I visited Mark’s NYC showroom on the upper east side many years ago in the Cello days. The system blew me away. Mark is an extremely talented and intelligent person and definitely a visionary. I still kick myself for not buying that system. At the time, Mark was was working on digitizing the LP collection in the Library of Congress an a NAGRA D with Apogee digital converters. The icing on the cake was getting to play a vintage Martin that Eric Clapton had played only days before. If you’re listeneing Mark, I hope you’re doing well.
@@Puroplatino Daniel Hertz. If you speak to him. Let him know you saw the video from my channel and he will immediately know a little more about you and give you all of his attention and expertise.
@@OCDHIFiGuy yeah I found the DH site. I’m in Italy so not too far from Switzerland. I’d love to have a chat with him. Bet he could talk ship for days on end without growing tired. Thanks for the video man. I subbed.
We need more info/updates on what he's talking about concerning a continuous waveform in the pcm area. Is he saying that Apple has software that can correct for errors and actually make the original recording better? Sounds like apple can actually push the sound envelope through their software.
A great opportunity for insight into an icon of the industry passed by. listening to the ramblings of mr levinson with no clear direction or questions by the "Hifi-Guy" make this dreary viewing indeed.
It’s always good to have a person of Mark’s integrity, and the ability to hear his/their take on the Hi-Fidelity business ! I enjoyed the video, and by all means do more if possible. It never hurts to get as many options as possible on the subject, or in my case obsession with music 🎶 and the shape of the industry. I’ve had several forms of the source from CDs, vinyl, tape, and digital files, but if it’s possible to turn the industry on it’s head, then I’m all ears. Great 👍 video by the way !!
Thanks for your feedback. Its exactly what Mark is saying is that there is no reason for the HiFi industry to advance because it means their money dries up as the new tech is not expensive. Instead they will keep feeding the listener full of BS smoke and mirrors instead of facing the truth that we are the only ones on the planet that dont advance with the times. Well this is like damming a river. at some point it will break, My guess is it will break if a big computer player enters our space, Apple for instance. If they decided to build a hifi rig into thier computers, we would be toast. Everyone would consider them reference standard.
Thanks for your feedback. Its exactly what Mark is saying is that there is no reason for the HiFi industry to advance because it means their money dries up as the new tech is not expensive. Instead they will keep feeding the listener full of BS smoke and mirrors instead of facing the truth that we are the only ones on the planet that dont advance with the times. Well this is like damming a river. at some point it will break, My guess is it will break if a big computer player enters our space, Apple for instance. If they decided to build a hifi rig into thier computers, we would be toast. Everyone would consider them reference standard.
This is an awesome interview! Mark was describing the C-Wave and Might Cat chip technology before it debuted in the Maria amplifier. And he knew the 'buy it new' every year industry wouldn't like his (and your) lifetime ownership philosophy. Great video, 😎 Thanks for sharing!
this man is a genius, no question about it. He deserves 10hr interview and his own show. Now, I checked all around and everybody praises Innuos. Less noise, less this and that. Micro-phonics and shit. That computer makes noise more than a specialized server. I would be interested to hear what Mr Levinson says on that subject.
He will tell you to buy an Ibook Pro, he only believes in Apple to listen to music because the professionals use it in the studio to make the music , plus he has his own software you can use with Apple..
I spent a day with Mark at his house and the factory back in the Cello days. Mark's magic to me was his ability to "spin Knobs". The guy must have been an amazing recording engineer.
Mark Levinson is an Iconic figure whom put High end audio on the map in Woodbridge Ct. Michael Kay exposed his product at Lyric Hi Fi. The culmination of J.C. expertise was phenomenal! Auditions were by appointment only in a deactivated room at White Plains N.Y. We are fortunate for this breakthrough concept to hear solid state emulate tube sound..the rest is history! Brilliantly made in a basement by False Gods! ❤
Dude- Chord are snobs, if you have to deal with them. I have a very good friend that’s a high end audio dealer. He contacted them to carry the line. They treated him like shit. Needless to say, he doesn’t carry Chord. On the flip side, they make fucking GREAT components. Great sounding, great builds. If you want a taste, buy the Mojo. It’s on sale these days for $349. The no brainer of no-brainers.
Hey Mikey, my interest is perked. But, I need to hear more information and details on where Mark is headed. I hope you have the opportunity to expand further with this discussion
Mikey so cool that you were able to get a hold of this high end audio legend. I still have my Mark Levinson ML N39 CD Processor was state of the art at $6000 back in 1999 I got it to replace my California Audio Labs Delta Gamna combo...keep these videos coming.
Thats cool that you had A Cal Labs piece as many people probably never heard one . My buddy was responsible for much of the analog circuit design on them, I always liked them.although your 39 looks like a work of art just sitting on the shelf.
The CAL duo sounded absolutely great. Thinking back in all honesty more musically rewarding than the Mark Levinson although the physical build quality of the Levinson was in another league at an absorbent amount by comparison. I wish I still had the two CAL pieces. I do still have the remote lol.
@@mariosupa4027 I agree completely Mario, even the engraving on the Levinson was simply beautiful, even by todays standards. I have a collection of remotes as well, funny how that just seems to mysteriously happens
I'm thinking of selling the ML39 I still have the original packaging, manual and remote. If you're intrested in it make me an offer. Always keep in smoke free environment. Minor scoffs and small scratch on faceplate.
That Mark Levinson wasn't made by the Mark Levinson in the video. He was in a contract dispute in the mid-1980s and lost the right to use his name in the Hi-Fi industry. His former business partners kept making Mark Levinson products but he had nothing to do with them. I think the ML12 was the last Mark Levinson designed by Mark Levinson. In 1999, the real Mark Levinson was making red rose products. Kind of crazy that they continued to make products with his name on them. I wonder how it would feel to sit in a Lexus seeing your name in front you, knowing that there are millions of cars and home units making money of your name and not seeing a cent of it?
Wow, that's a blast from the past, I bought my first Levinson Pre & power amp way back in the early 80s, & it was always nice sounding stuff.Its really great that the 4 giants of solid state design from the 70s are still going strong today, Nelson Pass, Dan D'Agostino, Jeff Rowland, & Mark just in case anyone was wondering. Thanks Mike.
Great interview! Excuse my ignorance, but sounds like mr. Levinson has a company developing new audio products incorporating this new technology? Im not aware
ML speaks the truth! I would love to hear the whole thing. Also - people like Al Schmitt take A LOT of time in mic placement exactly because of what ML said.
My friend has a 30.6 DAC and one side is not working could They still repair it? This DAC cost a small fortune and seems They dont backup this product anymore makes me feel They have The Apple itch...
Pyramid Audio in Austin Texas specializes in repairing old Levinson gear & I'm reasonably sure they still work on the 30 & 30.6 DACs. hopefully they can help your friend out.
Denis the 30.6 is one of the best Dacs ever. I heard it the 30.5 Dac with the Matching 31.5 Transport in 1992. I remember how analog it sounded. I remember the other great Dac i heard was called Vimak. I believe it was the Vimak DS 1800 Dac.
Married... And they authored and published a book on the female orgasm together. That must have been epic research. I'm pretty sure he hit "Cant touch this" status.
