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McIntosh MC 275 Mk IV or V with Harbeth M-40.1?

I've had my Plinius SA-102 for longer than any previous amp (almost 3 years) and have been very satisfied with it's reliability, musicality and build quality, but I'm very intrigued with finally trying a classic tube amp.

I listen to classical, jazz, vocals & acoustic rock at moderate volume levels, so I'm thinking the 75 WPC of the McIntosh MC 275 (mk IV or V) would work fine in my 15' x 21' x 7' basement set up. The Harbeth M-40.1's sensitivity is 85dB/W/m, 6 ohm nominal. Suggested amplification: >50W (Stereophile's review of the M-40.1's noted excellent success when driven by a 35wpc Shindo push-pull amp)

I've researched other tube amps from Rogue (M120's & 150's), VTL (ST-150), Manley (Snappers), Cary (120S), Audio Research (VT-100 MK III) and Quicksilver (V-4's). Ultimately I'm leaning heavily towards the Mac MC 275 (Mk IV or V) due to its not being a monoblock, it's a classic unit with excellent build quality and good resale value, and it's known to be reliable and is easy to bias.

Preamp is an Aesthetix Calypso with NOS tubes and my sources are digital and FM.

Comments from those experienced with later model McIntosh MC 275 and/or Harbeth M-40.1's would be appreciated.

Thanks - Paul

128x128pdreher

Showing 8 responses by pdreher

pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Rick - On Neil's (Nsgarch's) advice, I plan on sticking with the stock Svetlana KT88's for now (due to limited funds), but have NOS RCA triple mica black plate 5751's and Sylvania tmbp 6201's I purchased from Neil that I will experiment with this weekend when I set up the MC275 mk V for the first time :o)

I may be in position to try the GL reissues in a few months.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Rick - are you using stock tubes in the Mac 275... and if not, which ones are the most critical to replace as far as sound quality goes? I use select NOS tubes in my Calypso and the difference is night & day.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Lewinskih - Yes I will be using RCA cables, so you advise is pertinent... thank you. One question though.... when you said add "V1" tube to the signal path, what do you mean by V1?
Thanks,
Paul
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Stuck a deal for a MC275 MK V. Really looking forward to rolling tubes in my 1st tube amp!
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Tom - so far, so good. I'm currently listening with all of the stock tubes to get a feel for things, but have the NOS RCA 5751's & Sylvania 12AT7's ready to roll. Surprisingly, the amp sounds really, really good with just the stock tubes... a very pleasant surprise ;o).

The MC275 with the stock tubes is lacking the detail & refinement provided by my previous amp (Plinius SA-102), but it's noticeably more musical, natural and robust sounding without being in your face... I'm really loving it! Will be interesting to see if the NOS signal tubes take the sound to a new level.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
The drop in power suits the M-40.1's just fine. I do have to turn up my preamp about 5 more db's to get the same volume, but the speakers are not lacking any grunt. If anything, the sound is more full & robust moving from ss to tubes, at least in my particular situation.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Toetap - Before making the plunge, I too was concerned that the Harbeth / McIntosh tube amp combo could be "too much of a good thing"... but IME, the two really sound great together.

I know your not a fan of either Harbeth or McIntosh, but I recently left behind several years with Dynaudio C2's & C4's driven by solid state... and while those combos provided exciting & exhilarating sound, I've found I prefer the more relaxed & organic sound provided by the retro combo of the Harbeth & Mac tube amp. I think some of my change in preference has to do with age (I'm 45) and musical preferences.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher OP
1,191 posts
 
Ryder - Thanks for the kind sentiments. I know you've been experimenting with various amplification for your SHL-5's. I highly suggest you buy an MC 275 MK V. I'm still listening with the stock tubes and Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" redbook CD has never sound so wonderful on any of my previous systems. This amp is something special and has really transformed my system ;o)
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