the event possibly one lost its impedance value. After having it on for a few hours and playing music at a low volume, the amp warmed up. I then sat down to listen for a few. After about 20 minutes of playing the amp a bit harder, the temp shot up to 132f on the right side and 122f on the left.  I refer to a bit hareder as my normal listening level. No way pushing this amp near 50 if not less. I'm not a blow your eardrums out listener. Ive had this amp for 15 wonderful and it never use to run this hot. And the fact the right side runs 10* hotter concerns me as well. I'm not sure what I should do. I don't know it they can do anything else with it. I love this amp and its sound. Although running hot, it sounds phenomenal. Should I push to have them look at it again or pay the freight to send it out to the east coast for repair or trade it for something different? My dealer mentioned trading up as an option to a Bryston 4B or Ayre Acoustics amp. Not sure which amp this may be but it retails for $9k. I'm not in that position right not, so that option sucks. Any thoughts?

You didn't mention how you measured the temperature but assuming a temperature gun, its possible to have 10 degrees F margin for error, depending on how you hold/point the gun or the specific point of measurement. Just a possibility.

Actually I measured it 2 ways. One using a Raytek infrared thermometer locating several different hit spots and the other using a Fluke 52 with a surface probe. The most hear is generated at the top of the rear heat sinks, which makes sense. But I can literally feel the temp difference with my hand. It's noticably different, much warmer.

I have owned a 27 and 27.5 and they never ran hot as you are describing.  Did your repair shop check the caps, resistors, etc?  Have you used Google to research this issue?  Personally I wouldn't use this shop any longer because they haven't found the issue plus I would be reluctant any way to take the amp back as they want you to trade up. To me thats a flag especially trading for a Bryston 4B. Not that it is a bad amp but the 23.5 IMO is quite a bit superior sonically. 

Samzx12, my 23.5 never ran hot either. Maybe a bit warmer when I pushed it harder. I may have worded my last post incorrectly about trading up. I was asking my dealer what should I do? In such a way like, wth, should I trade up or what are my options. This amp went back in to them 3 times in the last 4 months. Originally it has the left channel distorting which they corrected. I received it back with a short noise in the right channel which went away after 30 or 40 seconds. Either way it wasn't right, so it went back again. Immediately after I got it back is when I noticed it running hot. It went back again. It was suggested then in discussion and frustration that I asked wth I should do. That's when it was suggested the Ayre Acoustic amp would be my next jump up and sonically would wow me. It was also suggested I should audition the Bryston as technology has come a long ways through the years and I would be shocked that it supposedly out performs the Levinson sonically. That's a hard to me because I love everything about this amp including the classic BPA look. For now I have resorted to putting a 4" fan blowing on it to cool it plugged into it's own receptacle on a different circuit. It's actually a pretty quiet little fan and running this thing pretty hard is only about 115*. That's more like it use to feel. It just sucks because the original repair cost me over $800 and I know sensind it out east won't be cheap either. Sucks!!!