I’m using a Mark Levinson No.28 I had completely restored about 5 years ago. The BHK preamp sounds tempting but then I’d need a phono preamp and lose my tape loop. I still listen to some old cassettes in my Nakamichi from time to time. I suppose I could give the tape loop up since I haven’t recorded on it in a very long time.
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ML No.28 is a great preamp. So, did you convince your wife to get M1200s in place of the M700s? I am sticking with the M700s till further notice.
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Oh yes. I probably got one of the first production sets. I bought my before the release and went on a waiting list. I guess I’ve had the M1200s for 7 or 8 months now and love them. I felt the trade offered on the M700s was fair and sent them in toward the end of my 30 day in home trial with the M1200s.
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I love reading everyone’s impressions of the M1200s, but like @Serhan, I’m staying with my M700s as well. I really love them and what they do with the rest of my system, but on a more practical level, I don’t know how many more LARGE upgrade hits my budget can withstand before I retire in a couple of years. If it turns out there’s room for one more splurge, I’d rather put that money into a new SACD transport, whether that turns out to be the PST, or a Stellar-level model yet to come.
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I did the same when the Stellar phono came out. I pre-ordered and waited for a while. Like you, I was nicely surprised when it arrived.
Is your pre one of those with unique connectors for tape?
Every now and then, I go to ML’s page and look at 585 and 5805 and ask myself if I did the right thing going separates.
Yes, unfortunately my Levinson uses Camac connectors for single ended. I have enough adapters to connect everything I have with a few spares. It also has a limited number of balanced connections. The No. 28 has two tape loops and I had a Nakamichi CR-7A and a 580 hooked up to them. The CR-7A needs a couple servo motors to make it work properly. I haven’t been able to track those down. The 580 is out for a belt replacement right now. I hope to see it back buy the middle of the month.
The levinson came with a pretty decent phono stage built in. I haven’t felt the need (so far) to try an external one.
BHK preamp and DirectStream dac
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Same here 
It’s a great setup. Can’t go wrong with the BHK’s. I wanted BHK 300’s but I couldn’t pass the deal on the M1200’s
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The BHK 300s are great by all measures.
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In your own words herein, you just found your answer !!
BUY the M1200’s (trade-in your M700’s against the M1200’s as I did and I’m sure MANY others) BEFORE you retire !!
BEST move I ever made as they EASILY best the M700’s using every audiophile buzzword !!
Tom - NJ
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If that was directed to me, my point was that if I decide to splurge again before retirement, it will likely be the last time I can, and right now I need SACD source improvements more than I need better amplification.
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I have the M1200’s in the system replacing my M700’s. They are still breaking in but out of the box in my opinion they sound better than the M700’s. Everything that everyone so far has wrote about these amps is true so far and I’m excited to hear what they sound like when they get some more hours on them! What they do at low volume is pretty amazing. I’ve turned the volume up on many occasions with the M700’s to get the perfect sound definition for my taste. I’ve never experienced music at low listening levels as I have with the M1200’s their sound stage and details is great!
I´m not sure if this is the correct tread for my answer, but I wonder if someone have tried M1200 on the Infinity IRS Beta basstowers ?
Our chief engineer, Bob Stadtherr has. It’s what he’s using on the IRS Betas.
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Thanks Paul.
You understood my mixing of the words answer and question.
As you can understand English is not my main language…
The question is, how long do you hold out with the excellent M700 before making the jump to the M1200?
( I ask myself the same question, as I absolutely LOVE the BHK Preamp to M700 combo. This combination is crazy-good. Yet everyone raves about the M1200 with the BHK preamp that already had the BHK Pre feeding an M700)
If you don’t mind me chiming in. The M1200’s with the BHK preamp is spectacular. I was hesitant for a while thinking I’d have regrets with the M1200 not sounding significantly better than the 700. I don’t think my 1200’s have fully burned in yet and I can honestly say no regrets! There is just so much more of everything with the 1200 over the 700. I know that’s a little vague. The first time I heard my BHK pre connected to my 700’s I noticed right away how musical and natural it sounded with the BHK over the dsd 700 combo the same happened with the 1200’s but at a higher level. All the details that seem muted in the background with the m700 jump off the speakers with the 1200. The combination of the tubes and power is the secret in my opinion. I’m more worried now of there being less of an improvement over the 1200’s going to BHK 300’s than I ever was going from the 700’s to 1200’s. I know that’s not what 700 owners want to read but it’s true! Give them 30 days I doubt you will be able to let them go.
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The M700s perform their best with 4 ohms load in terms of THD and distortion. Also, their distortion levels are extremely low if you run them upto 100 watts. This translates into faithful reproduction of music.
I have a pair of speakers whose impedance is 4 ohms and are quite stable under pressure. The lowest they could ever drop to is 3.5 ohms. Also, I never listen to high volumes. Most times I am hovering around 50 - 70 watts. The BHK pre is doing a good job feeding the M700s. The overall musical delivery of the current setup is too good to mess around with anything else 
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I agree. This is consistent with the wonderful sound one can get coupling a tube preamp with a solid state amp.
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