A few months ago I was in the market for a stereo overhaul. I was leaving behind a NAD Master Series system, composted of the M3, M4 and M5, coupled with Sonus Faber Venere 2.5 speakers. Also in the mix was/is a Gold Note PH10, Acoustic Solid Metal 111 turn table with their WTB213 tone arm, fitted with a Benz Micro Wood L. The TT sat on Acoustic Solid's dedicated isolation platform. There was mishmash of different cables, some Cardas, some High Diamond.
I was eyeing Sonus Faber' Olympica III speakers and either a McIntosh integrated (MA8900 or MA7200) amp or a Moon integrated, like the 600iV2 or the 700iV2. I opted to keep the TT, NAD M4 (tuner) and the Gold Note PH10, and replace all of the cables with Cardas Clear Cygnus.
The place where I bought the speakers also carried McIntosh. I still remember my conversation with the sales person about amps, and he asked me if I liked a "warm" sound? That is such a subjective adjective that I had no reference point, other than the same term is often used in describing guitar amps. "Warm", in the lexicon of guitar amps, usually translates into tubes or "tube-like". In other words, not overly bright, not PCB based circuitry. Needless to say, there's an endless array of tonal possibilities between those two points. The sales person was also steering me towards Hegel, another decidedly high end product. He did not use the words "warm" or "bright" when discussing Hegel.
I had done some research on Simaudio, the Canadian owner of the Moon line of audio products and had read many decent reviews. Reading published reviews, I find, is not always to be the best measure of a products' actual performance: I find that reviews can be overly biased, usually not critical enough, especially with these bench mark products. I don't think I ever read a single negative review about either McIntosh, Hegel or Moon products. Reading reviews on audio components is a lot like reading reviews on wine: they are filled with colourful adjectives, designed to invoke a virtual listening experience with our ears. With both audio and wine, however, in order to understand what the writer is telling us, we need to understand what those words mean, what they translate to in real life. If you don't like vanilla, for instance, the wine writer's use of that word in describing a wine is not going to be of much use to you. What if you don't like "warm" sounding speakers, that place that delivers the sound from the amp? Hell, what if you don't even know what "warm" means!!!
I decided to comb through the various audio sites, such as this one, and read buyer's reviews to hear what actual owners had to say about their purchase. When comparing owner reviews of those who bought either the McIntosh (integrated) or the Moon (integrated), the response was disappointment at the McIntosh for being too warm, "muddy" and that translated into a lack of dynamic range, lacking detailed highs. Many buyers openly admitted to buying the McIntosh, purely off reputation and the love of the blue lit power gauges.
When I told the sales associate at the store where I bought my speakers that I was going with the Moon 700iV2, I couldn't believe how rude, inappropriate, and misinformed he was. He sounded like he was personally insulted, and that McIntosh was a far superior product. This is the same guy that appeared to suggest to me that I might not like the McIntosh for its "warm" sound.
All in all, I have no doubt that McIntosh makes an excellent product, built to last a life time. Maybe audio tastes have changed, maybe not On the front panel, Moon delivers you a simple product: there are no tone controls, much like the NAD M3, another award winning amp. I have never found the urge to be able to dial down the treble or the bass. The tone is rich, and balanced. Bass and drums sound like a bass and drums should, as does horns, pianos, stringed instruments, and so forth. The Moon 700iV2 (and the 600iV2) are described as "musical". The words "warm" or "bright" seem to be absent from writer's reviews. Since purchasing the Moon 700iV2, I have not been left the least in looking for another sound. Happy camper.
