The company Mark Levinson, now owned by Madrigal Audio Laboratories

Madrigal Audio Laboratories

Madrigal Audio Laboratories are the makers of Mark Levinson high end audio equipment. They are part of the Harman International Industries group....

 (part of the Harman International Industries

Harman International Industries

Harman International Industries is an American-based international audio and infotainment equipment company. The company designs, manufactures and markets audio and infotainment products for the car, the home, theatres and venues, as well as electronics for audio professionals...

 group) specializes in high-end digital audio processor

Digital audio

Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...

s, integrated amplifier

Integrated amplifier

An integrated amplifier is an electronic device containing an audio preamplifier and power amplifier in one unit, as opposed to separating the two. Most modern audio amplifiers are integrated and have several inputs for devices such as CD players, DVD players, and auxiliary sources...

s, power amplifiers, pre amplifiers, and CD players. Mark Levinson is a high end audio company serving audiophiles.

History

It was founded in 1972 as Mark Levinson Audio Systems (MLAS), by Mark Levinson, and has since its birth focused on solid-state equipment. The company was originally based in New Haven, CT, where Mark Levinson had begun to develop high end audio systems; his father was a professor at Yale University. In the 1980s, the company was taken over by Madrigal and lost several of its employees and innovators (Mark Levinson, Tom Colangelo, etc.). Mark Levinson himself went on to found or co-found other companies (Cello and then Red Rose Music).

Between 2000 and 2002, the company Mark Levinson founded was bought by Harman International Group. The core of the business still remains the same, up-market, high-end audio equipment. It is also considered to be one the most renowned amplifier makers in the world with the likes of Bryston and Audionet in the company's shade in terms of audio quality. The company's amplifiers and pre-amplifiers retail in luxury price ranges, e.g. ~US$10,000 for the N° 336 power amplifier; ~US$35,000 for a pair of N° 33 power amplifiers.

Although Mark Levinson products were primarily targeting the stereo or home theater market, nowadays Mark Levinson branded products can also be found in high quality audio systems for Lexus automobiles. These are developed and produced by Harman/Becker Automotive Systems, the car audio department of Harman International, and while typically not sharing any components with Mark Levinson home products, are designed in collaboration with Mark Levinson sound engineers. Certain Lexus

Lexus

is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...

 models have featured Mark Levinson sound systems as an option since 2001, with prices varying based on the vehicle and its specific components (~US$2,500 for the LS 460, ~US$1,600 for the ES 350, ~US$1,440 for the IS 350, etc.). The first production car 5.1 surround system appeared on the Crown Majesta in 2004.

Amplifiers

• N° Series
  • Mark Levinson No. 20
  • Mark Levinson No. 23
  • Mark Levinson No. 20.5
  • Mark Levinson No. 20.6
  • Mark Levinson No. 23
  • Mark Levinson No. 23.5
  • Mark Levinson No. 27
  • Mark Levinson No. 29
  • Mark Levinson No. 27.5
  • Mark Levinson No. 33
  • Mark Levinson No. 33H
  • Mark Levinson No. 53
  • Mark Levinson No. 331
  • Mark Levinson No. 332
  • Mark Levinson No. 333
  • Mark Levinson No. 334
  • Mark Levinson No. 335
  • Mark Levinson No. 336
  • Mark Levinson No. 431
  • Mark Levinson No. 432
  • Mark Levinson No. 433
  • Mark Levinson No. 434
  • Mark Levinson No. 436
  • Mark Levinson No. 532

• ML Series
  • Mark Levinson ML-2
  • Mark Levinson ML-3
    Mark Levinson ML-3
    The Mark Levinson ML-3 is a 200 watt per channel dual monaural Class AB2 power amplifier that uses toroidal transformers. Produced between 1979 and 1987 the ML-3 is two electrically separate amplifiers in one chassis, hence the name "Dual Monaural"...
    
    
  • Mark Levinson ML-9
  • Mark Levinson ML-11

Preamplifiers

• N° Series
  • Mark Levinson No. 25
  • Mark Levinson No. 26
    Mark Levinson No. 26
    The Mark Levinson No. 26S Dual Monaural Preamplifiers used Teflon circuit boards to supposedly differentiate the No. 26 and the 26S models, produced between 1991 and 1994 by Madrigal Audio Laboratories...
    
    
  • Mark Levinson No. 28
  • Mark Levinson No. 32
  • Mark Levinson No. 38
  • Mark Levinson No. 38S
  • Mark Levinson No. 380
  • Mark Levinson No. 380S
  • Mark Levinson No. 320S
  • Mark Levinson No. 326S

• ML Series
  • Mark Levinson ML-1
  • Mark Levinson ML-6
  • Mark Levinson ML-6A
  • Mark Levinson ML-6B
  • Mark Levinson ML-7
  • Mark Levinson ML-7A
  • Mark Levinson ML-10
  • Mark Levinson ML-10A
  • Mark Levinson ML-12A

Digital audio processors

• N° Series
  • Mark Levinson No. 30
  • Mark Levinson No. 30.6
  • Mark Levinson No. 35
  • Mark Levinson No. 36
  • Mark Levinson No. 36S
  • Mark Levinson No. 360
  • Mark Levinson No. 360S
  • Mark Levinson No. 502

External links

• Mark Levinson Homepage - official site
• Mark Levinson Lexus Homepage - Audio in Lexus Genuine Accessory