Most reliable McIntosh SS amps

The MC352 never impressed me. I had high hopes for it - it sure has the looks, except for the cheap binding posts . . . Where it fell short for me was in the substance department. Now, you have to take that with a grain of salt. When it came out, I'd been accustomed to playing my music at levels that none if my audio peers had ever before experienced in a domestic setting. The MC352 just got too compressed too fast when we asked that of it.

I seem to be in the minority on this, being maybe the only guy to publicly state that of the amp. But then again, the MC2500 wasn't my cup of tea either ...

Ah, to be in my 20s again ...
 
The audio stand is a home built model with 1/4" steel shelves and supported by 1 1/2" solid aluminum posts. You can park a car on it

Gear head, just in case you get out of audio you can use it to store engine heads on the shelve and a block on top. :p
 
This thread seems to have drifted from most reliable to "best sound" or "value." Is it possible to have commentors here provide details of an amplifier PROBLEM they have had that required service? Distortion, dead channel, dead or incorrect meter, bad pot or switch, etc. What model, new/used, etc.
 
It struck me as kind of funny asking which is the most reliable amp. I've had my MC 250 and C 26 for a little over forty years and Terry says they are happy still.
 
This thread seems to have drifted from most reliable to "best sound" or "value." Is it possible to have commentors here provide details of an amplifier PROBLEM they have had that required service? Distortion, dead channel, dead or incorrect meter, bad pot or switch, etc. What model, new/used, etc.

hmmm....got nuthin' to report and that may be the case with other McGear owners posting in the thread, which is why it took the turn it did.

I've never had to do anything to any of my McIntosh components. Oh, I suspect my grandsons will ... eventually.

About other uses for this gear...I understand that if I hook the MC501's up in parallel I could use them for some light material welding. :rflmao:
 
It appears that any of the Mac sand state amps in top fettle are reliable, regardless of age or specific features. An individual choice would depend on priorities of power and price range vs listening preferences, system, and the space.

Agreed, although we need to remember 1998 was 20 years ago now, so what I still think is quite a recent Mc amp like the MC352, it is actually 20 years old..
So they older you buy, you may need to factor in some servicing along with your budget for purchasing.

There's a lot to like about any McIntosh product, they are all the finest amplifiers out there and you simply can't go wrong with any of them.....
 
Agreed, although we need to remember 1998 was 20 years ago now, so what I still think is quite a recent Mc amp like the MC352, it is actually 20 years old..
So they older you buy, you may need to factor in some servicing along with your budget for purchasing.

There's a lot to like about any McIntosh product, they are all the finest amplifiers out there and you simply can't go wrong with any of them.....
My Mc2300's will be 46 years old in Jan. - still have plenty of muscle to flex. My two Mc2100's? Older than dirt, but still sound wonderful!
 
For one amp. I say buy a MC106. You can bridge 4 of the channels for plus 300 stereo watts into 8 ohms. Use the other two channels to run another set of speakers in another room or your present room. They run cool.as a cucumber, dead quiet snr, replace incandescents with LEDs. They go forever and almost as cheap as a MC7100 with two more amps where two can be bridged for stereo. Never heard of one needing anything but lamps. Just use a quiet preamp. Great open sound and very good dampening for ported speakers. Just no blue meters.

I can go for days on great McIntosh Mono Blocks with autoformers. But not your need.
 
I'm goofin' on the comments about never needing to be serviced. You guys should check out the vintage threads, where EVERYTHING needs to be rebuilt after 20 years. I'm not taking sides, as my first receiver from 1978 is still in daily use, only time the cover was off was to clean some switches.
 
I'm goofin' on the comments about never needing to be serviced. You guys should check out the vintage threads, where EVERYTHING needs to be rebuilt after 20 years. I'm not taking sides, as my first receiver from 1978 is still in daily use, only time the cover was off was to clean some switches.
I love Mac equipment and own eight vintage items. I just find it hard to believe that Terry Dewick, Audio Classics Service Dept., Chris (c_dk) and other service firms spend 100% of their time restoring/recapping vintage amps and changing cracked glass. The OP did ask for opinions on the most reliable models.
 
I'm goofin' on the comments about never needing to be serviced. You guys should check out the vintage threads, where EVERYTHING needs to be rebuilt after 20 years. I'm not taking sides, as my first receiver from 1978 is still in daily use, only time the cover was off was to clean some switches.
Well mac amps are pretty strong and built very well, in the home they generally don't get worked all that hard. Put it this way, I try to stay one model behind current that gives them a cheaper price but you can still sell them for what you bought them for in most cases. Mac generally keeps the same model for 10 years so you can stay away from any service if you pick up the scraps from the big buyers that always stay current.
 
I'm goofin' on the comments about never needing to be serviced. You guys should check out the vintage threads, where EVERYTHING needs to be rebuilt after 20 years. I'm not taking sides, as my first receiver from 1978 is still in daily use, only time the cover was off was to clean some switches.
What receiver if you don't mind me asking......

My MC352 was 14 years old when I bought it and it was like brand new, not a mark on it, all bulbs working everything tickety boo.....
I bet that amp is running the same now...

My MC2205, is all original, hasn't been recapped.....I have had it for 6 years, and the only thing I have done is replace the speaker relay.
Now if that doesn't speak volumes for reliability, then I don't know what does....
 
Agreed, although we need to remember 1998 was 20 years ago now, so what I still think is quite a recent Mc amp like the MC352, it is actually 20 years old..
So they older you buy, you may need to factor in some servicing along with your budget for purchasing.

There's a lot to like about any McIntosh product, they are all the finest amplifiers out there and you simply can't go wrong with any of them.....
kev - where does the big bad BA5000 fit? I’d love to have one!!
 
I really do not understand the OP's question.......

McIntosh amps have a history of remarkable service life and will seem to function even as parts age past their expected service life with minimum outright failures.

There have been certain parts that we have seen over the last 40 years that do fail on a regular basis....almost on cue as their expected service life approaches.......which in most cases is 20-25 years.

That said, those with open ears and minds have found that a proper restoration of units older than say 1990 do notice a sound improvement as well as the knowledge that those parts which have exceeded their 20-25 year life have been renewed.

Only listening to restored units therefore can answer the sound better question.......in the settings I have conducted listening comparisons the improvements were noted and caused the owners to have their units restored. Some in this forum admit to not hearing any difference......individuals and their life experiences do vary.
 
What receiver if you don't mind me asking

Onkyo TX 2500 MK II. I don't think it's an anomaly because I also have the 4500, 6500 and 8500 in that series. Only failure has been a sticky power switch on the 6500. They are my favorite vintage receiver, obviously. If I start telling why I will be flamed. (I know from experience)
 
Back
Top Bottom