Hello, I have collected,sold,and have generally been interested in McIntosh labs for over 30 years. If you have a question or comment, post one, I'll be happy to answer or assist in any way I can !
Would you please help me to choose the best components for my KEF 107 speakers. Especially I need to make a decision which amplifiers will be the more apropriate for KEF 107. Thanks a lot, Alexei
I see from Kef's website that the model 107 are not to difficult to drive. With sensitivity @ 90db, any McIntosh amp of decent size will do a nice job. All modern McIntosh amps have powerguard . This prevents McIntosh amps from heavy distortion or clipping during playback. Before I could recommend any particular amp, I would need to know a little more about your setup and playback tendencies. For example, do you like to play at really loud levels ? Will the system be in a smaller room ? Many factors will go into choosing the appropriate amp. If you are interested in tube or valve amplification, powerguard will not be offered with these models. This will require greater care in choosing the proper amp since you will not have the added protection from amplifier distortion that powerguard will offer. What have you used to drive these speakers at this time ? Do you prefer solid state or tube amps ? Do you collect vintage hi-fi, and if so, do you want an older amp from the 50's and 60's ? I'll be happy to give you my opinion, but I always will recommend that you audition any possible choices and see for yourself. Hearing is believing !
Is McIntosh better than Krell? Who has the best equipment? I am looking at the McIntosh MX119 , and the Krell HTS 7.1. Do you know if the Mx119 is out of production?
Thank goodness you are here! My girlfriend's father is in possession of a McIntosh stereo system and needs me to sell it on eBay for him. If you have any advice I'd LOVE to hear it. The components are all in AWESOME shape and in their original boxes with all the documentation including schematics which is awesome.
There is
1 Mac 4200 Reciever 1 MC 2500 Power Amplifier 1 C34V Audio Video Control Center 1 MCD 7008 CD Changer 1 MR 80 Digital FM Tuner and 2 XR 16 Isoplanar Radiator Loudspeakers
I just want to make sure that I get as much for him as I can because A. it will earn me brownie points with him, and B. I get 25% commission.
From what I understand This setup was purchased in 1992 for over $16,000. I know because the Reciept is even in the envelope of documents they gave me! I wish I could just keep it! I get to go look at the actual equipment on sunday so it would be cool to know what I am talking about when I get there.
djscottferguson, Sounds like your Father in law is a real Mac Fan . First some history. All of the pieces listed below were the top pieces during their production. Now for reality. Home theater has swept the industry, and while these pieces are quality , they don't reflect the current demand. You still will get some decent dough, the C34V and the MC2500 will do fine. The MR 80 is still sought out as well. The receiver, cd and speakers will be more of a challenge. Advice - LOTS of quality pics. Especially with the Amp on, so people can see those cool blue meters glowing. People who buy and collect Mac, want scratch free, as perfect as possible pieces. So show them as detailed a pic as you can. The other issue will be the shipping of the amp. Due to it's size and weight , you may have to go freight.(No USPS,UPS,FEDEX ...) I would look into what it will cost to ship to several spots around the country 1st. Show the buyers what it might cost for shipping. It will do much to ease their hesitancy. I don't know what else to add, other than watch the other auctions that are running right now. It will give you a rough idea of what to expect. As for reserve pricing, that's up to you. List them all seperately, don't combine anything, and hope for some eager buyers. One more thing. Make sure that the MR 80's touch pad controls are all working, you will be asked . All for now ! If you have a specific question , let me know !
chuck914vil- Sorry I didn't respond sooner. Tube tuner ? Well there are several choices. I suggest the MR 71 or the MR67. Both of these will require a preamp and amplifier. If you want a tuner/amplifier, also known as a receiver. Mac made only two versions, the 1500 and the 1700. The 1500 is the all tube version, the 1700 is a combination tube and solid state piece. The later 1900 and others, were all solid state. If you want a tube tuner, without Mac prices. Fisher made some decent models. The 100 and 200 series were nice tuners and are fairly cheap .The 1000 series were great too, but they will demand Mac like prices also. The venerable 10B Marantz is also priced in the stratosphere. Another low price starter would be a Dynaco FM-3. Hope that answers your question.
rivercities- Sorry about the late reply. Yes and No. Krell is a fine manufacturer and many would agree that they make some of the best gear today. Either will be fine, but being home theater pieces, both will have poor resale. Krell is probably more cutting edge, but Mac is often overlooked in todays high end segment and not given full credit for their sound and build quality. If you want me to say one over the other, I won't.I have owned a couple of Krell amps, and I was very impressed with both of them. Mac does know their way around when it comes to a A/V control center though. This is one question, that only you can answer. Sorry !
chuck914vil- Again, I'm sorry about not replying in a more timely manner ! By set do you mean tuner, preamp, amp ? if so, McIntosh, Marantz, Fisher, Dynaco, all have some nice pieces. If you want McIntosh, the best vintage tube set would be a C-22 preamp, a MR-71 tuner, and many choices for a power amp. Vintage Mac amps are quite easy to determine their rated power, it's usually a breakdown of the model number. For example, most of the stereo amps begin with a 2, MC 225 is 2 channels at 25 watts. The 275 is 2 channels at 75 watts. Also the mono amps are usually just 2 digits. An MC 30 is a 30 watt mono amp ... I'm sorry if this info is something you already knew, but I try to answer as completely as possible. If you are interested in Marantz, their versions would be the 7c preamp, 10B tuner, and either the 8b stereo amp (35 x 2) or their model 9 mono amps (70 watts each ) . What specifically are you interested in ?
