pallpoul Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I received my new MA5300 last week and finally I had the chance to unpack it impressive packaging btw) and I hooked it up yesterday to drive my Cornwall's III, and he sound couldn't be any better, ...full, detailed, clear at any level, and absolutely amazing. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Nice looking unit. Glad that you are enjoying it. Have to ask though, is there any way you can spread out the Cornwall's a bit? I think you would be surprised at how much better they could sound....just a thought.. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallpoul Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 I totally agree, it will be spread to have about 6 feet in between, once I finish my room remodeling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32blownhemi Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I don't know if this makes a difference with Cornwall's but my La Scala's & my Jubes sounded better with carpet under the speakers. A lot better... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbphoto Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 It looks like you are using the DAC inside the Cambridge and sending balanced analog to the MA5300? Have you had a chance to try the DAC inside the MA5300 for comparison? Beautiful setup BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ODS123 Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Beautiful setup! A great choice in integrateds! While I'm not a big believer in the audible differences b/w amplifiers (ie., some call this "voicing") there are some REAL primo features offered by Mac amps that are becoming harder and harder to find, thus making it a perfect choice. Specifically, tone controls and mono mode. Tone controls are great b/c they allow you to soften those imperfect recordings and Mono b/c recordings from the early days of stereo were often marred by bad engineering. A perfect example is some of the early Beatles songs where the voices came out of one channel and music out of the other. ..Hitting the mono switch (or, in your case, using the Function knob and scrolling to mono mode) makes these songs much much better (IMHO). Also, you'll find your amp to be incredibly quiet. ..Very little or no hiss audible from the speakers when no music is playing and volume almost turned all the way up. ..Evidence of great engineering. If your amp was available when I bought my MA6600, I would have opted for the MA5300. 100 w/channel is WAYYYYYY more than enough. You'll see You'll be hard pressed to get those meters beyond 10-15 watts before your walls begin shaking. ..And you'll love the sound even more when you get those babies spread out. Nice! Here's a pic of mine. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallpoul Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 The MA5300 does really make the speakers sound their best. The sound is beautiful and clear, sweet and strong, and detailed. I was using a tube amp before putting it in the system, and yes the MA5300 does sound much better, to my ears, controlling those CW III's with real authority. I have tried the balance in from the CA and then the coaxial into the MA5300, and both sounded really good. the DAC in the MA5300 is a fist class, and it sounds amazing. at the end I preferred the DAC in the MA5300. I will be using the balanced input on the MA5300 to feed it from the OPPO 205, and will use it for cd music and NAS music mainly (FLAC). the CA has become redundant in the system and will be removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carey Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 SS will rock your cornwall 3's to a new level. I used to power mine with a Mcintosh MC275 mk 4 tube amp. Never had enough power for me and to much maintenance with replacing tubes every year. I went with a Mark Levinsion 532h and there is no looking back. Pics of my setup can be seen in my profile....Cheers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karni64 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 (edited) Hi, Which HP cable do you uses? Edited February 9, 2019 by Karni64 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 On 2/10/2018 at 2:58 PM, pallpoul said: I received my new MA5300 last week and finally I had the chance to unpack it... Wait to unpack it??!! I'd camp out on my own front porch waiting for the delivery truck to come!! But yea, CW's and Mac can move things/people. 😎😎 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixspeed Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 (edited) Congrats on the MA5300! I'm not surprised it made your Cornwall's sound awesome. I know your post is not new, but I'm fairly new as a Klipsch owner, about 2 years now and have always wanted to join this forum. I've been into audio for many years, but have never actually joined any audio forums besides Head-Fi as I used to be extremely into headphones and before that HT. But now that I finally own a house now, I rarely listen to my headphones anymore. I've been a lurker and reader for many years on various sites. But loving my all things Klipsch heritage I knew this was the forum to join. I don't get why so many audiophiles people hate on Mac. They make incredible amps. Their build quality is phenomenal, made here in the USA, first rate engineering, they sound amazing but look the part (unlike so much