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Mcintosh?

post #1 of 45
10/31/06 at 10:46pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, I feel a little (ok ok, really) stupid asking this, but whats the scoop on Mcintosh amps? I have never seen them mentioned here on head-fi, or on any other high end audio forum, and yet I have a bunch of friends who claim that Mcintosh makes the absolute best amps hands down. I also see a lot of websites that say this. Whats the deal with them?
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post #2 of 45
10/31/06 at 10:51pm
That's because this is a headphone forum.

I have owned a couple of McIntosh products and currently own the C45 Control Center (pre-amp with dual 6 channel inputs) and I can personally say that they have always made some of the finest components available.

But I am confused by your statement. First you say "I have never seen them mentioned on any high end audio forum" and then you say , and yet I have a bunch of friends who claim that Mcintosh makes the absolute best amps hands down. I also see a lot of websites that say this".

Those statements contradict themselves.
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post #3 of 45
10/31/06 at 10:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by immtbiker
That's because this is a headphone forum.
Yeah, but I have never seem them mentioned on speaker forums either. And I have never seen any mention of using one with a K1000.
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post #4 of 45
10/31/06 at 11:00pm

FORUMS

http://www.theperfectvision.com/news.../mcintosh.html

http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/h.../455210-1.html

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/127392.html

But now you are speaking about speakers and not amps
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post #5 of 45
10/31/06 at 11:18pm
Thread Starter 
No I meant amps for speakers.
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post #6 of 45
10/31/06 at 11:30pm
I demo-ed some of their equipment with a 325i, rs-2 and rs-1 - absolute beauty - seriously better than any dedicated headphone amplifier I've ever heard
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post #7 of 45
10/31/06 at 11:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 003
Yeah, but I have never seem them mentioned on speaker forums either. And I have never seen any mention of using one with a K1000.
Perhaps you're just not seeking out the right venues? Check out the 2-channel forum at the Klipsch forums through klipsch.com and you'll find enough talk of McIntosh components to tide you over for weeks.

I have to agree with Aaron in that McIntosh make some of the finest components I have ever experienced and owned. I currently have an MC275G, a C22 preamplifier, and a pair of MC30 monoblocks. Previously I had an MC240, a C20 preamp, and an MX-110 preamp/tuner. The McIntosh sound is the best I've personally heard through speakers. The MC30's playing through my Klipschorns was a true audio epiphany. Ever since acquiring them, the MC275G has been boxed up and collecting dust. With such extremely efficient speakers, the amps pumping the lower watts trump those that pump higher. I'm sure the tube rectification has something to do with it as well.

Anyhow, I would absolutely love to experience the K1000's for the first time through one of my MC30's. If you have the opportunity and the means to do so I would definitely recommend you try out a McIntosh component. If I were to seek out something specifically for the K1000's, I would lean towards an MC30 or an MC225.
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post #8 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:25am
Thread Starter 
How much do those cost? I'm just surprised that if it is that good, nobody has even mentioned trying one with the K1000, especially seeing how people are on the lookout for the end-all K1000 amp.

How do you think those would compare to the Aleph 30 (which I just acquired)?
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post #9 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 003
How much do those cost? I'm just surprised that if it is that good, nobody has even mentioned trying one with the K1000, especially seeing how people are on the lookout for the end-all K1000 amp.

How do you think those would compare to the Aleph 30 (which I just acquired)?
The options for the K1000s are literally endless, since pretty much any integrated/power amp can be used to drive the K1000s, which is one reason that there's no real consensus on which amp is the be-all and end-all.
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post #10 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:50am
Thread Starter 
But if Mcintosh amps are so good I'm just surprised nobody has tried one with the K1000.
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post #11 of 45
11/1/06 at 12:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 003
But if Mcintosh amps are so good I'm just surprised nobody has tried one with the K1000.
Who says that nobody has tried them with the K1000's?

First of all, you would need both components, and second of all, how many people has this question been posed to.

I'm not sure if this is getting lost in translation, 003, but it seems like you are asking questions, and responding to the answers, just for the sake of posting something.
I'm not trying to be mean, but maybe if you would have asked if anyone here has tried the K1000's with a McIntosh amp, and waited for replies, you would have gotten the answers that you seek.

A lot of people have posted that they yielded good results with the Pass amps, a Lavry Dac and the K1000's. You are bringing 2 separate worlds together by taking the K1000's and running them off a non-headphone dedicated stereo amp, and a good deal of people don't have an expensive home rig on a dedicated headphone forum. From looking at profiles, I'd estimate that 10-15% of Head-Fiers have both. That would also entail removing your speakers from your main rig, so you could use the 1000's. Taking a $4500 MC500 500 watt monoblock amp to use for headphones is quite extreme.
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post #12 of 45
11/1/06 at 2:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by immtbiker
Taking a $4500 MC500 500 watt monoblock amp to use for headphones is quite extreme.
And the $11000 ES-1 isn't extreme?

Sorry for being curious, I'll just keep my mouth shut next time
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post #13 of 45
11/1/06 at 2:13am
I tried my dad's MC250 with my K1000s and wasn't to impressed (bright and lacking in bass impact). It sounds great with his speakers though.
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post #14 of 45
11/1/06 at 3:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 003
And the $11000 ES-1 isn't extreme?

Sorry for being curious, I'll just keep my mouth shut next time
An ES-1 can certainly be more expensive then that!
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post #15 of 45
11/1/06 at 8:13am
Most McIntosh pre-amps have a headphone output, and I think all of their integrateds do as well. Just check their website.

I am very curious as to how they have implemented this output. I know their older amps used to use autoformers (I think only some of the new ones do too). If the headphone output uses a similar configuration, it could be very, very interesting. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets for headphone users, who knows?

Stereophile reviewed one of their pre-amps a few months ago. I'm quite sure it included a headphone output, but I don't remember reading any comments on that.

Anyone have access to one of these to give it a try?
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