Two different Beasts...But a review would be in order. Please let us know and don't be shy. What Tubes are you using in the PrimaLuna?
Review: McIntosh MA9000
- Thread starter joeinid
- Start date
atkinsonrr
New Member
Does anyone else share my concern re: the inclusion of DACs in the more recent preamps and integrateds? Just seems to me the the digital realm is still morphing so fast. Will McIntosh address this by offering inexpensive digital board upgrades to keep obsolescence at bay?
MORTIS
Alien Member
I'm personally not concerned about including a DAC in a preamp or integrated, even if the DAC is not up-gradable, whereas they are in the current Mc lineup.
Seems to me that DACs have come so far over the decades, and now most sound excellent. Sure there will be changes or slight improvements and there will be further heights in the playback resolution but I have to wonder if the human ear can detect such extreme resolutions, but it does look impressive in marketing literature.
The DACs in our current components are supposedly satisfying our discerning need for quality playback, and years from now they will still sound just as good. Their sound won't degrade unless the circuitry begins to fail.
Seems to me that DACs have come so far over the decades, and now most sound excellent. Sure there will be changes or slight improvements and there will be further heights in the playback resolution but I have to wonder if the human ear can detect such extreme resolutions, but it does look impressive in marketing literature.
The DACs in our current components are supposedly satisfying our discerning need for quality playback, and years from now they will still sound just as good. Their sound won't degrade unless the circuitry begins to fail.
Specs say 22" deep -- but specs for my MA5200 also say 22" deep and it is noway that deep. Is the MA9000 and the MA5200 the same depth, really?
Pianist1
Well-Known Member
Ooops...I never got back to this thread until today! Anyway, I love my 9000. Compared to the Primaluna, it has far better bass and overall transparency. Oh, it might lack that last ounce of magical tube mid-range, but it's a very slight difference. It certainly isn't cold and sterile like many SS amps. The DAC will play everything I throw at it, but when playing hi-res files I get a brief fade-in (seems to happen when the sample rate changes) and when streaming Qobuz and Tidal via Audivrana+, I get a faint burst of white noise instead of the fade in. Neither is great and neither happens when I use the DAC in my Esoteric K-03. I understand a firmware update (to version 1.0.3) might help, but I haven't investigated that option yet. Otherwise, the 9000 in a beast! (I did have to buy a new rack to accommodate its depth!)
damacman
Resident Psycho
Ooops...I never got back to this thread until today! Anyway, I love my 9000. Compared to the Primaluna, it has far better bass and overall transparency. Oh, it might lack that last ounce of magical tube mid-range, but it's a very slight difference. It certainly isn't cold and sterile like many SS amps. The DAC will play everything I throw at it, but when playing hi-res files I get a brief fade-in (seems to happen when the sample rate changes) and when streaming Qobuz and Tidal via Audivrana+, I get a faint burst of white noise instead of the fade in. Neither is great and neither happens when I use the DAC in my Esoteric K-03. I understand a firmware update (to version 1.0.3) might help, but I haven't investigated that option yet. Otherwise, the 9000 in a beast! (I did have to buy a new rack to accommodate its depth!)
That VPI - ooh la la!
kevzep
Its all about the Music
I’ve have listened to mine since Christmas. I also purchased the Revel Salon Ultimate 2s at the same time. I just haven't been around as I’m listening any chance I get. Prior to the MA-9000 I owned the MA-6900 and then the Mcintosh 2255 with the C/34. I’ve enjoyed them all but I wanted a few more watts and all in one setup. So set it up with a turntable and a bluesound. I couldn’t be happier. The Revels have a lot of tight punch. It’s not as exaggerated as some of the JBLs I’ve had in the past and what I had always owned. What impressed me was the soundstage I’d get at low listening levels. I’ve been told I would have liked the new Mcintosh preamp and the 462 but I just can’t imagine needing anymore than I have now. I have not found a part of the Revels lacking mated with the 9000.
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