Mark Levinson No 360S DAC Review

[firedog]

FYI now that I pulled it out of my system, I will be putting a Matrix Audio DAC in its place. Thank you my old friend for two decades of service. You were expensive to marry to but good mate to have had.

Which Matrix DAC?

 

[anmpr1]

Try wiring up ...a Pioneer SA-9900 in a cabinet. The cables need to pass through the rear handles...

The Pioneer design was actually very ergonomic. I had an SA-9500 in a walnut sleeve. So it looked nice kept out on an open shelf. Very easy to hook up with the jacks on the side--you could read the input labels at a glance. Speaker posts on the other side. I found it much better than straining my neck trying to look upside down at the rear panel.

 

[Lotus97]

That's a great assertion, and one that has kept me away from using the little wall wart or USB powered DACs as a preamp. I've always worried that they wouldn't have enough juice to go the distance, but in the tests that Amir has done, even the tiniest op amp powered USB DAC can still provide a solid 2V output for SE inputs to an amp, and the better stuff with balanced outputs is hitting their nominal 4V. That's just power voltage output of course.

I was assuming (I know, I know...) that when he measures these DACs, the output of the preamp signature is combined with that of the DAC, at least in the initial dashboard figures.

yup, nobody talks about the musicality qualities of the signal that is being carried out by the voltage from the preamp, after I added the Hegel preamp between my Anthem amp and the D5 DAC everything changed, i will be barrowing a nice MCintosh, Vincent and Rotel preamps soon because i am into preamps now, but i must say that the D5 is one awesome standalone DAC, but i dont look at it as a device with a complete preamp section.

 

[anmpr1]

RCA output jacks? When did Levinson move away from Camac connectors? Must have been sometime after Mark left the scene. I wonder why he used those, and not balanced Neutrik types in his gear? Mark always had his own 'special' way of doing things. As long as cost was no object... LOL

 

[anmpr1]

yup, nobody talks about the musicality qualities of the signal that is being carried out by the voltage from the preamp, after I added the Hegel preamp between my Anthem amp and the D5 DAC everything changed, i will be barrowing a nice MCintosh, Vincent and Rotel preamps soon because i am into preamps now...

Can we learn from others mistakes, misapprehensions and rectifications?

There can be no doubt about it, preamps are the hot button in audio perfectionist circles, today. The gradual realization that money can't buy happiness in this particular product category (or at least doesn't guarantee happy results) and that even the most advanced designs all sound different is causing considerable head-scratching and opinionated expertizing throughout the land. --Peter Aczel, 1977

I really believe that all this soul-searching, wondering, questioning, agonizing about [pre]amplifiers is basically unproductive and would be much more rewarding if applied to loudspeakers instead. For various reasons that I have discussed in the past, people are more willing to change [pre]amplifiers than loudspeakers. That’s most unfortunate because a new and better loudspeaker will change your audio life but a new [pre]amplifier will not. --Peter Aczel, 2007

 

[MZKM]

No power input! The IEC plug is underneath in the center of the device so that it can have a short connection to the transformer! Clever way to deal with mains leakage that way but makes it a pain to connect and disconnect.

Uhh, it has a pretty (measurably) large 120Hz hump.

 

[Neddy]

Thanks. I have the ones that are open in the middle but this type seems much nicer. I just bought one from Amazon.

I've come very close to getting one of these - still may; my back isn't getting any younger...
https://www.amazon.com/Pake-Handlin...ssor/dp/B0757JTVC4?ref_=ast_bbp_dp&th=1&psc=1
(There are also two wheeled ones that can 'do' stairs...)

 

[amirm]

Uhh, it has a pretty (measurably) large 120Hz hump.

That is usually from the rectifiers which double the frequency of mains. Maybe the filter caps are aging there. Regardless, they are at less than -120 dB so quite small in grand scheme of things.

 

[TS0711]

I'd be curious is to see how it measures up agenst the new multibit offerings from Schitt Audio. Regardless of it's limitations it keeping mine in the loop until it dies. I even picked up a gen5 Eitr in case I want use a USB source. Too bad the industry move away from the glass optical interfaces...

 

[YSC]

I'd be curious is to see how it measures up agenst the new multibit offerings from Schitt Audio. Regardless of it's limitations it keeping mine in the loop until it dies. I even picked up a gen5 Eitr in case I want use a USB source. Too bad the industry move away from the glass optical interfaces...

Use the search function for Schiit measurements and you won’t want to compare them with anything... the only R2R measuring good are the holo audio ones

 

[Milt]

This thing weighs a ton for a DAC and that is the reason I hate you all for asking me to rip it out of my cabinet to test it!

Amir, that's why we love what you're doing!
Not really a fair fight in this day & age.
One thing about ML\Madrigal, it always oozes quality.
The man dost protest too much, methinks
Thank you.

 

[amirm]

@amirm which Matrix DAC by the way?

The Element i: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...atrix-audio-element-i-usb-dac-streamer.10360/

 

[Ralf Stocker]

Marl Levinson: Disappointing.

 

[vkvedam]

The Element i: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...atrix-audio-element-i-usb-dac-streamer.10360/

I thought so

 

[ElNino]

Thanks for going to the effort of pulling this out of your system to measure!

Really interesting to see what state-of-the-art looked like back then.

 

[LMDA1]

Man, how i lusted for a full M&L system many, many years ago. thanks for the review.

 

[DonH56]

ML for Mark Levinson, not two different folk (not M&L). An interesting gent...

 

[AudioTodd]

The Element i: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...atrix-audio-element-i-usb-dac-streamer.10360/

I’m curious why this particular model and not the recently reviewed Matrix MQA model or the Topping D90 (or waiting for the MQA version of it)? I’m thinking of wasting some money on adding a Matrix or Topping to my Auralic Vega/Benchmark DAC3 HGC/DAC3 B stable and would like guidance. I know I couldn’t likely tell any difference in DBTs, but, like many here, I rather like knowing I have SOTA performance (if not ears!) and with my Benchmark LA4/2xAHB2 system knowing anything I hear is in the bits.

 

[LMDA1]

ML for Mark Levinson, not two different folk (not M&L). An interesting gent...

True, he of Cello and Red Rose fame.

 

[BogdanR]

@amirm
If you want to get rid of it... I won’t even charge you a disposal/ landfill fee. Just ship it to me...