Choose between McIntosh MA9000 used vs MA8950 new

Having lived happily with an MA8900 for the last 3 years I would buy the new 8950.  200 watts, plenty of headroom, better DAC (which may be irrelevant if you have an external one but the DA2 is pretty solid).  The MA9000 is very nice but you don’t need the 300 watts to run your speakers.  If you are looking at upgrading to more demanding speakers then maybe consider the MA9000. In the  context of used versus new, I would buy new.  McIntosh are very reliable but buying new gets you the warranty as well.  

My Dad has a MA8950.  It is a great amp.   The DAC is pretty good too.   Personally  I think I would go new.   

He is driving a 4 Ohm pair of Sonus Faber and the amp barely gets warm.   

All dacs in a McIntosh integrated or in their preamps are a compromise. Same goes for their phono stages. I would get the 9000 with the extra power, and get a good external dac now or later on. So many better dacs for a couple thousand dollars that would better any of the dacs in these integrateds.

The DA2 Is a lot better than it gets credit for. 

@randywong.  Always go for more power over less power. A little extra head-room never hurt anybody. Also, why buy new? There’s a huge pre-owned market out there that can save you thousands. Take advantage of it. I’ve been buying pre-owned audio for over 25 years with great success. If I had to pay new retail prices for my current audio system, I wouldn’t be able to afford it. As for DACs? Go for the best external DAC that you can afford. Happy listening.

I bought a lot of my system used (speakers, integrated amp, and ddc).  Buying used has served me well and it’s great but only If I buy the right component.  The OP mentioned that the MA9000 was in fine condition except cosmetics, that would be a red flag for me which is one of the reasons, in this case, I suggested buying new.  

@jastralfu Just because a person shopped the used market today, yesterday, or last week and didn’t find anything to their satisfaction, doesn’t mean that they should just give up on the used market and run out and buy new. One may just have to exercise a little bit more patience and wait for the right used unit to show up on the used market, and then jump on it. The saving is just too great. Patience will be greatly rewarded in the used market. If in any way, if it can be avoided, I absolutely never buy high end audio at retail prices. Why? Because I have champagne taste on a beer budget, LoL!!! Happy listening

….or….not to blow your mind but have a look for a used Gryphon Diablo 300 instead. I’ve personally listened to the McIntosh integrated’s vs the Diablo and well…. For my ear, the very large sonic differences made me a buyer in a few minutes.

Have a blast….!

A McIntosh that is only 4-5 years old but is not in top cosmetic shape is a clue that the owner(s) may have not taken care of the equipment during the period of ownership.  Steer clear and get the warranty.

I would not get hung up on the DAC, eventually you will want to replace it with a separate unit anyway. As for wattage, 200 is a lot, unless you regularly play at concert levels. Significant cosmetic damage on a fairly young amp might be cause for concern, you would have to be the judge of that. Since you are asking the group, maybe your gut says that the new unit is a safer bet, I would lean that direction. 

@kennymacc i agree, sometimes it takes a while to find the right component in the used market.

Big difference between the 9000's DA1 and the 8950's DA2. I have an 8900 which has the DA1 installed, but I'm running the excellent DAC from my Lumin T2.  I dare say the T2 going to sound as well if not better than the DA2 when streaming.

Long-time Mc owner and fan here.  @jastralfu and ​​​​@fatdaddy2 are entirely correct.  Any McIntosh product that doesn't have both perfect cosmetics and function can only depreciate until such time as it becomes a "classic," whatever you interpret that to mean.  Even then, you would face a hard time reselling the item and a lot of blowback from potential buyers.  Mc commands the second-hand market value it does because if you take care of it, it will last a lifetime looking just the way it did the day it came out of the box.  Anyone who lets the cosmetics go doesn't understand the value proposition McIntosh is built on.  Keep looking.

Others are also correct about the DAC.  Don't get hung up on that.  The DA1 works just fine and the DA2 is a modest improvement on it.  If you get a unit with either and don't care for it, getting a stand-alone is neither difficult nor expensive.  Don't let that come between you and the music.

Good luck with your search and happy listening!

I took a $3000 DAC to top ( and not by much) the internal DAC2 board in my C2700. I ended up settelting on a much more expencive DAC to actualy have a significant improvment so do not underestimate the DAC2 board its better then you may think. Also the DAC2 has HDMI ARC input if you run a TV in the same room this is very usefull. 

