christefan

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $4500.00 from Audiogon-USED

Summary:
I purchased a 390s used from another Audiogon member, downsizing my system from a Levinson 31.5 reference transport and a Levinson 30.5 DAC which are now "legacy" products that can be serviced by Levinson but my concept of upgrading the DAC to 30.6 level (their highest performing DAC capable of 96K input) is no longer possible. Its performance was good initially with some gains in ambience retrieval when connected directly to Levinson 33h amplifiers, but the soundstage was rather small, dynamics were lacking, the sound had a “Levinson” coloration to it (precise, on the dark side) and I was missing the reference character, very balanced presentation of the music from deep bass to high treble, that I had with the previous two units as a cd playback system. Since I was intent on keeping the unit and sticking with my plan for a more abbreviated but well performing system, I decided to take a chance and have the unit modified by The Upgrade Company which I found listed among other ads on the Audiogon web site. The transformation they achieved with the unit is nothing short of stunning. It now offers a large well defined soundstage with excellent presentation of instruments in the soundstage and the accompanying detail and “air” one would hope for. The dynamics of the unit are so great that orchestra crescendos have a shock and impact very representative of live performances. While the basic character of the unit seems to be preserved (its clean, clear, well balanced rhythmically precise nature) the sound has been improved in all the ranges from deep bass, which is solider and better defined, through a natural in timber balanced midrange to a precise extended high end lacking in any brittleness or harshness. The improvement in the unit is so large and consistent in performance that the clichéd phrase “you’ll be hearing new things in the music you are most familiar with” maybe overused but is so true that in this case it has to be stated. Stereophile in a review rated the 390s as basically a “Class A” playback system that the only fault found in the unit was its inability to handle anything over a 48k sampling rate, I’m not sure I would call the stock unit a Class A product (at its price point Levinson gave up a lot of high end parts that you do find in their top of the line equipment) but I would easily say the modified unit is on a level with the BEST cd playback systems made from any manufacturer

Strengths:
Large soundstage, huge realistic dynamic range, great detail and ambience retreival, precise instrument placement allowing you to hear the number of string players or individual voices in choral music.

Weaknesses:
Only the cost and time for upgrading

Similar Products Used:
Levinson 31.5 transport, Levinson 30.5 DAC, Denon 5910 universal disc player, Pioneer Elite multidisc player

Amir

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, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $7000.00 from iran

Summary:
In one word is 'Analog sound from one digital player'. I think for 16 bit digital this is end of resolution and transparency. I listened it with wilson speakers and patus amplifier. amplifier for this test was not good but player ability in producing music with superior transparency was evident. it's focus and image was the best i heard and so smooth and free grain high was it's difference with all digital players. about tonality it was so neutral in frequency range and if you use it's pre section to an organic power amp like krell with high resulution speaker like dynaudio, sound is on dream side. i love this player for it's long listenning session. no fatigue during long listenning and very easy on ear. about bad recorded music there is no expect for making good music and you just listen to truth. bass had definition and was extended with bloom. mid was excellent with low coloration. high was smooth and integrated. about player weakness i couldnot detect any problem but many prefer SACD for it's better resolution and in comparison with krell SACD when krell play SACD disk you hear more information. for CD playback levinson is a bragin but keep in mind you need highend amp and speaker to match it.

Strengths:
all

Weaknesses:
DAC section

Similar Products Used:
krell SACD

Jörg

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.50 of 5, 8.00 votes

Price Paid:  $6500.00 from Dealer

Summary:
I bought a pre-owned 390s (burned in!)with the option to give it back if I am not fully satisfied. After many years of reading tests (even at this place) I was really nervous how it would sound in my system. What a disappointment ! It just plays the disc you put in-nothing else. No musicality. One of the most boring players ever heard. Sorry, but this is what I have heard. I had a swinging system before: Wadia 850i, Mark Levinson 23.5, Infinity Kappa Renaissance 90, Ortofon Cables. With the 390s it was dead. Now I am looking forward upgrading my Wadia.

Strengths:
A technical sculpture, wonderful build, great remote. If you see it as a high tec machine it's worth the money.

Weaknesses:
Wonderful to look at, but not for listening. Under lissening aspects it's not worth the money.

Similar Products Used:
Wadia 850, Musical Fidelity CD-Pre, AVM CD6, Marantz CD 6000 (OSE and KI), Marantz CD 17 KI, Denon DCD 1420 ans DVD 3800.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I purchased the 390s, after having used a Proceed combination for about 3 years, and I could not believe the difference (after having to have the power supply changed - the player "died after 3 days). This is so much better and more natural sounding - it has the ML signature sound - a little dark, but throws a wide soundstage and really reproduces instruments close to the sound of the originals - I thought there was something very wrong when playing a live Weather Report recording, until I realized I was hearing Zawinul's analog synths being portrayed in a realistic manner - A great machine, and it has really made me start buying records again.

Strengths:
Realistic portrayal of instruments and voices - wide and deep soundstage

Weaknesses:
Quality controls at ML seems not to be too convincing

Similar Products Used:
Proceed CDD and Dap,Denon 3560, various Sony players.

Price Paid:  $8000.00 from Brussels Belgium

Summary:
I am using the Mark Levinson 390S CD Processor together with the Verity Audio Parsifal Encore loudspeakers and the Nagra MPA power amplifier. I mainly listen to classical music and jazz, 2-4 hours per day and 5-8 hours on weekends. After listening to different cd players for almost one year, the ML390S was the only one to fully satisfy me. Every day and every moment the cd player passes a difficult test: I am there listening to every detail and trying to find a fault. But in vain, the ML390S never fails. It delivers music with utter respect to its content, the timbres of the instruments are always incredibly balanced and correct, the sound reproduction enticingly musical and accurate. I admire its aristocratic calmness and its mystic naturalness. The Mark Levinson engineers are surely great technicians, but this is not the whole story: technology by itself is not enough. I think that those who manufactured this excellent product made in every step choises, which are not only technical but also aesthetic and which represent the best western humanitarian tradition in music. With the ML390S early music gains all its frailty and sensitivity, baroque becomes full of exuberance and passion, classical period regains its grace and equilibrium, romantic orhestras come alive in full power and 20th century music plus jazz are as alive as ever. The voices of all kinds are natural and human. In every field the ML390S has made the right choice.

Strengths:
immaculate sound

Weaknesses:
expensive, fragile aluminium surface

Similar Products Used:
Electrocompaniet, Marantz, CEC, Meridian