Colin Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 Recent eBay of Mac MC amplifiers under $500: MC 2100 $405.00 MC 2105 105W/CH POWER AMP RARE Mint In Box! $620.00 MC 2105 Stereo Power Amplifier with walnut cabinet $500.00 MC 250 (workhorse) $256.50 MC 250 EXCELLENT COND. $202.49 MC 250 Power Amplifier Classic Stereo Solid State $265.80 MC 2505 2 Solid State Amplifier $113.61 MC 2505 2 Solid State Amplifier $255.00 MC 2505 2 Solid State Amplifier $505.00 MC 30 mono amplifier $350.00 MC 30 Tube Mono Power Amplifier Amp $338.30 MC 50 amplifier $147.50 MC 50 Amplifier $177.50 10 MC 50 Power Amplifier $383.00 MC 502 Amplifier Vintage Stereo excellent condition, factory serviced! $300.00 MC 502 Stereo Amplifier $299.00 Know nothing about Mac amplifiers, except what I have read here and heard for two glorious days while visiting preacherman Daddydees May 2004 Klipsch gathering in Little Rock, Arkansas, which models are considered very good for big ole horns and which are the stinkers? What is your experience and why? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 I have and like the MC-30's, as does Ben and Allan. I would guess that at the price posted they have a lot of pitting and need some repair, and/or tubes. Servicing would also be needed at that price. You would also have to replace/upgrade a number of the tubes. They went cheap for a reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 Colin, I almost ignored this, thinking you were talking about computers, until I saw Don reply. Mc! Anyway, there's a single 30 on ebay right now dirt cheap. Ugly, but seller claims it works. I haven't heard any Mcs besides mine on efficient speakers, but unless you have a very large room, or have some fascination with pain, I can't see why you'd want more power with Khorns. Mc30s with the right tube complement are stunning. I still haven't done any tube rolling of the small tubes other than putting some short list contenders in and listening. Dflip, Allan, and Audible Nectar should have some insight there. One thing I can say with certainty. Be patient and you will find a good pair for under a grand. This is one of the best values in serious audio. If you hate them, you can get your money back. If you like them, but don't love them, be patient (or jump on the first ones you see that you can possibly afford) and find yourself 4- 350B power tubes. They drop right in and don't need to be matched. You'll never sell them, and MC30s really make power tubes last. Their design goals include a 10,000 hr tube life. Mine aren't pretty, but I still like to look at them, cause I know how good they sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 Happy anniversary, by the way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 This is a VERY nice pair. I'm sure they won't need much to get them up to snuff--I have come across complete rust buckets that have sat for 25 years that came to life with very little work at all. These will need output tubes--the 6L6G in these aren't really up to the task. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50593&item=5734638136&rd=1 They'll probably go for abour 1300-1500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 Ooh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 ---------------- On 11/30/2004 11:35:32 PM Allan Songer wrote: These will need output tubes--the 6L6G in these aren't really up to the task. ---------------- Which task? The MC-30 was designed to use 1614 output tubes so I guess that ANY 6L6 could be used. IMO these RCA's sound superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKlipsch Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Im currently running a MC-250, C-28 with my k-horns and the sound is very nice. I cant imagine ever needing any more watts. This is my first Mcintosh setup and kind of a resting place before moving on to tubes. Ive heard that the 250 has a very tube like signature. Cant say having never heard tubes. Ive been following the 240,s on Ebay and they seem to be fetching a pretty good price these days. The MC-30s seem like a better deal just dont know how it would handle some rock n roll and I like the looks of the 240 better. Wow now Im really confused. Whatever decision I make Im sure it will be Mcintosh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 ---------------- On 12/1/2004 12:08:15 AM Guy Landau wrote: ---------------- On 11/30/2004 11:35:32 PM Allan Songer wrote: These will need output tubes--the 6L6G in these aren't really up to the task. ---------------- Which task? The MC-30 was designed to use 1614 output tubes so I guess that ANY 6L6 could be used. IMO these RCA's sound superb. ---------------- Don't get me wrong--the late 1930's RCA 6L6G is a VERY sweet tube, but the MC-30 will eat it up in pretty short order (for a McIntosh amp that is)--a real waste of a nice old tube! The 1614 is as stout as a 6L6GC--I don't