OK - and how does the 53 compare to the 33?
I don't know as we don't have a 33 on hand. My goal in amplification is to have it not change the sound and this kind of thing is good in my book:
http://www.marklevinson.com/downloa...Technology Background V5 04032010_5.17.10.pdf
"Listen Testing & Evaluation
At each stage of the ?53’s development, extensive listen testing and thorough
measurements ensured that our goal of Mark Levinson Reference Class performance
was attained. In addition to multiple rounds of in-depth critical listen-testing over a
period spanning many, many months, a differential amplifier comparison methodology
was also employed. A low power, mostly passive reference amplifier design was
programmed with the ?53’s transfer function, and differentially (subtractively)
compared against the ?53 itself. By subtracting the signal output from the ?53, and
comparing against the reference transfer function design, our engineers were able listen
to any differential components between the two, and evolve the ?53’s design to
improve sound quality even further. "
Did 33 have a "sound" that you are seeking? Or is it neutrality? If it is the latter, then the above suffices on ways they have objectively tried to achieve it.
There is also this indirect reference to older products:
http://www.marklevinson.com/downloads/products/prod_22_634473654338684909_ML No. 53.pdf
"BORN OF LISTENING
New Mark Levinson products are not introduced with
the seasons, or according to arbitrary marketing
schedules. They’re introduced as new technologies,
which have shown promise on paper, are perfected and
proven through rigorous in-house development and
evaluation procedures. In the case of the No
53, a highly
experienced evaluation team was assembled to conduct
blind and sighted listening tests of a novel switching
amplifier prototype,
measuring it against past and
present Mark Levinson linear power amplifiers as
well as a range of competitive products.
As the development process wore on, power amplifiers
deemed sonically inferior were removed from further
testing. Several judges were surprised to learn that the
new switching amplifier was never among them. In
fact, the early No
53 prototype emerged as a winner,
with several panelists awarding it top honors for speed,
dynamics and clarity. It was, to say the least, an
unexpected result. For a mere prototype switching
amplifier to hold
its own against linear amplifiers that
were deemed to be the very best the marketplace had to
offer – time-honored Mark Levinson models included –
meant we knew we were dealing with a
paradigm-shifting design.
Convinced that the minor quibbles that had come up
during the initial listening tests could be overcome, the
No
53 project was commissioned, and development of
the first new Mark Levinson Reference power amplifier
in more than a decade began in earnest. "