Hello Mikey hope you are doing well this is so important when you interview a living legend like Mark it's like interviewing Henry Ford his products will go down in history long after he's gone and we are gone really I mean that think about it and what will be left is your video of this conversation that's why I think it's very important and I love this video you made I'm not very familiar with what he's talking about the technology that he's inventing or did already exist by someone else if you could please elaborate and tell me once again a big fan Steve Costello
@@OCDHIFiGuy okay very interesting that Jeff Rowland is doing the same thing I believe he said he reached the Pinnacle of Class A B design there's nowhere else to go from there
Get outta here, Mike! I didn’t know you were buddies let alone worked with the iconic Mark Levinson! I think you may have mentioned it before. This is maybe the 2nd or 3rd interview with him I’ve seen on YT, and leave it to you to bring us the master. lol It’s such a shame what was done to him all those years ago, but it almost seems as if he actually bowed out because of obvious differences, as he just explained. I could be wrong though, cuz I wasn’t there and am not aware of all the details. All I know is that Mark has always been a true innovator, visionary, and genius when it comes to sound reproduction. He is in it for all the right reasons and has true heart. I’d love to see the entire interview, btw. I actually see a lot of him in you, which is an obvious compliment. Thanks for the amazing vid and just being a great and honest guy in this somewhat of a HiFi mess, Mik
Hey Mike, I just wanted to apologize, cuz I’d forgotten your story about how you worked with Mark and how he showed you the proverbial HiFi ropes to a great degree. You da man, Mikey! Thanks for your honesty and continuing to share your knowledge, rather than hoard it as some do.
Great know how , love these ideas...but talking about profits , can one explain how much is the profit on these daniel hertz top speakers, made with top pro beyma components ...very good idea but imho the profit of selling these 110.000 dollar seem very generous , would love to hear them, and wish you all the best with all my respect
@@OCDHIFiGuy ow do you have these speakers? I am retired feom audio industry and recognise these beymas , neodymium drivers , 18" bass, 12" bassmid and 1" cp385nd and beyma horn .....
Just like every other jackoff in the industry ? Lets not point fingers, Holmes. How about we get real instead ? We are speaking about corporate bullshit audio. Stuff that is marketed that sounds like crap. Red Rose gear sounded phenomenal. If there is one thing that is true and irrefutable, its that Mark has never once been affiliated with a brand that is not totally celebrated for how good it sounds regardless of profit. the "as if it was USA made" is your own projection and was never ever advertised as such. But based on your logic, since I',m in USA , I'll go make something in my garage then crank up the price because its OK at that point. , yay ! Im in the USA, if its made here we can rip people off ! Back to your troll comment , it was redesigned which is a very distinct difference than putting your name decal over someone elses. There was significant money spent up front for the RRM line. features were added, front panel was completely different, specifications were raised to include quieter transformers, input circuits were 100% proprietary. they sounded completely better than anything (you dont even know the right company name) made.
@@scottlowell493 there are very few of the HiFi companies that do absolutely everything from design all the way through manufacturing and sales. Its not uncommon and in fact its smart to take an existing design and tweak its operation by adding or removing features and/or changing spec, putting on your own face plate and reselling. Nothing wrong or bad with that. Its done all the time. what would be better for the sake of communication is for you to say what you really want to say, so we can get to the point. clearly, the way you word your post is telling me that youve got a beef with Mark. But the fact that Red Rose was not a manufacturer, has no real strength for a complaint, because its common widely accepted practice. every major brand is made in China including Apple, yet I dont hear a complaint about Apple charging $1500 for a Chinese made Iphone. So it seems like you are simply hating someone because they have been successful. I think Dan DAgostinos $250,000 Class A old ass technology amplifier is made in the USA though, so Dan is cleared from the "hustler" label ? Somehow Mark is different ?
I Know thats becaus eMark Levinson gear is Bullshit,. Mark has not been there for 30 years. You can afford trhe Daniel Hertz if yo u buy it at a discount like you can from me..
I'm not going to post the edits They won't make sense chopped up. What Mark is talking about is a Class D amplifier with DSP on its front end circuitry. The proprietary thing he speaks of is an algorithm. Software he took part in developing. This software goes on to a PCB that is used on the input with a class D module such as Hypex for instance. This is the way that any company OEM's an off the shelf module. Only company I know of that designs the amp from the ground up is AGD Production. Mark's algorithm is claimed to alleviate the fatigue that the human brain receives from untreated PCM. As Mark says, it puts bits of original music information "in to" the gaps from the choppy nature of PCM, which is a step function rather than analog wave. Mark's algorithm masks that so the brain receives his treated PCM the same way the brain receives an analog waveform. You may purchase this technology now through myself. Shortly I will have it here to test and report back.
I love this interview , it was very honest & maybe clicked with a lot people about the way we feel about the audio industry . You should hear about what the lawn care industry makes us do , no wonder there are less bees . Sorry for the Segway this stuff grinds my gears man .
Thanks for doing this interview, Mike! I hope the new tech Mark's referring to is not completely dependent on a whole new ADC redesign to achieve the said DAC improvements going forward only (a whole new encode/decode chain). I'm kinda hoping it can also be applied retro to existing CD recordings using his (presumably) new wave of DAC's with software. It will be interesting to see. Definitely agree on the magazine/manufacturer mafioso, it's been apparent for some time. Kudos to him for talking in terms of honesty in an industry that has marginalized that value for too long. Innovation is best, but it has always been at a disadvantage against all the hype...here's hoping Mark at LG is just getting started at kicking that very door in!
Thanks for chiming in John, The LG thing weas over before it started many years ago. Mark is under NDA with Maserati and Lambo, Fiat and a few other auto manufacturers bringing his expertise there where they are not constrained bu the "Old way" , and they are able to embrace new tech.
People should do some research into some of his former companies. He's all about max profit so I don't know this guy you just interviewed. Red Rose Music used to get gear from China and qadruple the price once Mark had it imported.
Lol you think he did anything different from the rest of the industry at the time ? not at all, its still regular protocol my man, buy cheap crap from China and mark it up like nuts , thing was they were tuned by mark and read any of the reviews, people loved them. Besides hid dtore was in Manhattan next to the art Museum, trust me most all of the people that bought had no problem with the cost. He was able to do it and make peopel happy because it sounded great, the thing I have a problem with is when people get sold a bill of overpriced goods and they do not get the performance they were told they would get..
@@OCDHIFiGuy Listen I've been around this business for 40 years. Listen to what he says in this interview and it's 180 degrees from what he has done in the past. I know how business works. There are honourable people in business and there are others that aren't.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt If you think profiting 4X cost is dishonorable then every big name company is guilty, that is the exact formula they use. Now lets get beside the profit game , as every big name company is guilty, now lets look at the product firsts Mark left in his legacy, not only did MLAS pioneer what many consider the first true high end preamplifier but take a look at Cello, still considered to represent the pinnacle of High end Audio. Some Mastering Studios still to this day use Cello. If theres one thing Ive learned over the years, its that Mark has a group of people that are Mark Haters, for whatever reason, most likely because he made a ton of money, married Kim Cattral, lived in the Hamptons, had a Fountain Speedboat, drove an Aston Martin, and is the single most well known name in High End after being in Lexus cars and all the other stuff.. so there were haters as usual.. Funny you should point out Mark, How about Dan DAgostino with his $250K amp, Mark never had any amp close to that expensive. so Im sorry but I dont see anything different about Mark than any dude that is old school HiFi.. Other than he was more sucessful, and yeah he was a cocky dick to people sometimes, he has no patience for stupid questions ..what can I say... Go meet the asshole that founded Boulder Amps.
