Hi Real World Listeners. I have a PS 15 and I’ve always had a couple of sound quality-related issues with my Mark Levinson 585.5 integrated amp on the HC outlet. Since I got the amp last September, I thought I was the only person on planet earth with any issue with the P15 !! But some of the ramblings here on this forum thread might “be onto something”.
With a ‘cheap’ mains lead between the P15 and the ML 585.5, sound quality is worse. Repulsive in fact. I immediately had to unplug the ML 585.5 and put into straight into the wall socket to noticeably improve SQ. I spent a lot of money on a custom mains cable from MCRU in the UK. (I’m in Australia btw.) Now the ML 585.5 is connected to the back of the P15 with most pleasant SQ.
Here’s my real “buyer’s remorse” with the P15. The ML 585.5 has three standby models. Two of those modes frequently cause a “short circuit” message , shutting power off to all P15’s outlets. Coming out of Standby on other mains re-conditioners, no such short circuit. (e.g. Thor PS 10).
Help!
Both the PS Audio and ML distributors in Australia have been super helpful. It seems nobody nowhere has ever plugged a ML 585.5 into a PS15 before.
Help!
I am terribly sorry to hear of the challenges you’re facing. I am not familiar with the ML 585.5, but does the P15 shut off when you use the remote control of the ML or when you physically press buttons on it? I have a simlar problem with my P15 when I turn the PSA BHK pre using the push button on the front. So, I use the remote. Of course this only happnes within the first two minutes of turnign the P15 on. If I leave the P15 on for a few ninutes, I could walk up to the pre and turn it on manually without tripping the P15 off. I can’t figure it out!
The “Green” and “Power Save” standby modes of the ML 585.5 would cause the “short circuit” (all orange colored power outlets on the PS15’s display). This would happen almost regularly, with one in every three presses of Standby causing the “short circuit”. Didn’t make any difference whether it was the Standby button on the amp, or, the Standby button or on the remote control.
Green: This mode removes power from almost all of the N0. 585s circuits, allowing the unit to be activated only via an IR control signal, a 5V – 12V trigger voltage or a press of the Standby button. This mode provides maximum power conservation and is the factory-default Standby mode.
Power Save: This mode removes power from the N0. 585’s audio circuits, but keeps the control circuitry powered and ready to receive commands from either the front-panel controls or the remote control. This mode provides moderate power conservation.
Terribly sorry to hear that. I have a Meridian 857 reference power amp with comparable power to the ML 585.5 but I never had this dilemma! I start it using the trigger cable from the PSA preamp!
This is a guess only: Have you checked to see if there are inverted polarities in power cables or somethig like that?
P.S. I did try turning off all power outlets , except one HC outlet, from the P15’s front panel. The ML 585.5 would be powered on first, before all the other outlets and their sources. Made no difference.
I did try turning off the ML 585.5 by turning off the HC outlet from the P15 front panel. The ML amp did not like that at all (judging by the loud popping sound heard on my speakers).
The Aussie distributor did know of BHK mono blocks causing the “short circuit” message on the P15 when the mono blocks are bought out of standby.
FYI.
This is the “Normal” standby mode on the amp which doesn’t cause a “short circuit” on the P15.
Normal: This mode shuts off the N0585’s display and mutes its audio outputs, but keeps all of its control and audio circuits powered. This mode provides the least amount of power conservation but allows the N0. 585’s audio circuits to remain warmed up to deliver optimal performance at all times.