Mark Levinson No.30.6

SOLD $15,000.00

FEB 2010

Mint Condition

Made In U.S.A.

Original Box

Remote Control

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Mark Levinson No.30.6 Owner's Manual

Stereophile Review

System Architecture and Signal Path

In the best tradition of Mark Levinson Reference products, technologies and concepts developed for the No.30.6 are being shared with the other Mark Levinson processors. The software-based architecture announced for the No.360 and No.360S a few months ago was first conceived as a Reference-level digital platform. It is designed to offer the best possible performance while maintaining forward compatibility with new digital sources.

The Madrigal design team has made hardware and software design choices in the No.30.6 to prepare it for whatever DVD-based audio standard(s) may evolve. The No.30.6 is capable of handling 24-bit/96 kHz signals from input to output. In fact, the Madrigal DIR and DSP-based filter/decoder circuits could be programmed and optimized to handle a 192 kHz signal standard (or other possible formats such as Direct Stream Digital) if that were to become necessary.

Traditional "software-based" designs have limited the use of software to the definition of various digital filtering schemes. The actual "programmability" of these traditional designs is limited in scope, allowing only for the modification of a single variable. Accommodating any significant changes, such as completely new digital audio formats, is well beyond their capability.

With the new Mark Levinson digital processors, Madrigal redefines the concept of software-based design. Our proprietary Digital Interface Receiver (DIR) and digital filter/decoder circuits are all fully programmable via an RS-232 port. No processor can claim to be truly software upgradable without such capabilities.

Inputs and Outputs

Eight digital inputs allow connection of sources using various high-quality connector types: AES/EBU via XLR and S/PDIF via RCA, ST-optical, EIAJ-optical (ToslinkTM). New, low-voltage digital receivers are dedicated to each input, improving the impedance match for each source while maximizing input isolation.

Buffered digital outputs (on XLR and EIAJ-optical) are provided for routing the selected source to a recorder, external digital processor or another system.

DIR

As with other Mark Levinson processors, a Madrigal-designed digital interface receiver is now incorporated in the No.30.6. Our new DIR is based on an ultra-dense, software-programmable gate array. It is the first "smart" component in the signal path. The DIR processes the incoming signal and sends the various data to their proper destinations (display, digital filter, etc.). The broad bandwidth of this DIR allows the No.30.6 to receive high-speed signals, up to and beyond the maximum data rate possible from DVD-based sources. In other words, the DIR in the No.30.6 can be reprogrammed (via an RS-232 port) to process anything a DVD player can output. Processors using "off-the-shelf" DIR circuits are not forward-compatible in this way.

DSP

Four SHARCTM (Super Harvard Architecture) 32-bit digital signal processors are at the heart of the new digital architecture. In addition to software-based digital filtering, algorithms such as HDCD are decoded on this DSP platform. Digital filtering and decoding will likely need to evolve, and systems lacking a flexible DSP-based architecture will become more difficult and expensive to update.

FIFO

First offered in the No.30.5, Intelligent FIFOTM (First In, First Out) jitter reduction is employed to buffer and re-clock digital audio signals for highest resolution. Improvements in this generation are focused on a new DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) circuit. The DDS supplies a precisely tuned clock for the data, with steps as fine as 0.25 parts per billion. Greater clock accuracy and elimination of noise from other clocks yields higher resolution and a smoother, more detailed high frequency performance.

DAC Modules

Two new DAC modules are used in the No.30.6, each having two DAC assemblies to convert the balanced digital signal into balanced analog. These new modules operate at lower power and benefit from their own independent DC regulators as described earlier. Lowering the power has lowered the noise by a factor of four and yielded a cooler-running DAC module. Lower temperatures at this point help reduce thermal noise, contributing to higher resolution.

Each fully balanced module contains a small circuit board onto which critical DAC, I-V (current-to-voltage converter) and power supply elements are mounted. In keeping with the traditions of Reference product design, Madrigal engineers have researched the materials used for each circuit application and identified a new and different circuit board material called ARLONTM N-25, for use at this critical point.

