Mac tubes and electrostatic speakers

[joshnich]

Hello all,

I have been running my MC225s through Klipsch Heritage speakers (Belle Klipsch) with very satisfying results. I have heard electrostatic speakers that I have been very impressed with as well. I love the live sound of the horn-loaded klipsch but the realism of some instruments particularly the low end of the piano is unbelievable on the electrostatics I have heard. Does anyone have real live experience with Mac tubes (lower power ones) and Martin Logan, Maggie’s or even KLH 10s?

Thanks

Josh

BTW I have a very large high ceiling room and I listen to all types of music from acoustic jazz to rock to classical. Also I have a pair of MC225s that I run as mono blocks.

 

[dshoaf]

I'm doing it now....

with MC-225s as mono-blocks into a pair of Quad ESL988s. You'll have to operate them on the 4 ohm settings, however, but they're really excellent with plenty of bass once you get the amps fully updated with new caps and the bias readjusted after getting that selenium diode out of the way. I can't impress enough how these amps respond to a good reworking. The only other vintage tube amp I've been more impressed with is the HK Citation II - again with a full reworking of the components.

Used the Macs with Maggie 1.6s prior to the Quads but had not updated them to the extent I have now so can't really say I appreciated the Maggies real capabilities. Also have run the MC-225s with a pair of restored JBL 4425s and a pair of B&W CDM CNT speakers. All quite nice in their own right. Still prefer the Quads, however.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

David

 

[joshnich]

I have had the amps gone through at audioclassics I know that they replaced the caps that needed it and updated the power supply but they really havent been modded at all. So from your post i presume that they are power enough for the Quads. Can yyou listen to music at concert hall volume? I have to say that the Klipsch put me in the front row.


josh

 

[CarlV]

Best I recall without doing a search for specs the Belles are 103db, most
Maggies are 86db I think. That is a very serious difference in power requirements.
Loud on a Belle would be pretty low volume on a Maggie.


Carl

 

[dshoaf]

On the efficiency thing....

In regards to the post on whether the Quads will operate at concert levels with MC-225 monoblocks the answer is....no. They're around 86dB efficiency - right in there with the Maggies.

Depending on the size of the room and placement, I'd suggest you think about 200wpc for the Quads - that's with the use of amps that can withstand the variable impedance electrostatics can throw at an amp. With your room description, I'd suggest that the Macs will *not* get you where you want to go.

I've got a couple of 120wpc SS amps that can provide more 'kick' to the Quads and then they approach concert hall levels in my smaller sized room. They do occasionally pop speaker fuses, though, at higher volumes with the Quads.

I listen mainly to jazz and classical but not a concert levels - I get that when I play in the jam sessions I attend. I've rather enjoyed the process of going through my tube amps doing upgrades, though. It has been quite satisfying hearing the changes/improvements.

The biggest difference with the Klipsch and the Quads is how the soundstage is presented. Quads have the soundstage appear behind the speakers, part of the dipole dispersion pattern. As you mentioned, the midrange of the Quad is unparalled. Klipsch, much like my JBL horn speakes, have it our front of the drivers - that and the efficiency, of course. They're much more snappy and in-your-face. I just find myself gravitating back to the Quads but operating at lower volumes these days.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

David

 

[ron-c]

I like the Quads a lot but Concert Level and Quad are not usually said in the same sentence. I know of three reviewers from major magazines who power their Quads with a MC275 MKIV, MA2275, or MC2102. They all have bought these from McIntosh over the last two years. They think these are the best sounding amps on their Quads.
If you drive the Quads with big power they just short out the amp so you can only get so loud. One reviewer commented on how much louder his Quads were with the MC402 compared to a set of very expensive off shore built mono amps. The Quads are sensitive to DC offset so whatever amp you use needs to have no DC on the outputs. None of the McIntosh do.

Ron-C

 

[dshoaf]

There you go....

that may be one reason why my SS power amps pop fuses occasionally. I'm sure they're becoming unstable with the Quads. They don't do this with my other speakers.

Having some isolation transformers inline would be nice as Mac uses. Ron, someday you'll talk me into one of Mac's new SS amps and I'll sell all this old stuff...its all in the timing...keep up the posts.

Cheers,

David