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Need help for a replacement of my Levinson 33H

Hi all,

Recently I sold my Levinson 33H's and thinking to upgrade to the big brother 33's but they are too big and heavy to move around. Does anyone know or experience any thing else that is considered to be at least equal or better than 33H's? Currently, I am looking at the Classe Omega, Krell FPB750mcx, and Pass lab XA-200.

Please help to give me as detail as you can on each one of the above amps or anything else that I may miss out from the list. My system consists of:

- B&W 800 Signature
- B&W 800D (this pair use as a spare for interchangable with the signature)
- ML-380s
- ML-390
- Audioquest Bi-wire Volcano
- Audioquest Diamond XLR
- PS Audio 300 mw2

Thanks in advance for your help

Htong
htong
9 responses Add your response
douglesc
6 posts
 
I don't know about the pass but the dealer in my town that carried the krell and classe liked the classe better. I'm talking omicron vs the big krells. I do know the omicron is very powerful sounding, very dynamic and clean which also means it's very detailed. If you check out audio review which you probably have you can tell what I am saying. I think the Classe would be hard to beat but I would be interested in what others say. One last thing about the classe especially, because of it's speaker terminal posts are not plated always clean them with 91 or 99% alcohol using a Q tip or clean rag. This will permit you to hear the amp.
kurt_tank
1,189 posts
 
You might want to consider the Lamm M2.2 monoblocks.

The reviews have been incredible. They are plenty powerful at 220 wpc into 8 ohms. (That is what they are rated for, but they actually clip about 50% higher than that).

The price is a bit steep ($20K), but if you already had the Levinson 33H, you are already in the ballpark.

Buy them new, since I am looking to buy them (or their predessecor, the M2.1) used here on Audiogon!

Good Luck, and let us know what you get, and how they compare the to 33H's!
beemer
444 posts
 
As a 33H owner I want to take home the new McIntosh 501 monoblocks to try. I've heard them at a local dealer and my impressions were good......although I've had nothing in the house yet that has made me want to part with the 33H's.

I can relate to the weight of the 33's being an issue. I'd like to try them as well. fortunately for me my system is on the 1st floor!

Good luck in your search, let us know how you do.

Best,

Paul :-)
hack
185 posts
 

I'll second the Classe recommendation, but if cost is no object I'd probably go for Halcro. Yes they're expensive but they sure do sing like no other SS amp I've heard.
sdatch
204 posts
 
You may also want to check out the Jeff Rowland 302 or 301 monos. I believe these are probably in the same price range as the big Levinsons and Halcros, but not as bulky size-wise.
dgad
782 posts
 
I don't think anything will necessarily be better but definitely different & maybe more or less to your liking. At the level you are at any change is a change in taste more than anything else. I am not a Levinson fan & find that sometimes a power cable can do more to change the flavor than an equipment change. I loved my Nautilus 801s w. a Krell 600 as long as I used an Elrod Statement power cord. Without it, the sound was brittle.
tabl10s's avatar
tabl10s
1,067 posts
 
Dgad
Yer gots to do something about the color of the room!
lenny_zwik
259 posts
 
Halcro DM68 monoblocks
steve01s4
37 posts
 
I'll second Kurt_tank's ecommendation of the Lamms. I've got a pair of M2.1s sitting in my living room right now, and they're stunning. If I were to buy new today, I'd probably go with the M1.2 Reference, since my listening levels just don't justify the extra power. I'd expect the difference to be very subtle though, since the M2.1s run in class A up to 42ish watts (can't remember exactly, don't feel like digging out the manuals), and I'd guess the M1.x and the M2.x sound very similar within the first few watts.
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