Mcintosh mc451 mono - anybody use this new dual amplifier?

I'm awaiting arrival of MC451.  I'll let you know my first impression.  I'm pairing them with the MC12000 and B&W 801D4s.  My source will be an Aurender A15.

When expected? Thanks

I miss spoke in the original post. The mc901 has 600 W 300 W combo. The 451 has 300 solid state And 150 watt tube sections.

Hi there, I know this is an old post but It would be nice if  jth1911  told us about his experience with de  MC451.  There are very few opinions from users on the web.

thanks. 

@jth1911 

hi,

How is your experience with the biamp 451 amplifier?  I'm using the 901 on the 802D3 and I find it really brings out the mid and tweeter which otherwise tends to be buried a bit.

@vinylnostalgic 

@emergingsoul , I enjoyed the MC451s.  I had them paired with 801D4s.  Very musical.  Great for those who love acoustics. Synergy is very important.  Some say the 451s do a better job at providing a more natural sound than the 901s.  I haven't heard the the 901s. 

@jth1911 

I'm thinking about buying a pair of Sonos faber il cremonese.  the 801s you have are really nice.  They are very big and I'm sure are doing really well

I don’t post here often, but I have a set up very like you describe. The VSA vr4 jr’s have built in crossovers at 200hz and are easy to bi-amp. I use a Mac 462 for tv and movies but use it as bass amp for music. I currently have 3 tube amps that I’m comparing now, an ARC D 70 II, a MAC 275 vi amp, and a MAC 1500 receiver with the preamp bypassed to use the amp section only. 
All three sound really good by themselves, but really sing when the bass load is removed. If interested, I liked the ARC best, followed by the 1500, then the 275, though each amp does certain things better than others.

The 275 has more air around the instruments, but less dynamic jump, though not sluggish or heavy. The D 70 has more dynamic jump, but needs 6550’s to really sound best. The 1500 was a real surprise, almost matching the ARC in dynamics. Tube sets are very important and needed a selection process to get each to sound its best. 275, winged C 6550’s, nos Sylvania at7s, and os Teles ax7’s. The stock tubes were grey and sluggish, but the amp came alive with the upgraded tubes. An expensive upgrade. The D 70 is best with 6550’s and os 6dj’s etc. The 1500 needed TS 7591’s, and  os Teles au7’s and a Tele ax7. Hope this helps.

Each is acceptable with the right components, with the 275 in most need of careful system matching.

The above assessment was made without the 462 running the bass, to give a better picture of each amp alone. 

Funny how everybody skips the 2301.

Are you familiar with the 2 301? 901 Version of the 2301 has six small tubes per mono vs 2. They actually have solid state circuitry and the current 2301 model, where now on the 901 Version version it’s pure tube circuitry.

Very strange why they have so few small tubes in the original 2301.

Get a pair of MC3500 Mk2s.  They have plenty of power and grip on the bass and it is more advanced than the 2301 tube component.  No need to bi-wire.  Just solid, simple power, grip, airiness and finesse.  Amazing amps.  

@lewl28 

So you think the MC 3500 is better without ‘biamping’? How do you feel about biamping with the MC 600   600 W amplifier for the bass and tube amp for the upper drivers

That would probably be great!   The 1.2Ks even better since the 3500s put out a lot more than 350 watts.  

@lewl28 

That's the spirit. But why stop there when you can have the MC 2K monos. 

Exactly.  There is no substitute for American horsepower!  That being said, I am selling my MC3500s.  Great amps, but I am downsizing and don’t have the room for separates anymore.  

Any of you Mac owners ever try the Mc611's to compare? I've heard folk suggest that without a dedicated 20 amp outlet a pair of mc611's will make no more power than a single mc462? 

@steve59

I own a 611 pair and the need for dedicated outlet is not true. The actual power of these amps use is less than 100 W. A shared 15 amp circuit would work as long as it's not too crowded. Your hairdryer uses a lot more than this amplifier

Thanks for that. I was wondering why the power meters were bouncing freely on the more dynamic recordings.