Lev335: The upgrade to 380S includes the faceplate (and it should considering the price). Levinson insists the performance of an upgraded preamp is in every way equal to an original piece, and there is no reasonable argument to be made in refute of this. My own experience has also found this to be true in the case of the 380S. The oft-referred-to "psychological aversion" to upgraded Lev pieces (vs. factory originals) by many buyers is baseless, IMO.
Levinson upgrades vs factory original
I've recently seen some ads for Mark Levinson 380S advertising that the units were factory original, not upgrades, apparently to command a premium price. Any thoughts on whether it's worth paying extra to get a "factory original" vs a "factory upgrade" for the 380S or other components (e.g., the 360S digital processor).