[Exer]

Been lurking around this thread for the past month as the MHA200 is the first piece of McIntosh kit that I can stretch to afford and meets my fancy. Simple inputs/outputs, tubes, no DAC, nice piece of eye candy, and it seems respectable sound at the price point... Zero chance of auditioning one in my area though and the volume control is of concern but some of the more recent comments have eased that. Only three coming to the local dealer and one already sold, sight unseen, so I jumped today making it two down, one to go. Won't arrive for a couple of weeks, give or take. It will be joining two first generation Woos, a WA6 and WA22. I have a Woo WDS-1 DAC that I had to put down recently as the latest versions of Mac OS didn't get along with it. Possible downside of being immersed in the Apple world. Picked up a Chord Qutest as a replacement and it plays very nicely with the Woos (and Macs) but I haven't seen any comment on actually pairing it with the MHA200, only speculation. Main phones are HD 800, HD 820, and Focal Elears. Hoping there will be more impressions and comments posted by those who have been hands on with this amp. Sitting on pins and needles over this risky blind buy!

The Hugo 2 that I have paired with my MHA200 and the Qutest are extremely similar. I have shared some impressions, but happy to answer any questions. Apologies that I haven't been as active on this thread as I had intended to be.

Volume control is well covered here. I am very cautious with it as a small nudge could result in frighteningly high volumes, but I am able to dial it in. Some additional thoughts below:

Bass: No coloration or additional oomph, but has an authority that is impressive. Not a thin or lean sounding amp in any way with my setup (Hugo 2 -> MHA200 -> Empyrean)
Mids: Compelling. Most in the headphone journey have probably had a Grado at one point and heard the magic with a simpler acoustic track. The MHA200 imparts that magic.
Treble: Detail is great. I get more detail than I have with other amp pairings. It does feel on the limit of strident or sibilant, but with any harshness just slightly rolled off. With my Empyreans, that's a nice compromise, as I get some detail that they typically lack against their high-end peers. I do worry that a brighter headphone like the HD800 could be sibilant with the MHA200, and look forward to seeing feedback. The tube pairing suggested in the Positive Feedback review would tame that based on how it changed the sound on my setup.
Soundstage: Better than anything I've tried. Wide and deep when recorded that way, pinpoint accuracy, even in tracks with complex staging (live choral for instance)

I will add some comparisons to other amps I have tried later today.

 

[u2u2]

The Hugo 2 that I have paired with my MHA200 and the Qutest are extremely similar. I have shared some impressions, but happy to answer any questions. Apologies that I haven't been as active on this thread as I had intended to be.

Volume control is well covered here. I am very cautious with it as a small nudge could result in frighteningly high volumes, but I am able to dial it in. Some additional thoughts below:

Bass: No coloration or additional oomph, but has an authority that is impressive. Not a thin or lean sounding amp in any way with my setup (Hugo 2 -> MHA200 -> Empyrean)
Mids: Compelling. Most in the headphone journey have probably had a Grado at one point and heard the magic with a simpler acoustic track. The MHA200 imparts that magic.
Treble: Detail is great. I get more detail than I have with other amp pairings. It does feel on the limit of strident or sibilant, but with any harshness just slightly rolled off. With my Empyreans, that's a nice compromise, as I get some detail that they typically lack against their high-end peers. I do worry that a brighter headphone like the HD800 could be sibilant with the MHA200, and look forward to seeing feedback. The tube pairing suggested in the Positive Feedback review would tame that based on how it changed the sound on my setup.
Soundstage: Better than anything I've tried. Wide and deep when recorded that way, pinpoint accuracy, even in tracks with complex staging (live choral for instance)

I will add some comparisons to other amps I have tried later today.

Appreciate your feedback and that of others that have posted.
The volume control seems to be a major oversight with this amp. I can see risk adverse buyers passing it over and going to another brand without hesitation. Be interesting to see if McIntosh updates the control. They also need to update the wording in their manual as the design of this amp is sounding somewhat unsafe for customers hearing! Then again, no one has commented yet, but is the volume ramp up feature so good as to negate any safety concerns?
I did find comment in respect to the fixed output levels of the Qutest and potentially excessive volume levels... A suggested solution was that of a passive pre amp, specifically the Schiit SYS. I ordered one and am trying it out with my current setup. My present use case didn't require it but it buys a safety margin and I see a bona fide need with the McIntosh and their approach to volume control. Haven't detected any negative effect on the audio quality so it will do duty on the MHA200 when I receive it. A $49.00 add on to fix a $2,500.00 flaw? If one needs such a device with their Qutest at least Chord has an excuse as they didn't market their DAC for headphone amps and they clearly state the DAC must be connected to a device capable of attenuating the output. Will have to join in on Zoom in July and see if McIntosh or The Source flesh the topic out.
Enjoy your amp.

 

[doggiemom]

The volume control seems to be a major oversight with this amp. I can see risk adverse buyers passing it over and going to another brand without hesitation. Be interesting to see if McIntosh updates the control. They also need to update the wording in their manual as the design of this amp is sounding somewhat unsafe for customers hearing! Then again, no one has commented yet, but is the volume ramp up feature so good as to negate any safety concerns?

