Okay, now I am talking as a moderator. Any more off topic posts and I can promise you that they will be deleted. Please stay on the topic of the thread. You have said your peace.
Tom
Tom
Apogee Full range
- Thread starter bonzo75
- Start date
FWIW, there are two recent threads, related to this issue, totaling 306 posts about posting etiquette. 
I'd love to hear Justin's Apps.
Hope / trust this is "on topic".
I'd love to hear Justin's Apps.
Hope / trust this is "on topic".
Ha ha, and there was me thinking you'd ditched the Interstallas for the Everest behemoths just as we were planning my visit LOL.
You have to go to Kenrick.
The Everest is a bit too much for me driven with Mark Levinson amps. Ripped my ears out playing brass.
Same issue, electronics. The Levinson amps are a poor match to the Everests but they're shown together because of the company. IMO those Levinsons are a poor match to every speaker. DD66000's biggest shortfall is their relative inefficiency limiting them to mostly SS amps.
david
What do you think is the problem with the ML amps ?
I haven't ever really been convincedby the Everests or the K2's at shows, but I am looking forward to hearing the new 4367's at home.
Keith.
I haven't ever really been convincedby the Everests or the K2's at shows, but I am looking forward to hearing the new 4367's at home.
Keith.
They simply sound crap! Hard mids, very unnatural bass and rolled off top end, stereotypical Class D sound. I had the original 33's too, not particularly musical either but much, much better than the current 53's.
david
Heard the MLs driving Kef Muon 2's recently. Right up there w/the most unappetising sound ever dished up to me.
Its a matter of opinion Keith; you like I don't! Re the MLs, you're not missing anything...
david
Interesting. This is what Robert Harley had to say about the same attributes: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/mark-levinson-no53-monoblock-power-amplifier-tas-213-1/
"The amplifier conveyed a sense of effortless dynamics and control in the low bass, imparting a powerful rhythmic drive, particularly on music with a strong kickdrum line. On the track “Blues Be Out” from Wishful Thinking’s only album, drummer David Garabaldi’s rock-solid funk groove never had more body-moving pulse than through the Nº53. In fact, the Nº53’s dynamics were outstanding across the spectrum; transients such as snare drum pops fairly leaped from the soundstage with an immediacy, impact, and high “jump factor.” I appreciated the Nº53’s dynamics when listening to the great Nojima Plays Liszt album on Reference Recordings, which the Nº53 reproduced with an effortlessness and ease that were stunning. Correctly reproducing the percussive nature of the piano—the steep transient information—is a prerequisite to realism, and the Nº53 exhibited this quality in spades."
And on upper frequencies:
"Aside from the effortless dynamics and seemingly unlimited power reserves, the Nº53’s most salient characteristic was an immediacy, incisiveness, and vividness in the upper midrange and lower treble. This region was upfront and centerstage, bringing high-frequency detail to the fore and infusing timbres with palpable presence. "
More poetry:
"The Nº53’s spatial presentation was remarkable; it had the most precise image focus and image outlines I’ve heard from any power amplifier. The soundstage had a “sculpted” quality within which instruments were sharply defined, precisely located in space, and clearly separated from other images. This isn’t something I had to listen carefully for, or compare with other amplifiers; the spatial accuracy was immediately obvious."
On class D being a bad idea in general, this is what RH had to say:
"Conclusion
The Mark Levinson Nº53 is an intriguing product that represents a new direction for this venerable company. As the company’s first switching amplifier and current flagship at $50k per pair, the Nº53 shatters the stereotype of the switching amplifier as the technology of sonic compromise. The Nº53 is a pivotal product for Mark Levinson, and one that says much about the brand and the company’s direction. The fact that it uses such a radically different topology is a daring move.
But it’s a move that has paid off, in my view. The Nº53 has some remarkable—even stunning—sonic qualities. These include dynamics, bass grip, midbass articulation and expression, and the ability to present music as separate instruments rather than as slightly homogenized. In these areas, the Nº53 was world-class.
The Nº53’s somewhat forward spatial perspective, slight emphasis on the upper-midrange and treble, and vivid soundstaging will suit some listeners more than others. If you lean toward the warm, forgiving, and rounded presentation of a single-ended triode amplifier, the Nº53 will likely not be your cup of tea. For those listeners who want to hear, with great precision and vivid clarity, every last detail on a recording, the Mark Levinson Nº53 will likely be a revelation."
I hope you agree that his assessment could not be more different than yours.
Amir,
I know exactly what he wrote, you conveniently left out some important parts that he starts the Sound part of the review with;
"The Nº53 had a distinctive sonic character that was different from every other amplifier I’d heard, and one that will greatly appeal to some listeners more than others. This was true on all three loudspeakers I drove with the Nº53—the Vandersteen 7s, B&W 802Ds, and Rockport Altairs."
In other words its highly colored! Even if he hadn't mentioned it I can judge equipment myself quite accurately. The rest of the review is jam packed with hifi superlatives without a single mention of musicality, tone, timbre, and most importantly "Natural"!
How so Amir? Sure the man has to have some good things to say about the amp but he's not going to completely destroy his reputation without some truth, did you miss this section?
FYI, SETs are my reference,
"If you think of a continuum of sonic signatures, with a single-ended triode amplifier anchoring one end, the Nº53 would surely represent the opposite end-point of the spectrum. This character is a distinct departure from the Mark Levinson “house sound” that for decades favored ease and relaxation over a “ruthlessly revealing” presentation (which led some wags to call the brand “Dark Levinson”). This vividness will likely polarize listeners either for or against the Nº53. Indeed, I found myself polarized by the Nº53’s unique musical interpretation, depending on the music."
and this is in comparison to an amplifier which isn't that great either, but still is more palatable than the Levinson,
"In comparison with the BAlabo, the Nº53 was not quite as pure of timbre. The upper mids had a trace of glare and “clangy” sound to upper-register piano transients. The midrange and treble didn’t have the textural liquidity and natural ease that I’ve heard from other world-class amplifiers. Strings, either massed or solo, were overlaid with a trace of grain..."
Give me an effing break, the 53 is just a class D amp with switching power supplies for $50k!
david
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