Mark Levinson
An iconic American high-end audio brand founded in 1972. Built on the technical legacy of founder Mark Levinson with distinctive black anodized chassis design, it has reigned as the pinnacle of premium amplifiers for over 50 years. Acquired by Harman International in 1990 and now operating under Samsung, it continues to inherit the highest engineering standards and commitment to sound quality. The 2025 release of the new 600 series with Tectonic industrial design demonstrates the fusion of innovative technology and traditional quality. Through an exclusive contract with Lexus, it has expanded its reputation in automotive audio, solidifying its position in the high-end audio industry.
Overview
Founded in 1972 in Connecticut by Mark Levinson himself, this iconic high-end audio brand has created legendary products like the LNP-2 preamp and ML-2 amplifier alongside acoustic engineering genius John Curl, establishing legendary status among audiophiles. The distinctive black anodized chassis design has remained a consistent brand identity since inception.
Acquired by Harman International in 1990 and currently operating under Samsung, the brand continues to inherit the technical expertise and uncompromising quality commitment cultivated over 50 years. Since 2000, it has expanded its reputation in automotive audio through an exclusive contract with Lexus, and in 2025, it continues to evolve at the forefront with the innovative Tectonic industrial design adopted in the new 600 series.
Scientific Validity
\[\Large \text{0.7}\]Mark Levinson products feature designs that prioritize objective performance improvements based on measurement data. The No. 585 integrated amplifier achieves excellent measured values of THD+N 0.03% (8 ohms, 1kHz) and S/N ratio 108dB (A-weighted). The fully discrete analog circuit design creates symmetrical and clean internal architecture with eliminated visible wiring, contributing to sound quality improvement. The new 600 series combines ESS Technology ES9039PRO 8-channel Hyperstream IV DAC with jitter elimination technology, supporting high-resolution playback up to 32bit/384kHz with clear performance improvements both theoretically and in measurements. The Pure Path signal routing design achieves fully balanced signal transmission, delivering superior performance both theoretically and in actual measurements.
Technology Level
\[\Large \text{0.8}\]With over 50 years of technical accumulation since founding, the brand maintains industry-leading design and manufacturing capabilities. It continues technical superiority through 900VA high-capacity toroidal transformer linear power supply design, fully discrete analog circuits, and proprietary Pure Path signal routing. The 2025 new 600 series features cutting-edge digital processing technology combining ESS Technology’s latest DAC with Mark Levinson’s proprietary jitter elimination technology in the dual-monaural preamp No. 626. Power amplifiers No. 631/632 achieve ultra-low noise design with interference elimination through fully balanced Pure Path signal routing and modular design. Abundant R&D investment under Harman-Samsung umbrella utilizes proprietary technologies like Clari-Fi, maintaining industry-leading technical excellence.
Cost-Performance
\[\Large \text{0.0}\]While Mark Levinson products demonstrate excellent measurement performance, manufacturers like Topping achieve equivalent or superior performance at USD 133-200 price points. For example, the USD 4,333 No. 585 integrated amplifier results in CP = USD 133 ÷ USD 4,333 ≈ 0.03. Following the review policy criterion of “0.0 score when equivalent performance products exist at 1/20 or less of the price,” the score is 0.0. This evaluation is purely based on performance-to-price ratio, excluding considerations of brand value, manufacturing quality, US design/manufacturing costs, and support infrastructure.
Reliability & Support
\[\Large \text{0.9}\]With over 50 years of manufacturing experience and support from Harman-Samsung, the brand achieves extremely high reliability and support infrastructure. The exclusive Lexus contract has established quality control technology capable of long-term use in harsh automotive environments. Product MTBF maintains industry-leading standards, with comprehensive after-sales service. Harman’s global service network provides worldwide repair and maintenance infrastructure, supporting long-term product use. Product warranty periods exceed industry standards, providing comprehensive support befitting luxury audio equipment.
Rationality of Design Philosophy
\[\Large \text{0.9}\]Since founding, the brand has consistently maintained an extremely rational design philosophy prioritizing objective performance improvements based on measurement data. All design choices have clear technical justification, including fully discrete analog circuit design, high-capacity linear power supply adoption, and Pure Path signal routing interference elimination. The new 600 series implements technically sound improvements directly contributing to sound quality, including ESS Technology’s latest DAC adoption, jitter elimination technology implementation, and dual-monaural configuration. Even aesthetic design pursues functional beauty through rational approaches like EMI-conscious black anodizing and internal wiring optimization. With complete elimination of unscientific elements and unfounded claims, the pure technical superiority approach to sound quality improvement represents an exemplary presence in the high-end audio industry.
Advice
Mark Levinson is a brand for true audiophiles seeking the highest quality audio equipment. While prices are not inexpensive, their technical superiority and sound quality provide value commensurate with the investment.
- High-End Audio Enthusiasts: The No. 585 integrated amplifier (USD 4,333) integrates preamp and power amp functions while achieving performance rivaling separate components, ideal for users seeking both system simplification and ultimate sound quality.
- Separates Advocates: The 2025 600 series (No. 626 preamp + No. 632 power amp) combines the essence of latest digital and analog technologies, enabling ultimate system construction with future expandability considerations.
- Monaural Configuration Enthusiasts: No. 631 monoblock amplifiers achieve ultimate separation characteristics and power, recommended for those seeking the highest audio experience.
- Automotive Audio: Mark Levinson systems in Lexus vehicles provide valuable experiences applying home audio technology to automotive environments.
When considering purchase, ensure proper power environment setup and selection of sources and speakers that maximize product performance. Mark Levinson’s true value is maximized through uncompromising system construction.
(2025.07.05)