The No 585 is engineered to be the finest integrated amplifier ever created by Mark Levinson and is the first of a new generation of products to be designed at HARMAN’s new state-of-the-art engineering facility located in Shelton, Connecticut.
It combines versatility with a Class AB amplifier delivering 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 350 watts per channel into 4 ohms and will accommodate a wide variety of digital music sources including high resolution 32-bit/192kHz computer audio and DSD over USB. In an industry first, the No 585 incorporates HARMAN Clari-Fi™ processing, which applies proprietary signal-enhancement techniques to “restore the sound quality of any compressed file format”.
The No 585 integrated amplifier is built using a heavy-gauge chassis and card-cage architecture to isolate critical low-level analogue and digital circuitry, which comprises audiophile-grade internal components and premium rear-panel connectors.
The No 585 offers six digital and four analogue inputs including USB, optical, coaxial, AES/EBU XLR and RCA. It employs fully discrete, mirror-imaged, dual-monaural analogue input and output circuitry, optimised for sonic integrity and uses individual signal switching relays for each of its four analogue stereo inputs: one XLR and three RCA. The volume controls use discrete 15-bit R-2R resistor ladder networks and low-noise analogue switches.
Its high-current, fully differential (balanced) Class AB power amplifier section utilises an oversized 900VA custom toroidal transformer with individual secondary windings for the left and right channels. Separate left and right channel regulated linear power supplies are used for all the analogue circuitry. Each amplifier channel employs 12 output transistors.
At the heart of the No. 585’s digital audio processing stage is an ESS Sabre 32-bit D/A converter with proprietary jitter elimination and fully balanced, discrete I/V (current-to-voltage) circuitry. The Cmedia USB audio processor is capable of asynchronous data transfer of high-resolution DSD and PCM files at up to 192kHz/32-bit resolution. For lower-resolution audio formats, HARMAN’s Clari-Fi signal processing reconstructs information and bandwidth that is lost in compressed file formats restoring higher-fidelity sound. Clari-Fi™ does not add equalization, bass boost, or other effects to the listening experience.
The No 585 provides a stereo preamp/subwoofer output with a selectable 80Hz high-pass filter for use in a properly implemented 2.1-channel system, and includes Ethernet, RS-232, IR and 12V trigger ports to facilitate its use audio/video installations with integrated systems control.
Typical retail price will be £10,500 and Mark Levinson No.585 Integrated Amplifier will be available December 2014.
You must be logged in to leave a reply.