Mark Levinson Amps used to be the cream of the crop and only costed double that of a top of the line Japanese stereo receiver back in the day but, worth every penny. Now they are just criminally overpriced for what they are. Mind numbingly expensive amps that are not worth its weight in gold, shame on the corporate conglomerate that stole mark levinson from mark levinson.
I might value what Mark Levinson has to say about Audio than just about any of the "Audio Mafia" (Why do they always have to bring the Mafia into things; They just take care of their own Business in an efficient manner). Mark doesn't have any reason to create any 'Mystique' about Audio when he talks about it (He probably found out he gets more satisfaction with "Red Rose Music" then he ever did being in the Equipment Industry "Game")
Hes just saying that its a racket. I agree. when you go up the line and analyze this industry, its total bullshit. People are sold crappy HiFi for way too much money. , but they dont know any better , because they trust the guys who spend the most money on advertising.. Just think of how many shows youve been to where the $100K plus rig sounds like crap... every show I would say. These companies do whatever they can to keep, you , the listener, uneducated about whats important for hifi... The herd gets distracted my things like MQA, that dont matter one bit. If you are hearing mystique perhaps its due to my edit . Theres no mystique. Basically he is saying unless you are using class D amps with DSP you are using old ass technology warmed over and polished. I am aware of this but I'm not ready to give up yet . I already am exclusive USA seller for the most advanced audio amplifier anyone has ever heard. I demonstrate it , tell people about it , but it is too advanced for people to understand, they dont get it . One client I sent a set on monos to , told me its "too good" I dont trust it. Because all the distortion is gone. Its clear that nothing else sounds like thy do. but what does the market get excited for ? The 250K , 250 LB D'Agostino, HOG with lipstick, look inside, its 1984 Krell technology. Its absolutely stupid to build like that based on whats available today, but that amp comapny makes tons of money from audiophiles being retarded in thier awareness of what true engineering is .. Capiche ?
@@OCDHIFiGuy Pono was DOA...Digital audio came to be main stream and take over with the introduction of the Philips CD in the 80's..., it changed everything after are just , either hacks trying to market nonsense, or a few legit improvements on the original idea...most are BS. A portable digital player is not anything new....Neil Young is another nudnick, who thinks he's smarter than the rest, FAIL. And it was found lots of his recordings where just CD quality anyway, it was all BS. DSD was an improvement, and of course it was introduced when teh CD basic patents where coming to an end, they wanted to keep the money stream coming, it didn't take off, cus CD quality if just fine..
ML has always made very fine sounding gear with or without Mark; if you don't believe me you should give the new no.519 player a spin, you would adore it... And on balance I think their decision way back to keep the name was probably an error because it has always given people a lazy excuse to say that they aren't the same company as when the founder was at the helm. As for Mark's criticism of magazines & manufacturers being locked together in some kind of money-spinning cartel it just doesn't stand up to the evidence. Apart from anything else NOBODY gets into the hi-fi game anymore to get rich. If that's what you want, and you're smart, there are a million better options. In reality most people in the industry are just like you or me - passionate about music & sound & the hobby.
Hi Bill, thanks for posting your comment. I would in fact be willing to listen and share an opinion. In regard to the founder being at the helm, I find its a huge part of the overall efficacy of the product. I say that because HiFi is either effective at connecting us to the music in a real way or its not. There are different motivations between the CEO of a publicly traded corporation and the founder of a self owned music playback equipment company. One of them is a slave to the board and that monkey boy better bring more profit each quarter or hes fired. Most of these CEOs are actually bona fide Psychopaths. Evidently being a Psycho makes you good at corporate CEO. They are best at making profit. that is a lot different than someone wanting to make a statement about HiFi. The passion is with the founder , not with the corporate entity. They trim costs, while the passionate spend whatever it takes to make the product sound a certain way. So if we are to generalize I feel its safe to say large conglomerate audio corporations have no soul and no passion for music , the owner operators make far better products in terms of sonic. So to me, any of the big names are crossed off my list for the most part. Theyve all been homogenized and castrated and diluted and finally relegated to making mainstream widgets. These corporations cant do anything else. They are entrenched in Audio and must stay here. Harmann international group is not making tons of money ? Of course they are, its in the billions. Nobody comes here to get rich, they stay here to get rich. As far as the cartel thing Bill, please tell me how you could review a product made by the same guy that sends you cash every month, and remain unbiased ? Quite literally impossible. its the same as I pay you for good reviews. On the other hand youve got the stores that sell the gear. These guys pay you loads of cash every month as well. Youre interest is keeping those revenue streams intact. Theres no way around that truth. whats the absolute best way to keep those income streams protected ? Review the shit the store sells. It does not take a genius here c'mon.. Magazines take care of thier advertisers, they do not review the best gear made, they review the gear that only the biggest the stores sell. And the reviews are ALWAYS good.. go figure lol... this is the evidence.. follow the money..
@@OCDHIFiGuy Thanks for the thoughtful reply, appreciate it. You can likely guess that we are going to have to agree to disagree to some extent at least😉 -Harman make billions, yes, but it's not from ML hi-fi or big JBL speakers. It's from car stereos and bluetooth boom boxes. In a way I'm almost surprised they are still bothering with the high-end at all but it's a good thing they are. Think of the huge R&D resources that can be pooled between all of their companies, and if ML gets access to even a fraction of that it surely put them well ahead of 90% of the competition. I mean do you honestly think Sony or Panasonic have no talented audio guys working for them, have you heard TAD? It sounds stunning, and uses cutting edge tech only a huge outfit (Pioneer) could afford to develop. Didn't you meet any great engineers when collaborating with Samsung? - On the magazine front I do hear you, but think you're exaggerating. I mean it's not that hard to find critical reviews if you look hard enough for them. As for most of them being positive, I would say that's because most gear is pretty accomplished nowadays and the real dogs get weeded out pretty quickly. -Finally, on the subject of Mark himself. I've spoken to quite a few people who worked with him during the ML heyday and the description of him that always crops up is 'an amazing salesman'. He's clearly a bright intriguing character but here he is selling an paradigm shifting solution that only he has access to. Sound familiar? Keep up the good work, I enjoy your content and the fact you listen to real music and not just the usual audiophile suspects.
@@billarmstrong5568 For sure man,. its easy to determine when someone is being sincere and has clean intent and I got that from you off the cuff. I freaking love TAD, my favorite Box speaker for sure. Its really too bad they closed it down. OK so if ML is a trickle for Harman then even more reason why they would not care so much about it. The DAC with ARM based streaming board 519 I would love to check out. $20K and no DSD256, the Audiophile staple. ? $20K and it will not hold a library of music ? Id still give it a chance but I dont believe in it. Like I'm not buying what they are saying . I just watched the 3 engineers from HQ talk about their creation, the lead guy says "probably the most advanced in all of Harmann... but bless thier hearts , nobody had a facial expression of excitement about the new groundbreaking product ? maybe because they know its borrowed tech from a Car Stereo ? lol, I had to take the stab because it may not be that far from the truth if thier highest profit comes from Auto, then thats where the sharpest engineers are and what they are throwing cash into. Harmann should know better than to put engineers out front repping the new product. If Harmann is like any corporation Ive ever been fired from, they tried to frame the video up like Harmann was doing something cool for them, so in other words, its part of their bonus. I love Engineers and I kinda felt bad for those dudes.. I hope they get paid well.. Soooo much more fun to work at a company like Pass labs for instance..Manley... another probably fun as shit atmosphere. Mark is by far the best salesman Ive ever freaking met. Its the eyebrows that are so expressive I go under his spell and the next thing you know I'm putting my company on the back burner to evangelize the God particle for free along with Mark. lol, for real though , I hear you and its wy I used the words claimed when speaking of what he is saying. He is smart. I do not think he is a businessman at all. He is 100% vested in what he does so his rhetoric is from the heart. Look at his smile , it comes easily, its not contrived. He is telling you a story that he knows to be true. Its called perception and no 2 humans have the same, Mark is an enthusiastic, likeable guy. Theres something in him that others want. He doesnt have desire to convince anybody or sell to them. He is a storyteller, its easy to see. If we were a tribe he would be the guy telling the stories around the fire. Hes like Kokopelli the more I think of it. Because he has got some game with the women, which is pure joy for me to observe. Gentleman style. lol So yeah theres a story. Id rather have it come to me his way than the delivery of the Harman engineers. So keep on rockin in the free world, make sure to return Grandmas Ted Nugent album, and dont eat the yellow snow. or something like that.
