How a pair of Mark Levinson ML2 stands with the best amps today ?

I saw a pair of these. They appearead overkill amps with superb construction. Just about sound quality (not reliability) how they stand with today best amps ?

legarem12-23-2018 4:27pm

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almarg Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 9,670 posts 05-05-2020 at 11:11pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Any idea why the decision was made to add gain stages and feedback thus losing the "magic" of the original? Seems they should have left well enough alone. According to my records the original Mark Levinson Audio Systems company produced three other amplifiers before Mark lost control of his company, and he and Tom Colangelo were no longer part of it (~1984). Those were the ML-3, ML-9, and ML-11. All of them were much more powerful than the ML-2 (into 8 ohms!), while the ML-9 and ML-11 were designed to much lower price points. And I believe the ML-3 was also significantly less expensive than a pair of ML-2s, while being 8 times as powerful (into 8 ohms). And after 1984 or thereabouts it was essentially a completely different company. Best, -- Al
georgehifi Details Discussions Posts This discussion 10,312 posts 05-05-2020 at 11:26pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Here is an very old shot of the ML3 I had to repair 200 W/channel at 8 ohms, 400 W/ch at 4 ohms, 800 W/ch at 2 ohms It opens up like a clam very thoughtful design for techs and you can power it up like that, it was so big it wouldn’t fit on my work bench, so I used the kids homework table. Some 24 bi-polar outputs per channel 2 x massive transformers, true dual mono amp. https://ibb.co/XCxYmkz Didn’t come within cooee of the 25w ML2 monoblocks for sound quality I just find it quite admirable that a class A transistor amplifier from 1977 still can on sonic grounds (the most important quality/criteria IMO) outperform so many current production amplifiers. If you look at it nearly all tube amps today are based on the 1949 Williamson circuit, https://www.preservationsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/WilliamsonAmp_1947.jpg Similar can be said about transistors, especially Matti Otala’s, Nelson Pass, John Curl, etc etc designs Cheers George
charles1dad Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 10,250 posts 05-05-2020 at 11:48pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Reading Al’s post concerning other "original" ML amps with higher power output, George answered my first thought/question. Did the higher powered ML3 rival the sound quality of the revered ML2? I should have known that would be the answer .How do true talents such as Mark Levinson and Dennis Had (Cary) get booted from their own companies? How can one discard that level of passion, commitment and talent? This would the same as Audio Research getting rid of the( late) William Zane while still very active and involved with the company.. Charles
almarg Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 9,670 posts 05-06-2020 at 12:03am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete How do true talents such as Mark Levinson ... get booted from their own companies? How can one discard that level of passion, commitment and talent? Hi Charles, The "Background" section of the following court case summary provides an excellent overview of the relevant history: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/799/814/117849/ Perhaps the financial troubles that were referred to contributed to Mark & Tom’s decision to produce the relatively low cost (and presumably much more widely marketable) ML-9 and ML-11. Best, -- Al
charles1dad Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 10,250 posts 05-06-2020 at 03:17am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Al, thanks for the link. I just arrived home and will read it in the morning. Charles

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