Parasound JC2BP will probably eat your ML for lunch. You don’t mention what model you have currently so I’m going to go with it’s before the No.38. If you like your ML you’ll probably love the Parasound as possibly Curl either designed your ML or had a strong influence on it.
My Mark Levinson preamp dying - looking for new preamp, sound as good, wont break bank
Hi - When I bought my Mark Levinson I thought I was done with upgrading, but over time the capacitors in it failed (and I had a magician with a soldering gun replace the Chinese capacitors with good tantalum ones). It sounded better than ever! That rescued the unit for about another 8 years, but it is failing again (volume knob not working, some inputs iffy, etc.) So I figure within the year, I will need a new preamp. I no longer care about a phono section. I have a Bryston 4b-SST amp driving Dunlavy SC-IV speakers (yes, more power than I need but I wanted to be prepared for whatever speaker I might get in the future as the Dunlavy's are big and heavy and I would like something more manageable, someday). I don't want a tube preamp as I don't want to wait for tubes to warm up - hence solid state. What do people like, say in the under $5k range? (or must I spend a bit more to get Mark Levinson quality sound?)
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Judging by our local pre-used marked it ought not be too hard to find an ML326S pre-amp? It has all the wistles, hooters and bells, a great remote, is extremly flexible, like ML has it, and pretty robust, even bullet proof, class A, to boot. Mine is now some 15 years old, it has ’no sound’, at all, more like the proverbial ’straight wire’ - but a fully balanced straight wire at that. Phono modules can be added, very compact, I did, but no need, if you’re happy with your present phono-pre. M. 🇿🇦 |
Hard to answer. ML stuff (from the old days) was terrible. If yours "sounded" good to you, I would check out other pre-amps that have no "sound" and see what you have been missing. If ML has improved its products (the parts were always good, the reproduction was horrible), then try a rebuild, I guess. Cheers! |
Benchmark LA4 $2500 + $100 remote. They have a 30 day home trial. Only thing is that you will now hear only your source, amp, speakers, not the preamp. I used to own the 4B-SST so if you want a warmish preamp the LA4 is not for you, it will not add any "tone" to the signal. I actually used the warm SS BAT VK42SE preamp (about $7K) with the 4B-SST but the LA4 is my opinion much better and reference class. I also used a Bryston BP20 + MPS2 power supply. The BAT was better and the LA4 for me is way better than both. |
If you like your Levinson, I'd contact Jeffery A.Jackson at www.precisionaudiolabs.com. Jeff is an impeccably honest man and has done beautiful work on SS and tube equipment for me. He can most likely rejuvenate your ML for a fraction of the cost of even a used preamp. Good listening! |
