from goldenbright

Good sound; air, air, and lots of air; kind of a warm, fuzzy, musical, hot cocoa sound. Makes a great set of end tables if you don't have any.

Electricity bill

Bought these amps home. First impression: looks like desktop computer tower case. Argh! Very heavy; use a forklift if possible. Hooked them to my very detailed and musical Cerwin Vega Orange Speakers. Tried out my special reserve of audiophile revealing CD's & LP's. CD's used were Madonna's first album (lots of dance room feeling); Duran Duran (Simon Lebon has an amazing voice that tells about about a speaker's mid range); Ozzy Osborne (really shows the treble in Ozzy's voice) Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" (really sounds like music) and Chandos "Rimsky Korsakov Opera Suites" (really close to what a symphony orchestra sounds like). LP's used were "Saturday Night Live Soundtrack" (you can almost hear Travolta moving); Iron Butterfly "In A Gadda Da Vida" (real test of rock drums and electric guitar); Donnie an Marie Osmond "Live at the Republican Convention" (great for mixed male and female voices); Dave Brubeck "Take Five" (that sax kills me) and Mahler's "Symphony No. 8 - Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra" Deca Records (lets see equipment keep up with a thousand musicians).

Okay...After listening to the ML for a week started to notice interesting things in the music I didn't hear before. Like in Iron Butterfly's "In A Gadda Da Vida" you could hear the drummer taking a puff of something just before his solo. Eerie! And the weird part is that you could hear him exhalling after his solo was over. The drums sounded big and round, like he was really playing on some caveman period skins. Organ? It sounded just like the organ in Phantom of the Paradise or some monstrous Bach Tocatta. Just blew me away. Decided to try voices. Put on Donnie and Marie. You could hear Marie's voice and Donnie's voice blending beautifully and smooth. No grit, grain or strain here, just smooth music. Okay, let's try the ML on Classical. Put the RK "Mlada" disc on. Unbelievable, I always thought the trumpets in the "Procession of the Nobles" was really a clarinet! There was so much air around the instruments that you thought the stage was somewhere located 5 stories above you. And the soundstage was huge! I'm talking football field length depth.

Okay, so now I hooked my old 60's Radio Shack receiver to my speakers. And you know what? There wasn't much difference in the sound. Sure, the Radio Shack didn't have as much (hot) air around the instruments. But I could get several dozen of them and outfit my home and my relative's friend's homes. It's a very close call, but I have to give the ML the edge on this comparro.

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Shintobokukannka Amps

Sonically invisible, musically inviting, structurally handsome

It takes 3 people to uncrate them

These are huge, visually awe-inspiring amplifiers: about 3’ tall, 3’ deep, 1’ wide, and 375 pounds apiece! I find them very attractive, and more easily moved than many other large amps thanks to casters built into their feet. I wish I had known 8 years ago when Madrigal introduced these amplifiers just how incredibly good they were, because they make the No.333, which I purchased and later updated to No.333.5 status, sound woefully inept. The No.33s allow me to hear every detail and musical nuance present in my recordings. The usual sense of listening through electronics is almost entirely removed, and replaced by a stunning illusion of hearing live music in real space. All noteworthy aspects of amplifier performance (dynamics, extension, imaging, resolution, etc.) are impeccable, but they would mean nothing if they weren’t all blended in just the right way to best serve the music. I love these amps. They are classics in the best sense. Associated equipment: Magnepan MG20.1 loudspeakers, Mark Levinson No. 31.5 transport, No.360s DAC, No.32 preamp, SOTA Star Sapphire, SME V, Sumiko “Sho”, Magnum Dynalab “Etude”, Cardas “Golden Reference” (IC & SC), ASC “Tube Traps”, RPG Abfusors & Diffusers

Similar Products Used:

Mark Levinson No.333.5, Jeff Rowland Model 7s, Threshold S500 II, Audio Research Classic 150s, ARC & VTL M300s, Conrad Johnson MV50

To those guy who hold a reserved and critical view of this amp, I suggest them not to be prejudiced of its costly price but pay more attention on the sound it reproduces. Surely it is the most 'characterless' amp I have ever heard because what you hear is the mixture of sound reproduced by the front source, like CD, Pre-amp, even the interconnect.

