Opinion on Mark Levinson 533h amp

Go to Whatsbestforum.com Ask "Amirm"...he is a very, very experienced audiophile and honest. he is very familiar with ML, and has heard 533...might be a dealer...again, i have found him very honest.

I recently bought the 532H (similar to the 533 except only 2 channels) and my conclusions are as:
Build quality- easily 2 steps (0-10) lower than the older 400 series amps. Top plate sheet metal is a thin affair which noticeably resonates if you tap on it. Front face plate looks not as good as the 400. Tolerances are loose as the top plate was not properly aligned with the top edge of the face plate.

Sound: Clearly 1-1.5 steps BETTER than the 432 or 436. Bass is very robust and the 532 has some degree of warmth which makes the listening experience delightful and non-fatiguing. Do note that IMO, the 400 series were also very good sounding, but the 532 is significantly (and I am a statistician) better. Would I commit to picking them out in a blind test vs the 400 series amps? Most likely.

Upgrade1394: I find your comment on the build quality of 500 series 2 steps lower than the older 400 series interesting because I think the build quality of the 400 series was 2 steps lower than those of the 300 series. I also thought the sound quality of the 400 series was 2 steps lower than the 300 series, which makes the quality of the new 500 series is 4 steps lower in sound and build than the 300 series.

Thanks for the responses. Stereophile in August 2011 recommended the 532h which seems to be essentially the same unit with 2 channels out. I"m still auditioning different amps at present before deciding.

I have owned a Levinson 331 since 1997. Still sounds fantastic and can show the improvements in digital players over time. Has given me countless hours of pleasure and been totally faultless. Sorry to hear of the drop in quality for this brand.

I would strongly encourage you to consider the new Mark Levinson 500H Series amps. Powerful, quiet, cool running amps that will provide a lot of bang for your buck. This is what Kevin Voecks who designed the Salon2's uses. I also have used them to power my Salon2's.