Which McIntosh with Cornwall IV's

[camandhannah 0]

I'm hoping Cornwall IV owners or folks with a lot of McIntosh experience can help guide me on the right fit for an integrated or preamp and amp fit for them. 'm looking to spend $10,000 or less. A dac would be great on board but not a necessity. An onboard phono is also great but also not a necessity. I'm looking in the preowned market at the moment. My room is 17x24x10. I listen to a very wide variety of music but I would say the greatest percentage falls in the classic rock and jazz genres. There are just so many models of amps and preamps and integrateds I'm not sure how to narrow it down. The preamp can be tubes or ss...really about the right "match". Thank you in advance!

[salbake 46]

I really enjoy my MAC7200 w my Cornwall IVs. Tuner, DAC, MM phono, MC phono, their autoformers and 200 wpc if I ever want to change speakers to something not as sensitive as Klipsch heritage. I would also look at MA352 and MC275 if I were you.

 

*all are under your budget brand new

Edited November 19, 2020 by salbake

[artto 361]

Obviously this depends on YOUR needs and requirements. Nowadays I'm in the less is more state of mind.

 

IMO the MA5300 would be a great match for a simple Cornwall IV system. The main caveat for me though was no outputs - analog or digital. And for hi-res streaming you'll need to add something like the NAD/Bluesound Node2i.

[jimjimbo 10240]

MC240 or MC 30s with C22v3 preamp.

[Shiva 2435]

One way to narrow the field, especially when buying used is, what can actually be found on the used market.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649674421-mcintosh-mac6700-integrated-amplifier-200-wpc/

 

[mustang_flht 669]

A little dream for you 😋

 

 

 

[jimjimbo 10240]

A bit of patience and some good research, along with a call to Audio Classics will be rewarded.

 

https://www.audioclassics.com/

[Frank1938 42]

I would recommend the MA352 along with the Cambridge Audio DacMagic plus. Both have XLR connections. I use that combination and I'm very pleased with both. The Cambridge is listed as #1 among DACs under $500. Talk to Ryan at Audio Classics. He's great to work with and a fountain of knowledge. There is a close link to Audio Classics and McIntosh Labs, both  in central NY.

[Fattner 111]

Mc275 and c2300 (all used ) go to audio classics !,

[The Dude 5145]

Shameless plug here, but I do have a MC2505 for sale.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[mdm7eb 39]

I have Forte IIIs and run them with a Audio Classics restored MX110 and MC240. Sounds fantastic! If I was starting over, I would consider the MAC7200 (I love tuners!) as mentioned above. I would also consider the MA252 for simplicity and lower cost. If price where no object, I would go with a new MC275 and McIntosh tube pre-amp.

 

I also second checking out Audio Classics. They are really great and have a lot of used McIntosh gear I would be comfortable buying. Their service team is top notch. 

[MDJAK 9]

I’m using an MC462. Perhaps overkill, but that’s my middle name. 

[Dr Morbius 247]

MC240 is what I would go with, with what I have heard.

[John Nikolai 0]

Also check out http://www.mcintoshaudio.com/ for older components. The owner of the shop is Tom Manley. Don't be put off by his outdated looking and basic website. He does top notch restorations on vintage Mcintosh. I bought an MI-3 maximum performance indicator from him and it was well below the eBay market price and looks like it should be in a museum.