The Mark Levinson No. 5802 is identical to the No. 5805 in every respect, including preamp, power amplifier, and built-in D/A converter. However, there are also very significant differences. In particular, the new Mark Levinson No. 5802 is designed to work exclusively with digital sources. For this reason, it completely lacks analog inputs and a built-in phono stage. Instead, the developers have increased the number of digital inputs, adding one AES/EBU and one additional coaxial input to the existing pair of optical, one USB and one coaxial inputs.
The Mark Levinson No. 5802 amplifier is powered by proprietary PureDirect™ technology. It consists of a fully discrete preamp circuit followed by a direct connection to the left and right mono channels of the power amplifier section. The volume is controlled via a digitally controlled resistor.
For headphone lovers, there is a built-in amplifier with a jack on the front panel. For listening to music on headphones, a preamplifier output stage is specifically designed to handle any headphones, operating in pure Class A, without the need to design a separate amplifier.
Fully discrete Class AB amplification channels are powered by a 500+ VA toroidal transformer with separate secondary windings for the left and right channels. The voltage gain stage uses a topology derived from the Nº 534 amplifier and is coupled to an output stage consisting of two high-speed Class A driver transistors and six 260V, 15A output transistors. Two uniquely configured Thermal-Trak devices ensure stable bias regardless of load and temperature. Four 10,000 microfarad capacitors per channel, located directly on the output stage board, easily provide the necessary current to achieve 125 W/ch at 8 ohms, 250 W/ch at 4 ohms, and stable operation down to 2 ohms.
The Mark Levinson Nº 5802 features a built-in Mark Levinson PrecisionLink II™ DAC. An ESS Saber 32-bit anti-jitter digital converter and a fully balanced discrete current-to-voltage converter form the core of the digital audio processing stage. For connecting digital sources, there are four digital audio inputs: one coaxial, two optical S/PDIF and one asynchronous USB for playback of high-resolution PCM (up to 192 kHz/32-bit) as well as DSD files (up to DSD 5.6). Mark Levinson No. 5802 supports MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology, which allows you to play audio files and streams in the MQA format. A Bluetooth receiver equipped with AptX-HD provides the ability to play music via Bluetooth, including high-resolution music.
A number of communication ports are available to enable the amplifier to be integrated into various integration systems. Specifically, there’s Ethernet, USB, RS-232, IR, and 12V trigger input and output. A new, solid aluminum IR remote is included. The developers have provided the ability to quickly update the software using a PC and a standard web browser. Drivers are also available for Crestron, RTI, Control 4, Savant, AMX and URC.
The junior integrated amplifier of the American company Mark Levinson, model No. 5802, was commissioned by the editors of the Australian portal StereoNet to be tested by experienced expert Mark Gusev. And the author had great pleasure evaluating the performance of the amplifier with recordings of different genres. Despite the classic analogue sound reinforcement, the device is designed exclusively for working with digital sources. And yes: the price of the new integrated circuit, quite modest for Mark Levinson, makes it somewhat “closer to the people.”
The exterior of the new product is original, but at the same time recognizable “Levinzonovsky”. The front panel is made from an inch-thick black anodized aluminum panel. The display is red; in addition to control keys and encoders, there is a quarter-inch headphone jack. The set includes a branded remote control of the “five thousandth” series.
Input connectors on the rear panel include AES/EBU, USB, as well as a pair of coaxial and a pair of optical connectors. Audio resolutions up to PCM192/DSD128 are supported. MQA is decoded if necessary, and Bluetooth AptX HD is also available. In addition to terminals for connecting speaker systems, the device is equipped with a pair of RCA for an external terminal. Control connectors for possible integration into a “smart home” have not been forgotten either. The country of origin is, of course, the USA.
Mark Levinson’s proprietary digital-to-analog conversion technology is called Precision-Link II and is based on a 32-bit ESS converter. The amplifier’s power supply is based on a toroidal transformer with a rating of more than 500 VA and a bank of filter capacitors with a total capacity of 80 thousand uF. Output power is 125 W per channel into 8 ohms and doubles when the impedance drops by half. The manufacturer declares stable operation even with a two-ohm load; the device weighs almost 28 kilograms.
As a matter of fact, the only thing for which the device can be “reproached” is its exclusively digital switching. But for those who need an analogue, Mark Levinson offers model No. 5805 .
Specifications Mark Levinson No. 5802
Output power 2 x 125 W (8 ohms), 2 x 250 W (4 ohms)
Minimum load impedance 2 ohms
Frequency response end section: 2 Hz – 20 kHz (+ 0/- 0.2 dB), 2 Hz – 100 kHz (+ 0/- 3 dB)
Signal-to-noise ratio end section: 103 dB (20 Hz – 20 kHz, A-weighted)
Output impedance 0.098 ohms (20 Hz – 10 kHz), 0.11 ohms ( 20 kHz)
Harmonic distortion end section: 0.035% (1 kHz, 125 W, 8 ohms), 0.18% (20 kHz, 125 W, 8 ohms)
Damping factor 82 (20 Hz – 10 kHz, 8 ohms), 72 (20 kHz, 8 ohms)
DAC 32-bit ESS Saber chip (PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz, DSD up to 11.2 MHz, MQA)
Filters 7 choices for PCM, 4 choices for DSD
Upsampler upsamples PCM up to 352.8 kHz/384 kHz and DSD up to 11.2 MHz, switchable
Bluetooth receiver with aptX-HD audio codec support
Inputs digital balanced AES/EBU (XLR), 2 optical, 2 coaxial, asynchronous USB (PCM) up to 32-bit/384 kHz, DSD up to 11.2 MHz (DoP or native DSD), MQA)
6.3 mm headphone outputs (headphone amplifier output stage operates in class A), linear RCA (adjustable)
Other switching RS- 232, Ethernet (LAN), second USB port for connecting a USB drive for software updates, IR input, trigger connectors (input and output)
Speaker output 2 pairs of gold-plated screw terminals
Power supply massive toroidal transformer (500+ VA), 4 electrolytic capacitors per channel (each capacitor has a capacity of 10,000 uF)
Remote control available Power
consumption 500 W (maximum), 215 W (both channels at 1/8 rated power), 45 W (Normal standby mode), 7 W ( energy-saving standby mode), less than 0.4 W (eco standby mode)
Dimensions (WxHxD) 438x145x507 mm
Weight 27.6 kg
