Mark Levinson

Mark Levinson Origins

Mark Levinson, the audio equipment designer, founded Mark Levinson Audio Systems (MLAS) in 1972 in New Haven, Connecticut. This was the origin of the Mark Levinson audio company, which later became known for manufacturing high-end audio equipment, including turntables.

MLAS was initially established with the help of Dick Burwen, who was Levinson’s first electronics mentor. The company’s first iconic product was the LNP-2 Preamplifier, designed by John Curl under Levinson’s supervision. MLAS began facing financial troubles by 1980, leading Levinson to seek investment from Sanford Berlin, a retired audio industry executive. However, in 1984, Levinson left MLAS to found another company, Cello Ltd., and MLAS subsequently launched a lawsuit against him, which he won in 1986.

Since then, the “Mark Levinson” brand name has been owned by Harman International, which continues to produce audio equipment under the Mark Levinson name. Despite this, Levinson has continued to work in the audio industry, founding several other companies including Red Rose Music and Daniel Hertz S.A.

Company's flagship turntable is the No. 5105 model.