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Best Amplifier?

kevzep said:
Interesting, well they must be some impressive passive crossover network....
Good to know when I'm ready to make the jump to new speakers.......
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Don't take my word as gospel. Try it yourself and see if it makes a difference in your setup. Some people swear that it makes a big difference. As with most things, proper engineering is paramount.

Richard
 
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Pure bi-amping is great with the right speakers and amps especially when using LR4 crossovers and time aligning the drivers. This can be done with the MEN220 to very high precision as well as MX150/MX151. Biamping also allows big solid state amps on the bottom and tube amps like MC275 to be used on top. The best of both worlds.

Most speakers do not have low loss crossovers and often are designed so the crossover protects the drivers by limiting power. Not the path to the most dynamic sound.

XR100s were designed to work with any McIntosh amp where MC601 is the contemporary match.

The MC2kW amps powering the XRT2K speakers is all about recreating reality. This combination will swing well into the mid 130 db range before any type of compression sets in. Be careful where you go!

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
chef free said:
Money's no problem? Keep your current set up and have a professional sound consultant design a dedicated listening room for you and your gear.
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I agree.
Money can by you status symbol gear, but doesn't come close to guaranteeing you the best sound (in fact you may very well end up with worse sound then your current setup), or "transparent sound" as you describe. I'm assuming where the equipment, and room disappears and all your left with is the music.
An amplifier is only one link in the chain-the chain a means to a end.
To me this is the only rational and logical choice.
 
So, looking at your preamp options and staying away from tubes, as I thnk that was a desire, either the C500P or C1000P would fill the bill quite nicely and keep you in the McIntosh family. Also, a new MCD 1100 will do wonders if you listen to CD's and digital files a lot. Those will make a big difference in your system. Then you can start thinking about power amps again!
 
Clay55 said:
Pretty sure Rich is on to something with this setup. That would be a Really nice rig. You will need to rewire that part of the house.
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I agree that adding a couple of 30 amp circuits would be mandatory. I am running 2kw (peaks only) and that has a tendency to dim the lights a little when things get hot and heavy. Doubling that power draw would likely tip the scales as a single MC2kw draws 24 amps @ 120 volts.

By rights I should be running my twin Mc2500 amps on two 20 amp circuits. I haven't tripped a breaker yet. Flipping them both on at once produces a momentary yet significant dimming of the lights.
 
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Money not an object? Check into hiring the Philadelphia Orchestra for private, in-home renditions.:D
 
kconnor said:
Crown Macro-Tech 5000VZ.
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Prefer the 5002VZ myself, there were improvements made to stability and SN ratio as well as a few other things.....Same power though......
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CoolHomey501 said:
Hey Guys,

I'd like to know what you guys think is the BEST amplifier that someone can buy. I'm pretty rich, so cost is no big deal b/c I can buy anything. I've got some McIntosh 501s, but I want to know if I can do better. Please let me know.
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Best is what suits your needs.

But if you plan to go around like a 10 year old bragging "my amp is better than yours" you're going to end up getting a surprise discovering that there are amps better than your McIntosh 501s.

No offense.
 
Belo said:
Best is what suits your needs.

But if you plan to go around like a 10 year old bragging "my amp is better than yours" you're going to end up getting a surprise discovering that there are amps better than your McIntosh 501s.
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But not many..... Of course some people have a different definition of what constitutes a "good amp". I prefer the definition "a straight piece of wire with gain". I think some might use the word "transparent" to mean the same thing.
 
Heard the Electron Kinetics Eagle 7a at the 1984 CES. This was shortly before John Iverson went missing. Never heard anything better in all this time.
 
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