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From: ih8rlf0p@serss0.fiu.edu (jim stafford)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Subject: Re: Looking for Advice
Message-ID: <10341@uwm.edu>
Date: 19 Mar 91 13:46:58 GMT
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In article <10125@uwm.edu> ut-emx!chrisj@emx.utexas.edu (Chris Johnson) writes:
>
>I've been looking for a good amplifier for some time as I slowly accumulated
>the necessary money.  I've found two dealers in Austin that carry amplifiers
>in the $5-$6K price range that I settled on a while back.
>
>One dealer recommends the Mark Levinson No. 23, while the other one recommends
>the Jeff Rowland model 5.  Neither dealer appears to carry anything else in
>  (deletions)
>By the way, I'll be using this amp. with a pair of Magneplanar MG IIIa 
>speakers.
>
>Thanks,
>----Chris (Johnson)
>----chrisj@emx.utexas.edu

I worked as service mgr in a Levinson shop for 8 yrs; I have little experience
with Rowland.

The 23 is a great amp if you need the power, although the highend is on the 
grainy side, which you will definitely hear on the Maggie ribbons.  Unless you
have a large room, I'd go for the 27 instead.  The factory rep did just about
everything but tell us that the 27 is sonically better, and what I heard bore
this out.  It's also cheaper!  

Madrigal, the parent company of Levinson (Mark Levinson has had nothing to do
with the company for 6-7 years) I would rate as about a 7 in terms of "taking
care of business" on service problems.  Their turnaround time wasn't the best,
although virtually all their later stuff is extremely reliable.  The 27 had
an early problem with front panel LED's burning out, but this was solved.
The only thing I don't like about the amp is from a servicing standpoint; the
amp is very densely packed, and the subassemblies aren't too easy to get out.

If you have the $$ you might consider getting two of them and biamping your
maggies, but this also doubles your cable cost. (Whatever you do, dont use the
little capacitor box (XO1) that may have come with the MG 3's; it sucks)

One other bit Levinson trivia: save your box! they'll nail you for $125 if you
need a new one, and if they have it for service they may no warn you of that.
That reminds me of one of few Roland experiences, imagine what a wooden crate
for an old R 7 would cost!  Now double it!!

Jim Stafford