Mark Levinson No36s

The No. 36s is an excellent DAC, and very reliable. I designed several into systems back in the 90s, and I can only think of one issue, but it was fixed quickly.

The main issue I have witnessed with Levinson/Madrigal/Harman (pick whatever name you want) is that there has been so much change to the corporate structure, that getting older units serviced doesn't have the level of attention that use to exist. The only viable complaint that seems to come up consistently is the cost of service. If something does go wrong, it takes some healthy funds to get it repaired or upgraded. I think this can be less of an issue if you have a relationship with a current Levinson dealer.

Again, it's an excellent piece of gear, and I highly recommend it. It works great with Apple Macs with the toslink optical output. It's extremely well built and reliable. Keep me posted, I'm eager to hear what you decide....

Hi Hellofidelity
Thanks for the confirmation on reliability of the No36s dac , I bought a Audio Synthesis dax last year as you may see from another of my posts , unfortunately it developed a fault with the ultra-analog chip and upon returning it to the dealer it was confirmed it was non-repairable , got full refund so no problems . Shame because it was a lovely sounding unit! , although i was a bit unsure of the build quality as the buttons on the front panel were not very solidly fixed and very light to touch , first rate sound though and i miss it! i hope the Levinson No36s would be up to the audio Synthesis in the sonic department if so i would be a happy camper

I owned a 36s original not upgraded. It was a nice unit but I preferred the Sony XA5400ES better. There were small little nuances which the 36s did not resolve. The 36s moved more air in the very low base better than the Sony. The last time I had the 36s repaired it was a minimum of $900 to work on by the service center. They also mentioned there were no more Teflon boards available if I had to replace one again. The 36 'S' version used special Teflon boards. I beleive the S version also had more DACs per channel than the regular 36.

Hi Coxhaus
It would be nice to try a M/Levison , I don't think the Sony XA5400ES is available anymore ? certainly not in Australia according to the Sony Australia website , infact no cd players at all listed!. The service costs and possible lack of parts are certainly a big factor for me to consider , i understand that a older product could need parts replaced and then comes the Question of newer products that would equal the sound and build of a second Levinson for similar dollars . but gee i like the look of the Levinson 36s but Boards no longer available that could be a big problem.