Mark Levinson No5805 Integrated Amp/DAC Lab Report

Lab Report

Rated at 125W/8ohm but delivering 2x148W and 2x245W into 8/4ohm loads, respectively, the No5805 has sufficient headroom to accommodate bursts of 174W and 328W into 8/4ohm loads under dynamic conditions (10msec, <1% THD). This is limited to 305W and 172W into lower 2/1ohm loads [see Graph 1, below]. Distortion increases slightly with frequency from 0.014-0.038% (20Hz-20kHz) but remains very consistent with power output over the rated 125W range. The response is very extended with –1dB points at 1Hz-49kHz (–3.5dB/100kHz) but noise – even if this is an innocuous 'white noise' – is a little below average, leading to an A-wtd S/N ratio of 78dB (re. 0dBW).

ML's 'Precision-Link II' DAC stage confers a near-total suppression of correlated jitter (<5psec across all sample rates), a low 0.0003-0.0014% distortion (20Hz-20kHz re. 0dBFs) but modest 101dB A-wtd S/N (re. 2V preamp output). Three of the seven digital filters are steep roll-off linear phase types (with pre and post-event ripples) including Brickwall, Fast Linear [green traces, Graph 2] and Apodising, offering stopband rejections of 99dB, 83dB and 92dB, and very flat responses (typ. ±0.02dB/40kHz with 96kHz files). 'Slow Linear' shows only two pre/post ripples at the expense of a poorer 14dB stopband rejection and gentler treble (–3.4dB/20kHz with 48kHz files). The two minimum phase filters – Fast [red traces, Graph 2] and Slow – offer greater and lesser post-event ringing, respectively. A hybrid filter blends both characteristics: reduced time domain distortion and excellent 99dB stopband rejection at the expense of a 0.1dB ripple in the passband [black traces, Graph 2]. PM

1019levin.lab1

Dynamic power output versus distortion into 8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and 1ohm (green) speaker loads. Max. current is 13.1A

1019levin.lab2

Magnitude/frequency (1kHz-20kHz) and impulse responses for Fast Linear (green), Fast Minimum (red) and Hybrid (black) digital filter options

Continuous power (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 148W / 245W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 174W / 328W / 305W / 172W
Output imp. (20Hz–20kHz, Pre/Amp) 50ohm / 0.010-0.011ohm
Freq. resp. (20Hz-20kHz/100kHz) +0.0 to –0.22dB/–3.48dB
Input sensitivity (MM/MC, re. 0dBV) 3.93mV / 133µV
A-wtd S/N ratio (Dig/Amp/MM) 101.0dB / 78.3dB / 80.5dB
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, Digital/Amp) 0.0003-0.0014%/0.014-0.038%
Power consumption (idle/rated o/p) 123W / 520W (67W standby)
Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 438x145x507mm / 28.1kg
Price £7999

COMPANY INFO
Harman International Ind.
Northridge, CA, USA
Supplied by: Harman Luxury Audio Group (UK), Cambridge
01223 203200
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