2. amps-preamps
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Used Plinius, Simaudio, or Mcintosh integrated???

I'm shopping for a used integrated amp for a bedroom or office system. It would be used with (for now) Spendor S3/5 SE's, & I want something with enough power to drive almost any 2 way monitors. I've narrowed my choice down to a Plinius 8200 MK1, Simaudio i-3, or possibly a Mac 6500. The Mcintosh is roughly double the price of the other 2 used, so it's a bit of an odd comparison, but it kind of depends on what turns up used, & when. Has anyone compared any of these? And, between the Plinius & the i-3, is one clearly superior? I'm kind of leaning towards the 8200. Oh, yeah, & I've had urges towards the Cary SLI-80, but for the price, I think I'd rather try the Mac. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Steve
steveaudio
loudandclear
79 posts
 
Try the Vecteur I-4 or I-4.2 if you can
Absolutely stunning.
aball
2,016 posts
 
I really wanted to try the 8200 to see what the fuss was all about and when I did, I wasn't very impressed. It seemed everything was glossed over somehow. Poor description I guess but I agree with 84audio. I was comparing it to my McIntosh C712 and MC7100 separates. These two components make up the McIntosh MA6400 integrated which falls right in your budget. The MA6500 replaced the 6400. I would look for an MA6400 (or MA6450 w/o phono) in your situation - it sounds sublime. I haven't tried Simaudio yet but I am tempted. Good luck!
emster
75 posts
 
just to second the above, i tried an 8200 for awhile and cannot see what anyone was excited about. I ended up with the new Krell 400 which I love, but i am sure the sim and the mac are good choices as well.
steveaudio OP
331 posts
 
Thanks for all the informative responses.....glad I found out about the lack of input selector on the Plinius. I almost bought a used MA6500, but they're expensive, even used. And, I studied the physical measurements of the MA6500: those suckers are HUGE, for an integrated, esp. one with "only" 120 watts. Kind of defeats part of the purpose of using an integrated, at least for me. But I might take Aball's advice & at least check out the MA6400--is there a good site that describes older Mac gear in some detail?
aball
2,016 posts
 
The McIntosh bible is at:
http://www.roger-russell.com/aboutmc.htm

Scroll down and click on the "integrated-amps" heading and you will find all the models listed and described. Don't let the power ratings fool you - McIntosh rates power very conservatively. I do believe the MA6400/6450 is much shorter than the, indeed large, MA6500. Good luck finding one though - that model can be scarce. Arthur
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