The Linn Classik was preconditioned by being run at 1/3 full power for an hour, which maximally stresses the output stage. The blue-painted metal chassis was hot, though not so much that I couldn't keep my hand on it. All amplifier measurements were taken with the volume control set to its maximum setting of "100." The control operates in accurate 1dB steps, though a number of settings produced no change in level. Settings of "80," "79," and "78" were all equivalent to an attenuation of 14dB compared to full scale, for example. The unity gain…
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To capture the actual distortion waveform, I had to operate the amplifier at high power levels. Fig.12 shows the result at 73W into 4 ohms: the subjectively benign second harmonic is predominant, though some higher-order harmonics are also present. One odd characteristic was that as the amplifier approached clipping, some spikes started to appear in the distortion waveform (fig.13) and increased in level with time, suggesting a power supply operating with little margin. (The THD level in this measurement was 0.022%.) The Classik will not be an amplifier you turn to for sustained high-power…
I'd heard rumors about Peak Consult. John Marks was all a-burble, having reviewed the InCognito in "The Fifth Element" in the September 2003 Stereophile, but I'd never actually heard anything designed by PC's Per Kristoffersen. Therefore, when US distributor Chris Sommovigo proposed that I audition the $25,000/pair Empress, I was intrigued. Well, who wouldn't be?
But, as anyone who has ever been talked into a blind date will attest, getting fixed up with a complete stranger can be intimidating. Obviously, what I needed was the audio equivalent of the "safe" first date, hooking up in…
There are a host of other convenience features written into the '39's software—ranging from the ability of the player to teach its remote signals to a learning remote to a whole host of programming and playlist features. Now, I've never programmed a CD player to recognize my favorite software—I tend to either play discs straight through, or to jump around them according to the whims of a moment. But the '39 allows you to program polarity, either for the entire disc or track by track. That's a feature so useful that I might even be willing to program in my entire collection to take advantage…
For the first few weeks I auditioned the '39, that's what I did. With the Conrad-Johnson Premier Fourteen in the circuit as a preamp, I just loaded the discs into the drawer and hit Play. When it's used as a simple CD player, I couldn't fault the Levinson on any level. It sounded better with each succeeding day, but I can't claim it took long to break-in—three or four days, max.
Discs revealed the sort of tiny sonic details you'd expect a fine digital front-end to uncover. I heard plectra strike strings tentatively before the real attack, and I heard my share of stifled studio coughs and…
You'd be amazed at the silly—yet strangely useful—ways I found to benefit from the 0.1dB adjustability of the output. A few weeks ago I installed REL's $8000 Ariadne subwoofer in the system while my wife was out of town, then proceeded to go on a four-day bass binge. While playing back Michael Murray's recording of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in G (Bach at Zwolle, Telarc CD-83085) at house-shaking (but, I maintain, realistic) volume, I tripped a circuit-breaker. Using the variable output, I was able to find, within 0.1dB, the precise volume that would turn off my electricity. And it only took…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-chassis CD player with digital inputs and outputs, digital switching capabilities, and variable analog output. Volume control (attenuation) range: -61.2dB to +12dB. D/A conversion: dual-differential 20-bit DACs. Digital filter: 8x-oversampling, 24-bit configured for 20-bit output. Analog filter: Bessel-tuned linear phase to 40kHz. Input complement: one EIAJ optical digital input, one S/PDIF (RCA) digital input. Output complement: two male XLR balanced audio outputs, two RCA single-ended audio outputs, one AES/EBU (XLR) digital output, one S/…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
LP Playback: Linn LP12 turntable with Naim Armageddon Power Supply, Naim ARO tonearm, van den Hul Frog cartridge; VPI TNT Mk.III turntable with Immedia RPM tonearm, Lyra Clavis D cartridge.
Preamplifiers: Conrad-Johnson Premier Fourteen line-stage, Premier Fifteen phono section; Ayre K-1.
Power Amplifiers: Krell FPB 600; VTL Signature 750 monoblocks.
Cables: Kimber KCAG interconnects, Kimber Black Pearl speaker cables.
Accessories: Audio Power Industries Power Wedge 112; MIT Z-series power cables; Highwire Audio Power Wrap (on components with…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
I measured the No.39's performance from both its balanced and unbalanced outputs. Except where noted, my comments refer to the balanced outputs. The fixed output is set to 3.5V. Using the variable output, with the volume control set to its maximum position, the No.39 fed with a 1kHz, 0dBFS signal gave out an enormous 17.75V RMS (balanced), 8.87V RMS (unbalanced). Dropping the volume by an indicated 12.9dB on the display to "60.3" resulted in a -12.95dB drop to a more reasonable 4V (balanced) and 2V (unbalanced). Used without a preamp, the No.39 will have more than…
Fig.4 Mark Levinson No.39, balanced mode, departure from linearity (2dB/vertical div., right channel dashed).
Fig.5 Mark Levinson No.39, balanced mode, waveform of undithered 1kHz sinewave at -90.31dBFS (16-bit data).
It was not possible to measure the '39's jitter performance. However, Stereophile has recently acquired a Paul Miller analyser, which will allow us to measure the effects of word-clock jitter in the analog domain. We will look at the '39's performance in a Follow-Up.
Regarding distortion, this was very low. Fig.6 shows the spectrum of the…