McIntosh Output Autoformer, Sabrina X and Serge Gainsbourg


I’ve put a good deal of attention into room acoustics, components, sitting position and so on.  My assumption was that my Wilson/McIntosh dealer had setup my MA12000/Sabrina X properly.  That said, I did have the common sense to adjust my listening position and the above changes.  What I never checked was which of the Autoformer output terminals were being used.  The Sabrina X gets down to around 2.6 ohms at 135Hz, so I was a bit surprised to see that they used the 8 ohm terminals.  Moved over to the 4 ohm terminals and put on “Histoire De Melody Nelson”, which is a great voice in the room recording.  The live, in the room presence was amazing.  I can’t believe that I’ve been listening with such a handicap.  So much for the expert in home speaker setup.  Give the above album a listen.  Really nice recording released in 1971.

vonhelmholtz

Showing 1 response by stereo5

It is always best to try the various impedance taps on the amp. My speakers are rated at 4 ohms but sound much more dynamic on the 8 ohm taps. I would let the dealer know that it wasn’t set properly.