With any amp in this price range there are tradeoffs. I love the warmth and musicality of the Classe CA 400. It comes down to your preferences and system matching. Classe matches very well with a number of tube preamps, and there is no reason to stay with the same manufacturer throughout your system, at least not if you want to be happy with the sound, that is. I have not extensively listened to Levinson gear, so I can't comment, but I do believe it comes down to just taste and preferences.