At CES 2017, Mark Levinson by Harman introduced the No. 515 Turntable, designed for the discriminating analog music lover. Engineered and built in partnership with VPI Industries, the No. 515 Turntable is handcrafted in the USA, and is the first turntable to carry the Mark Levinson name.
The No. 515 is designed to complement the Pure Phono stage included in the recently released No. 526 and No. 523 preamplifiers, and leverages the expertise of VPI Industries to deliver performance, features, and appearance unique to Mark Levinson.
The No. 515 is based on a highly damped, vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminum sandwich main chassis. The chassis is supported by machined Delrin and aluminum Mark Levinson feet with a vibration-damping polymer core. The 20-pound Aluminum platter rotates on an inverted bearing, which employs a hardened stainless steel shaft spinning in a phosphor bronze bushing for maximum rotational accuracy.
The high-torque AC synchronous motor is mounted to a separate vinyl-MDF-aluminum sandwich chassis and housed in its own mechanically isolated enclosure. A precision-machined pulley and triple belt-drive system provide smooth, quiet operation. A custom-designed, low-distortion analog oscillator and discrete Class AB power amplifier deliver power to the synchronous motor for accurate 33 and 45 RPM operation.
The No. 515 features a gimbal-mounted, 3D-printed tone arm with integral headshell, stainless steel counterweight, and discrete internal cartridge lead routing. The tone arm is mounted to a rigid, machined aluminum arm base featuring on-the-fly adjustable vertical tracking angle. A custom-designed stainless steel record weight and platter mat help ensure maximum stability of playback.
“The No. 515 is being released during a time of rapid growth and resurgence in turntable and vinyl record sales,” said Jim Garrett, director of marketing and product management, Harman. “It celebrates our 45th anniversary and provides a first-class analog source for our new 500 Series.”
“This turntable was engineered to be a perfect complement our Pure Phono stage. The warmth, fidelity, and overall listening experience delivered by the No. 515 absolutely must be heard to be appreciated,” said Todd Eichenbaum, director of engineering, Harman.
The No. 515 turntable will be available either with or without a factory-installed moving-coil phono cartridge.
Pricing starts at $10,000 for the version without phono cartridge, and both versions will be available in summer 2017.
