Which Mc?

Thrill Kille

Active Member
I have been wanting a Vintage SS Mc for awhile. Now a local shop has some. 4 that interest me are: MC2205, MC2105, MC2155 and a MC7150N( is there a dif from 7150 and a 7150N?). Reading up on all 4, they seen to be what I'm looking for amp wise. But, which one based on AK users experiences would be the best one for me and my uses? I will be watching movies of course. But, I like listening to music too. Rock, Rap, Pop, R&B, Jazz Combos and Singers. I like my Bass to be Deep(of course), and Natural sounding. With a Tight Punch. And no whoop-Whoop sound or Bloat. My Mids "Slightly" Forward. And the Highs, Sharp, Clear, but not too Bright. MY L/C/R speakers are staying. The Emotiva is going. I'm not impressed with it after 2 years. The Mc will be for the L/R speakers.The center channel will most likely be powered by a Parasound amp of some model (A-21?). And the Emotiva going to the Surrounds when I get them. Any Help, Tips, Thoughts, Links will be appreciated.

My Current System:
Pre-Pro: Marantz AV7702
Amp: Emotiva XPA 3 1st Gen
Speakers: L/R Martin Logan Motion 40 1st Gen
C: Motion 8
Subs: SVS PB-1000 x2
Cables: Blue Jeans
No Surrounds right now. I'm getting them later
 
Of those four, I prefer the MC7150. The N simply means Narrow chassis - so, that's cosmetic only. I really like this family and era of McIntosh amps.

The one caveat is that the MC7150 (and the MC2105) cannot be run mono whereas the MC2155 and MC2205 can. If that's something you may like to have in a feature set, then I would choose the MC2155, assuming of course it has been properly restored to meet spec.

Overall, the MC2205 is my least favorite of this group and the MC2105 my second fave.
 
Go with the MC2155, it has a look and feel of McIntosh's design (expose transformer, caps, and chrome chasis). If you can find a wood cabinet then it will be a classic. Make sure no rust on the chrome chasis.
 
All are highly regarded units, however the 2105 predates Power Guard anti clipping circuitry otherwise is as fine a McIntosh amplifier as any.

Also, meters readings on 2155 and 2205 can be set for wattage or decibels while 7150 reads wattage only; the 2105, decibels only, if that's any consideration.
 
Last edited:
I'm partial to the 2155 as I currently use one, (with no intention of replacing).
Conservatively rated at 155w/ch, its actually closer to 200.
Add to that, classic Mac styling, meters and Power Guard.
 
Thanks guys! The 2155 is in the lead right now. The shop puts them on the bench and test them to see if they're up to Mc spec. Then fix them if not to bring them up to spec. They give them a cleaning too. But not a full restoration. In the near future I will get a second Mc to use as a Center Channel amp. But I don't know if I will get a Vintage Mono Block. Or a Vintage Bridgeable Stereo Mc. Also, does anyone have a favorite shop to buy from? That will do On-Line sales? Or, know of a Reputable restoration shop like Audio Classics? AC seems kind of pricey from just looking at their website. So I'd like some options when buying from a out of state shop.

Once again, thanks to everyone for the Great advice. I'll post a Pic when it's all wired up.
 
If you ever come up to Vancouver, you are more than welcome to listen to my MC2155. It's in mint condition and has the LED upgrade. I might sell it one day...
 
Just curious, why do you prefer the 2105 over the 2205? I'm not sure I've heard that observation before.
Simple:

- The MC2205 uses the first gen Power Guard, which I always felt was a bit over zealous. Fortunately, it can be disengaged via a rear panel switch. [twiiii - no, I don't like the sound of clipping any more than you do . . . ]
- The MC2205 cannot be run mono into 8 Ohms as it lacks 16 Ohm taps and mono-parallel was the only option. [An MC2105 can be modded to be used in mono and includes the 16 Ohm taps, although it is not a stock feature set.]
- The glass faceplate on the MC2205 (and MC2255) suffers from delamination of the lettering MC2205 STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER under the meters and this affects all units that have not had the glass replaced. Due to the way the parts affix to the rear of the glass, there is really no guarantee that this won't happen again over time even when replacing the glass.

IMHO, the MC2105 is the vintage McIntosh power amp to own. It's styling iconic. It's performance spectacular. It's sound sublime. I've had about a half dozen of each over the years, my last MC2105 was with me for 15 years or so. The longest I ever owned an MC2205 was a month or two. I had to go to an MC2600 to better the performance of the MC2105 by any significant margin.
 
Yeah, I really like my MC2205....everything in it's place.....I never use the powerguard, never need it to be in mono parallel, and although the only thing I have done to it is replace the relay, it runs faultlessly.
I actually really like the sound of it too.....
Now perhaps if i needed a bit more horsepower, then I might need to consider something else.....But seriously, 266 watts per channel, both channels driven, before clipping, that is quite enough power....
 
Simple:

- The MC2205 uses the first gen Power Guard, which I always felt was a bit over zealous. Fortunately, it can be disengaged via a rear panel switch. [twiiii - no, I don't like the sound of clipping any more than you do . . . ]
- The MC2205 cannot be run mono into 8 Ohms as it lacks 16 Ohm taps and mono-parallel was the only option. [An MC2105 can be modded to be used in mono and includes the 16 Ohm taps, although it is not a stock feature set.]
- The glass faceplate on the MC2205 (and MC2255) suffers from delamination of the lettering MC2205 STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER under the meters and this affects all units that have not had the glass replaced. Due to the way the parts affix to the rear of the glass, there is really no guarantee that this won't happen again over time even when replacing the glass.

IMHO, the MC2105 is the vintage McIntosh power amp to own. It's styling iconic. It's performance spectacular. It's sound sublime. I've had about a half dozen of each over the years, my last MC2105 was with me for 15 years or so. The longest I ever owned an MC2205 was a month or two. I had to go to an MC2600 to better the performance of the MC2105 by any significant margin.
I have my 2100 in place of my 2205 as @Gregory and I are updating some of the key caps, relay and lamps. Once its back together, we can do some side by side. The 2100 and 250 are smooth sounding with great soundstage and imaging. My luck at bargain hunting enabled me to collect these over time. A few pair of my speakers benefit from more power of the 2205. Maybe one day I will move up the power chain.
 
Back
Top Bottom