Mark Levinson preamp no. 38 vs 38s vs 380 vs 380s

Hi Tod,

If you have FPB200C you should buy the Krell KCT preamp and use Cast cables. It will sound better than all the Mark Levinson preamps you mentioned. I had the 380S and the KCT blows it away in every aspect.

Peter

How would a 380S match up with a BRYSTON 4B3 amp ?

I had  an ML 38 and upgraded it to 380S status ($1500. ) back in the day.  Well worth the upgrade.

Still have the 380S . Its very quiet, very neutral.  If that is what you are looking for in a preamp, a used one is a great choice for the current going rates.

I recently added a Transparent Powerwave to both protect my 2 front end components and possibly increase SQ .  It has  given the preamp new clairity and a bigger soundstage, better bass.  I am no longer thinking about a new preamp. The ML 38/39 series have great egonomics, too.

I've owned both the 38S and 380S Preamps.... I could discern very little to no difference in sound quality.  Future owners would thrilled to own either.  The are excellent controllers with wonderful transparency.  The stated improvements from fan boys and Levinson are mere marketing ploys. 

Thank you Rossman. There are a lot of 38s on the market. 380s are harder to find. If the audible difference is small between the 2 I will snag a 38s. They are going between 2 to 2500 in price. I just acquired an old 23.5 amp which still sounds good after nearly 30 yrs. A 38s should be a nice match for it and upgrade from my Parasound P7
.