Mcintosh has some of the best resale values of any brand. They hold their value well. Folks look at these like a good investment. Some of the classics have even went up in value I believe. You see so many other good pieces of $$$ gear take huge hits of depreciation compared to mcintosh. Name brand names out there that accomplish this? No many! Bulletproof reliability and I believe they can still service almost every older piece of gear that have made. Not a fan boy of mcintosh. These are just some things I admire about the brand. thanks Adrian, Philip and jay!
Hi Adrian. Glad to see your shop is open again and your 2 amigos are with you. I purchased the MC8900 last year and I love it! I'm now hunting for a used MC402. Enjoy your chats. Cheers. Greg.
@@jimmywang2797 thank you. Yeah the 12000 looks pretty interesting too. Thing is I really love transients. I feel like I can always make the sound a little warmer with EQ but transients and dynamics are more inherent within the sound signature. Just my thought though. Am I way off base?
I've had my mc 402 for several years . That alone speaks volumes concerning reliability , durability and quality. I have the McIntosh C2600 pre-amp, what a beautiful combination.
My father bought me my 1st hifi system in 1966 ,starting with his " old " JBL Hartsfields which he took me to his Mac dealer & bought me a pair of Mc-60 monoblocks ,ive been a loyal Mcintosh buyer ever since,ive owned 21 Mcintosh amps and 11 Mc preamps,i went down the upgrade to the newest model road all the way to the Mc-1201 monoblocks which drove Roger Russells personal hand built XR-290 line arrays he built in 1 piece white cabinets,i figured the Mc-1201's 1200 8 ohm watts would drive my XRT-22's ,my XRT-28's and my XR-290's much better than my other older Mac amps,i was wrong with all 3 of my Mac line array systems,hands down in my 2 listening rooms and home theater running dual Mc-252's in bridged mono as 500 watt monoblocks have outperformed every amp all the way up to the Mc-1201's i own,and the Mc-1.2kw's my dealer allowed me to rent for 90 days ,there are measurable differences between my Mc-252's & my Mc-1201s ,comparing the Mc-1201 and Mc-1.2kw's there was absolutely zero meaningfull differences were shown between the 2 amps. As for meters on the amp,your much better off buying a Mcintosh preamp with meters starting at the C-2200 up to the current C-2600 ,the preamps meters are 100 x more useful than amp meters .
Same here, I have no need to ever change. Matched it up to the McIntosh Academy speakers about 20 years ago, still rocking as good as new, better really. I have friends with way more money into systems, but they don't sound better than my set up. It takes a long time to get the right room, cables and acoustical panels so it sounds just right, but it's worth it, it's all connected in a system to sound right, and the Mc 602 is at the heart of it all.
At our local vintage shop in Maryland (Just Audio), it’s true; every used McIntosh product that comes in doesn’t stay long. Problem with really old stuff is that some of the parts are not easily found, even from McIntosh, and Mc gear is very particular about what resisters/transistors you put into it.
Prefer that era including 2205 designs to the new stuff. It also was realistically priced and fit on the shelves. I also felt the older gear was more musical than current offerings
Thanks for another great video. I always learn so much from you guys, even when you 'digress.' Please keep reviewing and comparing higher end gear, especially McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Wilson. It is hard to find on RUclips, at least from a reliable source. I wouldn't mind at all if your videos were longer. You often seem to want to stop at about 20 minutes. Suggestions: MC302 vs MC312, Olympica Nova V vs Wilson Sabrina. Also, just how good is the upgradeable DAC module in the newer McIntosh amplifiers? Could you compare it to other stand-alone DAC's or DAC-streamers through the same amp?
Five words: Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound. Go big Mc! Oh yeah, this old [school] dude loves the reel-to-reel tape deck on the back wall. It's pushing the resolution limitation of my laptop screen, but I can barely make out Teac on the heads cover. I think. What is the model? It would be worthy of a vlog all by itself.
Good show. People who know their shit realize it's a blur after years and new models. When you know alot you don't need to worry about not knowing everything.
Like to hear more about McIntosh old and new, even if it’s a tangent about how the old ones compare. I have a refurbished MC 2200 (wanted a Mc, am a cheapskate), and it’s the best amp I’ve owned (so fat). Tried a Rotel RB980-BX, a Crown XLS 1502 and a PS Audio S300 and always went back to the 2200. So the newer amps sound better, hmm.....?
