A device that increases signal strength. In audio, two different kinds of amplifiers exist – preamplifiers and power amplifiers. A preamplifier provides voltage gain for the small output voltage of a source component [tuner, CD player, DVD player, tape deck or turntable], while a power amplifier amplifies the preamp signal and adds the necessary current to drive and control a loudspeaker. Depending on how much input voltage an amplifier requires to be driven to full output [a function of its input sensitivity], a preamp may never actually amplify the source signal but merely reduce it [attenuate] and add volume control and source switching. A typical music amplifier sports two channels, while a single-channel amplifier is called a monoblock. Home theater amplifiers feature multiple channels anywhere from 1 to 7.

Balanced audio technology has been a standard in professional and high-end home audio systems for decades. With its roots dating to the invention of the telephone system, it allows us to handle information (the audio signal) in a way that protects it from added noise and distortion. We use balanced circuitry extensively in Mark Levinson products to achieve better signal-to-noise performance, greater dynamic contrast, and significantly higher resolution. All things being equal, the added expense of balanced circuitry (which can nearly double the price) can be justified by its superior performance. However, it takes expert engineering and meticulous construction to realize the benefits inherent in the technology. Mark Levinson components have been using balanced signal transmission ever since we introduced the legendary ML-2 power amplifier in 1977. All our current products offer balanced interconnection, converting any single-ended (unbalanced) signals at the input and dealing with them in the balanced mode from that point on. Similarly, our digital products utilize dual-differential digital conversion, where there are two digital to analog converters in each channel, operating in opposite polarity to one another in a differential, or "balanced" configuration. This way, common-mode noise and distortion can be cancelled long before they can be heard. The challenging automotive environment is an ideal application for our high-performance balanced designs.

A center channel is a speaker that is positioned between the left and right speakers. In a home theater, the center channel often reproduces dialog and anything else happening on the screen. In an automobile, the center channel provides a better stereo image for the driver and the front passenger. In an automobile without a center channel, the speaker closet to the driver or front passenger will tend to dominate the sound, making the “image” or perception of “being there” less convincing. This can be adjusted using the balance control, but as the image improves for the driver it gets much worse for the front passenger and vice versa. A center channel elegantly addresses this problem by allowing both front seat occupants to enjoy a convincing image.

Audio signals in the Mark Levinson system are manipulated digitally to optimize the performance of each system for its acoustic environment. Mathematical algorithms have been written to calculate exactly which parameters should be modified, when, and by how much. These calculations are used to adjust for the listener's location relative to each loudspeaker, to account for the effects of nearby reflective surfaces, and to compensate for the effect that increased road noise has on the listener's perceptions of sound quality and volume. We designed the system to seamlessly maintain the highest levels of performance—in each vehicle, at all times.

Musicians use changes between loud and soft, and how quickly those transitions occur, to express emotion and enhance the musical nuance of their performance. Reproducing dynamic contrasts of many instruments playing together poses an especially difficult challenge for audio systems and it is where most fail miserably. When rendered authentically, systems with superior dynamics develop a sound that is more lively and involving—like the real thing can be.

A poorly understood and frequently misused tool available to audio engineers and system designers is the equalizer. But as with many powerful tools, in the capable hands of an expert, it can work like magic. The Mark Levinson system uses equalization to correct for the acoustic characteristics of each vehicle. Most notably, low frequency performance can be improved (made more smooth and linear, not necessarily louder) through the judicious use of equalization. We perform equalization in the digital domain, using DSP algorithms to achieve the best performance.

The advent of stereo recording allowed us to capture more than the timbral and dynamic qualities of a performance. With multiple channels available, sounds can be reproduced in three-dimensional space, adding to the sense of realism. When reproduced properly, stereo sources allow the sonic image of each musician to occupy a place on an imaginary stage. With some recordings, this effect can be startlingly precise and adds to the illusion of having musicians playing just for you. Although rarely achieved in a vehicle, the Mark Levinson audio systems have been specially tuned to offer superior imaging.

A midrange, as its name implies, is a driver that is designed to reproduce the middle frequencies in the audible spectrum. The majority of the sounds we hear fall into this category. A midrange driver is usually larger than a tweeter, but smaller than a woofer. It must be able to faithfully reproduce the upper midrange frequencies, which require a speaker to be fast and light, and the lower midrange frequencies, which require a speaker to move lots of air.

The best audio systems are capable of high fidelity in the truest sense. They manage to preserve the feeling of the music. They are involving. They draw you into the music and make you want to move with it. They evoke emotion and compel you to sing or hum along. They are musical.

Clear, clean and open are words often associated with high-resolution systems. When distortion remains low regardless of playback level, if noise is effectively rejected and if the acoustic environment is properly addressed, systems can resolve complex information and reveal subtle details. High-resolution systems have an immediacy and a you-are-there quality that enhances the listening experience.

Similar to a woofer, a subwoofer is designed to reproduce the lowest audible frequencies. Subwoofers must move massive amounts of air and often reproduce sound that is felt as well as it is heard. Subwoofers are usually the largest drivers in a system and require large amount of amplifier power to reproduce the deepest notes. Related to the sub-woofer is its enclosure. The primary purpose of a dedicated sub-woofer enclosure is to specifically define the contour and control the size of the bass chamber, to optimize bass response. Instrument panel-, center console-, rear package shelf-, or door-mounted transducers share enclosure space with changing content, cargo, and moveable componentry. Sub-woofers in dedicated enclosures always operate in the same pre-defined environment, allowing the audio technicians developing the audio system to tune the sub-woofer for maximum bass response across the entire acoustic operating range. Dedicated sub-woofer enclosures are typically mounted under seat, or in cargo/trunk area sidewalls, allowing for enough dedicated enclosure space to tune for optimal bass response.

You can tell a violin from a guitar and a Gibson Les Paul from a Fender Telecaster because the instruments have different timbre. When played, their unique way of resonating produces sound waves at many different amplitudes and frequencies, all rising and falling at different rates. Their tonal character and harmonic structure (timbre) play an important role in determining the quality of sound they produce. When reproduced accurately, with tonal and harmonic details preserved, the sound has a richness and body that adds to the beauty and realism of the music.

A tweeter is a driver that is designed to reproduce the highest audible frequencies such as those produced when a drum cymbal is struck. To ensure that a tweeter can reproduce high frequencies, it is often very small when compared to other types of drivers (midrange or woofer). This helps to ensure that it can move back and forth fast enough to accurately reproduce the highest frequencies. To reproduce a 20kHz tone (considered to be the upper limit of human hearing), a tweeter must move back and forth 20,000 times per second!

A speaker that utilizes two drivers to cover the audible range. For example a tweeter and a mid-range together are often referred to as a two-way speaker. A coaxial speaker, is a two-way speaker, with the tweeter usually mounted in front of the midrange. This allows a two-way speaker to be mounted in the space usually reserved for a mid-range speaker but does not always allow the tweeter to be located in the optimal position relative to the listener.

Mark Levinson designers use the most powerful tools available for measuring the performance of their systems. Chief among them is the human ear. Through an iterative process of listening and tuning the system, we achieve results that both measure well and sound best. Systems are tuned by selecting component parts, positioning speakers and manipulating time delays and equalization. The result is a system that is optimized for its environment.

A speaker that is designed to reproduce the lowest audible frequencies such as those produced by a kick drum. A woofer must move large amounts of air, which requires a large driver or multiple drivers.