@@OCDHIFiGuy Cool, always a good idea to stay away from the yellow snow!! I'll keep in touch. I have a feeling that overall we would probably agree a lot more than not... Next time you're in Glasgow, Scotland I'll treat you to a few of the local single malts. We would have fun arguing about them too! Keep up the good work 👍
@@billarmstrong5568 Well how about that ! Ive never been invited to Scotland.. We'd have to go see Tannoy. So... the question remains... Highland, Lowland, or Speyside ?
It's fine. More than anything it's to lend cred to where I am within the industry. Deep. That's where I am. So when comparing channels etc. You'll know that I'm an inside guy, connected well. I've owned several manufacturers. Etc. I've got a patent on a connector design, yadda yadda yadda... I'm basically giving you guys background before my actions come. So you know I'm not just some yahoo... happy listening !
Come up with a way to have BS analysis software, label BS. And it seems to be coming from......here. Guy gonna get all spiritual, and Cult leader like?
Sounds very similar to Neil young and his stupid Pono, another one that was changing everything..NOT. So this guy is making what is already recorded better, AGAIN? Like so many before him
@@OCDHIFiGuy So are old Porsche, when new ones are much better than the old junk, yet idiots pay big buck$ for old junk cars, cus they are old, and the new versions are far superior to some old Porsche,
@@cengeb you just gave your age away little bro.. tape hiss is awesome.. My tapes with all thier hiss on My Studer A80 with custom outboard electronics eat CD alive. CD is compressed Caca compared to my fuzzy ass old hissy tape and vacuum tubes full of distortion. you dont get it do you .. its clear you are young because you do not understand vintage or nostalgia.. The old 356 Porches have ten times the class the new GT Cars do. Any lick knob can go fast for cheap,, buy a Gixxer. having a tape machine is distinguished gentleman level. The chicks dont even see it coming.. Until you pull out some Hef shit like a reel to reel...
@@OCDHIFiGuy OK, you drive an old obsolete Porsche 356, in the slow lane, I'll take the new Porsche...my Golf R makes a Porsche 356 look like the obsolete junk that it really is, it's worth money in the eyes of nitwits, ever wonder why they don't make them anymore? 911 currently made, is a car, not a lawnmower without the blade...all that old obsolete crap is just that CRAP....AM static on the radio listening to Cousin Brucie, yeah, real great, wait, he updated and is on Sirius, Cousins!
He is another of the same. He didn't invent CD, nor Cassette, nor video recording, he puts electronic parts in a box. like 10,000 other makers of the same stuff
@@OCDHIFiGuy Every other brand is in every other car, and it's a failure, nobody cares, it's pure marketing BS. Panasonic and Clarion are in the majority of 10's of million$ of cars, most of the OEM brands, are Panasonic or Clarion....look into who actually makes most car radios and stereos around the world, sticking a name on something doesn't mean much, anymore. Actually BOSE probably did it first, with the MOST hype, all nonsense.
@@cengeb none of that matters my friend, the car has a little name badge that says Marks name, its in the manual... so hes NOT like everyone else is he ? Hes gotten WAY farther mileage off his name than any single person in HiFi history as far as thier actual name is concerned . There is no more well known name than Mark Levinson in all of HiFi. Thats my point nothing more.
I would love to see more of this interview.
I visited Mark’s NYC showroom on the upper east side many years ago in the Cello days. The system blew me away. Mark is an extremely talented and intelligent person and definitely a visionary. I still kick myself for not buying that system. At the time, Mark was was working on digitizing the LP collection in the Library of Congress an a NAGRA D with Apogee digital converters. The icing on the cake was getting to play a vintage Martin that Eric Clapton had played only days before. If you’re listeneing Mark, I hope you’re doing well.
More please, these vids are fun and educational.
Mike - love your interview with mark Levinson. Intrigued by masterclass. Have you tried it?
Please post the full discussion. And definitely do more of these.
cant post more, marks orders
@@OCDHIFiGuy what is his new project called so I can learn more. He is just brilliant.
@@Puroplatino Daniel Hertz. If you speak to him. Let him know you saw the video from my channel and he will immediately know a little more about you and give you all of his attention and expertise.
@@OCDHIFiGuy yeah I found the DH site. I’m in Italy so not too far from Switzerland. I’d love to have a chat with him. Bet he could talk ship for days on end without growing tired. Thanks for the video man. I subbed.
@@Puroplatino Ciao ! Mark lives in Venezia. Not sure where you are but he has a demo room there too I believe ,maybe not.
Arrivaderce!
Always great to hear living legends talk about audio. Mark seems like a smart guy too 😉
I was thinking theres probably a decent chance of that. ;-)
We need more info/updates on what he's talking about concerning a continuous waveform in the pcm area. Is he saying that Apple has software that can correct for errors and actually make the original recording better? Sounds like apple can actually push the sound envelope through their software.
He is saying HE has the software and Apple is simply onlooking. He approached them to license it from him. .
A great opportunity for insight into an icon of the industry passed by. listening to the ramblings of mr levinson with no clear direction or questions by the "Hifi-Guy" make this dreary viewing indeed.
War Games had Stephen Falken, audio equipment has this guy.
It’s always good to have a person of Mark’s integrity, and the ability to hear his/their take on the Hi-Fidelity business ! I enjoyed the video, and by all means do more if possible. It never hurts to get as many options as possible on the subject, or in my case obsession with music 🎶 and the shape of the industry. I’ve had several forms of the source from CDs, vinyl, tape, and digital files, but if it’s possible to turn the industry on it’s head, then I’m all ears. Great 👍 video by the way !!
Thanks for your feedback. Its exactly what Mark is saying is that there is no reason for the HiFi industry to advance because it means their money dries up as the new tech is not expensive. Instead they will keep feeding the listener full of BS smoke and mirrors instead of facing the truth that we are the only ones on the planet that dont advance with the times. Well this is like damming a river. at some point it will break, My guess is it will break if a big computer player enters our space, Apple for instance. If they decided to build a hifi rig into thier computers, we would be toast. Everyone would consider them reference standard.
Thanks for your feedback. Its exactly what Mark is saying is that there is no reason for the HiFi industry to advance because it means their money dries up as the new tech is not expensive. Instead they will keep feeding the listener full of BS smoke and mirrors instead of facing the truth that we are the only ones on the planet that dont advance with the times. Well this is like damming a river. at some point it will break, My guess is it will break if a big computer player enters our space, Apple for instance. If they decided to build a hifi rig into thier computers, we would be toast. Everyone would consider them reference standard.