Mark 33 really deserves the 'reference' quality by virtue of its capability of revealing even a small breath made by the instrumentalist in the recording, the drum kit in Jazz could sould as if the feeling of 'you are there', forget any sort of description about this amp because it just reflects what intention of record producers or timbre of instrument. Its colorless, transparent, neutral, well-tuned, fast, well-extended bass and treble set a benchmark which other counterparts must be measured against it. Any difference or subtle change could immediately be recognised without difficulty.

I know that the eloquence of my comment really depends on what sorts of other equipment you use, well I would suggest Mark No32 as pre-amp in order to derive the best of this stunning power-thrilling monster. The new Ayre DVD player or Madrigal transport+Theta Pro Generation Va(24 bit/96Khz) might be the more ideal partner of Digital source.
Speaker? Thiel, Audio Physic and Eggleston Works could be more suitable in this aspect, right now I'm using 33 to drive my Thiel 7.0 ( Madrigal Design Team uses it as a design tool)which give me just the music(or recording itself)without adding coloration or degrading the sound quality. However it could be too forward of its image and prespective, someone might dislike it. As a fans of Classical and Jazz, it just gives me pleasure and suprise since I listen more inner details, more harmonic dispersion, more dynamic from the records which I never ever experienced.

The drawback it has include the substantial consumption on electricity, also your listening space must be at least 600 square ft in order to accomodate such a powerful sound. All in all, it has been an immaculate and superb power amp I have ever owned in the aspect of sound quality, ambience and other hi-end essentials.

Unquestionably a fine amplifier. I heard a pair of them driving Wilson Audio Grand SLAMMs. Stability into low impedance loads and gobs of raw power. Fact of the matter is though, you can buy a great sounding amplifier with more power than you will ever need for a fraction of the cost of one of these puppies. Buy a good Harmon Kardon, NAD, or ADCOM and save the rest for a new car and some furniture. Then put the furniture in the huge space on the floor that would otherwise have been occuppied by the No.33s.

What should I call this one ? . Maybe Gump gets clue . The Mark Levinson No.33, Four hundred , twenty five pounds of pure brute forceWe are talking about a amp that could curdle milk , given the right circumstances.
The build is amazing ( it better be at 30k each ) . Well to make a ex
tremely long story short there will never be another amp to grace my listing room .
. Never this thing made everything from my Snell B 's to My alternate canton Ergo 91's sing
the staging was flawless , Although i must warn all of those out there that are looking at one ( or two ) it will bring out every flaw in your system . If you present this amp with a signal that lacks something that makes purity part of music , it will make you aware and it's so sure about itself that it doesn't do it sutlby ( I didn't spelltjhat right did i ) . It actaully made me change my cables twice . In order to find the perfect pair .
I swear to you there is nothing on earth as authoritative as a ML no.33 on a pair of Snell B minor. It's almost scary how it sounds on a pair of canton Ergo 91 's . talk about a amp that knows it alive clicking . I have one bone to pick though it really wasn't as laidback as i thought it be but then again it is a Levinson reference .
Ever since i started out in AV I been looking for that time that i cry during a emotinal passage . I mean to actaually have tears come from my eyes . Sure I've gotten goosebumps but never cried . After hearing Pucchini on my Referenece system I CRied . I am a Grown MAN and I sat thier and Cried . ( sure i was a little tippy from the Bailey's Cream , but still I tell you I cried. Go ahead ask my wife
I remeber her looking at me after leaving my room . with tears in my eyes and saying to me ." You are one sick Nut". I just sat thier and hugged simply because I just heard Pucchini on the most Delicuios Vinyl ever . My ears smiled that night . and i have no way to ever stop that memory . ( what ever little thier is
I have one thing to say . mark levinson makes the best componets on the planet and there is no onw that can say differently .