Keep in mind that on the 8950, when McIntosh upgrades their DAC to a "DA3", then you can easily swap out the DA2 for the DA3. Not sure if you can do that with the 9000.

If you gave me the choice, money-blind, I would get the 200W MA8950. That is plenty-o-power for the speakers, and new design/new components/new warranty would be the way to go, and no doubts about the quality. 200W of McIntosh power, I would not even be looking for more.

I own the 8950. My speakers are Cremona Ms. I stream with a Node run through the DA2. I'm very pleased. 

I own the 8950. My speakers are Cremona Ms. I stream with a Node run through the DA2. I'm very pleased. 

My Dad uses Sonus Faber Elector Amator III with a REL S/510 with his 8950 and it's a great sounding combo.  

The 9000 chassis is deeper and may be a challenge in some cabinets / stands also.  

I would go new,  keep it nice and you are literally preserving your investment.   The few Mc pieces I have had over the years brought me more than I spent on them at resale.  

Echoing the comments above, I’d get the MA8950:

• 200 watts plenty
• Don’t buy cosmetically damaged equipment; difficult to resell
• 8950 has HDMI input
• DAC 2 is excellent and replaceable

I own the MA8900 paired with SonusFaber Nova 5s and the setup is excellent in a large room. The DAC 1 is excellent too - just missing the HDMI but I may buy the newer DAC for $1k. 

I own an MA8900 paired with B&W 804 D3s and run an Aurender N100 (USB connection) into the internal DAC.  I recently upgraded to DA2 module and there is a marked improvement over the DA1 module.  I agree with several people here and would go with a new MA8950 as 200 watts is plenty of power and headroom.   I listen primarily to classic rock, progressive rock and some jazz.  I don’t find that I’m missing anything with the 200 watts of power on tap.  I also listen to a lot of vinyl on a VPI Prime Scout table running through the internal phono preamp. Again, for my ears, I’m missing nothing.  Get the new 8950 and a factory warranty and be happy!!!

I am mostly a tube guy and I really like the 8950.   It will give decades of enjoyment.  It has an excellent HT bypass mode should you ever want to integrate.  An awesome Amp for sure.   3 year warranty, new amp smell....

Thank you everybody for your inputs, I think I shall go the route for the new Ma8950, though a bit higher in price, but I shall keep it long term with my speakers.

An integrated is confining. Unless you have space issues I would branch out with a few separates. McIntosh is known for amplifiers. So much better things out there worthy of exploration

Although they do offer tone controls which is nice. Tone controls tend to restrict the signal path and you can really hear the difference when you disable feature in most processors.

I have owned  8950 for about 6 months and love it! I like the dac and the eq that other models don’t have. 200 watts is plenty for me through my Klipsh chorus 2s . 

You can’t go wrong with new and a warranty Imho

I am a 8950 owner, and there's already a lot good opinion above,

• 200w rms, 400we Peak.
• New in condition
• Come with DA2
• Etc

Since you use 805 d4 I would say go for 8950, and I have some different experience to share with you.

Somebody already said that, you might underestimate the da2. And also, if you really enjoy the ''mac sound'', you might want to just use the DA2. It's the best sync.

I have done a blinded test between DA2 and ps audio nuwave dac(non dsd version). 4 out of 5 guys pointed correct wich is pure mac and which is ps with mac.

I have changed the power cap in the nuwave dac, and that makes my ps dac mac sounding like. The only guy make mistake is the only mac owner and he said he made a oppsite choice because it sounds ''too mac'' to him

I have spent considerable time with this amp and would be proud to own one. In no way is this amp going to be the bottleneck or limiting factor of any system that most would assemble. It’s a strong argument for not having to buy separates. It’s that good. Plus you can always add an Amp. Yes the DAC card is that good.

Have owned a MA8950 for 2 years and streaming via a Bluesound Node 2i.  I’ve listened to many systems and I’m always amazed at how good my system sounds.  I think the DA2 module IS underrated.  You’ll love this amp.  If you had a chance to own a 9500 or a 12000, then you’d have more of a good thing but you dont need it unless you got the cash and the supporting equipment to take things to those higher levels. 

Thanks to all your inputs, which make me rethink my set up plan. I just got hold of a preowned c53, which has the da2 dac, similar to a 9500. I hooked up to an amp and digital in to its da2, the sound  is phenomenal! Now I see a good dac is very important.

The 8950 has the same DA2 dac module as the 9500 and the C53.  Not to dissuade you from where you are heading with separates.