Who heard or has a McIntosh MC7100?

I owned (for a very short time) an MC-7150 and a C-712. They were both HORRIBLE. Thick is probably the best way to describe their sound. Of course they looked gorgeous but their performance was truly lackluster.

I picked them up used (here) from their original owner as a set. They had just been to the factory for a once-over and had about $350 worth of maintenance performed, so I know that they were up to spec and in proper operating condition.

Compared to the Classe DR-9 and Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 that they replaced, they were dreadful.

The MC-7100 is the same amp as the MC-7150 minus 50 watts and the cool meters. I would follow the advice regarding the older "2" series with the autoformers. I believe that the "7" series was produced during the transition period after being purchased by Clarion.

Good luck.

Nice job Aball.

I'm clearly not very well-versed on McIntosh. I just knew that I had always wanted to own McIntosh gear and jumped at the opportunity to buy a matching amp/preamp in such superb condition. It clearly wasn't my cup of tea.

The good news, however, is that you can experiment with little to no risk. The stuff holds its' value and is EASY to sell if you don't like it. I actually made a tidy profit ($400) when I sold mine.

If the sound floats your boat, you'll be set - 'cuz there's nothing more beautiful than McIntosh blue.