Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought this DAC on Audiogon about 1 year ago now. It is a few years old now. None the less, it is fine sounding DAC. I've been trying to think of how to write this. Use all those fancy Stereophile words that are used in the magazines. There is no point. This DAC, in the Levinson tradition, converts the digital signal then amplifies it as close to the way the recording was done. I've owned some fine sounding DAC's before. This one is the best. It doesn't have the high end extension of my Sonic Frontiers, but the base true and real. I can sit for hours and listen to the music without getting tired. When I get up to go to bed, my ears are not ringing. I have heard things in recordings I haven't heard before. This is a keeper.

pangl

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1900.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I have used numerous low end, mid end, and high end D/A, upsampling or not. I simply purchased the ML 36S (upgraded from ML 36) just for the experience of it. I'm rather disappointed at the 36S. The sound is thin, lifeness and towards the bright side. It is superbly detailed and the seperation of instruments are noteworthy. I guess it is a matter of taste: Do you listen to equipment or do you listen to music.

Strengths:
Built like a tank. Very detail, superb imaging and separation. Superb resale value.

Weaknesses:
Dry and lifeless. Not involving at all. Good for audiophile but bad for music lovers.

Similar Products Used:
Sonic Frontiers Processor 3; Kora Hermes; MSB Gold II and III, Nelson; Odeon Birdland 24/192; Classe DAC1; Sonic Frontiers SFD-Mk II; etc

Price Paid:  $2000.00

Summary:
Had my 36S upgraded to 360S status. This includes total replacement of the digital processing side of things. The 360S as delivered is capable of 24 bit word lengths at 96khz. The processor performs 8X oversampling before the DtoA conversion. Support for 192khz and DSD is claimed to be software download upgradable. In the case of DSD, some type of hardware upgrade would also have to take place as their is no current industry standard or jack configuration only brand specific ones. The most immediate difference between the 36S and the 360S is the amount of detail and depth to music that is revealed. It almost sounds cliche to say it but you WILL hear things that you have never heard before even on discs you know by heart. Subtle details, depth, resonance, sustain, harmonics to the point of being the audio equivalent of 3D. I think Stereophile called the 36 or another DAC the "swiss army knife" of digital audio processors. The 360S is surely the big fat grandaddy swiss army knife that has every conceivable input jack, single ended and balanced output jacks, polarity toggle and is designed to be future proof. Only time will tell

Strengths:
Incredibly detailed sound. Depth to point of being 3D. Supports SPDIF, AES/EBU, ATT glass, and toslink. Balanced/Single out.

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
ML36, ML36S, AA 3.0, PRO32

Price Paid:  $6000.00 from Soundex

Summary:
I had no idea that current red book CD's could sound so good compared to SACD!!! It is not even close, this DAC is so musical and vivid and truthful in timbre. It makes me question all of the praise for SACD..has anyone compared a great DAC side by side with the Sony or Marantz players?? The Levinson completely blows them away...it sounds like Boston Symphony Hall, and if you don't know what that sounds like you better go soon and prepare to readjust your ears.

Strengths:
This is in regards to the 360s. Everything, a completely developed and well thought out musical device..it generates music on the most exhalted level!! My SACD player is sold..it sounded dead compared to the Levinson 360s

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Sony SACD, Levinson 39, Wadia 860x, BAT VK-D5.

Summary:
I must agree with the previous reviewer. Actually his note made me look for a pre-loved 36S. Most Madrigal products are of a highest sound quality and are built to last. The 37/36S combo I have now have replaced a 9 years old Proceed CDP, which has never gave me any troubles and it still sounds better than many new products. Yet the 36S is something worth raving about. The sound is so warm and natural. Totally effortless dynamics, transparency and liveliness are just a few characteristics worth mentioning.
For less than $3K on the second hand market this class A product is highly recommended.

Strengths:
Build quality and sonic performance

Weaknesses:
Levinson price when new