UK launch for £28k Mark Levinson preamplifier

Mark Levinson, the high-end audio equipment firm owned by Harman International Industries, has announced the UK launch of its new No.52 Reference Preamplifier.

Available next month and costing £28,000, the preamplifier has an all-analogue, dual-monaural design arranged in a two-chassis system.

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The first chassis houses the control section, which contains mirror-imaged DC power supplies and AC regeneration circuits designed to ensure "clean, stable power".

Meanwhile, the second chassis contains the audio section, featuring a mirrored left/right configuration that includes isolated and independent circuit boards.

Individual left and right DC cords carry power to each audio control between the two chassis, while control signals go through a third cable to keep them isolated.

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The preamp also features a range of inputs: three balanced XLR; four unbalanced RCA line; and a dedicated phono input, fitted with selectable Moving Coil or Moving Magnet operation.

For outputs there are twin sets of XLR and RCA stereo preamplifier outputs, auxiliary pairs of XLR and RCA outputs with fixed/variable levels and independent source selection.

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There is also a unity gain Surround Sound Processor output that lets you integrate audio sources connected to the preamp with a home theatre system.

Control and system connectivity is provided via ethernet, Mark Levinson's ML Net, 12V trigger and infra-red control ports, while a USB port takes into account possible software upgrades.

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by Pete Hayman

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Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.