The Mark Levinson 600 Series: a new design language
Mark Levinson used High End Munich 2025 to launch the first three products in its new 600 Series — the brand’s sixth generation of products, revealed the night before at a dedicated event. The most visible change is a new industrial design the brand calls “Tectonic,” inspired by volcanoes: each unit carries a raised element on the top panel with a glass front and red accent lighting, giving the range a more dramatic look while staying instantly recognizable as Mark Levinson.
The lineup opens with the No.632 dual-monaural amplifier, delivering around 250 watts per channel rising to 500 watts per channel into a 4-ohm load, priced at $30,000. The No.631 monaural amplifier replaces the previous No.536, returning to a tall, freestanding tower format reminiscent of the brand’s classic No.53 and No.33H reference amplifiers, priced at $40,000 each. Both amplifiers benefit from sonic refinements first developed for the ML-50 50th-anniversary amplifier.
The No.626 preamplifier, priced at $25,000, replaces the previous No.526 and No.523 and packs in a line stage with balanced inputs, a third-generation PrecisionLink DAC with USB-C connectivity, and a phono stage supporting both moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges — plus a Class-A headphone amplifier discreetly hidden behind a hinged front panel. For digital sources, Mark Levinson points to its parent company Harman’s own Roon Nucleus Titan server as a natural streaming partner for the range, alongside any other outboard streamer connected via the digital or balanced inputs. All three products use a fully discrete, “PurePath” circuit design and an R2R resistor-ladder volume control, in keeping with Mark Levinson’s long-standing philosophy of doing no harm to the signal.
Three new flagship JBL Summit Series loudspeakers
Announced alongside the 600 Series, JBL’s new Summit Series adds three loudspeakers to the brand’s highest range — the Summit Ama, Summit Pumori and flagship Summit Makalu — continuing a naming tradition that started with the legendary 1985 Project Everest and continued with the K2. All three new models were designed from a clean sheet at JBL’s Northridge, California engineering center.
All three share the same D2 compression driver technology in a newly developed HDI horn geometry, and a hybrid carbon-cellulose (HC4) sandwich cone used across the woofer and mid-bass drivers for a stiff yet lightweight diaphragm. The compact two-way Summit Ama uses a single 8-inch HC4 woofer and is priced at $19,995 per pair including its matching stands. The three-way Summit Pumori steps up to a dedicated 8-inch midrange plus a 10-inch woofer, at $29,995 per pair. The flagship Summit Makalu tops the range with a 12-inch woofer and 8-inch midrange, both in HC4, paired with a precision-molded Sonoglass horn on the D2 compression driver, at $44,995 per pair. All three are available in a choice of an ebony wood veneer with gold accents or a piano black finish with silver accents.
Frequently asked questions
What is new in the Mark Levinson 600 Series?
It’s Mark Levinson’s sixth generation of products, opening with the No.632 dual-monaural amplifier, the No.631 monaural amplifier and the No.626 preamplifier, all featuring a new “Tectonic” industrial design with glass panels and red accent lighting.
How much do the Mark Levinson 600 Series components cost?
The No.626 preamplifier is $25,000, the No.632 dual-monaural amplifier is $30,000, and the No.631 monaural amplifier is $40,000 each.
What connects the new JBL Summit Series to the Mark Levinson 600 Series launch?
Both ranges were announced together at High End Munich 2025 and were demonstrated as a system, with JBL’s three new Summit Series models — the Ama, Pumori and flagship Makalu — designed to the same Harman engineering standards as the amplification driving them.
What streaming source does Mark Levinson recommend for the 600 Series preamplifier?
Mark Levinson points to the Roon Nucleus Titan — a server from sister Harman brand Roon — as a natural streaming partner, alongside any other outboard streamer connected via the digital or balanced inputs.
