Karma-AV is has announced the availability of the Mark Levinson № 519 Audio Player. They say, “The № 519 has the ability to play virtually any digital audio format and provides a full complement of wired and wireless digital audio inputs from USB asynchronous streaming and mass storage, Gigabit Ethernet, Balanced, Optical, Coaxial, Wi-Fi, aptX® Bluetooth, and an integrated slot-loading CD player. In addition, the № 519 includes high-performance headphone connectivity and integrated digital volume control allowing it to serve as a fully integrated digital music source”.

Designed and engineered at HARMAN’s Engineering Centre of Excellence in Shelton, CT, USA, the Mark Levinson № 519 offers high-resolution digital decoding up to 32-bit/192kHz from PCM and double-speed DSD. Its Precision Link DAC, complete with three selectable filter settings, incorporates an ESS Sabre32 Reference converter for “superlative musical accuracy with exceptional resolution and dynamic range”.

The № 519 houses a complete, embedded Precision Stream Linux® computer running a custom Mark Levinson version of the operating system. It provides access to a wide range of embedded streaming music services including Spotify Connect, TIDAL, QOBUZ, Deezer®, Rhapsody® or Napster®, and a large evolving library of internet radio stations and podcasts for the virtually limitless discovery of new music. Feature and content portfolios will expand with software updates over network or via USB drive. For listeners whose libraries contain older or lower resolution content, the № 519 contains HARMAN Clari-Fi® music restoration technology, which rebuilds musicality and detail lost in the compression process. The № 519 employs a Mark Levinson Pure Path circuit design featuring a discrete, direct coupled, fully balanced, dual-monaural signal path offering balanced and single-ended analogue outputs, balanced, optical and coaxial digital outputs and a high-performance headphone output integrated with the front panel. Digital volume control enables usage as a standalone music playback device connected directly to a power amplifier or active loudspeakers, and selectable low-pass filtering enables the unbalanced outputs to be used for subwoofer integration.

The № 519 features a 6000-series aluminium housing in black with silver trim. The № 519 can be operated from its large, front-panel colour display, included remote control, Apple iOS® and Google Android™ apps, all major web browsers and also through a comprehensive range of system integration connections. Like all Mark Levinson products, the № 519 is designed and handcrafted in the USA.

Mark Levinson No 519 Audio Player typical retail price inc VAT: £21,000. Availability: February 2017