Hi SGR, would you please tell me what (R)eference amplifiers YOU would buy (cost being a consideration but sound being the most important) ? they would have to be as close to "keepers" as you could get, regardless of the introduction of new technologies down the road.
the levinson 53's do have a number of innovations that MAY have considerable impact on the sound quality that other manufacturers lack. SO
barring their failure to work properly for the 1st 10 or so years, i again would ask someone to step forward and evaluate what they heard when playing well-recorded music. i am presently using a ML-326S preamp and ML-33H amplifiers and i am VERY PLEASED with the sound. in the past i had the 37 TRANSPORT/360S DAC and (again) was extremely happy with the sound (not forgetting the outstanding performance with HDCD recordings as well).
so for me it is hard to dismiss a line of components that have done about as good a job of getting you closer to real music as anything else out there regardless of price or country of manufacture. but rather than conjecturing that levinson amplifiers are now "crown in disguise" (the pictures of the internal components on their web site sure look similar to the #33's), i still need feedback from reviewers with excellent qualifications to write about what THEY heard.
there are of course some serious issues in getting a levinson component repaired- not the least of which is the COST. also (for example) repairing the venerable 31.5 transport may not be possible due to some of the parts that are no longer available (and this may apply to other components as well).
but whether or not you can boycott any and all products and services that harman int'l offers only compounds the problems they already have.
P.S.- and WHAT IF the ML53 AMPLIFIERS can send some serious chills down your spine, even after having heard some of the best amplifiers out there?
curious minds just want to know...
the levinson 53's do have a number of innovations that MAY have considerable impact on the sound quality that other manufacturers lack. SO
barring their failure to work properly for the 1st 10 or so years, i again would ask someone to step forward and evaluate what they heard when playing well-recorded music. i am presently using a ML-326S preamp and ML-33H amplifiers and i am VERY PLEASED with the sound. in the past i had the 37 TRANSPORT/360S DAC and (again) was extremely happy with the sound (not forgetting the outstanding performance with HDCD recordings as well).
so for me it is hard to dismiss a line of components that have done about as good a job of getting you closer to real music as anything else out there regardless of price or country of manufacture. but rather than conjecturing that levinson amplifiers are now "crown in disguise" (the pictures of the internal components on their web site sure look similar to the #33's), i still need feedback from reviewers with excellent qualifications to write about what THEY heard.
there are of course some serious issues in getting a levinson component repaired- not the least of which is the COST. also (for example) repairing the venerable 31.5 transport may not be possible due to some of the parts that are no longer available (and this may apply to other components as well).
but whether or not you can boycott any and all products and services that harman int'l offers only compounds the problems they already have.
P.S.- and WHAT IF the ML53 AMPLIFIERS can send some serious chills down your spine, even after having heard some of the best amplifiers out there?
curious minds just want to know...