In 1972, entrepreneur Mark Levinson founded one of the first US companies dedicated to high-end audio equipment in New Haven, Connecticut, which remains one of the most important Hi-Fi electronics producers today. Eight years later, he had to sell the company before it was finally acquired by Harman International Industries in 1990.
Incidentally, Harman offers Lexus car buyers the option to upgrade the integrated audio system with a Mark Levinson system, which underscores the excellent quality of these products.
The № 519 is a modern playback device that offers a CD player for Red Book standard and MP3 CDs, as well as various digital and analog connections. Integrated centrally into the elegant black aluminum chassis on the front panel are a large 5-inch TFT color display and control elements to its right and left, consisting of eight aluminum buttons and the two control knobs typical of Mark Levinson. In addition, there is a headphone output on the front.
The network player is Linux-based and promises easy handling. Among the numerous uses of this all-in-one system are wireless and wired streaming, Bluetooth aptX connectivity, digital inputs, and USB slots to ensure maximum playback flexibility.
With its wired Ethernet and wireless WiFi connection, the № 519 can play from network-connected devices and drives. From a computer, the preamplifier can stream common files in FLAC, MP3, WAV, and many other formats, and the Bluetooth connection ensures convenient music playback from smartphones and tablets. Thanks to two additional USB ports that allow hard drives to be connected, the № 519 provides comprehensive access to your music.
Naturally, the player was designed to natively support playback via a variety of streaming portals such as Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, as well as internet radio and podcasts.
Furthermore, Harman integrated the so-called Clari-Fi restoration technology into the streamer, which analyzes digital audio files during playback to reconstruct what is lost during compression.
It is important to note that the audio player offers six digital inputs, including an AES/EBU input, two coaxial RCA inputs, and two additional TOSLINK receivers.
The analog outputs include balanced XLR and RCA outputs, as well as three digital outputs: AES/EBU, coaxial, and TOSLINK.
The № 519 itself contains a DAC that was already introduced with the Mark Levinson № 585 integrated amplifier, which we have already presented elsewhere. It has three possible filter options:
- The Fast filter has a steep roll-off for maximum attenuation of unwanted high frequencies.
- The Slow filter features a gentle roll-off of high frequencies.
- Finally, the Minimum filter has a steep roll-off for high frequencies.
Furthermore, the № 519 is a digital preamplifier and can be connected directly to the amplifier of an existing system or to active loudspeakers. Thanks to the high-pass filter, a single or dual subwoofer can also be connected.
The streamer can be controlled with a remote control and, thanks to its web interface, from all common internet browsers. Of course, iOS and Android apps are also available, which, for example, allow individual volume configurations for each input. This means that different volume settings can be preset for different connections using the app.
The excellent reputation of Mark Levinson products stems primarily from their unwavering commitment to quality. The manufacturer has made it its mission to continuously expand the functions of the № 519, so you can expect ongoing content enhancements. The streamer is kept up-to-date via network connection and USB storage, which means the device will not lose its relevance.
We are very impressed with the Mark Levinson № 519 and look forward to welcoming you for a listening test.
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