McCormack Amp Upgrades

I have 2 DNA-1 amps mono block. Bought them used but they were not up to the platinum level. They are now with the Plitron transformers. I like Nelson Pass amps and pre amps. Have owned and heard some of his products. The Platinum DNA-1s are the finest amps I have owned. My system is in dedicated room. Source is vinyl, ARC PH3-SE modded by Steve Huntley, ARC LS-12 line stage, Essence 10A speakers. The bass is incredible. pipe organ is solid and rich like a pipe organ. The back of the stage does not have fake depth where the tonality is weak. The depth is there with energy like it should be. Dynamics are great micro and macro. I am running them balanced. They are so very quiet. Give Steve or Kris a call. They are both very easy to talk with.Hope this helps.

I would just try to get your hands on a used DNA-500. It already has most of the upgrades to the lower models built in. Its a great amp and will really make your VS speakers sing.

I used to own a pair of DNA-1 monoblocks which I purchased in their stock configuration. Later, I sent them back to McCormack for the "Deluxe" upgrade (highest level available at the time.....SMC was not yet in existence).

I was never sorry for doing so. Well worth the money and time it took. Nowadays the SMC upgrades are even better than the 'Deluxe'.

I kept those amps for probably another 4 or 5 years before deciding to sell them and move on. I even paired them for awhile with a Cary SLP-98 tube preamp and found the combination to be very very good together.

If you decide to go through with it, don't let some of the others talk you out of it. The DNA amps are one of the great unsung values in high end equipment. They may not have the cachet of some of the more popular units, but when you fire yours up and sit back to listen...you'll snicker yourself silly at all the extra money some of those others paid trying to get the sound you have.

Best,

.....sT

I had a pair of DNA-1 monoblocks driving Vandersteen 3A Sigs, gave those up for a pair of DNA-1 Dlx Golds (non momoblocked) that are vertically driving the Vandy's now and they are so much better than the monoblocks, I put the monoblocks back in a couple of weeks back and the bass was so over driven they didn't last the weekend (too much power). I also have a McCormack Micro Line Drive and a Micro Phono Drive that I had upgraded to Gold and they are not the same peaces of equipment they were before the upgrade, I know because I have the stock versions of both in my computer room. A great example of the improvements that I can give is on Dave Brubecks "Time Out", while Dave is playing the piano, as the hammer is striking the strings, with the stock equipment it sounds as if there is a layers of felt on the hammers and with each upgrade a layer of that felt is removed, making the notes sound more real and less like a reproduction. The funny part is without hearing this I didn't realize I was missing it. When doing a comparison I could not believe the difference. I tried the MLD in place of my TLC-1 Dlx and everything just became that much clearer, greater transparency, with more depth along with quieter, blacker back grounds, wow I was in heaven. The improvement were so great I've scheduled my TLC for the Full Monty with the Carbon wiring. Yes the bad part is you can only get back about half of your investment on the upgrades but if you have plans to sell your equipment down the road then you would be better off waiting till a modified unit comes up online and do a comparison then. By the way many Agoner's here recommend a tube preamp with the McCormack's and with the power demands that your Von Schweikert's have you just might wind up with an outstanding combination.

A great example of the improvements that I can give is on Dave Brubecks "Time Out", while Dave is playing the piano, as the hammer is striking the strings, with the stock equipment it sounds as if there is a layers of felt on the hammers and with each upgrade a layer of that felt is removed, making the notes sound more real and less like a reproduction.

That's an interesting claim.
Because the piano hammers do have a layer of felt. If the upgraded amps "removed" this layer of felt, this would make the stock amps more accurate now, wouldn't it.

This is precisely the reason I sold the modded SMc amp. It was not natural sounding, was colored, inacurate and caused listener fatigue. The big improvement over the stock amp was the improved soundstage size. Tonality was not as accurate as it was with the stock amplifier.