Bridging Mono Mcintosh Mc2102

For whatever its worth, when faced with this decision, I flinched and bought two MC501's. The 2102 is a fine amp, so the answer probably depends on the rest of your equipment and your willingness to have two large heat sources in your room.

Skip

i somewhat agree with skip. in a large room, the benefits of going to a 352, 402, 501's or 602 are going to be much more noticible with your sonus fabers. i've had 2 2102's and 2 mc275's on my gradients(which are in a big room), and other than a little more volume, it was pretty much the same. it had a 602 put in, and holy cow...everything got bigger and more defined, especially the deep bass. same results with other speakers as well.

Jaybo,

Do you get a better soundstage or better LR separation and better bass by going from one 275 to two 275s?

Thanks

I faced the same situation just before Xmas to drive my Vienna Mahlers. I demoed a pair of MC501's for about 3 months and I all ready had a friends MC2102.
Me I wanted to buy the MC501's as I really did not want to go back to the hasstle of tubes ( not that MAC 2102 is a hasstle)
The MC501's were nice, but I never really got that emotionally attached to it.
Then I borrowed the dealers MC2102 and paralleled them. You get more ability to drive low impedances when you parallel, only more power when you bridge them.

WOW - one MC2102 is nice, but 2xMC2102's are great. One MC2102 I felkt like it was running out of gass when played loud, no such headroom problems with 2xMC2102's.
No problems controlling the bass, mid range superb and treble nice and extended but the most important thing was music just sound better and more enjoyable to listen to. Everything is better with 2xMC2102's - no comparison IMO.

BTW, a pair of Strats is what I want to upgrade my Mahlers from if I every can afford it.

My take is go for it. 2xMC2102 has a magic that a pair of MC501's cannot beat.

Hello Guys,

Hope you don't mind my butting in. I too am looking at a pair of MC2102's. Am I understanding that the biggest benefit to the sound is parallel, ability to drive 4, 2, or 1 ohm load, as opposed to bridged 16, 8, or 4 ohm load? I have Martin Logan Ascent I's that I want to drive with a Manley Steelhead directly into the Macs. Sounds like parallel would work well? The Ascents drop to 1 ohm in the high frequencies...

Thanks,

Jett

Yes Jet, that is correct according to the literature.

I have used the manley steelhead at home and it should have enough gain to run it direct.

You may want to email Mac direct as I don't have a lot of experience with Martin Logan

Thanks Downunder. I checked out your system and the dual Macs are looking sweet! I see you are using the xono-great phono stage.

Can't wait to get the Macs for myself.

Best Regards,

Jett

thnx Jett

I demoed the steelhead about 18 mnths ago. At that time it did not suit my system as I was experimenting with SS amps ( stupid me).
Currently demoing the ARC PH7 phono stage - boy does that sound nice, the only ARC unit I have ever liked.

Let me know if you get the 2nd MAC 2102

cheers

Shane

....BTW, a pair of Strats is what I want to upgrade my Mahlers from if I every can afford it.....
hello Downunder, i read your post and i am really curious as i have in common with you some of the equipmets. i am relatively new in the audio world so this is not a good question but i hope you get the chance to reply. what's the "Strats" that you mentioned?
Tank you

HI Bamm

Yes the "Strat" are the Sonus faber Stradivari's. That is what I would luv to upgrade to ( not that there is anything wrong with our mahlers), only need to win the lottery of rob a bank or something.
What is the rest of your equipment besides the mahlers??