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Design A New McIntosh Product

Doug,
Single ended tube amps? What, you don't like deep bass, extended highs and great dynamic range? Many others are making SE amps if you have to have one. SE amps do have nice mids, not much else of course but the mids.
McIntosh came into being by designing the high power, low distortion, wide bandwidth 50-W amplifier. This amp pretty much put the single ended designs out to pasture.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
Ron C takes the fifth?

Dan,

Ron-C has visited this thread since we had our equalizer chat and hasn't as yet commented on Mac's position on producung an equalizer.

That can only mean one thing, and I don't know what that is!! :dunno:

Pete
 
Mac tube amps sound as good if not better than any SET and without the noise. A McIntosh SET amp seems like a step backwards.
 
jdandy said:
Pete.....The EQ would have analog inputs and outputs. The analog input would be converted to digital internally, where all adjustments would take place in the digital domain, then would be converted back to analog for output through your system's processor or tape loop.
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I confess to knowing almost nothing about this level of EQ'ing, etc.

With that said, does this type of EQ manipulation replace the *intended* and the *original* sound as produced in the studio by the artists?

I thought stereo listening was all about capturing the sound in its most pure form with as little alteration as possible before reaching the speakers: ideally, analog to analog. I assume that vinyl and reel to reel rank first with CD assuming a distant, but acceptable, second place: acceptable by most people because of its convenience and clarity [no hiss and crackling]. There is, however, a recent resurrection of interest in vinyl including a McIntosh turntable.

I'm just tossing this out as further discussion material since EQ has been voiced as a feature of future interest.

I still second an upgrade to the MDA1000 allowing the removal of a preamp in the system thus reducing the pathway by one component. It's still not analog to analog, but its a step closer.
 
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jdandy said:
Pete.....The EQ would have analog inputs and outputs. The analog input would be converted to digital internally, where all adjustments would take place in the digital domain, then would be converted back to analog for output through your system's processor or tape loop.
Click to expand...

MacStereo said:
I confess to knowing almost nothing about this level of EQ'ing, etc.
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MacStereo......When it comes to equalization, I tend to leave the signal flat. My C2200 preamp stays in tone bypass.

There is a place for high quality equalization in home systems. My objection with most analog EQ's is they inject noise, distoration and phase shifting into the audio signal more often than not. Converting an analog signal to digital, where frequency adjustments are done digitally, then converting the signal back to analog, eliminates these problems, provided high quality DACs are being used.

While you may not wish to alter in any way the signal coming from your record or CD while listening, don't think for a moment that EQ's are not used during live performances and during recording sessions. They are used in both venues. Properly adjusted, 1/3 octave equaliztion can tame all sorts of room and concert hall acoustic anomalies. The sound you are listening to has been EQ'd. Whether you chose to further adjust the sound is your decision.
 
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ron-c said:
But we like making preamps. Ha!

Thanks,
Ron-C
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;-) And you make amazing ones at that.

In my case, it's just not a need. I'm not one for mixing formats. Once I chose CD, I abandoned LP, tape, and the tuner completely. When I chose DVD, I abandoned LD and VHS completely. I certainly appreciate the nostalgia of music and movie collections containing previous formats and thus the need for a preamp, a VCR, a TT, and a LD player. It's fantastic that McIntosh has top shelf preamp options to meet these types of demands.
 
jdandy said:
The sound you are listening to has been EQ'd. Whether you chose to further adjust the sound is your decision.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I was merely saying that those EQ'ing decisions were made by the source or those close to the source [presumably with the approval of the source]. Once you move this sound manipulation into the home system, it just seems like the choice of the actual source has now been trumped - and infinitely by every single home listener who chooses to hear the sound differently.

I'm not voicing disapproval. I'm just tossing out an observation.
 
Digital EQs are about correcting your room not about changing the software mix. Yes much can be done and there are many fine products on the market and they all have pretty good performance.


Thanks,
Ron-C
 
ron-c said:
Digital EQs are about correcting your room not about changing the software mix. Yes much can be done and there are many fine products on the market and they all have pretty good performance.


Thanks,
Ron-C
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Ron,

You are noticeably silent on the question of MAC producing an equalizer along the lines being discussed here....do you think this will ever happen?

Pete
 
ron-c said:
Digital EQs are about correcting your room not about changing the software mix.

