aurokaos

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 10.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Audiogon

Summary:

I have a long history of tests with solid_states and tubes equipments since I was 15yo (now I`m 37). I ended up trying most of the ML equipment. The recent ones (33X and 43X) do not stand the ML name, although the 43X are much better than the ugly 33X series (with except for the 33 and 33H).
In my opinion, the best ML amplifiers are the ML2, 23.5 and 27.5. The ML2 is "high maintenance"... due to its pure class A design. The 23.5 and 27.5 have similar sound, the 23.5 is a little more "violent" although not as refined as the 27.5.
Since the limited requirements (Magnepan 1.6) the best choice is the 27.5.

Put simply, the 27.5 is uncolored, dynamic, pitch and tonal perfect and brings you much closer to being there at an accurate performance. Despite the far more "mismatched" nature and cost of the rest of my system, the 27.5 raises the quality of my system and listening/vision experience. I love the tube sound and the power of solid state at the same time. I listen to jazz, classic, electronic, and south american music. With except to early immortal Pink Floyds (piper.., set the control.., ummagumma, atom...) I`ve abandoned rock and embraced Mozart and Aphex Twin, Beethoven and Cuban music, Stravinsky and Frank Zappa, Chopin and John Zorn ?? LOUD Heresy ? Well, so do I, considering my system.

My system (the transport is dead, brothers, AMEN).
QBIC - mini computer (transport/sampler/CD/DVD player) with SPDIF/DVI outputs
California Audio Labs ALPHA DAC (24bits/96KHz)
Rotel RC995 pre (XLR outputs)
Transparent Audio cables on the analog paths
Mark Levinson ML 27.5
Magnepan MG1.6 QR
Home theater is done with a CANON projector (8 feet diagonal wall screen!!).
no subwooferfor music but for home theater is necessary....

In the future I plan to switch to Magnepan MG3.6. I will get a ML23.5 for the bass section and keep the ML27.5 for the midrange/trebles. A fancy tube active crossover (probably Marchand electronics) will dope the sound to ultimate sweetness.

Given this and the unbelievably low retail price of the 27.5 on the used market, this classic amp recommends itself. It will last forever...

Do not let the 100W fool you. My Maggies are 4Ohms and the 27.5 produces 200W on a 4Ohms load (but would be more than 300 if measured with the cheating TDH models of the competitors).. The 27.5 can drive 2Ohms (a friend`s Rotel power amp 200wx2 smoked twice driving Magnepans 4Ohms.. sparks fire smoke and smell trice....) and can be bridged to reach Saturn5/Apollo11 powers... 2 bridged 27.5 can lift the ceiling of your house even if using unefficient speakers (Apogee, Magnepans...).

Suggestion: if you look for an used 27.5/23.5 watch for discoloration on the heatsinks. It is a sign of long use on an unsufficiently ventillated environment.
Do the test by yourself. Go to radioshack and buy a black heatsink. Put on the stove and observe...

Strengths:
Warm, detailed, fast, basses, crispy trebles !! Elegance of reproduction. Roundness and complexity is perfectly reproduced.

Weaknesses:
None. Some audiophile say weight... so I assume they life 90lbs UP/DOWN many times per day so they feel the weight to be a weakness... maybe it is their weakness.

Similar Products Used:
plenty

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Ricky_NY

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.88 of 5, 8.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
ML27.5 is good sounding power amplifier, but it is not as good as Goldmund Mimesis 28. I have A/B tested these two amplifiers (Levinson 27.5 and Goldmund Mimesis 28). Goldmund is much more natural with more detail, better transparency and better bas control and definition. I have tried it with rock, jazz and classic music and result was the same. I have not heard big Levinson monos which are better then 33x series.

Price Paid:  $2000.00

Summary:
Mark Levinson No.27.5 continues to be one of the most musical solid state amps around. Other amps have come and gone (Krell KSA-200s, FPB300, Pass X250, Levinson No.335, etc.), but the 27.5 remains in my system.

Strengths:
Everything

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
See above

Price Paid:  $1600.00 from ebay

Summary:
I first "upgraded" from a new Rotel 125 watt amplifier to an eleven year old Levinson ML-9. I was in heaven when i heard the balance, tonality and detail. No harshness just beautiful music. And the 100 watt rating was simply a minimum. I sold that ML-9 because it was heating up my entire room and I was concerned about fire (no lie touching the heat sinks would burn your fingers). Well after one year of listening to a stock Mccormack DNA 0.5 I began to long for the old Levinson. The DNA was a great amp at its price point but lacked real bass snap and could get pretty harsh at higher volumes. After listening to the newer Levinson models, eg. 331,333 I was not that impressed and wanted to get back into the older models. I saw the 27.5 on ebay and had promised myself that if I could swing it I would not hesitate. This amplifier is the best I have ever heard. In any shop, store, or home there has never been a more musical amp to my ears. I get excited to turn on the 27.5. The bass is deeeeep, tight and tuneful. The 27.5 bests the ML-9 in bass, soundstage, tonality and pacing. The sound comes from behind the speakers, as attested to in another review. Also, this amp paces the music perfectly. Ever wonder why it is so easy to tap your feet at a live musical event but not as easy when listening to a home stereo. Get a 27.5 and rediscover the impact and involvement of a live musical event. I cannot seem to get the amp to overheat either. And finally for anyone who may be about to fall for the 100 watt rating... This amp has ten output devices per channel, dual mono construction (dual transformers each as big as a coffee can) and four capacitors each about the size of a Budweiser tall boy. Thus, the amount of current the amp can source for difficult musical passages is about four times that of a mid level amplifier. When it comes to these things weight does matter and at 85lbs the 27.5 is solid. If you can audition one of these pieces of art do yourself a favor. Nothing I have heard compares to a Levinson... MY SYSTEM: VMPS Super Tower II SE''s (very modified) Parasound CD/P 1000 (upgraded boards and D/A''s) Mccormack Micro Line Drive (active mode) Goertz and Tara Labs cables

Strengths:
All the above PLUS the heatsinks are really cool.

Weaknesses:
I have heard some Krell bass that is astounding and maybe better than the Levinson...BUT the rest of the Krell experience is too painful to enjoy.

Similar Products Used:
Levinson ML 9 Mccormack DNA 0.5 Krell 300i Aragon 4004 Rotel Acurus A150 Hafler TransNova

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Purchased from Origi

Summary:
Right out of the box, what struck me most about the sound of the No. 27.5 was the incredibl deep and tight bass reproduction. The soundstage, imaging and tonality/timbre were excellent as well. This piece deserves surrounding components of the finest caliber. I have owned BAT, Plinius, Bel Canto, Krell, Gamut, etc. and this has to be the finest all-around piece of them all. And the build quality is extraordinary!

Strengths:
Build quality. Unbelievable bass reproduction. Very natural sounding with state of the art soundstage, image and tonality.

Weaknesses:
Like all ML''s products, very heavy! Only offers Camac and XLR connectors only. If your preamp cannot accomodate either, you can get adapters.

Similar Products Used:
Plinius, Krell, Bel Canto, BAT, Gamut.