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


I saw a pair of these.  They appearead overkill amps with superb construction. Just about sound quality (not reliability) how they stand with today best amps ?
legarem

Showing 2 responses by stenalx

Totally concur with George-hifi.
ML-2 is a legendary amplifier without peers - really.
Not only can it compete with modern designs (2020), it’ll subjectively and objectively outperform 99% of them.

Sonics far superior to anything of the time (70s) from Threshold, Krell, Phase Linear, Harman, Marantz or anything else. Phenomenal build quality & design.

ML later opted for far more complex, massive no. of gain-stages, massive feedback circuits and so was the magic of ML-2 gone forever.

Problems? Low power - read: low sensitivity speakers playing in large, deadening rooms, 25W in 8 ohms is not gonna cut it.
I know some who’ve modified them for higher power, but you’ll need electronics knowledge and tools to do it, so not recommended for John Doe.

I’ve heard a cpl of Chinese clones... they’re not even close, so don’t bother. In one word: If you find one = get it !!

"Stenalx,

Based on your summation,  the ML2 was an excellently designed/implemented simple/straightforward (relatively speaking) circuit superb sounding class A amplifier. 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.

Charles

"

A very late reply to Charles1dad question above about later ML's using more gain stages + Feedback etc:

As Georgehifi correctly mentioned, their newest offerings appear to be simpler design with low feedback.

I was of course referring to the ML amplifiers post ML-2's and up to no 33's.

They got crazy complex (just look at the schematics) and the sound was really not that great. I have listened to /owned many big ML's. Although their build quality is always second to none, their sonics remained a lot to be desired.

 

ML-2's are a totally different beasts.

Good luck