@OCD Hi-Fi Guy
Very well said. Couldn’t have put it better myself if I tried. Thank you, Mike.
would you put the entire video online?
having followed Mark's career, for near 50 years, i'm always interested in what he has to say.
One thing's for sure Mikey - you're never "stuck" in a box - you're a free thinking guy - - love it, keep up the great work.
Thanks Skip, I appreciate the support ..
This is an awesome interview! Mark was describing the C-Wave and Might Cat chip technology before it debuted in the Maria amplifier. And he knew the 'buy it new' every year industry wouldn't like his (and your) lifetime ownership philosophy. Great video, 😎 Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@OCDHIFiGuy I also would love to see more of this interview...
Mark Levinson for President
Thanks for interview an audiophile legend !
this man is a genius, no question about it. He deserves 10hr interview and his own show.
Now, I checked all around and everybody praises Innuos. Less noise, less this and that. Micro-phonics and shit. That computer makes noise more than a specialized server. I would be interested to hear what Mr Levinson says on that subject.
He will tell you to buy an Ibook Pro, he only believes in Apple to listen to music because the professionals use it in the studio to make the music , plus he has his own software you can use with Apple..
Ohh.. I love this type of discussion
I ran across this after the Opamp vid today. Nice work. Now how much are these op amps you like best?
I spent a day with Mark at his house and the factory back in the Cello days. Mark's magic to me was his ability to "spin Knobs". The guy must have been an amazing recording engineer.
For sure
Great video, wonderful gest...!!!
Yes it was!
very informative...thank you for posting!!
What land are you now in Brother ?
Mark Levinson is an Iconic figure whom put High end audio on the map in Woodbridge Ct. Michael Kay exposed his product at Lyric Hi Fi. The culmination of J.C. expertise was phenomenal! Auditions were by appointment only in a deactivated room at White Plains N.Y. We are fortunate for this breakthrough concept to hear solid state emulate tube sound..the rest is history! Brilliantly made in a basement by False Gods! ❤
Yep, and now it's VIOLA LABS. ;-)
He’s a scammer selling his crap and then he closes the company
Great video. It's always interesting seeing something from a different angle. One we consumers rarely get to see.
Right on Simon, thanks for your feedback
Dude- Chord are snobs, if you have to deal with them. I have a very good friend that’s a high end audio dealer. He contacted them to carry the line. They treated him like shit. Needless to say, he doesn’t carry Chord.
On the flip side, they make fucking GREAT components. Great sounding, great builds. If you want a taste, buy the Mojo. It’s on sale these days for $349. The no brainer of no-brainers.
Hey Mikey, my interest is perked. But, I need to hear more information and details on where Mark is headed. I hope you have the opportunity to expand further with this discussion
Tony, fpor sure, stay tuned..
That was pretty heavy.
Excellent discussion. Brilliant audio mind.
Thanks !
Awesome. Nothing like telling it like it is. Spot on….
Very interesting. Good idea. Can we expound on the technology he is talking about?
Class D amplifiers with DSP on the front end
see Daniel Hertz
This masterclass thing is a straight out brilliant idea and I want it. Taking denons AL24 concept much further in a great way.
There you go !
I love listening to ML speak!
Totally !
Very interesting idea. Better than analog.
I also want one hour.
Mark's wishes. Edit to 10 min
Mikey so cool that you were able to get a hold of this high end audio legend. I still have my Mark Levinson ML N39 CD Processor was state of the art at $6000 back in 1999 I got it to replace my California Audio Labs Delta Gamna combo...keep these videos coming.
Thats cool that you had A Cal Labs piece as many people probably never heard one . My buddy was responsible for much of the analog circuit design on them, I always liked them.although your 39 looks like a work of art just sitting on the shelf.
The CAL duo sounded absolutely great. Thinking back in all honesty more musically rewarding than the Mark Levinson although the physical build quality of the Levinson was in another league at an absorbent amount by comparison. I wish I still had the two CAL pieces. I do still have the remote lol.
@@mariosupa4027 I agree completely Mario, even the engraving on the Levinson was simply beautiful, even by todays standards. I have a collection of remotes as well, funny how that just seems to mysteriously happens
I'm thinking of selling the ML39 I still have the original packaging, manual and remote. If you're intrested in it make me an offer. Always keep in smoke free environment. Minor scoffs and small scratch on faceplate.
That Mark Levinson wasn't made by the Mark Levinson in the video. He was in a contract dispute in the mid-1980s and lost the right to use his name in the Hi-Fi industry. His former business partners kept making Mark Levinson products but he had nothing to do with them. I think the ML12 was the last Mark Levinson designed by Mark Levinson. In 1999, the real Mark Levinson was making red rose products. Kind of crazy that they continued to make products with his name on them. I wonder how it would feel to sit in a Lexus seeing your name in front you, knowing that there are millions of cars and home units making money of your name and not seeing a cent of it?
Wow, that's a blast from the past, I bought my first Levinson Pre & power amp way back in the early 80s, & it was always nice sounding stuff.Its really great that the 4 giants of solid state design from the 70s are still going strong today, Nelson Pass, Dan D'Agostino, Jeff Rowland, & Mark just in case anyone was wondering. Thanks Mike.
Great interview! Excuse my ignorance, but sounds like mr. Levinson has a company developing new audio products incorporating this new technology? Im not aware
Yes, Daniel Hertz.
ML speaks the truth! I would love to hear the whole thing. Also - people like Al Schmitt take A LOT of time in mic placement exactly because of what ML said.
Mark said edit to 10 min so thats it.. sdtay tuned for more..
Mark said edit to 10 min so thats it.. sdtay tuned for more..
My friend has a 30.6 DAC and one side is not working could They still repair it? This DAC cost a small fortune and seems They dont backup this product anymore makes me feel They have The Apple itch...
Pyramid Audio in Austin Texas specializes in repairing old Levinson gear & I'm reasonably sure they still work on the 30 & 30.6 DACs. hopefully they can help your friend out.
Denis the 30.6 is one of the best Dacs ever. I heard it the 30.5 Dac with the Matching 31.5 Transport in 1992. I remember how analog it sounded. I remember the other great Dac i heard was called Vimak. I believe it was the Vimak DS 1800 Dac.
scott satren thx!!
Finally he going ro sell jt as parts , to bad :(
The hair is perfect! Maybe a little GenX update? Short on back.
He got really good designers for Cello. He’s been crushing it for decades.. He even dated Kim Catrall!
Married...
And they authored and published a book on the female orgasm together. That must have been epic research. I'm pretty sure he hit "Cant touch this" status.
OCD HI-Fi Guy I stand corrected.. my memory has been shoddy for a few years now. He crushed it even more I guess lol..
@@rickg8015 in typical fashion, he took it to 11. ;-)
Great story 👌
Hello Mikey hope you are doing well this is so important when you interview a living legend like Mark it's like interviewing Henry Ford his products will go down in history long after he's gone and we are gone really I mean that think about it and what will be left is your video of this conversation that's why I think it's very important and I love this video you made I'm not very familiar with what he's talking about the technology that he's inventing or did already exist by someone else if you could please elaborate and tell me once again a big fan Steve Costello
Hi Steve hes talking about the newest class D amplifiers that have DSP on the front end.
