Thinking of getting some Mac gear

[kevzep]

I own some high end Marantz , Sansui , Pioneer vintage gear.
I don't own any Mac .

I am thinking of buying a solid state Mac receiver or perhaps an amp and pre amp set.

Because this stuff never shows up in my area I will likely buy off ebay.

Before I do i am looking for some comparisons.
I have a Marantz 2275
Pioneer 1250
Sansui 8080db

Did Mac make a vintage receiver superior to those models?

Thanks

I know the Pioneer 1250 sound and the 8080 sound very very well, as you can see in my signature, I have some very nice McIntosh gear.
I have never heard a McIntosh receiver but of course I do know the sound of the gear in my signature of course.

Do not underestimate how good the Pioneer and the Sansui are, I feel they would be every bit as good as any receiver out there.

My suggestion is if you want another receiver, a MAC4100 or similar would be a nice addition to a receiver family, but if you're after some performance improvement, and a nice introduction into McIntosh world be something like a C33 and MC2205, which I feel is what you'd need to have a real step up in performance...

I recently restored a Pioneer SX1980 for a customer, I was able to keep the Pioneer for a while, and seriously, it was knocking on the door of my C33/2205 combo, dead straight!!

 

[CavScout]

This is great info , thanks

 

[CavScout]

I am thinking of buying a Mac 4100.
There is one local to me for $1200.
It is about 8.5 of 10 for cosmetic condition but the guy says he doesnt have any service history.
Is that a good value with no service history and 8.5 ?

 

[welcomdmat]

That seems a little high based on the selling range set by the auction site.

Local certainly adds some value and peace of mind, but it still strikes me as high.

 

[SaturationPt]

I have to agree as the owner of a restored SX-1250 and several McIntosh pieces, as well as having plenty of hours with Pioneer and McIntosh in the '70s, ... the SX-1250 is a standout performer and is hard to beat in receivers from anyone.

I also agree that McIntosh's forte' in vintage gear is separates, and that looking at separates certainly opens up a lot of options and availability. Regardless, McIntosh receivers were (are) built to standards that (IMO) left most far-east receivers far behind.

One very important point (if you're going to use the gear) is going to be speaker pairing, which will likely help to define your power needs. If you're driving low-efficiency 4ohm speakers then much of the vintage McIntosh receivers will not give you what you need.

 

[biscuithead]

I am thinking of buying a Mac 4100.
There is one local to me for $1200.
It is about 8.5 of 10 for cosmetic condition but the guy says he doesnt have any service history.
Is that a good value with no service history and 8.5 ?

How about one more suggestion... Do you really need the tuner? If so, use an existing receiver as a tuner.
My McIntosh cherry was popped with a MA-6200 and I find the phono stage much better than any of my Marantz receivers. I recommend the integrated route first. Then graduate to separates and use the 6200 as a pre for a delicious tube amp... then... then...

 

[welcomdmat]

If we are leaving the tuner world (and if you want to use an existing unit for radio stations), I would start to think about McIntosh separates. I have found the potential for reasonable prices and very good sound. In the end, this is a whole new rabbit hole -- but you start to get into more commonly discussed McIntosh gear.

I don't know that this is the right route for you, but you are thinking hard enough that it is worth considering.

 

[c_dk]

To restore a MAC4100 is not an inexpensive expense......easily a 5-6 hour bench time expense to go through it completely and touch up the tuner alignment. The much mentioned sites in this forum make no claim to do this restoration and their published prices are for all to see. In fact AC shows two units not making spec for sale at a higher asking price.......

I am sure IF your local owner has had this work done, which really is needed for these almost 40 year old units, I am quite sure they would remember and let you know accordingly.

 

[DUALityOFman]

New to the forum but not new to Mcintosh or Pioneer or Marantz. This insistence that Mcintosh sep. components are superior to the receivers is more about subjectivity and personal choice (ownership) than it is about difference in performance. I owned separates in the 70s and 80s, and I use a 4100 now (tinker with a Pioneer sx850 for the garage). Unloading the bulk of all those components alone is worth a good deal to some of us. The 4100 plays as well for me as the mc separates played. I don't need 7k horsepower...not living in the Astrodome (is it gone?). Good to see the snobbery isn't just looking down at other brands...it's within this brand. Good Lord. The guy asked a pretty simple question: Would a MAC receiver be an upgrade from his very nice Japanese models IMO, the answer is yes, a 4100 or the like would be an upgrade, but I doubt you'll notice a big change. You have some great pieces there. As for the one you're pricing, you might find one similar for 1k or even 900 if you keep looking.

 

[DUALityOFman]

Did I mention I disagree that the separates are in ANY way superior to the 4100? They aren't.

 

[damacman]

Well you seem to have taken some replies for face value without knowing the poster ... if there's any snobbery going on here, I'm unaware of it.

 

[CavScout]

I do appreciate the direct response DualityOFman.

 

[DUALityOFman]

dmacman, I can't see it well, but your avatar sports an Olds. Which is it? The striping says 442 to me. Is it tubbed? My first car was a 72 Olds 442 convt....had some rust, and the top was awful...I duct taped the rear glass to close the gaping hole in winter, but the heater blew strong...saved me. That was in central IN in 1981.

 

[TSmith8605]

I am thinking of buying a Mac 4100.
There is one local to me for $1200.
It is about 8.5 of 10 for cosmetic condition but the guy says he doesnt have any service history.
Is that a good value with no service history and 8.5 ?

No service history likely means a restoration is needed to get the performance you expect (as is the case for any receiver of this age), so you should budget (see post #29) for a restoration on top of the purchase price. You also need a good tech in mind to do the restoration. Also, If you find another one that says serviced, that does not mean it is restored - ask for a detailed list of the "service".

 

[damacman]

dmacman, I can't see it well, but your avatar sports an Olds. Which is it? The striping says 442 to me. Is it tubbed? My first car was a 72 Olds 442 convt....had some rust, and the top was awful...I duct taped the rear glass to close the gaping hole in winter, but the heater blew strong...saved me. That was in central IN in 1981.

'71 Cutlass S Holiday Coupe - tubbed, yes - 33x22.5x15 Hoosier slicks. PM me and I'll send you some pics.

 

[4-2-7]

This insistence that Mcintosh sep. components are superior to the receivers is more about subjectivity and personal choice (ownership) than it is about difference in performance.

Mac himself thought quite differently and felt his separates are superior, in fact most people will agree they are.

Good to see the snobbery isn't just looking down at other brands...it's within this brand

Really twisted thinking here, if members ask online questions, should we lie to them or be honest. I think the 1400-4100 are fine receivers, but they are what they are. So if we're honest and say what we think equipment levels are we're snobs?

 

[DUALityOFman]

Having a preference for one thing vs another is not the same as one being superior to the other.

 

[62caddy]

The performance gap between separates and receivers narrowed considerably over the years since the time when receivers first appeared. The MAC4100 was, and still is, an excellent McIntosh value.

 

[CavScout]

Does Mcintosh make a nice tube receiver ?

 

[62caddy]

Does Mcintosh make a nice tube receiver ?

Not in a current product. Otherwise the MAC1500 is a hybrid unit with tube tuner & main amplifier w/SS preamplifier section.
The MAC1700 has tube tuner with SS main amplifier & preamplifier sections.