Although I use the MHA200 with the variable output from a D1100, I also use the fixed out from a phono preamp so I understand the concern. I do think some common sense best practices can help mitigate the risk. Even before getting the MHA200, I always start playback before putting headphones on, in case I was listening to something from a different quieter source previously, the housekeeper dusted a volume knob or a dog bumped into something and turned the volume up to the max... If the cans were already on my head and one of those things happened then yes, the amp gets loud enough to hurt your ears. But anyone who has this amp is going to be well aware of the exponential volume increase after 12 o'clock, so seems like the greatest risk would be at start up, and that can be mitigated by preventative measures.

P.S. My husband wears hearing aids because he has high frequency hearing loss in both ears, and is down to 25% hearing in one ear.... as a music lover (and his wife) I feel so bad for him, so I try really hard to not damage my hearing. His damage is from a combination of a tumor on an audoratory (I probably didn't spell that right) nerve, being in the service during wartime, and a really, really loud bar concert. (He does not think the latter was worth it).

 

[Crowbar44]

Appreciate your feedback and that of others that have posted.
The volume control seems to be a major oversight with this amp. I can see risk adverse buyers passing it over and going to another brand without hesitation. Be interesting to see if McIntosh updates the control. They also need to update the wording in their manual as the design of this amp is sounding somewhat unsafe for customers hearing! Then again, no one has commented yet, but is the volume ramp up feature so good as to negate any safety concerns?
I did find comment in respect to the fixed output levels of the Qutest and potentially excessive volume levels... A suggested solution was that of a passive pre amp, specifically the Schiit SYS. I ordered one and am trying it out with my current setup. My present use case didn't require it but it buys a safety margin and I see a bona fide need with the McIntosh and their approach to volume control. Haven't detected any negative effect on the audio quality so it will do duty on the MHA200 when I receive it. A $49.00 add on to fix a $2,500.00 flaw? If one needs such a device with their Qutest at least Chord has an excuse as they didn't market their DAC for headphone amps and they clearly state the DAC must be connected to a device capable of attenuating the output. Will have to join in on Zoom in July and see if McIntosh or The Source flesh the topic out.
Enjoy your amp.

I find the volume ramp up to very good and reliable - so I don't have any safety concerns.

I'm considering adding a pre-amp to my MHA200 as well for the reasons listed above...if anyone has any recommendations of a quality, compact, passive pre-amp with a remote, I'd appreciate it! The easy choice seems to be a Schiit Saga+ or Freya+ - but would appreciate other recommendations.

 

[Nostoi]

Thanks for the additional impressions. If they fixed the volume issue on this, I'd be interested. My sense is that the volume issue is not trivial on several fronts.

First, obviously there is the issue of control and precision. We develop bodily habits with out gear. I have become used to interacting with a precise attenuator (64 Step, 1dB Per Step Attenuator) on my current amp. Moving from that to the MH200 would not work for me due to inconvenience and also kinaesthetic habits (in effect, it would be a downgrade in experience).

I would also say, the volume control is the main point of interaction with any amp - as such, it serves as an "ambassador" for the product as a whole especially in terms of its build. We want to have a sense of confidence in the amps we use and this is represented/expressed above all in the feel of the volume control (after all, we generally don't spend our time plugging RCA/XLR cables in and out - rather, we spend our time with our hand on the volume control).

I really hope they either fix this or revise it.

 

[u2u2]

I find the volume ramp up to very good and reliable - so I don't have any safety concerns.

I'm considering adding a pre-amp to my MHA200 as well for the reasons listed above...if anyone has any recommendations of a quality, compact, passive pre-amp with a remote, I'd appreciate it! The easy choice seems to be a Schiit Saga+ or Freya+ - but would appreciate other recommendations.

Good to hear the ramp up does the job.
I have been looking for a passive pre-amp as well. Don't think the SYS I have will be up to the job long term and it doesn't seem befitting of the McIntosh. One passive I have spotted many positive posts on is the Khozmo Acoustics that is available with options such as remote, resistance values and upgrades to meet specific needs. Probably going to reach out to this boutique maker and get more info. I am hoping this would put my money into better quality components and build rather than Schiit features I won't use...
Be curious if anyone here has experience with them.

 

[Crowbar44]

Good to hear the ramp up does the job.
I have been looking for a passive pre-amp as well. Don't think the SYS I have will be up to the job long term and it doesn't seem befitting of the McIntosh. One passive I have spotted many positive posts on is the Khozmo Acoustics that is available with options such as remote, resistance values and upgrades to meet specific needs. Probably going to reach out to this boutique maker and get more info. I am hoping this would put my money into better quality components and build rather than Schiit features I won't use...
Be curious if anyone here has experience with them.

Khozmo looks like it would fit the bill - a stepped attenuator in a box with a remote...$499. Agree that Sys ain't gonna cut it. B-stock Freya+ for $899 is tempting.

I'm going to take a step back though and wait for now...the volume control on the MHA200 doesn't bother me enough to add another component to the signal path.

