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Mark Levinson ML9 amp

BULLWINKLE

BULLWINKLE

Super Member
Anyone have an opinion on this amp? One for sale locally for $1160.00 and appears to be in good condition. It's 100 wpc and comes with a 30 day guarantee. I am thinking of using it to bi-amp the uppers on my Vandersteen 4's. ????????? Are they reliable? It is a late 80's production I think. Thanks for any input. Brien
 
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The ML9 will be the strongest 100W/channel you'll hear. This amp truly doubles down and has very high current capability. Yes, $1160 isn't chump change, but the ML9 will stay with you for many years to come.

Me, I like the Levinson house sound and the build quality. Resale value is quite strong as well. The ML9 will be a little bit dark of neutral and have fine detail without being bright. Levinson is in Bedford Mass and repairs are done there as well. No problem if the amp needs repair down the road, however my experience with Levinson over many years now has been quite good regarding reliability.

I have a Levinson ML3 on a second system. This amp is of the same vintage as the ML9 only it is 200W/channel.

Try the ML9 alone on your Vandies, you may be in for a surprise! :yes: :D

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
 
Beemer, thanks for the input. I called the guy and asked him for his best price and he'll sell it to me for $950. The Vandy's are bi-amped with an Adcom GFA 555 on the four 12" woofers. Do you really think the ML9 will drive these 4 way speakers? (Serious Question).
 
You are using the GFA555 on the woofers, what do you use on the topside?

Do tell! :yes:

The Levinson has different traits than the Adcom.

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
 
beemer said:
Hey Bear......how do those DIY arrays sound? :D I bet they are great:yes:

Sorry about thread swiping....WOOT! :smoke:

Paul :thmbsp:
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I really like them and they sound really good with my Dynaco Mark 3s :yes:
 
I'm using my Marantz 2285B for the tops. Actually sounds pretty good. But I worry about clipping so that's why I'm adding the ML 9.
 
BULLWINKLE said:
I'm using my Marantz 2285B for the tops. Actually sounds pretty good. But I worry about clipping so that's why I'm adding the ML 9.
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Ok, the ML9 will sound FAR better up top..........however.........how are you currently level-matching the Marantz to the Adcom?

In other words, most amplifiers input sensitivity varies wildly from one manufacturer to another. Some play louder with less input, some don't play as loud. The trick is to match the levels. Without doing this, you cannot truly judge any benefit of bi-amping. I'm sorry to open a can of worms, however I'd like to see you get the most out of your plan.

I would also still consider the Levinson as a stand-alone into your Vandies.

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
 
Beemer, Currently I run the marantz pre outs to an active crossover which has high and bass outputs. I run the bass output to the Adcom which goes to the subwoofers. The high output returns to the Marantz main in's. The main speaker outputs go to the uppers of the Vandy's. I'm kinda new at bi-amping but this seems to work well. I'm not sure how to adjust the amp in this scenario. I guess the xover does this for me?
 
Bullwinkle:

Have a look here:

http://www.marchandelec.com/xovers.html

Marchand makes good xovers for the buck.

I do not want to discourage you, nor do I want to break your bank account.
What I DO want is to see you biamp your Vandies properly......if you do, you WILL be rewarded.

Take a look around Marchand's site, there are some .pdf's you can download as well.

LOL, I practice what I preach, both my "big" systems have speakers which REQUIRE bi-amplification.....my Pipedreams and the Infinity RS1b's.

Furtunately in my case both speaker come with active crossovers to accomplish this task. If you were closer to me and could come for a listen, I'm certain you would appreciate the sound of bi-amplification done properly.

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
 
The crossover I use is an active one made for the Vandy's, model WX-4. Is that what you are talking about? Does it adjust the sensativity to the Adcom?:scratch2: On the front there are R and L bass volume knobs, but I keep them at neutral position. Your pipedreams are pretty impressive.:thmbsp:
 
BULLWINKLE said:
The crossover I use is an active one made for the Vandy's, model WX-4. Is that what you are talking about? Does it adjust the sensativity to the Adcom?:scratch2: On the front there are R and L bass volume knobs, but I keep them at neutral position. Your pipedreams are pretty impressive.:thmbsp:
Click to expand...

Ok then! You are all set. You control the level of the bass amp with those controls. Set them where you feel it sounds best to you. Wow, that's good!
I didn't know you have a crossover specific to your speakers.

That ML9 will work awesome with that setup. One last thing......some Levinson amps used what's called "Camac" connectors for the line inputs. If the ML-9 uses these, you will need Camac to RCA adaptors. I have a set I will send you free if you need and I can find them. :D

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
 
Any experience with the Levinson 50 wpc ML-11 out there? I bought one for $750 and it is very picky with speakers I think. It makes my ADS 3 way's sound dead and boring, but I have some 80's Polk speakers that work marvelously with it. I have yet to try an amp that has such personality with speakers. It can sound terrific with the right speaker. I would like to hear the ML-11 on sensitive speaks with 10 or 12 inch woofers to test it's "slam"
 
beemer said:
Ok then! You are all set. You control the level of the bass amp with those controls. Set them where you feel it sounds best to you. Wow, that's good!
I didn't know you have a crossover specific to your speakers.

That ML9 will work awesome with that setup. One last thing......some Levinson amps used what's called "Camac" connectors for the line inputs. If the ML-9 uses these, you will need Camac to RCA adaptors. I have a set I will send you free if you need and I can find them. :D

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

This is a really nice amp. I have it connected to a NAD 1600 preamp and drive a pair of 4 ohms Celestion A2 with ease. Sounds wonderful. I bought it from a retired gentleman for $700 3 year ago in a very clean shape and considered it a steal. If I find a similar one in that price range, I will grab it with no hesitation. Built like a tank, easy to open to clean. The Camac can be bought for $65 from this company below, although that was 3 years ago. Not sure if it is still selling them.

fischerconnectors.com

The ML-9 delivers warm, smooth, very soothing and detailed sound, not harsh nor bright. 100W/8 ohm/channel is a very conservative rating I think.
 
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How to open the front of the ML9 ?

Has anyone opened up the front of the ML9 ? I like to clean up the power button and tighten it up. Thanks.
 
simbatran said:
Has anyone opened up the front of the ML9 ? I like to clean up the power button and tighten it up. Thanks.
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You'd likely be better off posting this in another forum, both because this is Dollars and Sense and because this thread is quite old.
Throw a thread up in Vintage SS or even General Audio and I'll bet you'll get some insight.
Nice amp, btw!
 
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