Mark Levinson 25 vs 25s vs JC-2

If you can get a 25s for $1600, buy it right now! I was happy to pay $2500 for mine! (I also have a 23.5 and 26s bal -- see my system) However that seems a very low price for a 25s, even without a power supply! You don't actually need another power supply. The one for the 26s will drive both. Make sure it is really a 25s and not a 25. The 25 is OK, but nothing special.

The 25s is almost impossible to find. It is one of the finest phono preamps ever made. Enought gain to handle even 0.25 mV MC cartridges and as quiet as a chair!

(Also, if you can get $900 for the JC-2, you are doing very well :~)

Ken - be patient and wait for a 25s (buy a cheap phono preamp in the meantime if you need one.)

The last 25s's that were made had RCA's (as did the last 23.5's) It doesn't really matter. When you find a 25s, you should buy it. Fischer makes the best adapters if you need them, They are available directly from Fischer USA (or Switzerland) for $18.50 each.

What kind of TT/cart. do you have? What kind of speakers?

Good luck.

Neil

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Hi Ken, Nice system. I would recommend the Wilson Benesch for good value. Sophia is not a good value. If you like the sound of Sophia better, then you should go for a Watt/Puppy, new or used.

As for the knobs, I would email ML customer support directly from their website. If they don't have replacements, you can probably have the old knobs refinished locally. They have been "bead blasted", a form of sandblasting. Contact a sandblaster, or someone who does custom magnesium automobile wheels. They should be able to help you.

Whoaru - the last time I bought the Camac adapters was about 18 months ago, so they've probably gone up like everything else. Thank God they didn't raise their minimum to $200!! If you need to make up a minumum order, get some of the shorted Camacs for your unused inputs. They're only about $10 (used to be $8, so I'm guessing :~)

I already posted this response to another recent enquiry about this phono amp:

I had a 25s (and 26s preamp) for many years. I recently sold them to (two different) individuals in Asia for 50% more than I paid for them used in 2004!

They are both very fine pieces of equipment (the "s" models that is -- the 'regular' 25 and 26 units are good but not great, and certainly not for the money some people seem to be willing to pay for them!) I sold my Levinson N°25s about a year ago including the PLS-226 dual power supply, AC power cord, lo-voltage connecting cord, 4 Fischer gold-plated Camac-to-RCA adapters for $3450. Don't be afraid to buy one with the power supply set for 220V. They are easy to convert to 110V ;~) (The last models made have 'regular' RCA connectors, which is nice.)

The 25s phonoamp is one of the QUIETEST grain-free phonoamps you will ever hear and it has plenty of gain for even .2mV MC cartridges . It has several cartridge load settings, and can be customized further if need be.

There are a half dozen (new) solid state phonoamps on the market today that are as good or better than the 25s, but the least expensive of them will set you back ten grand more or less.