have the specs at hand, but I THINK I'm right about this anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairchild260 Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 ---------------- Don't get me wrong--the late 1930's RCA 6L6G is a VERY sweet tube, but the MC-30 will eat it up in pretty short order (for a McIntosh amp that is)--a real waste of a nice old tube! The 1614 is as stout as a 6L6GC--I don't have the specs at hand, but I THINK I'm right about this anyway! ---------------- basically the 1614 and 6lgc'c have higher plate voltage ratings than the the basic 6l6 or any of the other iterations of that tube.450volts iirc.the 1614 was origially mostly used as a transmitting tube .fwiw the fairchild 260 also used the 1614's for a claimed 50w output. chris chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 My mistake then. I thought that the 1614 and the metal 6L6 were the same so I made the (wrong) assumption that every 6L6 type could work in the MC30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dflip Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 My MC-30's came with some RCA 6L6 tubes and they worked, but the sound was quite flat. Steve Hoffman recommends the following for his MC-30: 12AX7 Telefunken for both positions 12AU7 Mullard or RCA clear top or RCA black plate or (if your system is too aggressive) Telefunken 12BH7 GE or RCA 5U4 RCA or GE or SYLVANIA or TUNG-SOL 6L6GC GE's Good luck. Remember, the 12AU7 tube is the one I used for tweeking the sound of the 30's. On some speakers that need top end (not yours) I might use an Amperex Bugle Boy in the spot. On some speakers with too much top end I would use a Telefunken in that spot. And so on. RCA's both clear and black are good but might be a tad agressive with your horns. You can't go wrong with Mullards, the older the better.... I have a variation on the theme with 5751 GE Blackplates in the first slot and 350B's instead of GE 6L6GC's but others have spoken highly of the 6L6GC combination. The 350B's are very sweet, but definitely not cheap. Regular 6L6's will work in a pinch, but the sound is nothing to write home about with almost no depth to it, at least to my ears. These sound of these amps can be changed easily with a change of tubes. There are definitely good and bad combinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 350B prices have really become INSANE in the last 3-4 years. I still pick them up from time to time for a fair price (I now have a lifetime supply), but this kind of pricing has become pretty typical: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7275&item=2289348021&rd=1 http://www.members.aol.com/jtiedeck/350b.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Anyone know if 5963 can be subbed for the 12au7? Comes up on TDSL as a sub with different performance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Holy smoke, is that a typical price for tubes? $430 Geez. How do you find out what tube works best with a particular amp? Seems with those kind of prices, experimenting is out of the question. How do you know when you tubes are crapping out, or on there last leg? Also, whats the difference between an MC30 and a MC240? And what's the warm sound or tonal quality you tube boys keep refering to? By the way, Alan, those MC30's went for $1800+. Is the use of tube amps geared toward a specific style of music, i.e. do they sound better with Jazz than say, Folk Rock, or Classical? Sorry if some of these questions seem stupid, but I am so very curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 The 240 is 40 wpc stereo amp while the MC30 is a 30 watt mono amp (you'll need 2) and is tube rectified (the MC240 is NOT tube rectified). It looks like I may have another 240 coming my way to audition along with a C11. Any thoughts on the C11? Anyone heard one and know how it compares to a C20 and C22? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 I had a C11 for many years. Nice preamp-- very similar to C22 with fewer functions and inputs. You know how I feel about the C22 so . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 As with McKlipsch, j-malotky, Al Klappenberger, and others here who also use the classic MC250 SS amp with their Heritage horns...this Mac is still IMO one of THE best buys in solid-state amplification for Klipsch loudspeakers. I assume it's due to McIntosh's patented Autoformers that give this powerplant a tube-like signature. So what if it's old transistor technology compared to today's SS amplifiers, it, along with Mac's other Autoformer/SS power amps are clear winners driving Klipsch (to my ears)! Had I not gone the 300B SET route, I'd still power my Cornwalls with my MC250 (alas, now sold). If I ever go back to SS, the MC250, MC2100, etc. will be the way to go for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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