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If everyone can bring some spare cables, and tools that would be great, so we don't get stuck like we did the last time.

 

Leave them in the car, so if we need them, we have them.

 

Suggestions:

 

HDMI cables 10ft or longer

RCA Cables

RCA Y cables

Digital coax cables for a sub, I hope someone brings a sub.

Tosslink cables

Tools, banana plugs.

Ready made speaker cables 15 ft with banana plugs on one end

 

Up-Mixing: I'm hoping someone will bring a pair of Heresys or Fortes so we can up-mix 2.0 to 3.0 Klipsch's original vision for the Heritage speakers.

 

Down-mixing 5.1 to 2.0 or 2.1 has yielded spectacular results for me in the past, I hope we have time to try it. Nothing sounds better than DTS Master Audio.

 

I'm bringing a Yamaha amp, cables, digital content, a DVD player etc.....unfortunately lifting a sub or a speaker is out of my range for now so I don't finish destroying my L arm......

 

I look forward to seeing everyone!!

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We did have a great time Brandon.  My thanks goes out to Seth and his wife for hosting the event once again.  Lots of great music, conversation and food.  I heard the Forte speaker for the first time and was truly impressed.    The source material of digital and analog was excellent.  Anyone living in the Chicago area should really join us at the next gtg for a great time and fellowship.

Edited by derrickdj1
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I too would like to thank Seth and his very gracious family for hosting us....... again.

 

In the photo dept, we may have lapsed and not taken any.

 

 

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In addition to Seth's gear, we sampled:

 

Derick's Yaquin hybrid tube SS integrated amp with vinyl MC stylus and the Cornwalls.

 

Brandon's McIntosh MC 30s with a pair of Fortes, both of which he supplied, these were I think sampled all digital source, but I may have missed something. These were pre-ampd with Seth's first gen Emotiva Surround Pre-amp to good effect. Noise floor approaching zero from an observed point of view......inaudible is inaudible....

 

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Forte 2

These were the first pair of Forte 2s that I have listened to; IMHO the Forte addresses all of the shortcomings of the Heresys (I own 2 pair) in a very convincing way.

 

Full range sound, and rapid diffusion ( Hope I am using the correct term for maintaining fidelity with a short distance wide focused sound). Observed; 10 feet away, and the Fortes sound great from any seat in the room. If someone is interested in great sounding speakers for the home in this size footprint, these are a great option IMHO. Fortes get an A compared to anything.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_%28acoustics%29

 

 

 

McIntosh MC-30

I have heard so much good about the MC-30s, that frankly I expected to be disappointed .......since group hype can have a powerful effect on individual perception.

 

The Spectrum Analyzer between my ears tells me that the MC-30s delivered life-like, non-fatiguing, transparency across the sonic spectrum.

 

For content, some of what we listened to were high quality DTS 5.1 Master audio off of live concert DVDs, through 2 speakers. The MC 30s and Fortes did not introduce any noise that I noticed. Perhaps, a more methodical listening with the intent of  breaking them down using frequency, speed, and dead silence, deficiencies could be surfaced............. from a listening enjoyment point of view, I give them an A...

 

An Amplifier is the sum of it's parts, weak links take things away or add things that are not present in the source.....having said that..... the best that I can determine is that sonic signature aka magic of the MC-30 resides in it's transformers.....how they are wound, what they are wound with, who wound them, and what the system design asks them to deliver.

 

mcintosh_mc30_002.jpg

 

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I cannot thank Derrick enough for turning me onto using Surround Receivers as Pre-amps front ending high quality Amps, both SS and tube.

 

With increasing frequency, I am questioning the need or desirability of using anything other than a high quality Surround Pre amp in an audio system. The Phono requirements can be handled with a plethora of stand alone solutions for both MM and MC.

Edited by Bubo
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Brandon,

 

Do you have some photos of your MC 30s you can post, inside and out; I believe yours are complete and highly competent rebuilds.

 

It appears that at least a few of the tubes in your unit, are not the stock tubes, any chance you can make a tube list???

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https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/155035-mcintosh-mc-30s-or-vrds/

 

 

Thought this was insightful from another thread.

 

mdeneen

Keeper of the Sound

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Posted 23 January 2015 - 07:08 PM

Max2, on 23 Jan 2015 - 4:25 PM, said:snapback.png

I have some MC 30's close by that I am considering auditioning, but the price is within a hundred or two of a new set of VRD's.   Does anyone have experience with both?

 

There are some very interesting aspects to this comparison. The McIntosh "unity coupled Class B" is one of the most iconic designs in amplifier history, and the underlying topology of the VRD is from the Dynaco UltraLinear AB design, also one of the iconic designs. Ultralinear AB sounds totally different than the Unity Couple Class B, and so you have a real chance to compare what dramatically different topology does for a tube amp. I think it is fair to say that aside from a few Leak amplifiers, nothing really sounds like a McIntosh Unity Coupled Class B amp. That can be good, or bad, depending on your taste. For UltraLinear, there have been dozens of designs, so the sound is not as unique. But they clearly sound different than the Unity design.

 

Should be a lot of fun!"

 

 

 

 

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Do you have some photos of your MC 30s you can post, inside and out; I believe yours are complete and highly competent rebuilds.

 

They were definitely loved.

 

I will try to get some nicer photos taken.  They 

I have heard so much good about the MC-30s, that frankly I expected to be disappointed

 

 

I was very pleased with their performance.  That is the most time I spent listening to them and it is great to get others impressions of them.

For amps made from 1954-1962, they are in excellent condition and IMO sounded great.

 

It appears that at least a few of the tubes in your unit, are not the stock tubes, any chance you can make a tube list???

 

These are the recommended tubes:  

2-1614 output, 2-12AX7, 12AU7, 12BH7, 5U4

 

I will see what tubes are installed in them.

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nothing really sounds like a McIntosh Unity Coupled Class B amp. That can be good, or bad, depending on your taste. For UltraLinear, there have been dozens of designs, so the sound is not as unique. But they clearly sound different than the Unity design.
  

 

I vote for good, lol. The mono block MC's are the best tube amps that I have heard to date.  Keep them!

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