@@OCDHIFiGuy okay very interesting that Jeff Rowland is doing the same thing I believe he said he reached the Pinnacle of Class A B design there's nowhere else to go from there
Get outta here, Mike! I didn’t know you were buddies let alone worked with the iconic Mark Levinson! I think you may have mentioned it before. This is maybe the 2nd or 3rd interview with him I’ve seen on YT, and leave it to you to bring us the master. lol
It’s such a shame what was done to him all those years ago, but it almost seems as if he actually bowed out because of obvious differences, as he just explained. I could be wrong though, cuz I wasn’t there and am not aware of all the details. All I know is that Mark has always been a true innovator, visionary, and genius when it comes to sound reproduction. He is in it for all the right reasons and has true heart.
I’d love to see the entire interview, btw.
I actually see a lot of him in you, which is an obvious compliment.
Thanks for the amazing vid and just being a great and honest guy in this somewhat of a HiFi mess, Mik
* Mike!
Hey Mike, I just wanted to apologize, cuz I’d forgotten your story about how you worked with Mark and how he showed you the proverbial HiFi ropes to a great degree. You da man, Mikey!
Thanks for your honesty and continuing to share your knowledge, rather than hoard it as some do.
So when do we get our hands on this new toy??
You can buy it now..
OCD HI-Fi Guy what’s the name of it??
@@edg5367 www.danielhertz.com/
OCD HI-Fi Guy I’ll check it out
Yo dude this new line of stuff from Mr Levinson is crazy ass Those speakers alone
Great know how , love these ideas...but talking about profits , can one explain how much is the profit on these daniel hertz top speakers, made with top pro beyma components ...very good idea but imho the profit of selling these 110.000 dollar seem very generous , would love to hear them, and wish you all the best with all my respect
Good question! They are NOT Beyma however... and prolly about $70K profit Id say .... nothing unusual...
@@OCDHIFiGuy ow do you have these speakers? I am retired feom audio industry and recognise these beymas , neodymium drivers , 18" bass, 12" bassmid and 1" cp385nd and beyma horn .....
"Optimize profits" like buying a cheap Korsun amp, re-badging it as a REDROSE amp and cranking up the price as if it was USA made?
Just like every other jackoff in the industry ? Lets not point fingers, Holmes. How about we get real instead ? We are speaking about corporate bullshit audio. Stuff that is marketed that sounds like crap. Red Rose gear sounded phenomenal. If there is one thing that is true and irrefutable, its that Mark has never once been affiliated with a brand that is not totally celebrated for how good it sounds regardless of profit. the "as if it was USA made" is your own projection and was never ever advertised as such. But based on your logic, since I',m in USA , I'll go make something in my garage then crank up the price because its OK at that point. , yay ! Im in the USA, if its made here we can rip people off ! Back to your troll comment , it was redesigned which is a very distinct difference than putting your name decal over someone elses. There was significant money spent up front for the RRM line. features were added, front panel was completely different, specifications were raised to include quieter transformers, input circuits were 100% proprietary. they sounded completely better than anything (you dont even know the right company name) made.
OCD HI-Fi Guy it’s bullshit- he did it as well as anyone. Holmes.
@@scottlowell493 there are very few of the HiFi companies that do absolutely everything from design all the way through manufacturing and sales. Its not uncommon and in fact its smart to take an existing design and tweak its operation by adding or removing features and/or changing spec, putting on your own face plate and reselling. Nothing wrong or bad with that. Its done all the time. what would be better for the sake of communication is for you to say what you really want to say, so we can get to the point. clearly, the way you word your post is telling me that youve got a beef with Mark. But the fact that Red Rose was not a manufacturer, has no real strength for a complaint, because its common widely accepted practice. every major brand is made in China including Apple, yet I dont hear a complaint about Apple charging $1500 for a Chinese made Iphone. So it seems like you are simply hating someone because they have been successful. I think Dan DAgostinos $250,000 Class A old ass technology amplifier is made in the USA though, so Dan is cleared from the "hustler" label ? Somehow Mark is different ?
I guess anyone who uses ICE modules or Hypex Ncore modules in amps are just 'copying' the amps, not utilizing already existing technology.
Dude, I love music and audio and I can't afford Mark Levinson gear ? Hello ?
I Know thats becaus eMark Levinson gear is Bullshit,. Mark has not been there for 30 years. You can afford trhe Daniel Hertz if yo u buy it at a discount like you can from me..
Very nice video we need much more of this and I would have listened to the whole hour video , thanks for sharing 👍
You bet Lance, always trying to make things more interesting ..
ps audio dac is programable
snow mass sounds good
do you want it to sound good or Great ?
Well said.
Part 2 please 🙏
I'm not going to post the edits
They won't make sense chopped up. What Mark is talking about is a Class D amplifier with DSP on its front end circuitry. The proprietary thing he speaks of is an algorithm. Software he took part in developing. This software goes on to a PCB that is used on the input with a class D module such as Hypex for instance. This is the way that any company OEM's an off the shelf module. Only company I know of that designs the amp from the ground up is AGD Production.
Mark's algorithm is claimed to alleviate the fatigue that the human brain receives from untreated PCM. As Mark says, it puts bits of original music information "in to" the gaps from the choppy nature of PCM, which is a step function rather than analog wave. Mark's algorithm masks that so the brain receives his treated PCM the same way the brain receives an analog waveform. You may purchase this technology now through myself. Shortly I will have it here to test and report back.
part 2 upcoming..
I met Mark in NYC 30 y ago palete preamp 10000 then
show me a class d monoblock for 1000 that sound better than a tube monoblock
well executed
$1K .. who only spends 1 measley K to get serious ? nobody does.. Even the NuPrime top of the line blows chunks to me..
I love this interview , it was very honest & maybe clicked with a lot people about the way we feel about the audio industry . You should hear about what the lawn care industry makes us do , no wonder there are less bees . Sorry for the Segway this stuff grinds my gears man .
new toys yes
Thanks for doing this interview, Mike! I hope the new tech Mark's referring to is not completely dependent on a whole new ADC redesign to achieve the said DAC improvements going forward only (a whole new encode/decode chain). I'm kinda hoping it can also be applied retro to existing CD recordings using his (presumably) new wave of DAC's with software. It will be interesting to see. Definitely agree on the magazine/manufacturer mafioso, it's been apparent for some time. Kudos to him for talking in terms of honesty in an industry that has marginalized that value for too long. Innovation is best, but it has always been at a disadvantage against all the hype...here's hoping Mark at LG is just getting started at kicking that very door in!
Thanks for chiming in John, The LG thing weas over before it started many years ago. Mark is under NDA with Maserati and Lambo, Fiat and a few other auto manufacturers bringing his expertise there where they are not constrained bu the "Old way" , and they are able to embrace new tech.
my jc 2 needs repair hehe
I cant imagine its hard to fiix..
really its modular I do remember loving it detailed but thin soundingn transparant
phono wasnt bad has an a4e card
People should do some research into some of his former companies. He's all about max profit so I don't know this guy you just interviewed. Red Rose Music used to get gear from China and qadruple the price once Mark had it imported.
Lol you think he did anything different from the rest of the industry at the time ? not at all, its still regular protocol my man, buy cheap crap from China and mark it up like nuts , thing was they were tuned by mark and read any of the reviews, people loved them. Besides hid dtore was in Manhattan next to the art Museum, trust me most all of the people that bought had no problem with the cost. He was able to do it and make peopel happy because it sounded great, the thing I have a problem with is when people get sold a bill of overpriced goods and they do not get the performance they were told they would get..