 

[Bassic Needs]

I'd be curious about listening impressions of the solid state MHA-150 vs MHA-200.

 

[mammal]

Like others have commented, I was immediately struck by how tiny this amp is

Wow, that's super tiny. And I thought bakoon is tiny, haha.

 

[Deleeh]

Hello,
Next week I might be lucky and the dealer will have the Mha 200 and I can test it.
I think I will also take the Lcd 2C directly.
Anything I should look out for?

Are there any known problems with the volume control on the Macintosh?

I don't know yet if I will buy it, because I bought the Feliks Euforia not too long ago.
Nevertheless, I am open to the Mha 200.
I'm also very curious to see which of the two is better.

 

[Herr Korven]

This surprisingly tiny unit arrived today , replacing a Schiit Mjolnir 2.

The equipment chain is PC > Singxer SU6 (USB to AES/EBU) > Schiit Yggdrasil A1 > MHA200 > Focal Stellia

I've only been listening for an hour so far and I have been pleasantly surprised. It's doing things with my Focal Stellia that the Schiit Mjolnir 2 has not been able to.

I am not very good at explaining things in audio terms, since I mostly get lost in the music, but going from the Mjolnir 2 to the MHA200 the bass has gone from good to better, even making me feel the bass in my ears beyond simply hearing it. This immediately made me want to listen to the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack and it did not disappoint.

Soundstage is great, a definite improvement over the Mjolnir 2 and very noticeable on alternative rock specifically, where on the Mjolnir 2 I generally experienced it as a single flat band, it now feels like there is a more depth. In other genres I listen to like Blues, Rock, Classic and EDM I notice an improvement as well, but not as pronounced.

I also noticed earlier that it will go back to standby automatically after 30 minutes of no input. A nice feature to be sure, considering I frequently forgot to turn off the Mjolnir 2.

My 2 cents I guess

 

[Crowbar44]

This surprisingly tiny unit arrived today , replacing a Schiit Mjolnir 2.

The equipment chain is PC > Singxer SU6 (USB to AES/EBU) > Schiit Yggdrasil A1 > MHA200 > Focal Stellia

I've only been listening for an hour so far and I have been pleasantly surprised. It's doing things with my Focal Stellia that the Schiit Mjolnir 2 has not been able to.

I am not very good at explaining things in audio terms, since I mostly get lost in the music, but going from the Mjolnir 2 to the MHA200 the bass has gone from good to better, even making me feel the bass in my ears beyond simply hearing it. This immediately made me want to listen to the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack and it did not disappoint.

Soundstage is great, a definite improvement over the Mjolnir 2 and very noticeable on alternative rock specifically, where on the Mjolnir 2 I generally experienced it as a single flat band, it now feels like there is a more depth. In other genres I listen to like Blues, Rock, Classic and EDM I notice an improvement as well, but not as pronounced.

I also noticed earlier that it will go back to standby automatically after 30 minutes of no input. A nice feature to be sure, considering I frequently forgot to turn off the Mjolnir 2.

My 2 cents I guess

Mjolnir 2 was on my short list until Schiit knifed it...went with the MHA200 instead - glad I did. I think you're statements on the bass are spot on, my Clears have far more bass with the MHA200 than they did with my Asgard 3 MB.

FYI you can disable the automatic standby mode by holding the power button till the indicator blinks - I didn't do this, as I like the feature as well.

Curious about the Singxer...are you using it because your Yggy is non Unison?

 

[Herr Korven]

Curious about the Singxer...are you using it because your Yggy is non Unison?

My Yggy still has its original usb module, non-gen5 and non-unison. I ran it on optical before, but my new computer is very moody with it's onboard sound bits and optical works some days and not on others. I went with this DDC solution because the old usb module does not sound as good as the AES/EBU or Optical.

FYI you can disable the automatic standby mode by holding the power button till the indicator blinks - I didn't do this, as I like the feature as well.

Nice .

 

[Loftprojection]

Hello,
Next week I might be lucky and the dealer will have the Mha 200 and I can test it.
I think I will also take the Lcd 2C directly.
Anything I should look out for?

Are there any known problems with the volume control on the Macintosh?

I don't know yet if I will buy it, because I bought the Feliks Euforia not too long ago.
Nevertheless, I am open to the Mha 200.
I'm also very curious to see which of the two is better.

Ho please post your impressions, MHA200 vs Euforia, this will be great info.

 

[Deleeh]

Ho please post your impressions, MHA200 vs Euforia, this will be great info.

Hello,
I'd love to.
I was in the shop today, unfortunately they didn't have it.
They are still waiting for delivery of the MHA200.
Unfortunately the dealer told me that 3-4 weeks ago.
As soon as I get the chance, I'll report on it.

I was only able to listen to the Aurium Pathos today, and with the Lcd 2c it was fine.
I suspect that it wasn't really warm because the mosfets need a bit of time.
I didn't have the feeling of being able to say Oh wow.

But I'm much more keen on the Mha 200, also because I'd like to know whether the added value might be worthwhile compared to the Feliks or not.
The Patos was more of a consolation and I'm glad I didn't buy it at the time.