1.i believe that levinson never went away. 2. they have consistantly made great front ends 3. no 'cd' player on God's green earth is worth 15k...not levinson or the usual suspects......its very easy to find dozens of players (new and used) that sound fantastic(for a cd player) in a nice hi fi system....and you could buy at least 3 to 5 of them for 15k......that said, if someone wanted to spend 15k on a CD player more power to them....just as long as they are rational enough to know it is only a CD player (a player of cd's).
Mark Levinson No.512 CD Player---Opinions
Wow!! I just listened to the new Mark Levinson 512 CD player against the usual known suspects of Eoteric, EMM, dCS, and alike and I am convinced that Mark Levinson is back. I was able to spend ample time with the local dealer in Southern California in comparing the unit and we both agreed it was sensational. FYI, it is $15k but it is well worth it. Complete tonal balance and dynamic as anything I have heard for the price. I would be eager to hear others' opinion about this player.