Hi Guys, I recently purchased the KEF R3 and when paired with my McIntosh C2500, MC302 amp, they are SO fatiguing. I just couldn’t listen to them pass the 4th song without getting a minor headache. I also have a pair of Wilson Sasha W/P for over 7 years and they paired really well with the Mc’s. I tried pairing the R3 with my old Kenwood receiver w/ 110w into 6ohms. Surprisingly, they sound good but most importantly no fatigue when listening for hours. I’ve been swapping my equipments and speakers; and every time, it’s the same conclusion. Is it common that McIntosh and KEF don’t play well together?
Why can't I ever find the price for McIntosh shit? It's like pulling teeth to get a price on this stuff.....I know it's a mid to super-high end price point, but I wish you could just see exactly what the base price is? I'm guessing the MC611 monoblock is around $10,000+ so around $20 grand cuz you're goona need the pair???? Can anyone help me with a specific price of what these specific amps MSRP for at a store PLEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!!!! thank you :)
I wouldn't think so. You see, the MC611 is a solid state design and, like most Mac amps, it's based on big transformers. Generally speaking, complex impedance is a huge factor when it comes to anything involving transformers, so a series hook-up like the one you're asking about doesn't seem to be conducive to the design.
You three guys are excellent at descriptions (and funny too!) please keep up the great reviews!!
Mcintosh has some of the best resale values of any brand. They hold their value well. Folks look at these like a good investment. Some of the classics have even went up in value I believe. You see so many other good pieces of $$$ gear take huge hits of depreciation compared to mcintosh. Name brand names out there that accomplish this? No many! Bulletproof reliability and I believe they can still service almost every older piece of gear that have made. Not a fan boy of mcintosh. These are just some things I admire about the brand. thanks Adrian, Philip and jay!
Hi Adrian. Glad to see your shop is open again and your 2 amigos are with you. I purchased the MC8900 last year and I love it! I'm now hunting for a used MC402. Enjoy your chats. Cheers. Greg.
huge fan of these amps - they compliment 802d3 very nicely !
you really should review the MC462 ... their flagship stereo amp.
To me, 611s are much faster and far more dynamic than previous 601s. Thank you guys for staying with me along my 611 journey!
Can you please elaborate, if you don’t mind? I’m itching for a new toy and thinking of trading my MA9000 for MA9500 lol
@@Sloimer it depends on your deal. I would say the newer ones are more dynamic while the older ones are warmer. For a 300 watter, I recommend 12000
@@jimmywang2797 thank you. Yeah the 12000 looks pretty interesting too. Thing is I really love transients. I feel like I can always make the sound a little warmer with EQ but transients and dynamics are more inherent within the sound signature. Just my thought though. Am I way off base?
I've had my mc 402 for several years . That alone speaks volumes concerning reliability , durability and quality. I have the McIntosh C2600 pre-amp, what a beautiful combination.
My father bought me my 1st hifi system in 1966 ,starting with his " old " JBL Hartsfields which he took me to his Mac dealer & bought me a pair of Mc-60 monoblocks ,ive been a loyal Mcintosh buyer ever since,ive owned 21 Mcintosh amps and 11 Mc preamps,i went down the upgrade to the newest model road all the way to the Mc-1201 monoblocks which drove Roger Russells personal hand built XR-290 line arrays he built in 1 piece white cabinets,i figured the Mc-1201's 1200 8 ohm watts would drive my XRT-22's ,my XRT-28's and my XR-290's much better than my other older Mac amps,i was wrong with all 3 of my Mac line array systems,hands down in my 2 listening rooms and home theater running dual Mc-252's in bridged mono as 500 watt monoblocks have outperformed every amp all the way up to the Mc-1201's i own,and the Mc-1.2kw's my dealer allowed me to rent for 90 days ,there are measurable differences between my Mc-252's & my Mc-1201s ,comparing the Mc-1201 and Mc-1.2kw's there was absolutely zero meaningfull differences were shown between the 2 amps.
As for meters on the amp,your much better off buying a Mcintosh preamp with meters starting at the C-2200 up to the current C-2600 ,the preamps meters are 100 x more useful than amp meters .
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to your discussion!!! I love your presentation, information and opinions you provide!!! Thank you sharing this!!! ☮️🖖🏽
I like the newer Macintosh sound which still has color but has improved clarity over the old Macs.
I'm still rocking the Mc602 and love it.
Same here, I have no need to ever change. Matched it up to the McIntosh Academy speakers about 20 years ago, still rocking as good as new, better really. I have friends with way more money into systems, but they don't sound better than my set up. It takes a long time to get the right room, cables and acoustical panels so it sounds just right, but it's worth it, it's all connected in a system to sound right, and the Mc 602 is at the heart of it all.
