Robert H. Levi and Dave Clark – Positive Feedback Online Issue 32
I was amazed how such powerful amps were so well mannered and made my very revealing Avalon Eidolons make such beautiful music. My previous experience with this much power and the Avalons is a glassy or etched sound, especially heard on violins and horns. What I heard now with the Leviathans was just the opposite. Layers and layers of rich, sophisticated, even frothy definition in the midband with never, ever any etch or glare. Not the last word in definition or the ultimate in micro dynamics or accuracy, the amps just make great enjoyable music. I would say the Leviathans are more equidistant sonically between what one hears in the better tube and solid-state amplifiers of today.
…You could call the highs romantic and forgiving. The Leviathans sound this way when they are putting out one watt or pumping out massive choruses. They are a nice break from over articulation and ear buzzing tweeters…Endless bass it’s digital and it’s powerful…The Avalons needed no reinforcement utilizing these powerhouse monoblocks. An easy recommendation for full range systems…
The Red Dragon Leviathans are powerful, musical, and portable with up to 1000-watts of luscious power to tap into with your music. They really tame a crispy, etched system and are unfailingly delightful to hear. Long listening sessions are truly complimented by these cutting edge digital amplifiers. Not the ultimate in accuracy or realism, they are astonishingly romantic with an all solid-state construction based around the new-ish ICE technology. They never run out of gas and should power up any speaker, no matter how inefficient…Gorgeous to look at and hear, the Leviathans will mightily entertain you into the wee hours of the morning. An auspicious beginning for a brand new American manufacturer who obviously loves great music.
(Dave Clark comments)
Well, okay… but I got to say at least this much …Bob hits it right on the head when he suggests that the Leviathans fall squarely in the middle of the better tubed and solid-state offerings. I would take that a bit further and say that the amplifiers remind me of the best SET amps around, but with many of their faults minimized to a great degree. Like a SET they are magical in the mids and are as smooth and svelte as anything around. The Leviathans offer WAY more slam and dynamics - can you say headroom? - than any SET. Heck they are 1000-watts! There is no sense of compression or limiting to what one can muster from their speakers. The only limiting factors are the speakers, your room, and of course your ears. They change nadda the louder they go. What you get at soft is what you get at loud. You just get more of it louder. These amps have a gorgeous sound and really get music across to the listener. No fatigue, grain, grit, glare …nadda. Smooth and very refined.