Harman is bringing the renowned performance of the Mark Levinson brand to the masses at price points never before seen from the elite brand.
The new №5302 amplifier ($9,000) and №5206 pre-amplifier ($9,000), along with the previously introduced №5105 turntable and №5101 streaming player, fill out the 5000 Series range aimed at allowing integrators to serve up a more affordable solution to their audio enthusiast clients. Both new products were unveiled in a virtual event for press and dealers.
“The passion behind the Mark Levinson brand has always been a pure love of music,” explains Jim Garrett, Senior Director, Product Strategy and Planning, HARMAN Luxury Audio. “The exceptional audio quality delivered by our systems allows listeners to discover subtle nuances and intimate details they’ve never heard before on songs that they truly love.”
Here’s a quick rundown of the new products the company has on offer:
Mark Levinson №5302 Amplifier
The brand-new Mark Levinson №5302 bridgeable dual-monaural amplifier has engineering and design aimed at the company’s “pursuit of pristine imaging, musicality, and openness.”
Sporting the stark cleanness of the signature Mark Levinson look, the company says its №5302 amplifier delivers Mark Levinson’s sound of a “deep, expansive soundstage, accurate image placement, extended low bass response and excellent pitch definition.” The audio circuitry of the №5302 yields performance outputting 135W/channel in stereo mode and 275W in bridged monaural mode. Gain in stereo mode is 25.8dB and 31.8dB in bridged monaural mode.
Input connectors on the №5302 are a pair of balanced line-level XLRs and a pair of unbalanced RCAs. Output connectors are two pairs of high current multi-way binding posts and control is enabled via Ethernet and RS 232.
The №5302 amplifier is priced at $9,000.
Mark Levinson №5206 Preamplifier
Derived from Mark Levinson’s Pure Path design philosophy, the dual-monoaural №5206 preamplifier is designed to deliver high performance at its $9,000 price point. The foundation of the preamp is its fully discrete, direct-coupled, dual-monaural line-level preamp circuitry, for which the Harman design team has been awarded two patents. A unique single gain stage mated to a digitally controlled resistor network for volume adjustment maintains maximum signal integrity and widest possible bandwidth, according to the company.
Each of its four-stereo line-level inputs—two balanced XLR and two single-ended, using custom Mark Levinson RCA connectors—has its own individual signal switching relays. Like the 500 Series components, the MainDrive headphone output employs a preamp output stage specifically designed with the current and power capacity to drive headphones directly, without a separate headphone amp.
“Mark Levinson is so much more than high-fidelity. Listeners can appreciate the entirety of a recording in ways never before possible,” Garrett adds. “You can hear music here like you have never heard before. Our new branding program elevates the fact that Mark Levinson adds a new dynamic to any listening experience and also the fact that appreciation of great music can be a social exercise as opposed to just a personal journey!”
A brand-new phono stage features a hybrid gain topology, mating key discrete components from the acclaimed 500 Series Pure Phono stage with low-noise integrated circuits. Also, like the Mark Levinson 500 series from which the new №5206 draws inspiration, a hybrid active/passive RIAA equalizer employs precision resistors and polypropylene capacitors for accuracy and sonic clarity. Listeners can select MM/MC gain and optional infrasonic filter from the setup menu, while capacitive and resistive loading settings are easily accessed from the rear panel. Variable line-level RCA outputs allow system expansion and flexibility.
Mark Levinson №5105 Turntable
Now shipping, the Mark Levinson №5105 premium turntable is built upon a nearly two-inch thick, solid aluminum plinth machined from a single billet. A 1-inch thick, bead-blasted, black-anodized solid aluminum front panel contours into the sleek tinted glass display.
The Mark Levinson hourglass knob design features as a record weight — bead-blasted machined aluminum with a gently curved profile mass-loaded with solid brass. The tonearm tube is 10-inch high-gloss back carbon fiber fused to a solid aluminum headshell with an integrated finger lift.
A 14-pound solid aluminum platter is suspended on a ground, hardened steel axle and rotates on ultra-precise bearings. The oil-free bearing bottom is made of a mix of composite materials with integrated lubrication and sintered brass bushing.
The company says the №5105’s 12V synchronous motor’s control signal is digitally generated to eliminate temperature drift and ensure speed stability and low wow/flutter. The integrated, wide-range power supply is designed for global use with 90-260 VAC.
The new №5105 Turntable is priced at $6,500 without phono cartridge and $7,500 with a cartridge.
Mark Levinson №5101 Streaming Player
The Mark Levinson №5101 preamplifier couples audiophile-grade CD formats with high-resolution streaming, a standalone Precision Link II DAC and control features. The unit boasts the latest generation ESS PRO Sabre 32-bit D/A converter with jitter elimination circuitry. Applying proprietary Mark Levinson PurePath circuitry, the №5101 features a fully discrete, direct-coupled, dual-monaural current to voltage converter to reproduce the analog signal.
The new №5101 features a 1-inch thick, bead-blasted, black-anodized, solid aluminum front panel, a sleek glass display, debossed top cover vents, back-printed logo and machined aluminum buttons.
The №5101 preamplifier is priced at $5,500 and is available now.
