Ah, that's right--I recall from the OP. Perhaps a SS Mac preamp would be better. The cliche is that Mac tube gear sounds SS and vice versa. The 500C is supposed to be excellent though expensive. |
I should add, though, that the brightness you heard almost certainly was not the MC501. It errs in the other direction. I've heard people say the stock C2300 is bright, however. |
I'm running Mac MC501 monos with EPS2 and they mate very well. Bass is strong and controlled ; mids are full and sweet; highs are crystalline. The combo has coherency and musicality, and definitely presents a toe-tapping experience. The PBN/SEAS tweeters are remarkably clear and revealing but I've found they can be a little much in a hard room with amps that lean in that direction. The Macs, being full and smooth yet detailed, play to the strengths of the EPS2s very well. And the speakers, because they are so revealing of microdynamics and detail, help to augment the 501's slight softness in this area. I'm very pleased with the combo. And I'm surprised more Mac owners don't go for these PBNs. Wonderful speakers. |
I should add that the Mac 501s are a bit of a conundrum because while they do present plenty of detail, they're not what I would call super-resolving, at least not as resolving as some pure class A amps I've owned, and still own. But with a good, matching tube preamp like a C2300, properly tube-rolled, they pull it all together incredibly well to my ears, especially with the EPS2. |
If that's the 3 box integrated, I listened at a dealer on $70K Magicos and thought it sounded thin and lifeless. Then he plugged in a VAC Phi 300.1 with a top VAC preamp and it sounded amazing. The ASR was not my cup. |
I'm sure it's actually much better than it sounded to me during that one quick audition. Perhaps it needed more warm-up than it received. Perhaps the Magicos aren't right for it. Perhaps something else was amiss. I wasn't there to hear it so I asked for the VAC stuff to be swapped in after 10 minutes. |
What Mac pieces did you listen to? |
Tube rolling the C2300 is crucial, in my experience. To me the stock tubes are a bit harsh and noisy. Most users swear by Telefunkens but I find them, while balanced and extended, a little too polite. Mid-1950s RCA Long Black Plate 12AX7 with D-getters add body and bass while keeping plenty of sparkle on top and excellent midrange. They're readily available and not too pricey. Great tubes. My personal favorites are Medical Grade Holland Amperex, which are incredibly focused and dynamic but might be too bright for you. And they're very pricey. Current issue Mullard 12AX7 (made by New Sensor in Russia) have a classic warm, fat tone and are very cheap. But of course, you'd have to take the leap of faith on the components before tube rolling and I'd certainly understand why you might not. Good luck! |
Vlassiss,
Glad you found amps that work for you. I'm more impressed by my EPS2s as my system evolves. They are remarkably neutral and resolving speakers that let all upstream components shine.
Finsup,
Maybe you should experiment with speaker cables. I just shotgun bi-wired my PBNs with single crystal copper, 8 ga on the bottom, 12 ga on top. It really evened out the tonal balance, adding warmth and presence and eliminating some slight hardness. Before, I was using lighter gauge silver clad copper. The woofers needed more current relative to the tweeters/mids and the silver was giving a slight edge. I don't know the XPs and YMMV but it's worth experimenting. I find the EPS2 to be very neutral and revealing, which can mean hardness in some cases, if hardness is upstream. |
I don't really hear that boxiness, I have to say, if you mean cabinet resonance, although I've heard speakers that disappear better. The EPS2s can beam a bit if placement isn't right on. I know from reading your numerous posts these lines that you find GMAs to be much more open and invisible. Time-aligned and phase-coherent speakers can be spookily invisible. I've never heard GMAs but I gather they're like that. But I had Vandersteen 3A Sigs before the EPS2s but I found them to be no less boxy or more invisible. Rather, I've found the EPS2s to be better in every way and not by a little. Plus, they throw a huge sweet spot whereas the Vandies was like a yacht portal. Agonizingly small changes in placement and careful room treatment have helped me to minimize their directionality. But perhaps your hearing is simply more sensitive to cabinet resonances than mine. |
Vlassiss, I'm using old Harmonic Tech Pro-9 shotgun bi-wire that I'd put in a drawer and forgotten about. Years ago, when I had another system, I stripped off the big outer jacket. It seemed to open them up a bit but I wouldn't really recommend it. I'd also check out Acoustic Zen Double-Barrel Shotgun, which is very similar but larger gauge OCC copper on both top and bottom. The woofers on these speakers really like some fat current, and the OCC copper provides wonderful warmth, presence, and detail. At least in my experience. |
