The second coming

Mark Levinson’s sophomore turntable matches refreshing simplicity with supreme sound. So much for that difficult follow up

- MARK LEVINSON

There’s a commonly held misbelief that just because something is built to a supremely high standard or is in any way exotic or expensive it follows that it will also require a degree-level knowledge of basic engineering just to get it up and running. This done, you’ll then need to stay on top of the latest thinking regarding astro physics and computer programming to ensure you’re able to work the damn thing to the best of its abilities. Though there are plenty of examples of high-end components that fit into this bracket, Mark Levinson has opted to keep things simple with its No5105, which has more in common with starter decks that come in at under £300 when it comes to setup and operation.

The real trick, of course, is while appealing to those that want an easy life when it comes to putting the turntable together, it also offers a logical upgrade path for those that want to tweak the performance to their individual tastes. Happily, you can put a sizable tick into both of these respective boxes.

The follow up to the company’s deeply impressive No515 debut turntable, the No5105 comes in at just under half the price of its predecessor – available sans cartridge for £5,800 or bundled with Ortofon’s Quintet Black S MC pick-up (HFC 425) for £6,500. The price differential between the decks is no doubt due to the fact that the former comes from the company’s cost-no-object range, while the latter derives from the entry-level lineup, for which no-fuss ownership is a key attribute.