Introduction
I think all audiophiles know the name Mark Levinson, and I don't mean
because the founder used to be married to a movie star (Mark Levinson the
person is no longer affiliated with the Mark Levinson brand, now owned by
Harman International).
Levinson gear is renown. Quality with no compromise.
It's all solid state, and restricted to players, preamplifiers, surround
sound processors, and amplifiers. No speakers, no accessories. Just the main
stuff.
You won't find Levinson in electronics stores like Circuit City or Fry's.
Not that they don't carry excellent quality hi-fi. It is just that Levinson
equipment, because there are no compromises, is very, very expensive. As a
result, the customer base is limited. So, you have to look in the dedicated
high end shops.
If you are familiar with their product line, you know about the legendary
No 32 preamplifier. It is in two chassis: one for the
control (input selector, volume, etc.) and the other for the audio
circuitry. At $15,950, it is for the connoisseur.
The No 436S preamplifier, a more recent product, has
the features of the No 32, but it is all in one chassis.
As you will find in the Bench Tests, it performed so well, I can't see how
anything might be compromised compared to the No 32. The
specifications - besides the $5,000 price difference - indicate that the No
32 has somewhat less residual noise because of the two chassis separating
the power supply and the audio circuitry. But that seems to be about all.
Since the noise of the No 326S is - 94 dB, well, that is
still way below my ability to hear it. Even the output is about the same: 16
volts RMS. This is really a lot of potential output, but you will likely
never need more than about 3 or 4 volts, which is well within the linear
range of both preamplifiers.
The Layout
The front panel of the No 326S is simple.
Click on the photo above to see a larger
version.
Starting from the left are the Power On/Off button, the Input Selector,
Setup, Enter (Setup and Enter are used to go through the configuration
menu), Display Intensity, Balance, and Mute. Then comes the Volume Control
and Standby button.
Each input is configurable with 0 (Unity), +6, +12, or +18 dB of gain.
This takes into account the variable output between numerous sources.
The rear panel has the inputs and outputs for each channel on opposite
sides, because it is a dual-mono design (pure Class A, fully balanced).
Click on the photo above to see a larger
version.
There are three XLR inputs, four RCA inputs, one XLR output, and one RCA
output for each channel. There is also a record loop for each channel. A set
of RJ-45 communication jacks lets you connect other components to the 326S,
such as power amplifiers, so that when you turn on the preamplifier, the
other components power up as well.
The inside of the chassis is packed with electronic components. No space
is wasted here.
The remote control is heavy in spite of there not being many buttons on
it.
The remote functions reproduce what is available from the front panel
buttons.
Click Here to Go to Part II.