CHRIS MARTENS’ BEST OF CES 2017: TRADITIONAL TWO-CHANNEL AUDIO

Mark Levinson No. 515 turntable & tonearm

In a move many will think to be long overdue, Mark Levinson debuted its first-ever turntable and tonearm package, called the No. 515 and slated to sell for $10,000. The Levinson turntable/tonearm was developed in partnership with VPI Industries (makers of the critically-acclaimed Prime and Avenger turntables, to name just two of many), but the No. 515 offers a feature set somewhat different from VPI models that sell at comparable prices.

Specifically, the Levinson No. 515 features a heavily damped main chassis/plinth comprised of sandwiched slabs of vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminium, which in turn is supported by damped feet that appear similar to those used on VPI’s Avenger-series turntables. No. 515 sports a 20-pound aluminium platter supported by an inverted bearing and that is driven by an isolation pod-mounted AC synchronous motor through a distinctive triple drive belt system. Perhaps the most striking difference between Levinson’s No. 515 and equivalent VPI models is that the Levinson table features a 3D-printed tonearm fitted with gimbal-type bearings (whereas the upper-end VPI’s typically incorporate unipivot arms). The Levinson arm features an integral headshell, a stainless steel counterweight, and what Levinson describes as “discrete internal cartridge lead routing.”

To be candid, there was so much traffic and were so many concurrent conversations taking place in the Levinson room when I stopped by to visit that I was only able to see but not really audition the new Levinson vinyl spinner, but based on what I saw I’m eager to hear what this new analogue system can do.

Revel Performa3 F208BE floorstanding loudspeakers

Many of us are familiar with Revel’s very good Performa3-series loudspeakers, so that it can be easy at first glance to overlook the firm’s visually similar Performa3 Be-series models, which were shown as proof-of-concept offerings at CES 2017. The Performa3 Be models on display were F208BE floorstanders (projected to sell at or below $10,000/pair) and the M106BE standmount monitors (projected to sell at or below $5,000/pair).

But here’s the thing: as you look and listen more closely, the Performa3 BE-series models are in fact substantially different from their standard Performa3 counterparts and in ways that dramatically enhance sound quality. Specifically, the BE models feature Beryllium tweeters loading into revised die-cast waveguides and also use DCC (Deep Ceramic Composite) midrange and woofer drivers.

As I listened to the F208E, it occurred to me that the speaker seemed able to channel an awful lot of the sonic goodness and nuance of the firm’s flagship Ultima2 Salon2 floorstanders, but for less than half the price. Who wouldn’t appreciate that price/performance equation?

Chris Martens