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Mac 611's

I'm thinking about upgrading from a McIntosh 452 amp to a pair of 611's.  The maximum price I am willing to pay is close to the 611's and I'm looking for 1 or 2 channel alternatives which are actually available in my local area to listen to (Washington state). Any suggestions?  Again, I'm not interested in paying any more and looking for better quality and a little more power than my 452.  For that kind of money, should I just stick with my 452, get the 611's or consider an alternative you guys might suggest?  Thoughts?
bheyamoto
6 responses Add your response
hamr
56 posts
 
I owned the 501’s and upgraded to the 611’s. The difference is not small. The 611’s are more open, more detailed and more dimensional. They have all the power you will ever need run cool and are reliable. 
bheyamoto OP
17 posts
 
Yes, I'm looking into used, but I think the purpose for the upgrade is also the headroom...so 601's probably won't do it.  I'm just finding a hard time finding like priced competition for the 611's to compare them to; so maybe there isn't (any competition) and the 611's are the way to go.
laaudionut
263 posts
 
If you are sticking with Mac, yes, the 601's will serve you brilliantly. And save you money, as I see several pair here and on USaudio. Long ago, I went from the MC300, to the MC501, then to the 601's...hard to do better without paying up. I have since left Mac, but that is a whole different thread.
tobor007's avatar
tobor007
135 posts
 
Not sure if this helps, but maybe buy used 611's? Also, perhaps to get the extra power and mono's to boot, you could look into McIntosh 601's. They have a little less head room than the 611's, but still plenty of power.
bheyamoto OP
17 posts
 
Yes, Magnolia is great and I purchase a lot of my stuff from them, but what I was looking for was a good competitor or two, to the 611's, so I could convince myself that the 611's are the ones to consider...but I'm not interested in paying any more.
musicpod
192 posts
 
If you are in Washington State, aren't there any Magnolia Design Centers near you?  I ask because, although Magnolia has been folded into Best Buy, the company was founded in Washington.  Their prototype store layout includes the 611s as active demos.  And, since I am a Magnolia Design Customer, I know that sometimes they send equipment up to Washington for service/repair.
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