science

Mark Levinson Audio Systems

Mark Levinson Audio Systems is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mark Levinson Audio Systems rather than just read about it. In short: Mark Levinson is an American high-end audio equipment brand established in 1972 by eponymous founder Mark Levinson, and based in Stamford, Connecticut. It is owned by Harman International Industries, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

Key takeaways

Mark Levinson Audio Systems belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mark Levinson Audio Systems to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mark Levinson Audio Systems from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mark Levinson is an American high-end audio equipment brand established in 1972 by eponymous founder Mark Levinson, and based in Stamford, Connecticut. It is owned by Harman International Industries, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

History Mark Levinson Audio Systems Ltd. (MLAS) was founded in 1972 in Woodbridge, Connecticut (a suburb of New Haven) by Mark Levinson. Original MLAS products were designed by John Curl (Hence the JC abbreviation to many of the early products) under the supervision of Mark Levinson, with a team of associates. Audio pioneer Dick Burwen, Levinson’s first electronics mentor, helped Levinson start the company with the iconic LNP-2 Preamplifier. Chief Engineer Tom Colangelo, who brought visionary audio circuitry to the company, died in a tragic car accident in 2007. By 1980, MLAS was in serious financial trouble. Levinson then asked Sandy Berlin, a retired executive in the audio industry, to invest in MLAS and to aid in the management of the company, which Berlin did, personally investing $480,000 in the company and persuading several others to invest an additional $300,000. At Berlin's request, Levinson entered into an Employment Agreement with MLAS from December 1980, under which Levinson agreed to convey to MLAS the permanent and exclusive right, title and interest to the trade name "Mark Levinson". He also agreed that, should he leave MLAS's employ, he would not engage in the audio business "anywhere in the world". In October 1984, three creditors forced MLAS into bankruptcy and Mark Levinson Audio Systems, Ltd. ceased to exist, with Madrigal Audio Labs acquiring "all of [MLAS'] equipment, inventory, parts, finished and semi-finished goods, office furniture, blueprints and trademark and tradename rights including those arising under agreement between Mark Levinson and MLAS.

Since 1990, the Mark Levinson brand and trade name have been property of Harman International Industries. Mark Levinson produces audio amplifiers and digital audio processors that have a characteristic black anodized chassis, a design associated with the brand since the beginning. Harman also makes Mark Levinson audio systems as an optional upgrade for Lexus luxury automobiles. Harman's Mark Levinson automotive audio systems are designed in collaboration with sound, electrical, and design engineers who produce Mark Levinson audio electronics. Certain Lexus models have featured Mark Levinson sound systems as an option since 2001, with prices varying based on the vehicle and its specific components (~US$2,500 for the LS 460, ~US$1,600 for the ES 350, ~US$1,440 for the IS 350, etc.). The first Mark Levinson car 5.1 surround sound system appeared on the Toyota Crown Majesta in 2004. Current US Lexus models available with the Mark Levinson Audio System include: CT200h, IS 250/300h, GS 300h/450h, RC & RC F, NX 300h, RX450h, LS460/600h.

Equipment history Source:

Amplifiers ML-2, a Class A Mono Amplifier with 25 Watts output power at 8 Ohms, regulated power supply for output section and modular construction. ML-3, a Class AB Power Amplifier with 2 x 200 Watts output power at 8 Ohms in a dual mono construction. ML-9, a Class AB Power Amplifier with 2 x 100 Watts output power at 8 Ohms. ML-11, a Class AB Power Amplifier with 2 x 50 Watts output power at 8 Ohms.

Preamplifiers LNP-1 Preamplifier, prototype LNP-2 Professional Preamplifier JC-1 Moving Coil Cartridge Preamplifier JC-1AC Moving Coil Cartridge Preamplifier with battery JC-2 Straightline Preamplifier ML-1 Preamplifier ML-6, ML-6A, ML-6B Preamplifier ML-7, ML-7A Preamplifier ML-8 Microphone Preamplifier ML-10, ML-10A Preamplifier ML-12, ML-12A Preamplifier

Design credits LNP-1 and 2, Dick Burwen and Mark Levinson JC-1 and JC-2, John Curl ML-1 and ML-2, John Curl and Thomas Colangelo ML-3 through ML-12A, Thomas Colangelo

Power Supplies PLS-150, for LNP-2 JC-2, ML-1 and LNC-2 PLS-151, for LNP-2, ML-1, ML-6 and LNC-2 PLS-153L (Japanese version of PLS 151) PLS-154, for, ML-6A and 6B, ML-7 and 7A PLS-124, for ML-12A (the ML-12 preamplifier was powered by two umbilical cables from the ML-11 power amplifier.)

Crossovers LNC-2 Electronic Crossover

Tape Machines ML-5 modified Studer A-80 professional tape recorder with custom electronics

System Mark Levinson HQD System The HQD was Levinson’s tri-amped active replay system. Each of the two channels comprises a woofer using a 24-inch Hartley drive unit, a pair of stacked Quad electrostatic speakers for the midrange and between the two Quad speakers a Decca (Kelly) ribbon tweeter for the treble, the latter modified by having the horn removed. Each speaker was driven by a separate ML-2 amplifier fed by a LNC-2, this in turn being fed by an ML-1 preamp.

References

External links

Mark Levinson Audio Systems Ltd. vintage audio gear Daniel Hertz SA official website Music Man - A Brief Biography of Mark Levinson by Barry Willis

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mark Levinson Audio Systems

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mark Levinson Audio Systems claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mark Levinson Audio Systems before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mark Levinson Audio Systems ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mark Levinson Audio Systems

In research: Mark Levinson Audio Systems appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mark Levinson Audio Systems in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mark Levinson Audio Systems is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1972 establishments in Connecticut, Audio amplifier manufacturers, Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mark Levinson Audio Systems outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mark Levinson Audio Systems in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mark Levinson Audio Systems means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Mark Levinson Audio Systems in simple terms?

Why does Mark Levinson Audio Systems matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mark Levinson Audio Systems?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mark Levinson Audio Systems.