And then ... there were two more ...

[damacman]

It could be argued that an MC2255, MC7270, and an MC2500 would be indistinguishable from one another in the very same way that can be said of the MC250, MC2105, and MC2300.

However, an MC7270 is not an MC7300. And an MC7300 is not an MC2600. I own them all at present, excepting an MC2255.

Last night, for example, I was listening to all kinds of stuff. DePeche Mode's Caroline's Monkey sounded BIG and massive with a ton of bottom end weight and all the subtleties you've come to expect from DM - man, do they bury stuff in the mix! Same for Yello's Cold Flame from Toy. The energy the XRT22s can impart into the listening space on such songs simply has to be experienced. [If XR290s are better, then I definitely want to hear that for myself.] And all this from the MC7270. I was all smiles.

When I switched back to the pair of MC2600s, I listened again to Caroline's Monkey and had the volume down to about half what it was with the MC7270. I expected it would sound nearly identical so didn't give it much of a thought . . . until I actually heard it. This was more of the same when I went from the 7300 to the (single) 2600 - very low expectations on any kind of change as the amps are cut of the same cloth. Again, shocked when I actually listened. It was then that I named the 2600 the sheriff. Everything the 7270 and 7300 do, the 2600 does better.

No explanation.

 

[damacman]

Oh Jesus . . .

 

[CruzBay]

"Son; you're on your own."

 

[SaturationPt]

While Yello Toy lacks dynamics, it certainly does fill the constant-high-SPL and hits those low notes, … will “separate the men from the boys” when you want to push a stereo system hard! I used to consider Deadmau5 to be great for stress-testing audio, … some of us remember Flimm & The BBs being played constantly at CES, or Fresh Aire III was a demo favorite also. Great ‘90s music.

Sure beats Diana Hurl screeching from every booth.

 

[Bushikan]

While Yello Toy lacks dynamics, it certainly does fill the constant-high-SPL and hits those low notes, … will “separate the men from the boys” when you want to push a stereo system hard! I used to consider Deadmau5 to be great for stress-testing audio, … some of us remember Flimm & The BBs being played constantly at CES, or Fresh Aire III was a demo favorite also. Great ‘90s music.

Sure beats Diana Hurl screeching from every booth.

Fresh Aire. Hmmm. (Do you mean Diana Krall? Can’t listen to her.)

I was really into Fresh Aire back in the late 1970s-early ’80s—before I discovered jazz. Someone demoed something with them at a stereo store and I was hooked. Heard them in concert. Once spent an afternoon hanging out with them in a record store in KC, MO. Haven’t heard or thought about them since.

I just retrieved some of my record collection from that period (in storage since 1986). I wonder if FA (if those albums weren’t stolen) will still hold up. I do remember the SQ of their albums was superb.

 

[damacman]

Been a long while since I listened to any audio salon fodder . . . although I do have quite the collection of Sheffield Lab LPs and CDs.

 

[eiraved]

View attachment 3737011

The 2600 is the sheriff.

No, don't disagree, don't do that! If you shoot him you'll just make him mad!

Quote from Blazing Saddles (italics mine), great movie!

 

[SaturationPt]

I am not surprised that “The 2600 is the sheriff” but now I want to see it compared to the 462, the 602, maybe a pair of 611s or 1.2kWs, …

Should everyone converge on your home with lots of heavy amplifiers to see if anyone can out-shoot Wyatt?

 

[Bushikan]

I am not surprised that “The 2600 is the sheriff” but now I want to see it compared to the 462, the 602, maybe a pair of 611s or 1.2kWs, …

Should everyone converge on your home with lots of heavy amplifiers to see if anyone can out-shoot Wyatt?

And also to pairs of 3500s and 3500MKIIs…
*
But who among us is going to move all of those blue-eyed, back-breaking behemoths around? I’m happy to sit, watch, listen, and work the bottle opener.

 

[SaturationPt]

You are wise @Bushikan .

I moved all of my heavy amps and speakers here myself after they were loaded in the car at the store. From there it was ramps to the hand-truck, slide down the stairs in the boxes, furniture dollies, tipping gently as I un-box near their installation, wrestling from there one handle/side at a time into my nearly floor-level racks, …

Reversing this process, then doing it again would take at least two strong men on each end. Still fun to think about us all descending on his domicile with a weekend’s worth of amplifier swapping!

I’ll let Audio Classics do the demos, less physical risk.

 

[damacman]

I am not surprised that “The 2600 is the sheriff” but now I want to see it compared to the 462, the 602, maybe a pair of 611s or 1.2kWs, …

Should everyone converge on your home with lots of heavy amplifiers to see if anyone can out-shoot Wyatt?

Been a long time since we last did that . . . 1996 maybe, so let's call that 30 years. My buddy Mikey G and my buddy Gilbert brought their iron over for a shootout!

Me - MC2300 x 2, strapped
Mikey G - NAD 2700 THX x 2, bridged
Gilbert - Carver Silver 7t, pair

Speakers - Altec 9846-8A (I still have them)

With my MC2300s at full song and the meters literally pegged - and when I say pegged, I mean pegged, we measured 126dB on my Audio Control SA-3050 from the listening spot on Alan Parson's The Gold Bug and it was just absolutely crystal clean. This was where Mikey G then famously said (directly into my ear), Man, that's loud as hell!

[Now, this house had no electrical upgrades of any kind. So, a 50ft extension cord about the size of a garden hose snaked from the living room through the kitchen and into the laundry room where it was plugged into the 20A outlet for the washing machine - it served the power amps only. That plus the 15A circuit in the living room was enough . . . ]

Yes, alcohol was involved. No, a winner wasn't declared but all amps were given their turn. The Altecs were the big losers as the inductors were dead shorted the next day in the right speaker and most of the wax from them on the floor inside of the cabinet. It took me about 5years to track down a pair of OEM Altec inductors to replace them.

