(October 19, 2020) High-End audio manufacturer Mark Levinson has unveiled four new high-performance audio products. While the quartet will set you back some $31,000, it’s hard to argue against the amount of detail and care Levinson’s design team has poured into the latest expansion of its 5000 Series range.
Headlining the group is a dynamic duo comprised of the №5302 Amplifier and №5306 Preamplifier, both of which cost $9,000. The №5302 is a bridgeable dual-monaural amp cable of delivering 135 watts per channel in stereo mode and 275 watts per channel in bridged mode. According to Levinson, gain in stereo mode is 25.8 dB and 31.8dB in bridged mode, with output that’s graced by the quality and character you’d expect from the company’s signature sound. Connectivity is anchored by balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs, with output managed by two pairs of high current multi-way binding posts.
The №5306 is a dual-monaural preamp that features Levinson’s Pure Path design philosophy. Purity is placed at the forefront with fully discrete, direct-coupled, dual-monaural line-level preamp circuitry and a single gain stage mated to a digitally controlled resistor network for volume control. Levinson also touts the performance capabilities of a new phono stage that incorporates key components from its 500 Series Pure Phono stage.
Speaking phono, the Levinson team also unveiled a new turntable. The №5105 ($6,500 without cartridge, $7,500 with cartridge) features a 14lb solid aluminum platter suspended on a hardened steel axle. The entire deck is built upon a 2” thick solid aluminum plinth machined from a single billet. And for those of you looking for a new digital source, the №5101 Streaming Player ($5,500) marries high-quality SACD and CD playback backed by an ESS Pro Sabre 32-bit DAC converter with jitter elimination circuitry. Streaming over Wi-Fi and Ethernet is supported by wide-ranging file compatibility, including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and OGG (all up to 24-bit/96kHz), AAC (up to 24-bit/96kHz), DSF and DFF (up to 5.6 MHz), in addition to WMA and MP3 formats.
For more information about each of these 5000 Series products, watch Mark Levinson’s official launch event, here.