I guess I’m going to enter the fray concerning the Levinson No33 Monoblocks. I had the chance to listen to them recently under excellent conditions and found them to be the least-fatiguing solid-state amplifiers I have ever heard. I’m a tube guy, so that’s saying a lot. The Levinsons were hooked up a pair of Theil CS6s and showed no signs of strain in handling that difficult load. I know a lot of people who consider Thiels ragged at the top end, but none of that was apparent with this combination. I believe this is indicative of the crystalline tonal character of the Levinsons. The overall impression was limitless reserves of clean effortless power. I wish I could add more about the sound of these spectacular amplifiers, but since I have little familiarity with the Thiels and the Wadia transport and DA converter used with them, I had few reference points to go by. Suffice to say, these amps are amazing.
Now about the price: is $32,000 a lot for an amplifier? Heck yes it is! But you have to consider that outrageous price tag in light of what these monoblocks are: a statement product. Almost every high-end manufacturer will produce one of these to display what is their vision of the state-of-the-art. This means that when these products are designed, cost is no object of consideration. The price tag is an after thought. Other products in this category are the Audio Note Ongaku, the Wilson Grand Slamm, the Audio Research Reference Products, and the Platinum Audio Air Pulse 3.1. I’m sure Madrigal doesn’t plan to sell many of these amps, but that is not the point. By building a product like this, the manufacturer learns many things that are later incorporated in less costly designs. I liken these statement products to the show cars produced by the auto makers. The only difference is that you can buy one if you wish. I certainly won’t judge anyone for buying such a product, as long as they derive enjoyment from using it, and don’t let it languish in a room to impress their friends.

I must interject into this little diatribe a comment concerning some of the reviews personally attacking those who may have a view different from their own. This kind of denigration is completely unnecessary and out of place in a forum such as this. If you don’t like the product, fine, then give your reasons and leave it at that. But don’t call someone stupid if they think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread and you don’t. Everyone has a set of standards that they must live by to make them happy. If someone can’t hear the difference between a $200 receiver and a $10,000 amplifier, I have no problem with that. They certainly won’t need to spend as much on a stereo system as I will to make them happy!

Now I am through talking on my soap box. Let me finish by saying that based on pure performance, the Levinson No33 Monoblocks are five-star products. From a price per performance evaluation, they can not compare to many much-less priced amplifiers. As I said, that’s not what they’re shooting for. I think a lot of people become discouraged whenever they see mind-blowing price tags like this. Musical happiness can be found for much less. The Levinson No33 Monoblocks are a symbol of what is possible in the solid-state amplification realm. Whether they are worth it, is up to you.

Yep! they're one fine pair of amplifiers, but sorry! nope, they're not worth shelling out 32,000 in any possible reason. You obviously pay for the name and huge aluminum chassis, that's all, which have so little to do with the sound, for the same money you probably can buy a brand new 98 Acura TL series and that use more metal with inline 5 cylinder engine that really takes you somewhere( actually cd player included; that means music too). Merely for the sound five stars, but for being overpriced two star, many amps can do as good but much less.

Auditioned the ML No. 33 in the ultimate Levinson lover's dream system - Nos. 31.5, 30.5, 38S. Thiel CS7 speakers, Siltech interconnects. Looking at the system, I thought that it would blow me away - it did represent one manufacturer's statement of state of the art audio reproduction. Plus I had very good memories of Levinson's previous reference amps, the No. 20.6.
I could believe that these amps represent the state of the art. They certainly look the part. Unbelievably wide soundstage. Amazing imaging. Bags of power. Amps never sounded remotely strained.

The problem was that the whole presentation was slightly messy. No matter what CD I tried, it always sounded a bit messy. Which IMO is unacceptable in a system costing as much as this one did.

I like ML products, but as I was actually contemplating purchasing these amps, I did my best to listen to them in a totally objective way. Which is why I could not buy them in the end. It does a lot of things incredibly well, and is one of the best amps I have had the pleasure of listening to. However, something about it just rubbed me the wrong way.

Perhaps it was cold, or had not been fully run in. However the salesman was slightly unprofessional and could not accept that it did not sound better than anything else I had ever heard - he did not attempt to explain my reservations.

I had a chance to audition the ML33 with the referance CD player & D/A converted with transparent referance XL cable & Reveal $14k speakers.
this is definately one of the best systems I have heard, I've been very impressed with the mark levinson equipment.. 5stars for music quality 1 star for price.

I finally purchased the Proceed AMP5 since it contains "all in one" for 5channels.