2. amps-preamps
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Hail to Mcintosh

In respnse to another thread about why audiophiles dont' pick Mac.I think (in my humble opinion) is unfounded. Not everyone (as this is a BIG world) spend their time on audiogon or any other forum "playing expert in hearing sound reproduction". Sound is subjective.In the guitar amp world many players choose their amps for different reasons....some monetary,others by what their heros played and some by what their ears are hearing, build quality or a combination of things. I've owned many boutique,vintage fender and clone amps of famous designs....,to me ,nothing beats the sound of a 60's Marshall w/ a Strat or LesPaul guitar. And many would agree......but not everyone. SO WHAT!! Now getting to Hi-FI..... When I was 16 or so (I'm 43) I heard my friends Uncles stereo I was BLOWN away,much like seeing a rock concert when the band Has that......MAGIC and everything flows. I wanted it! It was some Mac tube gear and Klipschorns. The passed 3 years I've listened to MANY systems tube and solidstate and to my ears the Horn loaded speakers w/ tube gear does it for me . Doesn't matter whether Rock,blues jazz or folk. I've chosen Mcintosh first for sound,quality ,history,looks and convenience of my dealer ...Audioclassics.com. I live 1 hr away from both the factory and them! I bought my Mac gear from them used (MC 2102's, MC2000 amps,C2200 preamp,Rosewood Khorns,ect..)My C2200 went awry,I explained my problem to "Ryan" at audioclassics and he contacted Mcintosh,they never encountered the problem I described. I thought to myself "OH brother" NO stereo for awhile......WRONG!! Ryan drove down to my house with a Brand new factory sealed C2200 and said "here, its yours" and took the other one back. No, it was not a loaner but an exchange,what company or dealer does that??? Nuff said!
128x128tjnif
joeylawn36111
574 posts
 
My MC2505 was probably built when Lyndon Johnson was President. It still works and sounds great. How many brands can you say that about?
hantrax
36 posts
 
Add another 501 zealot to the list.

Since I got mine, I haven't looked back at the HUNDREDS of pieces of gear I've owned in the past few years.

I have to say that McIntosh has all the resolution your system has. As the gear around them gets better, so do the 501's. I haven't heard their limits yet. The Halcro has a gerbil pubic hair more resolution, but can they put out this power? NO. Will Halcros be playing tunes in 15 years? Probably not. The 501's will go to my grandkids. Or my bedroom when I can afford the MC2KW's. ;-)
flyski
40 posts
 
Hantrax, you are correct about the resolution of the 501's. Adding an MDA1000 DAC to drive the 501's directly has resulted in a tremendous amount of resolution, air and focus to my system. The MDA1000 retains all the analog warmth of the McIntosh components while adding the last ounce of all the necessary parameters that define high end audio. So if anyone ever doubts the resolution and detail capability of the 501's, just listen to them with the MDA1000 driving them through balanced cables. Bring a napkin to wipe the drool off your chin!
mount_rose_music's avatar
mount_rose_music
116 posts
 
Well and here is my two cents. I have an MC2000 driving a pair of Alto BE's, I tried Halcro, AR, Levinson. 6 years later, the bias still doesn't need to be reset... they are not on the "MK14 version", and the midrange is to die for. So, it looks cool, it has the best midrange I have heard personally, and I haven't had the tube blues. What's not to like? I added a subwoofer to make up for the loss of base, and I haven't heard Alto's sound better. Is it a bargain? Compared to what else I heard, I would have to say yes. Don't know about any other Mac though.

Cheers!
C
cio52
121 posts
 
Thought it was time to revive this thread because all of the above opinions are still valid. I too grew up with the knowledge of McIntosh and other iconic American trademarks (think Harley-Davidson) and have tried to buy as many as possible. I too have mixed and matched many different brands of preamp/amp/cdp into my system to the point of adnauseum. Things changed when I started using all McIntosh electronics (c45, mcd-201, mc-352, with american maple speaker stands, plinths and rack. I like McIntosh. You might like ARC, Boulder, Conrad-Johnson, etc. The point is that the electronics should be from the same manufacturer if you want your system to sound it's best. OK, my speakers are British and my turntable/cartridge is German/Danish but the synergy of the electronics and therefore my system is undeniable. Call it a "house-sound" if you want, but the only way to get it is to have it all from the same company. Now the fun part is to find which "house-sound" is best for you. Listen everyday.
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