Which McCormack

The SMC revisions, as Steve M explained to me, do not change the basic character of the amp. The overall sound remains similar, but tweaked in such a way to provide more fine detail. Do not expect a radical change. After hearing about my system, he advised getting a better preamp before upgrading my DNA 0.5 Deluxe. Gotta give him credit for not putting on the hard sell. Of course, people are saying such great things about the Rev. A that I'm sure I'll get it done eventually.

Hey, guys, have you actually COMPARED the Rev. A to the new amps? Obviously, Steve McCormack is going to say they sound better, or he would be shooting himself in the foot, & wouldn't be a good salesman for his upgrades. I'm not saying his upgrades aren't good, I'm sure they are. However, I think too many here are making unsubstantiated statements about the superiority of the SMC versions to the new ones. As I remember, when I asked Steve McC. about the new amps, he told me that they were using very good parts, & that only his Rev. A versions might exceed them, but he wasn't making claims that they were substantially better. I own a DNA-225 & it is a fine sounding amplifier.

How would a factory "Deluxe" model then compare with an "SMC upgraded" product? Is the Deluxe comparable to somewhere between Rev. C and Rev. B, or just where does it fit in?

thats what I needed to know, thanks

I would go with a dna .5 rev/A if you can find one at that price. I've heard the .5 is actually better sounding if you don't need the power. I used to own the 1/reva and I still think it's one of the very best amps out there. Very powerful with a nice spacious sound.

The nice techs at mccormack told me the rev A amps will sound better than the newer dna 225 series. A stereophile review from last november called it a tossup. I found that evaluation surprising given the parts quality used for rev A's verses the price point parts the 125 and 225 amps need to meet.

I agree with both Garfish and Soix. Steve M gave me the same advice. The new amps are about a Rev B and are built to a price point. I have both a DNA-0.5 Deluxe and a DNA-0.5 Rev A which I acquired here for $1200. I use the Rev A to drive a pair Magnepan MG-3.6R. I recommend you wait for a Rev A. You will not be disappointed.

Good post Soix-- that's the same advice Steve M. gave me, and that's what I would do also. Steve says the DNA-125 is about equal to a DNA-0.5 Rev. B. Good Luck. Craig

According to Steve McCormack he was able to incorporate many of the Rev. B mods into the DNA-125 and it is a great amp, but the 0.5 Rev. A goes even further and you can probably find one used for around $1400 if you have the time. I've got a 0.5 Rev. A and overall it seems more transparent than the newer McCormack models I've heard, but they were in different systems so take that for what it's worth. All I can tell you is the 0.5 Rev. A is a true open window to the music and upstream components with outstanding dynamics, detail, imaging, soundstaging, and overall control. If you can't find or wait for a Rev. A I'm sure the 125 will get you most of the way there, but I'd try for the Rev. A first. Best of luck.

Tim