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    Trying to make sense of McIntosh sales policy

    Mr. Papadas and Mr. Scharffman indeed! Remember "Dale-I mean Max" and Larry? I spent many a Saturday evening with the shop gang, regulars like Ramon Noya, John Fusilier and the occasional buyer across the street listening to Julian's Tympanis and later Dayton-Wright XG-8 MKIIIs. When he...
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    Help: What is needed to get Ultra Hi Def music service to my Vintage Receiver?

    I put an access point out in my semi-attached garage in order to support 192/24 bandwidth for the RPi streamer. Signal too weak otherwise.
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    Trying to make sense of McIntosh sales policy

    I fear it is largely a dead craft for music systems. I worked part time at a high end audio shop in the late 70s during college. Sam and I both were involved with mounting a wide range of tonearms (Transciptors Vestigal*, SME 3009*, Grace 707, Grace 714*, Mayware Unipivot, Dynavector DV-505)...
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    Trying to make sense of McIntosh sales policy

    Sure. Regional marketing makes sense. I purchased an earlier LSi9/LSi7/LSiC based HT system directly from Polk.
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    Trying to make sense of McIntosh sales policy

    I visited a Best Buy in San Jose CA where they were showing Mac gear. Perhaps some Magnolia lives *inside* some BB stores. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/brands/mcintosh/pcmcat1529512604947.c?id=pcmcat1529512604947
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    Gear that you lust after

    Room is 25+'x16' with placement approximately using Rule of Thirds. There are many pictures and details found via a link on my profile page. Perhaps you might "start a conversation" and I'll be happy to discuss arrangement.
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    Instead of monoblocks...

    Perhaps that was the case in the mid 70s with their amps, but I use VTL power amps. :) Back to modern day, stiff power supplies deliver improved transparency and dynamics. Certainly no issues with the SP20 preamp: https://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-research-sp20-preamplifier...
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    Gear that you lust after

    I respectively disagree as the fundamentals of voice and most instruments require the combined use of both drivers. 700 hz is right smack in the central part of the midrange.
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    Gear that you lust after

    Right! I greatly favor the benefits of providing a realistic image size that doesn't vary regardless of your location in the room whether you are in front, behind, sitting down or standing up. Not sure if you've participated in Glenn's speaker video post, but I contributed one some time...
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    Gear that you lust after

    In my forty five year experience of living with full range stats, you can never match the coherency of a single full range diaphragm using two dissimilar drivers exhibiting different radiation characteristics. Just like the finest Neumann or Schoeps condenser (aka electrostatic) microphones...
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    Instead of monoblocks...

    Not surprising when you look at the schematics and calculate the energy storage where Mac amps are typically weak. MC75-500 uf on 460V rails for 53 joules x 2 (that's almost as stiff as my VTLs per watt) MC275-360 uF on 453V rails for 37 joules. My ARC preamp has more energy storage than the...
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    Gear that you lust after

    Height is always desirable when using line sources and is not determined by room width as the lateral dispersion is the same. Ideally, floor to ceiling. I use narrower Acoustat 1+1s in the HT that are nearly 8' tall. As you indicated, since those have much less panel area (~850 sq in vs...
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    Gear that you lust after

    No doubt! Just suggesting that with an appropriately sized room, why not run the flagship of the line? Sidebar: the first digit of the model number denotes height in feet while the last two indicate the radiation angle. I've considered upgrading my U790s to U890s for the same reason...
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    Gear that you lust after

    A pair of VTL Siegfried IIs would do nicely driving the stats. :)
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    Gear that you lust after

    In that room the good doctor West's U945s would do nicely. ;)
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    Does a great power amp make a difference?

    My experience suggests that the only true way to evaluate gear is through auditioning-the more the better. Some suggest use of switch boxes that effectively negate differences that do exist. Why? The assumption that they do not affect the results has been proven wrong when you measure what they...
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    Integrated amp vs avr

    Wifey watches a lot of video and we enjoy having a 4.1 system for all sorts of content. During Covid, the local symphony offered season ticket holders live broadcasts that sounded pretty darned realistic. Most folks who see the Acoustat 1+1 mains and Magnepan MC1 surrounds in the family room...
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    Acoustat Monitor 4 amp ideas?

    My first Acoustats purchased in ‘77 were the original X with the servo amps. I met Jim Strickland the year before when he brought a pair to TAS journalist JWC for review. The owner of the shop I worked for was there and picked up the line on the spot. They weren’t quite like the good...
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    Perfect speakers for my new MAC4100 receiver?

    Honestly, you continue to advance the question from the wrong perspective. It’s not about your receiver nor turntable. It’s about musical preferences and budget as speakers vary widely in their capabilities. Are you not aware of the different flavors available?
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    PC audio through an external DAC

    Even phone or pad devices can connect to external USB DACs and avoid lots of overhead found using a general purpose PC. The lightning connector on an iPhone or iPad contains a digital output and can be accessed using a simple adapter Apple calls the “Camera Adapter” that includes a USB B jack.
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    Instead of monoblocks...

    The primary advantages to using mono power amps are: -Improved separation between channels -Placement flexibility Each of my VTL amps is located behind a speaker and well away from preamp and sources.
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    Does a great power amp make a difference?

    Honestly, a 1967 based 2105 amp is not going to better what you already have. Solid state technology has come a LONG way since the Johnson administration. I found it insipid as compared with others back in the mid 70s. There are, however, countless other amplifiers that would but you really...
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    H/K citation 11 and 12 - how to Connect?

    I never used it when I ran an 11 in the 70s as a teen. I prefer wiring the speakers directly to amplifiers.
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    DAC question - is it gaslight?

    Everything is relative. Do better sounding DACs exist? Most certainly! Mine ran about triple the cost of your receiver. The important question is: how much of a difference would that make in your system with your content? The only way to know is borrow some gear and experiment.
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    Is driving to another state for heavy speakers or amps ever worth it?

    While they weren't especially heavy, wifey and I rented a van and took an 800 mile day trip to pick up a rare find - 8' tall Acoustat 1+1s. Was it worth it? Absolutely! More than ten years later after some modifications, we're continuing to enjoy them in the HT system. :)
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