Mark Levinson – No 5101 Network Streaming SACD Player and DAC

Reference Detail and Dynamics from Discs and High-Res Files: U.S.A.-Made Mark Levinson Nº 5101 Streaming SACD Player/DAC Features All-Analog Circuitry, Much More

High-end digital audio playback gets an integrated boost in the form of the Mark Levinson Nº 5101 streaming SACD player/DAC. Precision-made to extract room-filling detail, texture, dynamics, and tones from both physical discs and electronic media, the U.S.A.-made Nº 5101 touts signature engineering and bespoke construction to achieve precedent-setting performance. Equipped with all-analog circuitry, a PrecisionLink II DAC, a discrete PurePath Class A output stage, and smart connectivity, it serves as both a standalone music player and premium DAC (replete with one coaxial and one S/PDIF input) for any digital source.

In addition to handling SACDs as well as FLAC files, Nº 5101 can stream from NAS drives, navigate files from a USB flash drive connected to its USB-A input, and support DLNA and UPnP devices connected to your network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. No matter which format you choose, you’ll enjoy immersive fidelity. At the heart of the processing stage beats the latest ESS Sabre PRO 32-bit DAC with jitter-elimination circuitry and a fully balanced, discrete, current-to-voltage converter directly taken from the company’s Nº 5802 and Nº 5805 integrated amplifiers. For the linear power supply responsible for fueling the DAC and all-analog circuitry, Levinson includes a toroidal transformer mated to 13,600uF of filter capacitance. Moreover, individual regulators for each channel assure dual-mono operation.

True to Levinson tradition, Nº 5101 overlooks nothing when it comes to build quality. The unit’s power supply, transformer, and control PCBAs come encased in a steel cage shield isolated from the digital and analog audio signal path. And when it comes to spinning discs, a robust slot-loading transport suspended on steel standoffs – floating on a PVC- and styrene-butadiene rubber sandwich and shielded with a steel cover – will kill ruinous vibration while providing optimal stability.

On the exterior, one-inch-thick aluminum front panels arrive bead blasted, black anodized, and machine contoured to seamlessly pair with the sleek glass display, itself recessed into a bead-blasted and clear-anodized aluminum bezel. Custom aluminum feet round out the architecture while an aluminum remote control and various communication ports ensure superb integration and easy operation.

Best of all, Nº 5101 gives music aficionados the best of all worlds when it comes to focused, soulful, and fun listening. 100% Music Direct Guaranteed.