How a pair of Mark Levinson ML2 stands with the best amps today ?

How do true talents such as Mark Levinson ... get booted from their own companies? How can one discard that level of passion, commitment and talent?

Hi Charles,

The "Background" section of the following court case summary provides an excellent overview of the relevant history:

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/799/814/117849/

Perhaps the financial troubles that were referred to contributed to Mark & Tom’s decision to produce the relatively low cost (and presumably much more widely marketable) ML-9 and ML-11.

Best,
-- Al

Any idea why the decision was made to add gain stages and feedback thus losing the "magic" of the original? Seems they should have left well enough alone.

According to my records the original Mark Levinson Audio Systems company produced three other amplifiers before Mark lost control of his company, and he and Tom Colangelo were no longer part of it (~1984). Those were the ML-3, ML-9, and ML-11.

All of them were much more powerful than the ML-2 (into 8 ohms!), while the ML-9 and ML-11 were designed to much lower price points. And I believe the ML-3 was also significantly less expensive than a pair of ML-2s, while being 8 times as powerful (into 8 ohms).

And after 1984 or thereabouts it was essentially a completely different company.

Best,
-- Al