Mark Levinson 27.5 versus modern day amps

Thanks tecknik I will check into it. 

Someone here I would think has an opinion on the 27.5 I would hope.  I know its one of their best amps ever but worth it overall? They didn't have the cap issues like the 300 series. 

Thanks for the reply Ernie.  You and I obviously have great tastes in amps lol.  I bought your VK-55 and purchased a gently used 27.5 couple of weeks ago and totally agree. There is no grain or edginess to the sound. Just pure music.  I have had a smile on my face every time I listen to it. I have had several amps over the years and the 27.5 has been my favorite. Funny you think the Pass X250 is the worst because again I agree. Had one on loan and couldn't stand the midrange.  The bass was great but maybe my speakers which I consider neutral were NOT a good match. The Pass needs a very warmish speaker IMO. 

Ernie I am keeping the VK-55. It’s like the best of both worlds. Tube magic which the 55 is very romantic and the 27.5 "just sounds right". Sorry Conrad Johnson haha :) Everything about it puts a smile on my face. I feel very fortunate to have both and plan on keeping them around for quite awhile. If anything were to change it would be upgrading the VK31SE. BAT preamps seem to be a fantastic match for ML amps so I would think further up the chain could only get better but for the near future I am content. Power cords at the moment are what I am working on to achieve the tone and overall sound I am looking for. The Synergistic Black 10 gauge on both amps for not a lot of money is a great match. Thank Joe at the Cable Company for his recommendation.

As far as Pass amps the only two I have heard are the 150 and 250 and not impressed at all. So trelja I do understand the frustration. Well built and beautiful to look at but ear bleed for me also. The older Threshold Class A amps I have not had the pleasure of listening to one in my system.

It seems the new wave of amps are going digital along with built in dacs and room correction. Personally I think technology is great but there is nothing like looking at a nice beefy ass amp whether it is tube or solid state driving your speakers with authority. I’ll take a 85lb solid state or 60 lb tube amp any day of the year :) No disrespect trust me however, I am old school evidently :)

That is a very respectful comment for the 27.5. Which Soulution amp did you compare it against? 

Testpilot I think the US market has gravitated to smaller one box solutions in recent years as real estate has skyrocketed resulting in audiophiles in crowded or expensive locations to downsize. They do not want to have larger and heavy components taking up space.  Class D has come a long way but I still don't think it has reached transistor based SS sound quality.  Just my opinion :)

That may be true but I am referring to crowded high priced areas such as San Francisco, New York, etc...Smaller living spaces that people don't want bigger gear stuffed in tight spaces. My main point of reference is someone who lives in the Bay area and has been an audiophile for years with tons of friends who have downsized.  Hey more muscle amps on the market for us haha :)

There is something to be said for a beefy or brawny amp that exhibits eye candy, power and finesse.  The older Levinson amps are hard to beat in this regard IMO.