other stuff), Mac stuff holds its value and they stand behind their products and they last forever. What's not to like?? Oh and some of the other guys in here mentioned, they have controls that most other amp manufacturers have done away with years ago. Personally I love an integrated as I'm a believer in keeping the signal chain as short as possible, I understand the argument and merits to a separate preamp, but for me integrateds are the way to go... especially a Mac one. Not boutique enough for some people? I don't get it. I'll never apologize for enjoying and liking McIntosh stuff. It's funny some people say the same about Klipsch, they just don't take Klipsch seriously. Or repeat the stupid stereotype of all horns sounding like your hands cupped around your mouth. As Paul would say, BS lol. The classic tried and true Klipsch Heritage and McIntosh combo is legendary and speaks for itself. There's a reason why so many of us enjoy the Mac and Klipsch combo, they are magical together. Although I wish I had the 5300, I got a sweet deal on a brand new 5200 I couldn't pass up on last spring. I've always wanted to own a McIntosh amplifier and the 5200 was the perfect amp for my setup as I was limited in cabinet placement height, but it was also all I needed power wise. It sounds so good with my KHorns, just spectacular. And I've always been into tubes, SETs and Integrateds with headphones and collected many rare tubes. But these Mac SS amps are dead silent, have awesome dynamics and power and just flat out make our speakers sing. The 5200/5300 is literally the perfect stereo integrated for larger heritage Klipsch's. BTW guys how the heck do you fill out your profile, I'm not newbie to how forums work but I'm not seeing any options to enter my signature or upload an avatar etc. All my settings allow me to do is change my email/password and notification settings.... Thanks! Edited April 18, 2019 by sixspeed typos 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkals Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, sixspeed said: BTW guys how the heck do you fill out your profile, I'm not newbie to how forums work but I'm not seeing any options to enter my signature or upload an avatar etc. All my settings allow me to do is change my email/password and notification settings.... Thanks! Edited April 15, 2019 by dkals shorten reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixspeed Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 I appreciate that. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 On 4/14/2019 at 11:30 PM, sixspeed said: I don't get why so many audiophiles people hate on Mac. They make incredible amps. Their build quality is phenomenal, made here in the USA, first rate engineering, they sound amazing but look the part (unlike so much other stuff), Mac stuff holds its value and they stand behind their products and they last forever. What's not to like?? Not boutique enough for some people? I don't get it. I'll never apologize for enjoying and liking McIntosh stuff. The classic tried and true Klipsch Heritage and McIntosh combo is legendary and speaks for itself. There's a reason why so many of us enjoy the Mac and Klipsch combo, they are magical together. The 5200/5300 is literally the perfect stereo integrated for larger heritage Klipsch's. "I don't get why so many audiophiles people hate on Mac. They make incredible amps. Their build quality is phenomenal, made here in the USA, first rate engineering, they sound amazing but look the part (unlike so much other stuff), Mac stuff holds its value and they stand behind their products and they last forever. What's not to like??" True. But. If you're looking for absolute accuracy (as much as is possible), then the "McIntosh sound" is not the place to get it. "Musicality" IMO is a coloration, albeit a pleasant one. However, for someone like myself, that doesn't tell me what my recordings really sound like. I have a MA5300 in my possession at the moment. It's a really nice amp. midrange/treble sound great. IMO the low end gets weak the lower you go. The real deal breaker for me is the lack of connectivity. Specifically analog outputs. There aren't any. The only way to get my subs connected is to use a Y-adaptor on the preamp out, which has to be boot-strapped to the power amp in for normal operation. Can't fully connect any of my analog tape decks either. Personally, I think those pretty blue McIntosh meters should be on the controlled substance list. I swear they're addicting! The MA5300 should be an excellent match for your Cornwalls (my first Klipsch speaker, '73). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victorfgg Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Hy everybody!! I am happy I've found this forum!! I want to buy a pair of Cornwall III and I am thinking about the amplifier. I am not interested in tube amps (at least for the power side) and I think the Macintosh MA 5200 can be the right one. I've been told about the Hybrid Macintosh 252, also with 100Watts..... what do you think. Sadly I can not hear the combination before I buy it. My living room is a 30m2. What do you think??? Here in Spain Macintosh prices are higher, the MA 5200 is 6000 Euros, and the MA252 is 5000 Euros. That the maximum I can pay for the amplifier. Regards from Spain. Victor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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