Amp shootout - Teac chimp amp vs. McIntosh MC 250

[CaptnBob]

The 1900 is a completely different design. For one thing, no autoformers. For some reason, McIntosh didn't want to put their name on it, just calling it a "Mac." (It should say McIntosh on the back somewhere. They did the same thing with the 1500 and 1700, too.)

The 1900 is a fine receiver. Good sounding and handsome to boot. I think you'll like it. The only complaint I had about mine was a dearth of line level inputs - well, that and the meter lights were really bright.

[jackpod]

The 1400, 1700 and 1900 were marketed as a poor mans Mac, well beyond anything in its price range and definately something to proud to own. McIntosh also had another line but for the life of me can not think of the name right now, it started with an "S" which was even more priced for the middle class family to own. This line was out in the 70's but wasn't around too long, it fell right in line with the top of the line japanese stuff od the time. If memory serves me correctly I think it was the Mac 1700 that was a tube hybrid

[jackpod]

My McIntosh kids

MC240 Tube

MC 50

MC50

MC7300

[jackpod]

2 more MC50's

[jackpod]

My MC2100

[jackpod]

Another MC50 and MC250

[jackpod]

And the Mac that feeds those lovelies

[jt1stcav]

Just logged on tonight, Dave...I wouldn't have an answer to your question, but I'm glad Bob and Jack knew the answer! The Mac 1900 is one helluva nice receiver...very traditional lookin'![Y]

Since jackpod's showin' off his lovely Macs, here's the very first McIntosh I ever owned...the georgous MC7200. I personally love its aesthetics, with it's trademark big blue meters, and glass/black anodized aluminum faceplate. Wish it had Autoformers, but even being Direct-Coupled it sounded so much better than my great sounding Carver TFM-35x which the Mac replaced! The MC7200 had gobs of power (300WPC @ 4 ohms) to drive my power-hungry Magnepans, and was extreme overkill when I swapped the Maggies to my kid bro for our dad's Cornwalls he was using at the time.

The pic's of my MC7200 with an AMC CVT-1030s vacuum tube preamp (with a pair of NOS '83 JAN Philips 12AU7s and 12AX7s). What a great sounding matchup these two were.[]

I miss all my Macs...sigh!

[jackpod]

Jim, thats a nice 7200, those have a reputation for being one of the best direct coupled Macs ever built. I unloaded a bunch of Mac several years ago because I had amplifiers all over the house. wish I would of kept em. I do have another Mac I forgot all about a MA6100 that I have in the living room

[jt1stcav]

You can never have too many Macs, I always say.[]

My brother later on bought the $29 Tripath chip Sonic Impact toy amp and a very nice first-generation Panasonic SA-XR10 digital AV receiver; he had already sold all his Macs to fund his loudspeaker fetish craze, so we never got the chance to compare SS Macs with the Panasonic. As great as the digital Panny sounded (it performed flawlessly and never got hot), he later sold it and bought the latest TOTL Pioneer Elite AV receiver (way more features than the Panny, and to his ears sounds fuller as well).

The way I see it, I think the digital chip amplifiers today sound very impressive and have loads going for them. But they don't quite sound as full and lush as the best transistorized amps out there...yet! But with the latest advances in chip technology growing ever so fast (and getting better all the time), it'll be only a matter of time until the chip surpasses 'em all.