MAC Sound Pipe ICs/PCs

Wow! The MAC products have transformed my system. Truly first-rate performance at rock-bottom prices. The MAC Source PC really blew me away: wide open, clear, detailed, balanced and musical to a tee. And the Palladium IC are the best I've heard in my life, honestly.

I've owned PAD, JPS, Kimber, AudioQuest, PS Audio, Straightwire, etc., but none of these come close--anywhere near, in fact--to the very affordably priced My Audio Cable products.

Anyone else tried MAC? We need a dedicated thread to get the word out! These cables are truly incredible and unbeatable for the price. I've tried other "budget" cables, but the MACs perform way out of the budget league.

I got the UltraSilver+ and felt it has great bass and treble extension. It also provided a bit more clarity than with pure copper IC's I was using before. Bass impact also improved. Overall, I like it, but it seems to suck some of the midrange out. =T

They're burning in now and in a week or so, getting shipped back to get reterminated with some bigger plugs. Steve's a great guy! I didn't like the super small RCA plugs he used on the UltraSilver+ and asked if he could replace with with something bigger. He offered to replace them once he comes back from vacation early May. =]

Laxx,

Silver (when well executed) is usually pretty even-keeled across the frequency spectrum, but takes a while--longer than copper--to burn in. The Mac site suggests 200 hours. The Palladium IC are extremely well balanced: very extended as well as articulate in both directions, and with a luscious midrange.

I just ordered a pair of the braided silver Sound Pipes for my secondary system, and another Source PC for the DLP projector (I can't wait to prospectively "see"--literally--an improvement with the MAC). How does the HC power cord effect your system?

After hearing these MAC cables in particular, it's really a shame--and a veritable crime--that the "big name" cable brands have hoodwinked a very large and very gullible cross section of the audiophile market.

With MAC's 30-day money-back guarantee, you can't go wrong, either.

I have a pair of Mac soundpipes and am not very impressed by them. You can sometimes get them on audiogon for cheap, but the retail price is a little steep for what you get. cheap plugs and overly bright sound from the pair that I have

SoloZ2,

I just ordered the entry level, braided silver IC (for my secondary system: Panasonic S47/DarkVoice 336i/Ultrasone 750) and will report back, God willing, in a few days.

What power cords are you using?

Yesterday, I swapped out my PS Audio XStreams for the MAC SPC and an appreciable measure of brightness/etchiness went away. Break-in should bring about even more improvement. Eventually, I want to go "all-MAC" in my secondary sytem, too.

The MAC Palladium (I was very fortunate to find a used pair for $150) together with the MAC Source PC have really made a huge, positive difference with my primary system: RAM-modded Samsung HD-841/G&W T2.6F/Ultrasone 2500.

You could have always returned the MAC IC if they weren't to your liking. All Steve's cables come with a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

PatABurd

I have the entry level ICs I got it from an audiogon auction so no warranty. It was a while ago when i was trying different ICs.

I have tried the MAC Ultra Silver +, Silver Quad (AgQ), and Palladium ICs. I also tried its Source Sound Pipe. I am one of MAC's early customers at Audigon. Today, I still keep the AgQ, Palladium and the Source.

My opinion : The Silver Quad (mine has the Eichmann Silver Bullet connector upgrade) is best value amongst all silver IC that I have tried. They are not top notch but really do a nice job. It is not bright as many have claimed silver IC to be. I tried it on a friends pre-amp to power amp and the result was impressive. Spectral extension and linearity is good. Tonal accuracy is impressive for the price. The Palladium is a steal compared to all other palladium ICs. For less than US$200 a meter, this may be the ultimate upgrade for many mid-fi systems.

The Source Sound pipe is good value too for low power consumption components.

Overall, MAC offers no frills good quality audio cable which should satisfy many. It is not top of the line but offers great price-performance ratio, I would imagine one will have to pay much more to beat MAC's cable.

Just my 2 cents.
F. Lo

MAC IC's have cheap plugs for the lower end ones. =T I found the plugs on the UltraSilver+ to be a little... small and hard to get a grip on, but Steve's going to reterminate them for me with Canare F-10's.

Just picked up a pair of MAC Braided Silver IC from an AudiogoN auction at a very reasonable price. Really thin, light and flexible. Ran them between the Panasonic S47 and DarkVoice 336i (w/1x Svetlana 6H13C and 1x RCA 6SN7GT). Pure silver cable, but with practically no downside typically associated with silver cable. Big, detailed, robust soundstage; nimble highs, rich, glowing mids and tight, deep bass. No etched, thin, tinny or limp character at all--like I've encountered with other silver IC. Male and female vocals were lively, clear and luscious. The MAC really "bring it on"!

Just hooked up the MAC HC to my headphone amp. My goodness! The HC is incredible! Musical, intimate, detailed, spacious, dynamic and quiet. I've never had a cable that delivered so many excellent qualities so excellently--and at a ridiculously low price.

Wow! I just heard the bass go through the bottom of the floor (w/the Ultrasone 750) on a recording I thought was bass-light! Frederica von Stade's voice is more vibrant, melodic and sculpted in space than I've ever heard before (from "Frederica von Stade Sings Brubeck"/Telarc).

Oh boy, it's Friday--I've got the whole weekend ahead of me to enjoy these cords!

(hee, hee, hee: headphile giggle)

I've been meaning to try these out. Some guy on Audio Asylum said the MAC Palladiums smoked his Luminous Audio Synchestra Signatures which, to me, is a heck of an endorsement. I run TG Audio speaker cables and IC's in my main system (which are basically reworked Luminous wires), and after trying all kinds of cables from Kimber to XLO to Homegrown to Analysis Plus (to on and on), the TG's are the best I've ever found. To say that the Mac's better the Luminous/TG's is saying a lot.

JTizzle,
The MAC HC power cord is a nice place to start. With the AudiogoN specials going on now, we'll not see prices this low in the future, I'm guessing. I have the Palladiums on my primary system, and they are definitely the best ICs I've ever used. Braided silver ICs on my secondary system work wonderfully. Have the MAC Source PC on my players and the MAC HC on my amps. This is the best things have sounded since I joined the Headphile ranks.
PatABurd