jt1stcav Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Little Tiffany here also loves the rich, warm sounds of a Mac/Klipsch system, especially from those big hot tubes (she said it, not me)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Seriously, I was thoroughly impressed with the SS MC250 and the Cornwalls and could have easily lived with that setup if I didn't purchase my present 300B SET amp. I'd love to hear what a pair of MC30s or an MC225 could do...maybe someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Interesting that Gary is sitting this one out since he has owned MCs, Modded MK IIIs and VRDs. Just trying to stir the pot a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Gary has stated here and to me in person that he doesn't particularly care for the McIntosh sound. It's not for everyone. So what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fortissimo Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Mac never blew me away, but then again, it never really did me wrong either. I can't call them the best, but they are musical and never harsh to be sure. As a footnote, mac tube gear is coveted much more than the solid state is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hardy Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 At the risk of becoming a pariah here, I feel compelled to mention that one of the nastiest combinations I have ever (ever!) heard was my MC-2100 and my Cornwalls. All of Tom Brennan's "Skilsaw" comments apply in spades :-( My sense of tube MC's is that they're a bit warm and round around the edges: probably an ideal combination with that "Heritage sound" for many folks. The Mac tube amp I have the most experience listening to is an MC-225, by the way. I would really like to hear one of the MC-275's (new production or great original flavor), though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Gary has stated here and to me in person that he doesn't particularly care for the McIntosh sound. It's not for everyone. So what? I don't want to step on Gary's toes he is one of my best friends and customers.... but I believe if I'm not mistaken that every piece of Mc gear he has auditioned was at or near 100% original which IMHO is never a true way to determine the sound of a vintage amplifier or preamp. The MC30, 40, 60, 240's and 225's really wake up with a freshening up. More so that almost any other brand out there. Why is that? Because they have so many stages in the front end that can multipy the blurring effect on the end signal with multiple old warn out caps, out of spec resistors in the signal path. I personally would love to take a pair of MC30's and do some changing to the PS. Add a choke and beef up the filtering some all would be 100% reversiable also. I bet that bottom end could stiffen up some while retaining the same basic signature sound. But I still think VRD's are better buy[] Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Hmmmm....MC30s vs. VRDs: Now that sounds like MY kinda party[] We will be putting that to the test over the coming months, as both sets of power amps are in the 'hood. Now that's a HEAVYWEIGHT fight[Y] LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLE[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Craig is also correct in respect to Gary's impressions of Mac: If what Gary was using was all original caps, he didn't get the whole story. There's a whole "other side" to that gear that shows itself after a rebuild with quality parts. It took me some time to be convinced that a wholesale cap replacement was the right thing to do, but having the opportunity to hear several MC30s built with various parts packages was a real eye opener - and a key to appreciating what these amps can really do. I sure wish I had kept those Valve Art KT66.....and even the russian SED "Winged C" 6L6 shows very good qualities, too. I finally feel like I am getting what I paid for sonically with the 30's. There are a lot of people who insist (and swear by) using the original or NOS caps (and some of those who did try other rebuilds still prefer originals), but I am drifting away from that camp. It is difficult to take a leap and totally rebuild a pair of amps that expensive not knowing what you will think of them (and knowing the collector/resale value lost)....and I have read both yea and nay on sonic reviews of rebuilds. It took listening to various rebuilds to understand that NONE OF US are really listening to the same tube McIntosh....some of us have originals (with different usage histories), and those who rebuilt have Illinois or other brands of caps, that ALL SOUND DIFFERENT. It drove me crazy trying to figure out why my results (tube rolls, etc.) weren't matching reported results here, and that's because we are listening to somewhat different gear - even if they are all the same model. They are in the same "neighborhood", because they are the same basic unit - but a properly chosen parts package improves these to the level of quality that they are revered for - and really makes your tube choices pay off. We need to get a vintage Mac tube get together and listen to each other's amps. I bet the results would shock you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmsummer Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I first heard a McIntosh in 1973 at the same time I first heard a Klipsch, at Hillcrest Hi-Fi in Dallas. They sold lots of good stuff. I was there to buy a Sherwood reciever and a pair of Advents. But what I heard changed my mind. As a college student, I had a pretty limited budget. After hearing the Klipschorns paired with the high-end Macs, and the Heresys paired with the Mac 1900, I was hooked. I almost DOUBLED my budget, but left with only a McIntosh MA-6100 (to be paired with my temporary old single-driver Altecs salvaged from a motion-picture theater). A series of acoustic suspension "New England sound" speakers served the Mac well until I was finally able to pair the 6100 with the speakers I first auditioned it with: Cornwalls. To me, after thirty years of McIntosh low-level ownership, the sound of a Mac is the same as the sound of a Klipsch heritage: the sound of music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Hey guys. I was wondering why my ears were burning.[] True, I've never heard a Mac that I liked better than my VRDs or MkIIIs but I don't dislike the sound. I'm just more of a detail person although I have no idea what HYPER detail is. I've heard some really nice Mac systems and have owned a couple 240s, both currently owned by forum members (Guy Landau and Bill Tilman) and while they didn't sound bad, I don't think they compare to the VRDs. Maybe they needed to be "freshened up" but I thought they sounded just fine as is. I can understand what draws people to them. I gave Mac a try (and Marantz for that matter) but ended up with more modern equipment. It's just my personal preference. Any of you hard-core Mac users out there ever try VRDs in your system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul cbc Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 "Chocolate Thunder" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khorn51 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Anyone try some scott 220a 6l6 based mono amps. I wonder how the compare to the MC30's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fortissimo Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 "Chocolate Thunder" What about a mug of hot chocolate wrapped in a warm blanket in front of a roaring fireplace? ..wait...maybe that's more Vandersteen than Mac... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Anyone try some scott 220a 6l6 based mono amps. I wonder how the compare to the MC30's. Nope but I sure would like to try some!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Auwen Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Craig, Would you be interested in getting an MC30 with permission to install whatever mods you would like to try? We could then forward it to Audible for a side by side comparison with the ones he has.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Sure I suppose I could do that Joe. Really for a good comparison I would think a pair would be a better test though. I don't put much wait into listening to Mono since I'm so accustom to Stereo. Seems like it would be awful hard to pick out the difference in a meaningful way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Anyone ever try recapping an Mc-30 with Jensen Coppers? That would retain value better than the albiet good sounding Russians and quite possibly add some of that missing bass while keeping the rich chocolate soufflet Now I'm craving dark chocolate and I've already had mine for today.. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Wow, Jensen coppers. They wouldn't fit--either physically or in any sane budget! $2000 worth of caps in a $1200 pair of amps. YOWZA!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Wow, Jensen coppers. They wouldn't fit--either physically or in any sane budget! $2000 worth of caps in a $1200 pair of amps. YOWZA!!!! Not THAT much! By my quick count there are nine caps per unit even if they were all 1uFs that would be $25x9 or $225. So I would quess around $180 per amp would do it for coupling at mail order prices(plus labor and other necessary parts). No not me, Craig or Terry. Maybe you were thinking Jensen Silvers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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