One-box integrated amplifier like Levinson 5805 - thoughts? suggestions?

I'm curious to hear what folks think about "one-box" integrated amplifiers that include a phono stage and DAC.

I've started considering the Mark Levinson No. 5805, which combines a MM/MC phono and DAC. My primary reason for this is I live in a small home (850 square feet total living space), and my rig takes up a fair amount of space: LFD NCSE MkII integrated driving a pair of Spendor D7 speakers, with an Aurender N100 digital media player, Exogal Comet Plus DAC, Graham Slee Reflex M phono, and a Thorens TD160 Super Reproduction.

I am quite happy with the sound of this system; as I mention, my only reason for considering a change is to save some space -- the Levinson (or similar) would eliminate the Exogal and the Slee and their external power supplies, along with their related interconnects and power cords.

The Levinson gets top reviews (Stereophile 2020 Class A recommended component, 5 starts from What HiFI, etc.) and I'm sure there are others in that price range worth considering. The Levinson retails for $8500, although I've seen pre-owned examples for about half that on Audiogon.

Anyone have any thoughts or experience going from separate components to a one-box solution, and/or experience with the Levinson specifically? Any other integrated amps worth considering? Or am I better off leaving well enough alone?

 

I've always been fond of integrated amps partly due to space considerations. My current one is the first to have a DAC, though I still use an outboard phono pre. When choosing a transport I went with a half width design because with everything else it was the only thing that would fit but luckily I didn't have to make any trade offs in performance. With integrateds you definitely get what you pay for and I'm sure the Levinson is among the best in its price category. Have you looked at the McIntosh MA8900 for similar money?

 

I hadn't... Until now. That's another one to consider. Thank you for the recommendation!

 

I would just like to add, in the McIntosh line the MAC7200 would trade the 5 band EQ on the 8900 for a very good am/fm tuner. The units are equal otherwise. You should have a bunch of good radio stations in the Bay Area...

 

The Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe is another example of an all-in-one (including streamer!) that sounds great.

 

Aside from being exceptional values feature and performance wise the DACs are modular in an effort to make the amps future proof.

 

Up front I’m giving my 2 cents and saying I am in no way a fan of Levinson gear. I think it’s a bit too clean sounding like a recording studio. To my ears the humanness you would get with a Pass Labs, Marantz Reference or other such amp isn’t available with a Levinson product. You want speed, timbre, accuracy and great fidelity you have it, but a bit to clean sounding and no romance/soul, at least not to my ears. But to each his own. Also consider the following please, when making your decision. One of my close friends, sadly sold him nice Pass Labs gear in favor of Levinson gear. On 2 different occasions the Levinson gear developed issues. Each time it was repaired by Levinson. Not saying all Levinson gear has such issues, I have no way of seeing a report. He decided to move on from Levinson.

2 other USA solid state brands at that level of performance and build quality I have experienced are Pass Labs as well as CODA Technologies. Both offer very well respected integrated amps. Also know that the engineers/owners of CODA Technologies where also engineers with Nelson Pass while at Threshold back in the day

 

Hegel H390 has everything except the phono stage and the power will really wake up those excellent Spendors you have.

 

wow is that a pretty bit of kit

 

I came around to the same way of thinking about 4 years ago. Having separate, line level and phono-preamps and power amplifiers (monoblocks in my case) just took up too much space. Of course, you also need more interconnects. A friend of mine uses the top LAVARDIN integrated amplifier and has one of the sweetest sounding systems I have ever heard. I eventually bought a VITUS R-100 integrated and it has worked out very well. The only thing I miss is that I cannot connect my ALESSIS ML-9600 because there is no 'Tape Out' on the Vitus. I kept my Classé pre-amp and CAM-350 monoblocks and I am hoping to connect these up again soon. Hopefully, they will still work! But, yes I think it would be a good move and I am sure the Levinson integrated will sound great. Before settling on the Vitus, I too considered a Mark Levinson integrated, but I decided not to opt for it since it was an import and subject to high levels of import taxes. The Vitus is manufactured in Denmark which is in the European Union and that suited me better. Go for it, and good luck!

 

Darko of Darko.audio calls them super integrated amps.

