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Mcintosh MA-6100 help please

post #1 of 12
11/19/09 at 8:09pm
Thread Starter 
Hi there, my grandpa bought the McIntosh MA-6100 Brand new in 1978 and told me a few weeks ago it would be mine on the will. Now, I have always been a huge music buff but finally getting into the really high end gear (been using super.fi 5 EB IEM's for the last year) but now purchasing a pair of Grado RS1 headphones next week. I am using a usb DAC that runs at 48khz 16 bit but do not have an amp. I was wondering how this McIntosh would sound as a preamp from the usb DAC to this then headphones into that. I will have a chance to try the preamp out once I get the headphones but I wanted to get some feedback from people who know more than me.

Thanks guys!
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post #2 of 12
11/19/09 at 8:12pm
I am not familiar with that amp specifically but Mcintosh generally makes power amps for speakers and unless you are using a akg k1000 I don't think that would work out to well....
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post #3 of 12
11/19/09 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 
hmmm I see...Well, I know for a fact its a preamp and an amp...
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post #4 of 12
11/19/09 at 8:50pm
You can read on this unit at:

1. Google Image Result for http://www.classicaudio.com/value/mac/MA6100.jpg
2. Audio Classics - MA6100
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post #5 of 12
11/19/09 at 9:11pm
Mcintosh are built like tanks. That particular model is an intergrated amp but it has a headphone jack. I would almost bet the farm that the headphone out on it will best anything built new today. Mcintosh is well sought after in the high end community, most of which will become collectors items. Take care of it once you get it.
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post #6 of 12
11/20/09 at 12:17am
Thread Starter 
The input is dual speaker wire...can I run speaker wire to a 1/4inch to plug into my usb DAC? Then the Grado RS1 to the headphone jack?

Edit: Nvm, It also has dual phono witch I can run to a 1/4in on my DAC
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post #7 of 12
12/4/10 at 6:38pm

The McIntosh C220 is the best sounding headphone amp ever made, it does not even matter what kind of phones you have. It is in a class all its own. The MA-6100 will sound OK but if you ever try a C220 you will be spoiled forever.   

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post #8 of 12
12/4/10 at 9:23pm
Two posts on Head-fi to date, both stating the McIntosh C220 is the best headphone amp ever, with no elaboration. I like McIntosh, own an MC275 power amp, but am well aware it is not the best power amp ever made. If I had the space, I would buy a VAC.

Are you trying to sell a C220 on Audiogon? Regardless, please describe how you have arrived at your conclusion. What other headphone amps have you heard?
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post #9 of 12
12/4/10 at 10:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdoggystyle View Post

The McIntosh C220 is the best sounding headphone amp ever made, it does not even matter what kind of phones you have. It is in a class all its own. The MA-6100 will sound OK but if you ever try a C220 you will be spoiled forever.   

"To each their own", but I've had several Macs through my yrs. and the Integrated 6100 the OP is talking about has a typical sounding Headphone "OUT" that many Mac pre-amps/integrated had and still have today......It's their Bonus, if you will....My 15yr old son is using one of my older, Mac C28 pre-amp's from the past with a tube 35 amp in his little system and the Mac's headphone Jack "sound quality" is on the same level as the other Mac integrated amps from the past.....Just so-so! IMO!  Badd99, will be getting a classic Mac Integrated amp that will be something he'll be proud to own and listen to for yrs to come, but will probably find it to be on the "Bright" side as a power amp when hooked up with today's speakers......But do keep "IT" Badd99.....I, like minimus, find it strange that tdoggystyle insists on believing that his Mac C220 is/has the best headphone amp ever, But as I said at the start of this little rant, "TO EACH THEIR OWN............Just enjoy and keep your Grandpas MA-6100 Badd99.......  

 

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post #10 of 12
12/5/10 at 6:44pm
Thread Starter 

This exactly. Thanks for your input. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by 9pintube View Post

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdoggystyle View Post

The McIntosh C220 is the best sounding headphone amp ever made, it does not even matter what kind of phones you have. It is in a class all its own. The MA-6100 will sound OK but if you ever try a C220 you will be spoiled forever.   

"To each their own", but I've had several Macs through my yrs. and the Integrated 6100 the OP is talking about has a typical sounding Headphone "OUT" that many Mac pre-amps/integrated had and still have today......It's their Bonus, if you will....My 15yr old son is using one of my older, Mac C28 pre-amp's from the past with a tube 35 amp in his little system and the Mac's headphone Jack "sound quality" is on the same level as the other Mac integrated amps from the past.....Just so-so! IMO!  Badd99, will be getting a classic Mac Integrated amp that will be something he'll be proud to own and listen to for yrs to come, but will probably find it to be on the "Bright" side as a power amp when hooked up with today's speakers......But do keep "IT" Badd99.....I, like minimus, find it strange that tdoggystyle insists on believing that his Mac C220 is/has the best headphone amp ever, But as I said at the start of this little rant, "TO EACH THEIR OWN............Just enjoy and keep your Grandpas MA-6100 Badd99.......  

 

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post #11 of 12
2/7/11 at 11:48pm
Thread Starter 

I just heard the amp withe my LCD-2 and found the amp needed some tune up because the left channel was not always 'full' in its sound....I think it needs some caps replaced in the left amplification linfe. 

 

I thought it sounded amazing! I have heard the LCD-2 of some really nice amps and they didn't sound as good as that mcintosh 6100 did! When I got both channels working, it sounded so life like. 

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post #12 of 12
2/8/11 at 12:34am

it should do fine with headphones. i'm just not impress with the power output for speakers. 70wpc 8ohm and 4ohm(or am i reading the specs wrong...)? a good built amplifier should easily be able to double it's output power lower the impedance. it should be able to deliver 140w into 4ohms and 280w into 2ohms,ect...anyways it's great overall amp. it should sound great with headphones.


 as for usb dac...it doesn't have rca hook-ups? also i suggest don't put it in either the speaker outputs or phono inputs or you will either kill the output transistors if you try to hook anything through the speaker outputs if it's not speakers or headphones that require speaker outputs. the phono inputs won't do much but cause loud distortion cause there is 2 different kinds of phono inputs. 1 is magnetic input and one ceremic input.


  on most amps the ceremic input is either known as AUX or Tape or play section(in some cases the amp has a switch to choose between magnetic and ceramic). that is the ones you want to plug your dac into. not the phono inputs cause they're probably meant for magnetic outputs such as lot of turntables and can be useful for hooking up a guitar too since most guitar pick-ups need a magnetic  output.

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