@@OCDHIFiGuy Listen I've been around this business for 40 years. Listen to what he says in this interview and it's 180 degrees from what he has done in the past. I know how business works. There are honourable people in business and there are others that aren't.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt If you think profiting 4X cost is dishonorable then every big name company is guilty, that is the exact formula they use. Now lets get beside the profit game , as every big name company is guilty, now lets look at the product firsts Mark left in his legacy, not only did MLAS pioneer what many consider the first true high end preamplifier but take a look at Cello, still considered to represent the pinnacle of High end Audio. Some Mastering Studios still to this day use Cello. If theres one thing Ive learned over the years, its that Mark has a group of people that are Mark Haters, for whatever reason, most likely because he made a ton of money, married Kim Cattral, lived in the Hamptons, had a Fountain Speedboat, drove an Aston Martin, and is the single most well known name in High End after being in Lexus cars and all the other stuff.. so there were haters as usual.. Funny you should point out Mark, How about Dan DAgostino with his $250K amp, Mark never had any amp close to that expensive. so Im sorry but I dont see anything different about Mark than any dude that is old school HiFi.. Other than he was more sucessful, and yeah he was a cocky dick to people sometimes, he has no patience for stupid questions ..what can I say... Go meet the asshole that founded Boulder Amps.
my jc 2 needs work
Mark Levinson Amps used to be the cream of the crop and only costed double that of a top of the line Japanese stereo receiver back in the day but, worth every penny. Now they are just criminally overpriced for what they are. Mind numbingly expensive amps that are not worth its weight in gold, shame on the corporate conglomerate that stole mark levinson from mark levinson.
I might value what Mark Levinson has to say about Audio than just about any of the "Audio Mafia" (Why do they always have to bring the Mafia into things; They just take care of their own Business in an efficient manner). Mark doesn't have any reason to create any 'Mystique' about Audio when he talks about it (He probably found out he gets more satisfaction with "Red Rose Music" then he ever did being in the Equipment Industry "Game")
Hes just saying that its a racket. I agree. when you go up the line and analyze this industry, its total bullshit. People are sold crappy HiFi for way too much money. , but they dont know any better , because they trust the guys who spend the most money on advertising.. Just think of how many shows youve been to where the $100K plus rig sounds like crap... every show I would say. These companies do whatever they can to keep, you , the listener, uneducated about whats important for hifi... The herd gets distracted my things like MQA, that dont matter one bit. If you are hearing mystique perhaps its due to my edit . Theres no mystique. Basically he is saying unless you are using class D amps with DSP you are using old ass technology warmed over and polished. I am aware of this but I'm not ready to give up yet . I already am exclusive USA seller for the most advanced audio amplifier anyone has ever heard. I demonstrate it , tell people about it , but it is too advanced for people to understand, they dont get it . One client I sent a set on monos to , told me its "too good" I dont trust it. Because all the distortion is gone. Its clear that nothing else sounds like thy do. but what does the market get excited for ? The 250K , 250 LB D'Agostino, HOG with lipstick, look inside, its 1984 Krell technology. Its absolutely stupid to build like that based on whats available today, but that amp comapny makes tons of money from audiophiles being retarded in thier awareness of what true engineering is .. Capiche ?
Heh,heh........You're preaching to (less knowledgeable) the choir ! Thanks Mikey!
@@steveassante6797 great ! Afflicted minds think alike ! Down with the man ! Up with the Peeps !;-)
Why did he flee the U.S.?
Shit where do I begin ? How bout I just stop at McDonalds ?
He owes hundreds of thousands of dollars federal taxes and staff salary and was sued hence he fled the US and does not return.
Yep, you need a haircut and maybe a shave too... ;o) Great video though!
I think shower as well.. lol
@@OCDHIFiGuy On TH-cam you have sound and vision, but thank God, no smell... yet... ;o)
Like PONO? Funny stuff
PONO was a valiant effort but before its time
@@OCDHIFiGuy Pono was DOA...Digital audio came to be main stream and take over with the introduction of the Philips CD in the 80's..., it changed everything after are just , either hacks trying to market nonsense, or a few legit improvements on the original idea...most are BS. A portable digital player is not anything new....Neil Young is another nudnick, who thinks he's smarter than the rest, FAIL. And it was found lots of his recordings where just CD quality anyway, it was all BS. DSD was an improvement, and of course it was introduced when teh CD basic patents where coming to an end, they wanted to keep the money stream coming, it didn't take off, cus CD quality if just fine..
Grow your hair longer. You can then join a Queen look-a-like band as Brian May.
LOL, stop egging my inner kid to rebel.. I fight it ev
ery day..lol
smaller better faster SS who knew?
Cool, huh ??
Merle Rhodium
ML has always made very fine sounding gear with or without Mark; if you don't believe me you should give the new no.519 player a spin, you would adore it... And on balance I think their decision way back to keep the name was probably an error because it has always given people a lazy excuse to say that they aren't the same company as when the founder was at the helm.
As for Mark's criticism of magazines & manufacturers being locked together in some kind of money-spinning cartel it just doesn't stand up to the evidence. Apart from anything else NOBODY gets into the hi-fi game anymore to get rich. If that's what you want, and you're smart, there are a million better options. In reality most people in the industry are just like you or me - passionate about music & sound & the hobby.
Hi Bill, thanks for posting your comment. I would in fact be willing to listen and share an opinion. In regard to the founder being at the helm, I find its a huge part of the overall efficacy of the product. I say that because HiFi is either effective at connecting us to the music in a real way or its not. There are different motivations between the CEO of a publicly traded corporation and the founder of a self owned music playback equipment company. One of them is a slave to the board and that monkey boy better bring more profit each quarter or hes fired. Most of these CEOs are actually bona fide Psychopaths. Evidently being a Psycho makes you good at corporate CEO. They are best at making profit. that is a lot different than someone wanting to make a statement about HiFi. The passion is with the founder , not with the corporate entity. They trim costs, while the passionate spend whatever it takes to make the product sound a certain way. So if we are to generalize I feel its safe to say large conglomerate audio corporations have no soul and no passion for music , the owner operators make far better products in terms of sonic. So to me, any of the big names are crossed off my list for the most part. Theyve all been homogenized and castrated and diluted and finally relegated to making mainstream widgets. These corporations cant do anything else. They are entrenched in Audio and must stay here. Harmann international group is not making tons of money ? Of course they are, its in the billions. Nobody comes here to get rich, they stay here to get rich.
As far as the cartel thing Bill, please tell me how you could review a product made by the same guy that sends you cash every month, and remain unbiased ? Quite literally impossible. its the same as I pay you for good reviews. On the other hand youve got the stores that sell the gear. These guys pay you loads of cash every month as well. Youre interest is keeping those revenue streams intact. Theres no way around that truth. whats the absolute best way to keep those income streams protected ? Review the shit the store sells. It does not take a genius here c'mon.. Magazines take care of thier advertisers, they do not review the best gear made, they review the gear that only the biggest the stores sell. And the reviews are ALWAYS good.. go figure lol... this is the evidence.. follow the money..
@@OCDHIFiGuy Thanks for the thoughtful reply, appreciate it.
