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meclaw

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  1. Hi Gang! Question for the D.I.Y. modifiers amongst us: have any of you ever tried mounting an acoustic lense in front of the midrange and/or tweeter horn of a K-horn, Belle or LaScala? You know, those downward-tilted horizontal blinds that JBL used on the Hartsfield (among others)? I have read that they widen the soundstage and tame what some view as the excessive "shoutiness" of the horns. I'd be interested to hear of any experiences along this line, and/or opinions as to why this is/is not a good idea. Many thanks! meclaw
  2. Kinda puts a whole new spin on "pardon me," doesn't it? From a proud, life-long, card-carrying member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, Inc.
  3. Kinda puts a whole new spin on "pardon me," doesn't it? From a proud, life-long, card-carrying member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, Inc.
  4. One more thought about the MC-30s. I would not be overly concerned about my prior comment regarding the slight roll-off on the top end. As you well know, being a K-Horn owner (as am I, and Belles, too!), the top end of the K-Horn is often criticized as being too "sharp" or "bright." You may find that the top-end of the MC-30 complements the Klipsch treble in a way that provides a more satisfying sound. Just a thought. And now I WILL go away, I promise!
  5. OOPS - I see that I missed a question. Cost of retubing. A pair of MC-30s should be retubed for $200 - $300 (maybe more if you go in for "ultra low noise" or "matched" tubes.) A single MC-225 - well, this is a bit of a wild card. Before the days when 7591 output tubes seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, I would tell you that $300 would easily cover the bill. But what you might pay for 7591s today is anyone's guess. Still, unless you get snookered by a real grafter, I don't see why you should pay more than $450 - $500 to retube an MC-225. But this is only a semi-educated guess; please don't take it to the bank!
  6. Hi! Ill try to answer your questions as best I can. 1. That the tubes are described as unmatched may mean that they are from different manufacturers, or they may be from the same manufacturer but have not been batch-tested to ensure that they have identical electrical characteristics. One often sees ads in audio magazines for matched pairs or matched quads of a given tube, selling for significantly more than 2 or 4 unmatched tubes would go for. Theoretically, a matched set of tubes has been tested electronically and certified that their electrical characteristics are identical, or nearly so. Theoretically, this is supposed to guarantee better sound. Personally, I have never bothered. I ust make sure that when I re-tube an amp, I replace all of the tubes at once, rather than in piecemeal fashion. 2. Unfortunately, I have had no personal experience with MITs, so I cannot comment except to say that published opinions in the audio press are widely divergent. Some swear BY them, others swear AT them! 3. Colins comment reminds me of something else. Mac amps generate more tube noise than most other tube amps. While you should not hear the sort of scratchiness that he describes - and if you do it means that something is wrong, usually one or more bad tubes, but sometimes failing passive components as well - when Mac tube amps are hooked up to K-Horns, with their 104db sensitivity, you hear a constant, low-level hissing sound, even without any input from source component. This has never been an issue for me as I have found that a soon as I start playing music, the low-level hiss is almost completely obscured by the music (except e.g. in the quiet moments of classical music). Given your stated preferences in music, this should not be an issue for you, but I wanted you to be aware of it so that when you hear it you wont think that something is wrong. 4. Given your stated preferences in music, IMHO you might be better served by the MC-30s. The gutsiest 30 watt amps you are ever likely to experience. Especially when driving K-horns, they sound more like 130 watt amps. Absolutely no lack of - how shall I say it - testicular fortitude! Hope these comments help. Again, good luck!
  7. As between the MC-30s and the MC-225s: the 30s, which use 6L6 output tubes, will provide the "gutsier" sound, at perhaps the price of a slight roll-off on the top end, with consequent lessening of some of the ultra-fine details in the sound. The 225s use 7591 output tubes which, until relatively recently, were almost imposible to replace. I have heard it said that they are beginning to be a little more available now. Many consider the 225 to be the finest sounding Mac stereo amp. All of the ultra-fine details are there, at perhaps the price of a slight decrease in bass power ("oomph!"). The least "Mac" sounding of all the Mac amps. Also, because they are stereo amps, a pair of 225s offers the possibility of simultaneous bi-amping/bi-wiring. Both of these amps, the 30s and the 225s, are worthy contenders for a place in your system. Good luck!
  8. As between the MC-30s and the MC-225s: the 30s, which use 6L6 output tubes, will provide the "gutsier" sound, at perhaps the price of a slight roll-off on the top end, with consequent lessening of some of the ultra-fine details in the sound. The 225s use 7591 output tubes which, until relatively recently, were almost imposible to replace. I have heard it said that they are beginning to be a little more available now. Many consider the 225 to be the finest sounding Mac stereo amp. All of the ultra-fine details are there, at perhaps the price of a slight decrease in bass power ("oomph!"). The least "Mac" sounding of all the Mac amps. Also, because they are stereo amps, a pair of 225s offers the possibility of simultaneous bi-amping/bi-wiring. Both of these amps, the 30s and the 225s, are worthy contenders for a place in your system. Good luck!
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