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MAC Palladium IC's-Follow up, are they really.....

Category: Analog

That good? Yep.

After my initial impressions of the MAC Palladiums on the CDP it was time to see just how good these were. Another quick note to Steve at MAC brought a 1.5M set with Eichmann
Silvers to be used between the preamp and amp. 100 hours of burn in and they went on the system with great trepidation replacing Luminous coppers. Now MAC Palladiums from the CPD
to the preamp to the power amp completed the chain. I had hoped for alittle more of that Palladium flavor, but that was not the case. It was substantial. Greatly increased layers and textures of the music. More sonic impact. Simply a visceral experience from all the bits and pieces that are interwoven to make the music whole. The more you moved to the dead center “sweet spot” the more you became inside the orchestra. Step away and to the side, it became a different seat in the concert hall. The music was alive, it was all there, something I’ve never experienced. Remarkable. But how about living with this, will the music become ordinary.

Over the last few weeks we’ve thrown all manner of CDs at the system. Mostly classical & jazz with a sprinkle of Texas blues/rock. All have been unique experience. Mediocre CDs have vastly improved detail, soundstage, air, etc, etc. Good CDs have earned their Wow factor, always a surprise somewhere, some place. Can we live with the MAC Palladiums, yes they are really that good. Like fine art they are “wearing well”.
ger546
ger546 OP
2 posts
 
Sorry guy, no schill.....Just started to rebuild our system
about a year ago and discovered some stuff that really got us really excited. Seems that if you don't take a chance, ya get nowhere. Just wanted to share with the community.
hartwerger
105 posts
 
I'll vouch for Ger546. I have the Mac Palladiums and they are easily the best ICs I've tried. (Of course, the usual caveats apply, that is, my system, my room and my tastes.) The Palladiums have all the smoothness and holography of silver, great powerful bass, and a clear, open, very life-like midrange. Though I have only had them for a few weeks, I am hard pressed to find anything wrong with them. Time will tell if they hold up to the scrutiny. But, so far, they are simply outstanding. At first, I didn't even think they had a sonic signature, they sounded like no cable was there at all; however, after experimenting with different lengths, I can safely say they do have a flavor and its an extremely neutral one at that. And, the neutrality shouldn't be confused with bland or boring for they are anything but. I find them quite engaging. I have also had private emails with Ger546 and he is legit. Interestingly, we do have similar taste in cables. He not only likes the Palladiums, but also Luminous Audio cables, which he still has, but have been replaced by the Palladiums in my system. I'm still a fan of the Luminous cables, but the Palladiums are tickling my funny bone at the moment.
pcwizard
34 posts
 
FYI- Both the above gentleman have no ties to My Audio Cables other than the fact that they are very satisfied audiophiles.
I am a proprietor with some part time help. (my sons)

Anyone is free to contact me with any questions they might have about MAC. My phone number is also posted on my website.

Enjoy!
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Well if that's the case Ger546, I apologize, and welcome to Audiogon. I do suggest that you expand your audio interests outside of just one cable though. Talk about cd players, amps, heck even music. That is how we get to know each other and one's word carries more weight. You can understand when a relative new stranger comes in spouting words of praise from some relatively obscure product claiming it's God's gift to audio and it's all he's interested in talking about, smells like an agenda. Business has tried to come in through the forums in disguise before.

We had issues here a year or so ago with newbies pushing the D&K integrated amps acting like regular audiophiles. Build up a history like Norm (Hartwerger), talk about something else besides MAC Palladiums, so it doesn't appear as if you have an agenda. Is your cd player any good? How about your speakers? Do you have a decent amplifier? Or are they all just crap and the MAC Palladiums make them sound wonderful?

Cheers,
John
ger546 OP
2 posts
 
John,

We’ve been playing ping-pong between our Jolida CDP and our vinyl set-up for the last year. The Palladiums finally nailed the digital crap and made it palatable, if not pretty darn good.
Unfortunately they now have shown up short comings with the vinyl. The recent addition of some copper wound Bent Audio SU transformers although superb have distinctly “flavored”
playback, curious only in comparison to the neutrality of the palladium ICs, otherwise imperceptible. Hence all my inane flap over the palladiums.
So now back to the drawing board with the vinyl. Gonna do some Bent silver SU’s and just give a listen…..without palladium.

Check my other posts for my equipment list, it's there.

Respectable and hardly what I’d call “crap”.

The best to ya....

Ger
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