That does sound fun though . . .

 

[eiraved]

I'll bring the booze...

 

[SaturationPt]

When I was auditioning the XR290s tri-amped with 3 MC2600s I really REALLY wanted to uncork them and let them scream, but the owners weren’t up for it, plus everything was in need of serious maintenance, …. Could have gone very wrong.

Would certainly be able to clear sinuses though.

As much as it pains me to admit though, I can no longer can claim that I’ve run everything I own at max, not every car has been sideways, every speaker maxed-out, my testicular fortitude has decreased a bit apparently @damacman

 

[twiiii]

Over the. years the capabilities of electronic components and the output autoformers have improved so a 2600 will always sound better than it predicessors. JUST LIKE A 611 SOUNDS A IT BETTER THAN A 601. The question then becomes can your speakers resolve the difference and will the acoustics of your listening space allow you to hear those differences.

 

[Jose Jimenez]

Over the. years the capabilities of electronic components and the output autoformers have improved so a 2600 will always sound better than it predicessors. JUST LIKE A 611 SOUNDS A IT BETTER THAN A 601. The question then becomes can your speakers resolve the difference and will the acoustics of your listening space allow you to hear those differences.

Can you help me out here, please? How do the newer amplifiers sound better? I always believed that a good amplifier should have no sound of its own.

What you are hearing and saying that new to be better, is this on the order of say comparing an Acoustic Research AR3A to say a JBL L100 or Pioneer HPM 100 with the 'Sis, Boom, Bah'? The AR speakers would sound rather dull next to the other pairs even though they may be a more accurate speaker in terms of distortion or response flatness.

So, when I am relaxing with a sip of bourbon, any whiskey for that matter, is the 'sound' to be warm, rich and with all the nuances? Or could it be clear and powerful, with excellent dynamic range? I am hoping someone can clear up this matter for me and fill me in on what the McIntosh engineers and sales force are trying to achieve in the marketplace these days. Does the Bose ownership of McIntosh now going to make matters difficult for a sound signature or did Amar know all along what we really should be hearing?

 

[jdwk]

Amp #1 ...

Power switch replaced - seller supplied an NOS one.

Meter illuminated repaired - replaced fried header connector, caused by cold solder joints on the PCB side - all reflowed.

Filter caps swapped - one was leaking, and I didn't notice this on collection.

She now sings like you'd expect!

kinda looks strange because there is no chrome. I know these were after they stopped doing that, but still not used to it.

 

[jdwk]

Can you help me out here, please? How do the newer amplifiers sound better? I always believed that a good amplifier should have no sound of its own.

What you are hearing and saying that new to be better, is this on the order of say comparing an Acoustic Research AR3A to say a JBL L100 or Pioneer HPM 100 with the 'Sis, Boom, Bah'? The AR speakers would sound rather dull next to the other pairs even though they may be a more accurate speaker in terms of distortion or response flatness.

So, when I am relaxing with a sip of bourbon, any whiskey for that matter, is the 'sound' to be warm, rich and with all the nuances? Or could it be clear and powerful, with excellent dynamic range? I am hoping someone can clear up this matter for me and fill me in on what the McIntosh engineers and sales force are trying to achieve in the marketplace these days. Does the Bose ownership of McIntosh now going to make matters difficult for a sound signature or did Amar know all along what we really should be hearing?

noise floor lower, more details in things you have never heard, that kind of thing. No de-oxit ever needed, I have owned Mc from the 70's and early 80's as well as from the 2008 era up. and I think the 2008 stuff definitely out preforms the stuff from the 70's. Not to say the 70's stuff is BAD, but it has kinda of a veiled harsher sound than the newer stuff does.

 

[Bushikan]

I compared a restored first generation MC275 to later versions, including the 275 MKVI (which I bought). The original sounded great. I would have had no problems at all living with it. But the MKVI was quieter and had lower and tighter and better control of the bass. I felt that it was more transparent and less dark, as well.

 

[twiiii]

I hope because of all us loving Mcintosh over the years that if Bose does try something strange that we well yell loud enough and with hold our dollars so they will quickly get the message. Some thing happened way back when Mcintosh first decided to get rid of their distributors in the 70.s and all the dealers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, stoped buying Mcintosh until Charles Lucas Dist. Co was allowed to return being our distributor. He was a stocking Distributor, which meant if we needed a Mcintosh piece he would put it on the bus in Dallas and we would have by 7:15 Am the next morning for customer pickup or for installation by me or one of the salesman. Of course if it was a 3500 or 2300 I took a helper with me and a furniture dolly! Charlie and his sons would come with Davie Obrien for Amplifier clinics and ship extra product for sales during the clinics. He also gave Clincs on new products and demos. He was also our Telarc and Bozak distributor. He tried Krell and B&K for awhile when Mac shut the door, and refused to get on the Home Theater bandwagon but returned to his prominent position after Mac sales plummeted. Hope we don't have to go thru that again, either working for a dealer, being a dealer, or being a customer! Mcintosh having non servicing dealers today really rubs me the wrong way! Knowledge, local and concerned service by dealers was a corner stone of Mcintosh back in the 50's thru 90's and early 2000's. Factory quality control started slipping with some products back in the 90's but enough of us wrote and scremed and complained that designs were changed, and inspections and pre-testing improved. Clarion buying Mcintosh for awhile was both good and bad was my opinion. Letting Roger Russel retire was a big mistake. Speaker design should have stayed in house!!!!

 

[Jose Jimenez]