Hi, I'm Tom and I'm a Mac-aholic. Or something like that.
I seem to be running a McRoach motel -- I keep buying more and more Mac equipment, but nothing ever checks out. Maybe it's finally time to consider parting with some of my unplugged relics? My original system (Christmas 1966) was a Fisher 400, Dual 1019 and KLH-6 speakers. I gave the Fisher 400 to my parents after I built a Heathkit AR15 during college semester break in 1968. But aside from that, I think I still have every stereo thing I ever acquired. Groan!
It's hard to say goodbye, but I probably should, to my ML1-Cs and MQ102, MCD7000, MAC4100, MR7082, C28 and one of my two MCD7009s (why did I buy two???). I don't know if anybody would even want the MVS-1 video switch -- it can switch S video (wow!!!). Somewhere I think I still have my Dual 1019, and (less certain) Heathkit AR-15. Amazingly, I'm still using the 42 year old KLH-6s as extensions speakers atop bookselves in the second bedroom (I would like to use the much better ML1-Cs, but fear they might crush the bookshelves).
My current living room system is C35, MQ107, MR85, MCD7009, MC7270, XRT18s (first two off the production line S/N 1001 and 1002), Thorens TD125 with SME arm that I never use (but it Shure is pretty). Master bedroom has a Pioneer Elite receiver, MQ104, ML350s, CDs play through the DVD player (the second MCD7009 was supposed to go there, but it got squeezed out by a HiDef DVR). And in storage, waiting to see if I can find room is a pair of XRT22s -- my holy grail from the late 1980s, that I bought on ebay a few years ago from Hong Kong (a long story in itself). At this point I'm happy with the setup, but wonder if a newer power amp like MC402 would help.
Anyway, I guess admitting you have a problem is the first step. Any suggestions on how to approach divesting myself of the excess equipment? I'm uncertain how to handle this, in part because I've never sold anything on ebay or audiogon or.... And also because the ML1-Cs, while cosmetically near-perfect, have reached the age where they need refoaming; the MCD7000 needs repair; the C28 had some small problems, too.
Yeah you've got some stuff that needs a new home, but anybody who is into Hi-Fi has probably been in the same position at one time or another. I'm not surprised to hear of issues with the older speakers and cd player. The C-28's were also known for being a little on the unreliable side. (At least for a Mac). Where to sell is tough. Selling on Ebay without a proven track record can cost you some bucks, as potential bidders will sometimes shy away from new sellers. If you want to sell on Ebay , start with the smaller items to build your feedback reputation before listing the larger items . One of the other problems with selling Mac online is it's cumbersome size. Shipping will not be cheap when it comes to a Mac piece. Whatever you do, try to list a fixed price for shipping on whichever site you choose to sell from. This way, it takes away some of the uncertainty of what the total cost will end at. And keep the cost down, some potential buyers will feel like there are being robbed if they feel the shipping is too high. And always, tons of pics. List serial numbers, manuals, any associated items such as panlocs, warranty cards, Mac clinic test sheets ... As you know, Mac fans want anything and everything related to their passion. As for your XRT-22's. I had a customer who purchased 2 pair and stacked the mid-range/bass cabinets on top of each other, with the two tweeter columns on each side. All of this and it wasn't even his main listening system. Good luck with your liquidation, but remember, it just makes room for more toys !
Hi, I am new to McIntosh, so new in fact, I don't have any Mac gear yet. I have been a Technics nut for over 30 years but they are long gone and I want to move into the home theater world of McIntosh without getting a 2nd on the house.
I'm not sure if you're familiar with Technics but, they did have some awesome components in the higher end of their lineup. but, again, they were killed by the bean counters several years ago and Panasonic did not carry on what Technics was doing.
As I mentioned, I am interested in home theater. In our current home theater setup, I have an Onkyo TX-SR804 running the main speakers - Klipsch LaScala's (2) F L/R, Rohrbaugh (Center), Paradigm Titans (2) Rear. The subwoofer is a Technics SST-33HZ Super Bass Exciter, powered by a Marantz SM-80 Amp. I have not come up with the actual configuration that will be used in the home theater but I also have a pair of Klipschorns and Cornwalls to throw into the mix. Although I have two Technics DVD-A10's, I am using a Panasonic upconverting DVD player at the moment. I have been waiting for the Blu-Ray/HD scuffle to end so, now it is time to upgrade there as well.
What am I looking for? A used McIntosh receiver or system that is suitable for home theater. It does not have to have HDMI capability although I would like it. I have a feeling I can't afford it. At the moment, I have a 65" Mitsubishi Widescreen although I plan to switch over to a overhead projection to a fixed screen. If it is a receiver, I'd want 7.1 capability. If it is a system, I don't have a clue and probably can't afford to get into Mac separates anyway.
The Klipschorns might not be available for the theater since I might not be able to achive the correct spacing for them. In that scenario, the front channels will fall to the LaScala's.
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