PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-1616
Fax: (615) 662-1636
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTRODUCING THE MARK LEVINSON® No502 MEDIA CONSOLE:
FIRST IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
— Following in the tradition of the legendary No40 Media Console,
the No502 is the first in a new range of Mark Levinson luxury high-performance
components —
BEDFORD, MA — Mark Levinson®, a business
unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR), famed
for 35 years for its elegant high-performance products, announces the
launch of a new series of products, marking the next generation in elite
home entertainment. The first introduction in this new product range,
the No502 Media Console, is a remarkably powerful and flexible audio
and video processor designed to provide the absolute best in film, video,
and music reproduction and to become the centerpiece of ultimate home
entertainment systems. With its meticulous attention to detail, the
No502 sets a new standard for luxury high-performance audio/visual products.
The media console is the heart and soul of the modern
home entertainment system, defining the system’s overall boundaries
and directly influencing all aspects of picture and sound. Connoisseurs
take great pride in their audio and video components, and in the performance,
appearance and overall experience they offer. As such, the No502 –
a forward-looking interpretation of the Mark Levinson aesthetic –
offers breathtaking beauty and simplicity of use, setting the benchmark
for media consoles to come. From the precisely machined aluminum surfaces
of the chassis to the elegant backlit engraved-glass logo embedded in
the front panel, the No502 Media Console is defined by its appearance,
a mix of classic elegance and modernism that complements nearly any
décor. Following in the tradition of the critically acclaimed
No40 Media Console, the No502 raises media-console expectations and
introduces advanced technologies and innovations that could bear only
the Mark Levinson name.
Mark Levinson products have always been highly regarded
for their sound quality, and the No502 is no exception. Every part of
the audio path, from input to output, was carefully considered and designed
to ensure optimal sound quality. The chassis, for example, was engineered
to double as an integrated Radio Frequency (RF) shield, providing immunity
from sound degradation caused by RF emissions commonly radiated by other
devices. Also, the No502’s input and output connectors are electrically
isolated from the chassis, preventing noise from entering the chassis
in this manner. In addition, the digital and analog signal paths are
completely isolated, as the No502 utilizes two separate power supplies
(both of which are carefully shielded in a chamber inside the chassis
to further isolate them). The No502 uses an 18-layer video circuit board
with minimal surface etches, helping to lower radiated emissions within
the chassis. And, in the event that any common-mode noise is present
inside the system, all of the analog audio signals are routed inside
the chassis as differential (balanced) signals to cancel out this noise.
Finally, a specially designed low-voltage differential signaling circuit
is utilized to reduce jitter and digital noise.
The No502’s level controls offer an adjustment range
of 120dB, preserving the full resolution of the signal. The No502 features
Harman International’s proprietary Logic 7® technology, in
addition to the standard suite of Dolby® and DTS® listening
modes, and its bass-management system utilizes phase-matched signal
paths to prevent signal cancellation. With the No502, the listener is
able to hear every detail – the way it was intended to be heard.
Although Mark Levinson products are known for their superlative
sound quality, the No502 also establishes a new standard for picture
quality. In addition to providing an array of analog and High-Definition
Multimedia Interface™ (HDMI™) inputs and outputs, the No502
also includes a state-of-the-art video processor that can convert all
of the inputs into a single output and scale them to the optimum resolution
for driving the display device, simplifying the overall system configuration
while providing the absolute best picture quality available. It also
offers advanced noise-reduction and detail-enhancement algorithms to
clean up and sharpen compressed images from standard DVDs and TV broadcasts.
In addition, the console includes motion- adaptive video de-interlacing
with edge interpolation, as well as the capability to handle 1080P/24Hz
video inputs and outputs, for the highest quality film sources currently
available. Simply put, the No502 sets the new standard for picture quality,
even when compared to stand-alone video processors.
Aside from its extremely high marks for appearance and
performance, the No502 is a joy to operate. The impressive Graphical
User Interface (GUI) is the same on both the theater screen and the
screen on the console’s front panel. Operation is a breeze with
the GUI’s intuitive hierarchical menu structure. The No502 is
also equipped with a state-of-the-art auto-calibration system that accurately
calculates speaker distances and output levels, providing full room
correction in less than ten minutes. Users can program various dedicated
activities, such as “Watch a film,” “Watch TV”
or “Listen to music,” for optimized, personal settings for
each different activity. Finally, the No502 includes a backlit metal
remote control, which looks and feels both substantial and elegant.
Commenting on the launch of the new No502 Media Console,
Mark Levinson National Sales Manager Ed Stadlen stated, “The No502
is the first component in our next generation of Mark Levinson high-performance
products. The new products in the range not only represent the best
in class in their respective product categories, but also pay tribute
to the Mark Levinson commitment to excellence.”
The No502 Media Console is available now from authorized
Mark Levinson dealers.
...ends 857 words
Mark Levinson® is a business unit of Harman International
Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com). Harman International designs,
manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products
for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains
a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than
11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes
AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®,
DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®,
Mark Levinson, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®.
Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”
Mark Levinson, Logic 7, AKG, Audioaccess, Becker, BSS,
Crown, dbx, DigiTech, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, Revel,
QNX, Soundcraft and Studer are trademarks of Harman International Industries,
Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries.
Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. DTS is a registered
trademark of DTS, Inc. High-Definition Multimedia Interface and HDMI
are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.
—For more information on Mark Levinson, contact: Mark Levinson,
3 Oak Park Drive, Bedford, MA 01730-1413. Tel: 781.280.0300; Fax: 781.280.0490;
Web: www.marklevinson.com.