Has any heard the new McIntosh MA8900 integrated?


Hi everyone.  I wondering if anyone has heard one of these and compared it to the MA7900.  Seems like the same amp with the exception of minor cosmetic changes and the upgradable DAC.  The 7900 is much cheaper, so I'm hoping there's not much difference.  Would appreciate any observations out there.

Thanks!

Jeff


jeffp13
@jeffp13 

You said "it makes music sound lifeless and dull". I have a McIntosh MA6500 powering Martin Logan Vantages and the synergy is very good. I've never heard Mac sound like you describe although I've heard it sound soft in with some speakers, which is not to be equated with dull. Perhaps your speakers do not pair well with McIntosh.

That integrated has a 5-band tone control. Use that to tailor the sound to your liking and you are done. And you'll still have the beautiful blue eyes to look at.

kalili also makes come good points, especially the different speakers taps; try them all.
What are your source component(s) and speakers and how long are your speaker cables? 
I'm using an Aurender server and plugging it straight into the Mac USB port.  Speakers are Harbeth Monitor 30.1s.  Speaker cables are probably 10 feet each.  I don't think it's an issue with cables because the same cables were used with both amplifiers and the sound is dramatically different. 

To me (and I emphasize that this is MY opinion, and I'm not trying to stir up a well-worn debate or hurt anyone's feelings), the Mac sounds unnaturally warm and flat.  I notice a real loss of subtle detail and "air" to use an overused and silly audiophile term.  I find myself turning up the volume thinking that the missing details are there, just at a lower level.  But they are not.  It's as if the information is somehow glossed over, perhaps by the autoformer output stage.  In short, the musical excitement is not the same for me.

But to be fair, a lot of people prefer the warm, smooth sound that Macs are known to deliver and that's 100% okay.  I suppose it's akin to a romantic tube amp.  I'm just finding that it doesn't suit my listening preferences.  The Mac sounds obviously colored to me, and I don't get the same emotional involvement with my music that I had with the Hegel.  But thanks to all on this forum for your suggestions!


BUMP, I just bought the h360 and after mentioning it to a fellow music lover he asked me if I had listened to MAC gear to which I replied "I can't find a dealer that will let me take a mac home", and sometimes you just know when it's as good as it gets. Hegel just came out with a h190 that sounded even better than the h360 in my system (more immediate) but my speakers need more than 150 wpc so if you're going back to hegel listen to the h190.