Changing equipment, need your two cents worth. Pole

I was in my favorite salon on the weekend and happened along an integrated amp that impressed me. Since I'm In my late 50's I've been thinking about scaling down the main system the last few years but won't compromise sound quality to reach my goal. The idea of less box's, less cables and cords, and less problems intrigues me.
I would be trading-in an Ayre KX-R pre amp and a Levinson #532 power amp for a Levinson #585 integrated. The #585 also has a built in DAC so I would move my Audio Research DAC8 to another system.
I've only heard the integrated in a show-room environment so I would still need to bring it home for a couple weeks to do an in-house evaluation.

Give me your thoughts.
Thanks

 

Given how rapidly digital processing changes, I'd be loathe to buy a box that integrated the DAC. The idea of an integrated amp is cool, though. I always liked that killer VAC integrated that was discontinued a while ago- you know the one I mean? That would be worth investing in as a keeper if you could find one, and have it gone over at the factory. And as I recall, it should have enough power to drive most speakers....

 

Yeah I thought about the DAC being in the same box as not being a good thing too. There would be advantages, the main one being the interconnecting digital cable and connections. There's also the advantage of not having to perfectly match an outboard DAC.
I think the DAC technology has slowed down some and whats good now will always be good although not state of the art.

 

Tim - is the Levinson gear up to the standard and sound quality of their equipment from even 10 years ago? It seems it doesn't have the reputation in the high end that it used to. What do you think?

- Buck

 

Know what your saying and although Levinson has much more competition now I'm still very impressed with what I hear, and after four decades of audiofilia I'm not easily impressed.

 

Tim's question is a good one. The other thought, raised by your suggestion of the benefit of eliminating a step in cabling, is the potential downside of having the digital processing as part an analog box. I don't use digital in my main system, but I thought it was pretty well accepted that you needed to isolate the digital stuff from the analog side in all events, and having them on one chassis? could add to issues? Dunno. I'm speculating here.

 

I like that my integrated has a nice set of balanced inputs with their own tube. I'll likely use these for a digital input at some point.

 

Good point Bill. I'll be removing the top cover to see how the've isolated the digital domain when I get a unit home for a real audition. I just can't see a company like Levinson, one of the originators of high-end digital, not finding a way to overcome the problem before offering it on the retail market. Lets keep in mind that all digital components including DAC's have analog as well as digital stages and circuitry.

 

I'm sorta shocked though that the digital section isn't a replaceable/upgradable module, like NAD and probably others do. DAC tech is improving every year it seems.

 

Agreed, and as Bill mentioned above the DAC may be outdated before the amp/preamp section. But if it sounds good now will it still sound good in 5 or 10 years. I'm not one to pursue the flavor of the month.
How many vintage tube amps are outdated, but still sound good ?

 

Will sound just as good with music you currently have. But perhaps in 3 years the future of music is much higher resolution than current high res, in a brand new compression format over gigabit wireless for every album ever made.. and not available to this machine. Maybe. Anyway, we both may be dead in 3 years, so enjoy all you can now!

 

Pole? Not sure I get it. Polish? That would be Lampizator.

 

Not likely in the next three years, maybe in 30. Even at that rate I'll still have a pretty awesome integrated with a DAC that might only be good enough for movies and other such rubble.

 

My two cents? Check out the Hegel line of integrateds (H80/H160/H300). They are a great way to "downsize" components without giving up high end sound. They have really sweet DACs as well.

 

He means 'poll'!

As to the OP's question, since you are considering a $12k integrated/DAC combo, you might want to consider the $12k Pass Labs INT-250 and leave the DAC change to another day. I know this won't reduce the cabling/number of units as much, but you will get killer sound/control.

 

Isn't Levinson mostly a car audio line now?

 

That is my second choice, very very nice sounding but still second.

 

I say do it. Fewer boxes and cable connection points can only be a good thing. I don't buy into this idea that DAC's will keep evolving and something that sounds great today will be poor quality in a couple years due to advancement in technology. and it not like you couldn't buy a new DAC in a couple years and us the line in on the receiver.

 

Another alternative, ditch the power amp. and speakers, and buy some active ATC 150s, that will also simplify things. Your Ayre pre-amp. has balanced connections, so no problems with a pair of long balanced lines to the speakers (and you won't need to spend a ton on the balanced cables!). Steve Hoffman himself raved about the ATCs.

 

I say do it. I've recently been trying to move towards more integrated options and I've been very happy with the outcome. If it sounds good now it will still sound good in a few years.

 

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

 

Levinson # 585

 

Demoed Ayre's new AX5 ( twenty) today, wow.
Anybody else hear this one ?

 

DACs outdated? No. Well, yes. But no!

I would say that the basic audio performance limits have been reached-at least as far as measurable things-in a few cases, like MSB. It's really the software "flavor of the month" side that has become subject to oblivionation. Oh, your DAC won't do triple DSD True Master MP3++? Too bad.

A DAC that sounds good today should still sound good down the road, but might not be able to decode some new format. Then again, do any of these DACs decode stuff that receivers take for granted?

Just ruminating, I'm wondering if it is even possible to enjoy Blu-ray audio through a DAC without HDMI? Haven't the players sunset-ed optical and coax outputs by now?