I just got the new Mark Levinson 512

[Lefisc]

It’s been two weeks later and I have reached my conclusions about the ML 512. First, it is very sturdy and uses a different remote than I have associated with ML.
New machines often sound a bit shrill to me. So after two weeks, some of the sounds are startling. First, the quiet is so quiet when it is quiet that I first thought something was wrong. There is no shrillness whatsoever; the highs are wonderful and believable. I heard instruments, not speakers or equipment. The strings were startling real. I loved the “bass strings” and certainly heard things I never heard before. I even felt the piano keys being hit.
My comparisons are with the ML 31.5/30.6 and Krell DVD players. I have trouble, I think, expressing this, but the ML combo gave me great detail, the new combo gives better fidelity. It not so much detail it is realism. It did take me a while to get used to that. I hope that makes sense. The soundstage was superb. I listened to classical music, opera, jazz and movie soundtracks. The ML 31.5/30.6 sounded darker, meaning the bass was not as refined as it here.
I found it took ten days to two weeks to really warm up and play well. I left it on overnight and the music got better and better. We are certainly are in grade A territory, perhaps A plus.
I know it sounds silly, but I haven’t had the time yet to go through a ton of discs, that may take a while. The CD sound is so wonderful that the distance between that and the SACD is not humongous. Again, that is because it is playing the regular CDs so well, NOT because the SACD part is lacking anything. Again, it actually sound is taking me a while to get used to. It is so uncolored and natural (and quiet). The SACD gives a greater soundstage, melting away the speakers. The bass is more precise and wonderfully deep. The flutes were actually unbelievably real.

[wes]

I heard Mark Levinson doesn't build their equipment anymore ?

[Lefisc]

This is correct, although, in some ways, I don’t exactly know what that means. They outsource everything now, including repairs. Almost no equipment manufacturer, including the high end, makes all their own parts. Recently, they closed down their Mass. offices and moved to NY. Now, by June, they are closing their New York offices and moving to the Midwest (I forgot where). They have also let go of many of their engineers. Apparently they want to either merge Mark Levenson home audio with Lexicon and Revel, or sell them. They probably want to keep the name for car stereos.

[wes]

Originally Posted by Lefisc

This is correct, although, in some ways, I don’t exactly know what that means. They outsource everything now, including repairs. Almost no equipment manufacturer, including the high end, makes all their own parts. Recently, they closed down their Mass. offices and moved to NY. Now, by June, they are closing their New York offices and moving to the Midwest (I forgot where). They have also let go of many of their engineers. Apparently they want to either merge Mark Levenson home audio with Lexicon and Revel, or sell them. They probably want to keep the name for car stereos.

Classé still manufacture their products in house true they buy parts from others but still have manufacturing just like B&W.

Yes Levinson makes money with Lexus

[Lefisc]

Wes:

Thanks for the information.

We have had a lot of bad weather and I had an usual opportunity to just have the time to listen to the ML512 this week. I do give it an A plus!

What disappoints me is not the sound quality of the 512, but the engineering of many of the SACDs. There are great differences in sound quality on them. It is random, I will start to keep track. Many of the Jazz discs are great, a few are not. Many classical discs are great, some are not. It took me some time to determine whether it was the discs or the machines. The deficiencies are the discs. The same is true, of course, on listening to CDs. In fact, I just got a newly released CD that is so badly recorded I might never listen to it again.

[wes]

Originally Posted by Lefisc

Wes:

Thanks for the information.

We have had a lot of bad weather and I had an usual opportunity to just have the time to listen to the ML512 this week. I do give it an A plus!

What disappoints me is not the sound quality of the 512, but the engineering of many of the SACDs. There are great differences in sound quality on them. It is random, I will start to keep track. Many of the Jazz discs are great, a few are not. Many classical discs are great, some are not. It took me some time to determine whether it was the discs or the machines. The deficiencies are the discs. The same is true, of course, on listening to CDs. In fact, I just got a newly released CD that is so badly recorded I might never listen to it again.

Yes unfortunately not every label takes good care of producing quality SACDs