Now we look to the integrated amplifier to do the heavy lifting: where pre- and power amplifier are conjoined internally to be fed by a single transformer. Add any combination of network streamer, DAC or phono stage – at least two of the three – and we have the super-integrated amplifier to which we just add loudspeakers.

He provides a good list in this article:
15 'must-hear' super-integrated amplifiers | Darko.Audio

I would say any integrated amp built after Jan 1, 2018, will likely have a DAC and/or phono stage except for the high end analog-only integrated amps (like those from Luxman).

Here are some brands that sell super integrated amps:
- NAD (M33)
- McIntosh (MA 7200 and above)
- Hegel
- Rotel
- Primare
- Linn
- Denon
- Marantz

 

Totally will second the Hegel. The H190 would be plenty for those D7. Coda and Pass Labs mentioned above are great. None though are all in one amps. A while back I was looking to simplify my system with either and all in one amp or even a pair of active speakers. The solutions I found were either going the McIntosh route or checking out the new Rotel Michi line, which I haven’t been able to do since the Canadian border is closed. Or going with a nice pair of actives from either Dynaudio or Dali and getting a nice phono preamp. In the end I went with a nice Yamaha integrated that has a great phono stage and a Bluesound node. But then decided I had to have a CD player so gave up on the idea.

 

I totally understand the desire for a great integrated. If I were starting now, with the budget I've sunk into gear, I might be tempted by a great Luxman integrated.

 

Thanks for the list, which included the Vinnie Rossi Lio. I started pondering this minimalist approach a few years ago when Rossi still offered the Lio, which is just gorgeous but was beyond my budget at the time. Alas, the L2 is well beyond my budget now.

 

I'd be interested in your LFD should you decide to move on...

 

The best way to get top performance is with a separate box designed and dedicated for each function, separated chassis and supplies and all that.

Oh no, wait, the best way to get top performance is everything in one chassis, connections and synergies engineered in, eliminating external variables.

 

I prefer to have everything separated but I have heard some all in one amps which were nice enough they were at a much lower price range than what you are talking about. A good quality all in one will have the advantage of less cables and a more direct signal path so what you lose in place you might gain in others.

 

Plus one on the Vitus suggestion (money where my mouth is - got a RI 101), but I didn't go for the DAC board as the current one is biased towards streaming and so lacked the "standard" digital inputs I need/want.

For me the lower shelf space requirements, not paying for extra casework, not needing extra bits of cable and the like make an integrated better bangs per buck than separates.

 

I have not heard the Levinson, but I'm familiar with the LFD. I'm thinking that what you have will sound better than the "all-in-one" super integrated. However, the trade-off is the space required. There's always a trade-off.

I wish there was the "magical" integrated that wouldn't compromise. This doesn't exist because everyone would have a different idea of what that would be. There wouldn't be many buyers for one model and thus too expensive to produce.

I go back and forth in my mind as well. Bummer.

 

I’ve always been partial to a good integrated, but your digital processor is one thing that you’re likely to upgrade long before your amp, so for that reason I would lean towards keeping them separate.

The nicest integrated amps I’ve ever heard were the Air-Tight ATM-300, The Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 the Krell FBI, the Dartzeel CTH-8550 and the Pass Labs INT25 or INT250.

But if you really want a one box solution covering digital, you should really hear the devialet expert 220 or 250. They really are something else.

 

That's a legitimate concern - the LFD is a fine amplifier that sounds lovely with my Spendors. I'm reluctant to change things up for that very reason.

Excellent point on the DAC / digital path being something most people would update before the amplifier. Another thing I could considered is a combined streamer / server / DAC that would combine the functionality of my Exogal and Aurender.

There's been a Krell FBI listed on Audiogon at $6k for a few months, and I have been intrigued but boy is that thing huge.

 

The FBI is a beast alright, but like most of Dan’s amps it not just about raw power. It has a remarkable delicacy to it’s sound.

 

I won't recommend an all-in-one with amp, dac, streamer etc.
Development runs much faster in streamer and dac world, amp not so.
But its very convenient to have all in one box, I use a Superuniti myself but would split boxes next.

 

Indeed: I once characterised the sound of the KAV 400 as having the power of a broadsword coupled with the speed and delicacy of a rapier (see also certain Scandinavian amps).

 

and those Scandinavian amps are... ?