You can likely guess that we are going to have to agree to disagree to some extent at least😉
-Harman make billions, yes, but it's not from ML hi-fi or big JBL speakers. It's from car stereos and bluetooth boom boxes. In a way I'm almost surprised they are still bothering with the high-end at all but it's a good thing they are. Think of the huge R&D resources that can be pooled between all of their companies, and if ML gets access to even a fraction of that it surely put them well ahead of 90% of the competition. I mean do you honestly think Sony or Panasonic have no talented audio guys working for them, have you heard TAD? It sounds stunning, and uses cutting edge tech only a huge outfit (Pioneer) could afford to develop. Didn't you meet any great engineers when collaborating with Samsung?
- On the magazine front I do hear you, but think you're exaggerating. I mean it's not that hard to find critical reviews if you look hard enough for them. As for most of them being positive, I would say that's because most gear is pretty accomplished nowadays and the real dogs get weeded out pretty quickly.
-Finally, on the subject of Mark himself. I've spoken to quite a few people who worked with him during the ML heyday and the description of him that always crops up is 'an amazing salesman'. He's clearly a bright intriguing character but here he is selling an paradigm shifting solution that only he has access to. Sound familiar?
Keep up the good work, I enjoy your content and the fact you listen to real music and not just the usual audiophile suspects.
@@billarmstrong5568 For sure man,. its easy to determine when someone is being sincere and has clean intent and I got that from you off the cuff. I freaking love TAD, my favorite Box speaker for sure. Its really too bad they closed it down. OK so if ML is a trickle for Harman then even more reason why they would not care so much about it. The DAC with ARM based streaming board 519 I would love to check out. $20K and no DSD256, the Audiophile staple. ? $20K and it will not hold a library of music ? Id still give it a chance but I dont believe in it. Like I'm not buying what they are saying . I just watched the 3 engineers from HQ talk about their creation, the lead guy says "probably the most advanced in all of Harmann... but bless thier hearts , nobody had a facial expression of excitement about the new groundbreaking product ? maybe because they know its borrowed tech from a Car Stereo ? lol, I had to take the stab because it may not be that far from the truth if thier highest profit comes from Auto, then thats where the sharpest engineers are and what they are throwing cash into. Harmann should know better than to put engineers out front repping the new product. If Harmann is like any corporation Ive ever been fired from, they tried to frame the video up like Harmann was doing something cool for them, so in other words, its part of their bonus. I love Engineers and I kinda felt bad for those dudes.. I hope they get paid well.. Soooo much more fun to work at a company like Pass labs for instance..Manley... another probably fun as shit atmosphere. Mark is by far the best salesman Ive ever freaking met. Its the eyebrows that are so expressive I go under his spell and the next thing you know I'm putting my company on the back burner to evangelize the God particle for free along with Mark. lol, for real though , I hear you and its wy I used the words claimed when speaking of what he is saying. He is smart. I do not think he is a businessman at all. He is 100% vested in what he does so his rhetoric is from the heart. Look at his smile , it comes easily, its not contrived. He is telling you a story that he knows to be true. Its called perception and no 2 humans have the same, Mark is an enthusiastic, likeable guy. Theres something in him that others want. He doesnt have desire to convince anybody or sell to them. He is a storyteller, its easy to see. If we were a tribe he would be the guy telling the stories around the fire. Hes like Kokopelli the more I think of it. Because he has got some game with the women, which is pure joy for me to observe. Gentleman style. lol So yeah theres a story. Id rather have it come to me his way than the delivery of the Harman engineers. So keep on rockin in the free world, make sure to return Grandmas Ted Nugent album, and dont eat the yellow snow. or something like that.
@@OCDHIFiGuy Cool, always a good idea to stay away from the yellow snow!!
I'll keep in touch. I have a feeling that overall we would probably agree a lot more than not... Next time you're in Glasgow, Scotland I'll treat you to a few of the local single malts. We would have fun arguing about them too!
Keep up the good work 👍
@@billarmstrong5568 Well how about that ! Ive never been invited to Scotland.. We'd have to go see Tannoy. So... the question remains... Highland, Lowland, or Speyside ?
Can't give you 1000 thumbs up for this video....sorry!
It's fine. More than anything it's to lend cred to where I am within the industry. Deep. That's where I am. So when comparing channels etc. You'll know that I'm an inside guy, connected well. I've owned several manufacturers. Etc. I've got a patent on a connector design, yadda yadda yadda... I'm basically giving you guys background before my actions come. So you know I'm not just some yahoo... happy listening !
Come up with a way to have BS analysis software, label BS. And it seems to be coming from......here. Guy gonna get all spiritual, and Cult leader like?
Yep join the cult man, c'mon, everyone is doing it ... ,
Yep join the cult man, c'mon, everyone is doing it ... ,
Sounds very similar to Neil young and his stupid Pono, another one that was changing everything..NOT. So this guy is making what is already recorded better, AGAIN? Like so many before him
This sounds like the MQA scam 😂😂😂😂😂
Totally different. MQA truncated bits. This is simply EQ and another post process that does not compromise bit depth at all...
Analog master tape is OBSOLETE, Hissssssss, Reel-Reel is 1950's technology
So is a Ferarri 256 GTO, completely obsolete by todays standards.. LOL, look in the mirror and slap yourself. wake up ...
@@OCDHIFiGuy So are old Porsche, when new ones are much better than the old junk, yet idiots pay big buck$ for old junk cars, cus they are old, and the new versions are far superior to some old Porsche,
@@cengeb you just gave your age away little bro.. tape hiss is awesome.. My tapes with all thier hiss on My Studer A80 with custom outboard electronics eat CD alive. CD is compressed Caca compared to my fuzzy ass old hissy tape and vacuum tubes full of distortion. you dont get it do you .. its clear you are young because you do not understand vintage or nostalgia.. The old 356 Porches have ten times the class the new GT Cars do. Any lick knob can go fast for cheap,, buy a Gixxer. having a tape machine is distinguished gentleman level. The chicks dont even see it coming.. Until you pull out some Hef shit like a reel to reel...
@@OCDHIFiGuy OK, you drive an old obsolete Porsche 356, in the slow lane, I'll take the new Porsche...my Golf R makes a Porsche 356 look like the obsolete junk that it really is, it's worth money in the eyes of nitwits, ever wonder why they don't make them anymore? 911 currently made, is a car, not a lawnmower without the blade...all that old obsolete crap is just that CRAP....AM static on the radio listening to Cousin Brucie, yeah, real great, wait, he updated and is on Sirius, Cousins!
@@OCDHIFiGuy Yeah an old air cooled lawnmower, much better than a GT3 Porsche, of course, seek help
I got a 390S,one piece of crap,overpriced shit!
Gino, WTF is that ?
He is another of the same. He didn't invent CD, nor Cassette, nor video recording, he puts electronic parts in a box. like 10,000 other makers of the same stuff
Yeah, the only difference is he did it first. There is a reason his name is in Lexus Cars.
@@OCDHIFiGuy Every other brand is in every other car, and it's a failure, nobody cares, it's pure marketing BS. Panasonic and Clarion are in the majority of 10's of million$ of cars, most of the OEM brands, are Panasonic or Clarion....look into who actually makes most car radios and stereos around the world, sticking a name on something doesn't mean much, anymore. Actually BOSE probably did it first, with the MOST hype, all nonsense.
@@cengeb none of that matters my friend, the car has a little name badge that says Marks name, its in the manual... so hes NOT like everyone else is he ? Hes gotten WAY farther mileage off his name than any single person in HiFi history as far as thier actual name is concerned . There is no more well known name than Mark Levinson in all of HiFi. Thats my point nothing more.
His ears are fucked up. One is bigger and sticks out. Each product line he creates fails.