At our local vintage shop in Maryland (Just Audio), it’s true; every used McIntosh product that comes in doesn’t stay long. Problem with really old stuff is that some of the parts are not easily found, even from McIntosh, and Mc gear is very particular about what resisters/transistors you put into it.
Yes please do a review of the MA 252
Thanks for sharing guys ! Have you got a chance to test the MC-462 ? Also the new Mcintosh C-53 preamp? Thanks again
Adrian, your description of breaking in a softball glove nailed it. And it's been a LONG time since I had to break in a glove 🙂/🙁
I have the MC2105 with the C28 and I love the sound.
Prefer that era including 2205 designs to the new stuff. It also was realistically priced and fit on the shelves. I also felt the older gear was more musical than current offerings
Excellent conversation guys
Thanks for another great video. I always learn so much from you guys, even when you 'digress.' Please keep reviewing and comparing higher end gear, especially McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Wilson. It is hard to find on RUclips, at least from a reliable source. I wouldn't mind at all if your videos were longer. You often seem to want to stop at about 20 minutes.
Suggestions: MC302 vs MC312, Olympica Nova V vs Wilson Sabrina. Also, just how good is the upgradeable DAC module in the newer McIntosh amplifiers? Could you compare it to other stand-alone DAC's or DAC-streamers through the same amp?
Five words: Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound. Go big Mc!
Oh yeah, this old [school] dude loves the reel-to-reel tape deck on the back wall. It's pushing the resolution limitation of my laptop screen, but I can barely make out Teac on the heads cover. I think. What is the model? It would be worthy of a vlog all by itself.
Good show. People who know their shit realize it's a blur after years and new models. When you know alot you don't need to worry about not knowing everything.
Like to hear more about McIntosh old and new, even if it’s a tangent about how the old ones compare. I have a refurbished MC 2200 (wanted a Mc, am a cheapskate), and it’s the best amp I’ve owned (so fat). Tried a Rotel RB980-BX, a Crown XLS 1502 and a PS Audio S300 and always went back to the 2200. So the newer amps sound better, hmm.....?
Good job with the audio levels!
MC275, MC1502, MI347, and MI128 are the current amps without meters. C22, C8, C49, D150, and MP100 are the current preamps without meters.
luxman meters on the 505 UxII are great too!
I have a McIntosh MC-352 amp. Bouught it used 14 years ago. Still going strong. New amp is not on my bucket list.
Great video! Would have liked to know MRSP for the pair, as well as speaker matching suggestions. Best, BG
You removed the unboxing video of the Mcintosh mc901..
mc2100 i still have it with infinty kappa9.2i and rel storm 3 :)
Please make video about Dan D Augustino amplifier!
Can you guys do a video on the mc2301s
Saw the review of the 611 and 1502 today. Which is better for emotional listening?
Just listen to the music!
Hi Guys, I recently purchased the KEF R3 and when paired with my McIntosh C2500, MC302 amp, they are SO fatiguing. I just couldn’t listen to them pass the 4th song without getting a minor headache. I also have a pair of Wilson Sasha W/P for over 7 years and they paired really well with the Mc’s. I tried pairing the R3 with my old Kenwood receiver w/ 110w into 6ohms. Surprisingly, they sound good but most importantly no fatigue when listening for hours. I’ve been swapping my equipments and speakers; and every time, it’s the same conclusion. Is it common that McIntosh and KEF don’t play well together?
What would you need all of that power for?
Hey I can't afford the big stuff. Do they still make the 7200 receiver? If so would you review it and compare to Hegel.
Whats the best Pre Amp you will recommend from the Mac Range?
C2700
Try some Croft acoustics stuff
Why can't I ever find the price for McIntosh shit? It's like pulling teeth to get a price on this stuff.....I know it's a mid to super-high end price point, but I wish you could just see exactly what the base price is? I'm guessing the MC611 monoblock is around $10,000+ so around $20 grand cuz you're goona need the pair???? Can anyone help me with a specific price of what these specific amps MSRP for at a store PLEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!!!! thank you :)
Hi. I have a question: can you hook up two 8ohms speakers in series and plug them to the 4ohms rod of the MC611?
I wouldn't think so. You see, the MC611 is a solid state design and, like most Mac amps, it's based on big transformers. Generally speaking, complex impedance is a huge factor when it comes to anything involving transformers, so a series hook-up like the one you're asking about doesn't seem to be conducive to the design.
Trust me, the world and your wallet can really love and without mcintoch.
Macintosh are overrated overhyped overpriced.
Dull
Dead
Lifeless
Dark
Muddy
Sound
My friend it is the best amplifier I’ve ever heard on over a dozen high end amps or price 5000 each👍🤓