Mcintosh mc451 mono - anybody use this new dual amplifier?


I like idea about biamping speakers with tubes going to mid/ tweeters and solid-state going to bass drivers. It requires you to adjust the gain and crossovers to each speaker which doesn't seem so bad.

Basically it's a Macintosh 600 watt mono and a  2301 300 W tube amp combined under one roof and brought together by an internal crossover/gain device.

Has anyone had any experience with this new amp? 

 

emergingsoul

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. 

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