McIntosh MX121 vs. MX119 for 2-channel
I ended up purchasing an MX150 to replace my Anthem D2V. I am strictly 3.1, mostly 2.1. Reason I purchased it was for the Lyngdorf Room Perfect correction feature. It is the best room correction feature I've ever heard. Pure analog 2 channel mode pales by a serious margin. I doubt I will ever listen to pure analog ever again, it's that good |
Thought to bump this thread again.... I only have a 3.1 setup currently using an Anthem Statement D1 processor. Are you guys saying that the pure direct mode on the MX-119 allows output to the sub, or not? I would love to see how 2.1 sounds through this preamp but if it’s problematic, I should stay away |
The whole sub woofer activation was weird. It wasn't working for me at all, and then I read somewhere about a firmware update that fixes that issue. I managed to update it myself and it only worked part of the time, and usually on the digital input, but not the RCA one. Go figure. In any case, I agree with a lot of posts out there about the MX119 being a great 2 channel preamp at a very reasonable price. |
Hi yyman23, I don't hear any difference either.. for the most part. It's the 'Pure Stereo' mode that activates the subwoofer.. which defies logic. If you activate Mcbass and set your speakers to large, apparently it passes full range to the speakers and additionally activates the sub. I could swear that it worked like that for me at one point when I first set it up and had Paradigm Studio 20 v3 stand mount speakers and then it stopped working that way after I got bored one day and played with the settings.. and could never get it to work again. I've since graduated to B&W 683s2's so not having a sub for music isn't issue. Every once in a while I revisit the topic with the internet because I can't let it go that the MX119 is messing with me lol. If it wasn't for watching movies and liking the sub for when I listen to electronic music through the digital input, I'd be happy to just get back to 2 channel for the simplicity, as well. |
Hi t3chnobrat, that's exactly what I was thinking all the years I had it. I have since switched to an actual C45 which I love. I do not recall the MX119 having a huge difference in sound between "Pure stereo" and "2-channel" - from memory, "2-channel" activated the subwoofer output. The main reason I let go of the MX119 was that the controls on the front were intermittent and fixing it would have been too expensive. I prefer the simplicity and looks of the C45 and of course - the sound. |
I know this is an aging thread, but I ran across it while i was searching out some of my own questions about The 'Pure Stereo' mode and McBass. I've had an MX119 for about 5 years now and I love it. The manual flat out sucks. Any way, I ran across an article where the reviewer explained that the 'Pure Stereo' mode was anything but a direct signal and the '2 Channel' mode (totally not mentioned in the manual) was actually the C46 preamp path.. completely opposite of what i thought all these years. http://www.iar-80.com/page159.html |
