Introduction There are few high-end audio brand names that carry with them such universal admiration as Mark Levinson. The mere mention of Mark Levinson components conjures up feelings of quality, luxury and lust that I can only equate with brands at the level of, say, Patek Philippe, the Four Seasons resorts and perhaps even Lexus. Since the late 1970s, Mark Levinson gear has been the subject of many audiophiles’ dreams and has kept consumers and even modest editors wondering how they can spend their tax returns to land such well-crafted audio reproduction gear. When you find out a Mark Levinson amp is coming your way, even if you are a jaded reviewer, you get excited. The Mark Levinson No. 433 is a first for the brand, in that it’s not only a true multi-channel amp, but it is also a long-awaited solution for the company’s customers and dealers who have moved into home theater and ...

Introduction Power. Grown men have spent their entire lives fighting and even dying for it. We often associate power with size and weight, but can be fooled by the little guy whose abilities can drop the largest of men. Bob Carver is known for packing amazing amounts of power into the smallest and lightest of boxes with his amplifiers, and it seems Mr. Carver has empowered yet another “little guy” with his new Theater Grand Amplifier 7400. As president of Sunfire, Bob Carver has been a major player in the audio industry since 1970, when he founded Phase Linear, and he has kept pace with the rapidly changing business throughout the years. His advances in amplifier technology are legendary and his new top of the line seven-channel amplifier, the Sunfire Theater Grand Amplifier 7400, puts out a rated 400 watts per channel into eight ohms into all seven channels, and doubles down to 1600 ...

Introduction Classé has thrown the gauntlet down in the multi-channel amplification arena by introducing the CA-5200, a five-channel, 200-watt-per-channel amplifier whose sole intention is to raise the bar high enough in both aesthetics and sound to make everyone swoon, from the design-oriented to the hardcore audiophile. One look at the CA-5200, even unplugged or without a preamp, and you’d be hard pressed to suggest Classé hasn’t accomplished at least half of its mission. The CA-5200’s sleek lines and nontraditional metal work beautifully matches the stealthy pose of the lauded Classé CDP-300 DVD player and the SSP-600 AV preamp. The size and stature of the CA-5200 is certainly a head turner, with heat sinks on either side of what appears to be a solid block of aluminum, refined to a blended front face with large rounded corners asymmetrically bisected by a vertical black anodized aluminum panel that is consistent with the rest of the Delta product ...

Introduction The Fully Balanced Integrated Amplifier or F.B.I. is Krell’s no-holds-barred solution to an integrated two-channel audio system. Integrated amplifiers are often considered to be more or less lifestyle pieces. Not so with the 104-pound FBI. This massive $16,500 integrated amplifier started life as a separate amplifier/preamplifier combination. During the design process, it became apparent that the combining the two pieces would create a synergy that was not likely to be achieved when they operated separately. Krell has long been known for their large, high-power amplifiers, capable of providing some of the industry’s most powerful and detailed bass. The amplifier portion of the FBI is comprised of the popular FPB 300cx stereo amplifier. The FPB 300cx is part of the Full Powered Balance (FPB) series of amplifiers, which consists of completely discrete, fully balanced, dual differential single-channel and stereo amplifiers. These amplifiers, as well as the FBI, feature a Class A output, which is arguably the most ...

Introduction Earlier this year, I raved about the Outlaw 970 processor and matching 7075 multi-channel amplifier. Together, the 970 and 7075 not only redefined bang-for-your-buck performance, they also set a benchmark in its price class by which all other products, both separates and receivers, will be judged. I liked the combo so much that I kept them. Beyond the sonic attributes of the subject matter, that review was special to me because it was my first introduction to Outlaw Audio. An introduction, I must say, that has been both eye-opening and frustrating. I say frustrating, because once you’ve crossed over and become an Outlaw yourself, it’s exceedingly tough to justify anything else. The only saving grace for me is that Outlaw doesn’t make speakers (with the exception of their subwoofers) or source components. Sure, I’ve heard a barrage of products that do one thing or another that the Outlaws cannot, but at the end of ...