Choosing the right printed circuit material does nothing without proper circuit board layout. As with other critical circuits, Madrigal designers optimized the performance of these new DAC modules by carefully controlling where both parts and power and signal traces are positioned.

The Reference DAC modules are based on the highest grade of the new 24-bit, multi-bit Burr Brown1 1704 DAC and OPA627AP I-to-V converters. Together, these parts can offer a high-resolution, lower-distortion (by a factor of nine) conversion package. As with other Mark Levinson processors, the DACs are matched to one another using hand-trimmed resistors. In the case of the No.30.6, Madrigal production procedures call for trimming each DAC after mounting it in its own module. This adds further expense to the process, but ensures the best possible match for the balanced circuits that follow. Balanced converters lacking this attention to detail cannot deliver consistent, optimum performance.

High resolution is achieved by controlling the environment. DonÕt let the numbers fool you. The use of true 24-bit, multi-bit DACs is only a first step. Any DAC must be optimized by using proper circuit board materials and layout, I-V converter and power supply elements. To put things in perspective, we can compare the largest and smallest signals (bits) in a 24-bit system using distance for our reference. If the smallest (Least Significant Bit) were one inch, the largest (Most Significant Bit) would be over 131 miles! This huge disparity between large and small presents a serious challenge for digital converter systems.

Balanced Circuitry

Each tower contains a balanced pair of mono, analog audio buffer circuits mounted on Teflon¨ PC boards. As with DAC modules, low-level analog circuits benefit from improvements to their environment. For the No.30.6, Teflon printed circuit boards and three-stage voltage regulation are essential factors in achieving superior results.

Balanced output circuitry is used to drive the balanced analog signal from the DACs. Balanced outputs ensure the best possible connection for high performance music systems. Single-ended outputs are provided for systems lacking balanced facilities.

Communication/Control

Software updates can be downloaded through an RS-232 port located next to the Mark Levinson Master link connection on the rear panel. As with Proceed products and the new No360 and No.360S, a Mark Levinson dealer or distributor can provide software updates that can be downloaded via PC to the No.30.6 without having to remove the top cover.

The Sound

The No.30.6 delivers the sense of "ease," characteristic of its predecessors and improves on them in several important ways. Bass is reproduced with more prominence and authority throughout the lower registers. Complex low-level signals such as those containing harmonic structure are reproduced with the greatest fidelity we have ever heard. The result is a rich and detailed soundstage that sounds more real and more live than ever before. Take any opportunity you may have to hear this amazing new processor. It will bring your music closer to home than ever before.

No.30.6 Updates

Owners of the older No.30 or No.30.5 may update their units to perform as the new Reference. As a result of the complexity of the update, which requires the complete replacement of the digital circuitry and DAC modules, all updates must be performed at our factory. We are pleased to offer such dramatic improvements at a small fraction of the new retail price. Updated units will qualify as the equal of a new No.30.6. As with new units, future software upgrades can be facilitated via the rear panel. The existing "slave" rear panel linking connection is converted to the RS-232 connector for software downloads. A new No.30.6 faceplate is available for an additional charge. Please consult your Mark Levinson dealer or distributor for upgrade pricing and scheduling.

Summary

In recent years, the gap between the best separate components and all-in-one CD players has been bridged. Not surprisingly, both technology and execution have played a role in raising the performance of the best single-chassis players. The question one may ask is whether the separate processor can justify its price in the modern world. At the level of Mark Levinson processors, the answer is a resounding YES.

Those things that make a separate component technically superior have risen once again to become sonically important. New technologies are allowing greater resolution, which in turn polishes the lens, revealing the details that make the separate processor superior. The promise of more change to come implies that not only will processors need future updates, but transports will as well. For anyone who wants outstanding performance today and a cost-effective product for the future, the No.30.6 is among the safest investments to make.