Thanks,
Ron-C
Click to expand...


Thanks for the clarification. As I said at the outset, I know almost nothing about EQ and its purpose. And, I remain in need of further understanding.

How does EQ address room correction without somehow manipulating the actual sound being produced from the source?

I always think of "room correction" as being physical applications to the room itself: bass traps, sound panels, etc. etc.

If the sound is altered [EQ'd ... whatever that entails] from the time it exits the CD [aside from the required DAC processing] to the time it exits the speakers, is this not a change from the original recording?
 
Pete......I'm thinking that asking three times, and getting no answer, is an answer. I looked in the bottom of my cup, and the tea leaves told me that. I'm going to the palmist tomorrow, just to make sure. :D
 
MacStereo said:
Thanks for the clarification. As I said at the outset, I know almost nothing about EQ and its purpose. And, I remain in need of further understanding.

How does EQ address room correction without somehow manipulating the actual sound being produced from the source?

I always think of "room correction" as being physical applications to the room itself: bass traps, sound panels, etc. etc.

If the sound is altered [EQ'd ... whatever that entails] from the time it exits the CD [aside from the required DAC processing] to the time it exits the speakers, is this not a change from the original recording?
Click to expand...

MacStereo.....Think of it like this. Your room is a speaker, too. The only possible way the sound at your listening position is not being altered by your room's acoustic signature would be if all frequencies, 20Hz to 20KHz, were flat at that spot. What equalization can do, in conjuction with a full frequency spectrum analyzer, is to correct back to flat any frequencies that are being excited or nulled by the rooms acoustics. Once the measurements, and EQ adjustments have been successfully completed, then you will be hearing exactly what has been recorded, because the room acoustics are no longer coloring what you hear at your listening position.

The downside of this is, the listening position where the measurements were taken during EQ adjustments is the only place in the room where a flat response will be present. Move from this listening position, and the room's acoustic signature enters the equation once again.
 
Pete.....I think McIntosh demonstrates their true colors about equaliztion with the C1000, and C500 flagship preamplifiers. No tone controls what so ever.
 
DSP driven EQs measure the room and cut any peaks out. Dips are left alone in most cases. Also phase and time alignment can be adjusted for the speaker as it sits in room. The in room response is often very different from the designed response. Room measurements also reflect power response, total radiated energy at any frequency, more than pure frequency response.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
ron-c said:
DSP driven EQs measure the room and cut any peaks out. Dips are left alone in most cases. Also phase and time alignment can be adjusted for the speaker as it sits in room. The in room response is often very different from the designed response. Room measurements also reflect power response, total radiated energy at any frequency, more than pure frequency response.

Thanks,
Ron-C
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Is this the approach taken by the AP1000? or is its room correction handled differently?
 
jdandy said:
Pete.....I think McIntosh demonstrates their true colors about equaliztion with the C1000, and C500 flagship preamplifiers. No tone controls what so ever.
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All the more reason to offer a separate equalizer. Some of us miss those tone controls.
 
I agree

dolstein said:
All the more reason to offer a separate equalizer. Some of us miss those tone controls.
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Tell it to Ron....he isn't talkin'....

I agree, Mac has definietely catered to the purist with the flagship line...but I, like you and I'm sure others, would like to see that separate component to give us the eq option. As I said before, it's tantalizing that they've included eq's on some of the higher end preamps...indeed at one time (early 90's) my C40 was THE top MAC preamp. So why not a standalone product? If anyone can do it. MAC can. They know they can do it, but as yet, they haven't. Dan offered a plethora of good ideas as to what such a product could embody. It would be an absolute, top quality product that could complement the flagship components and address the REAL problems presented in the acoustics of the room, and the recording process occassionally, that the "purist" approach simply cannot. Yes, the audiophile CAN address room acoustic issues, with great success. But addressing issues such as room reflections through the use of foam treatments and the like, while improving imaging and warmth, can attenuate the high end. And that's just one example of how an eq can help.

Years ago, Mac did offer their "Environmental Equalizer" series; they were nice, polished stainless chassis units that were'nt really intended to grace the system out in the open, with the beautiful black glass, etc. They were intended to be set up by a professional, with professional sound level measuring equipment. They did at one time offer the MQ101, which had a glass front. But that was a very simple unit, intended, as I understand it, to augment the performance of the ML series speakers, specifically, I believe, the ML1C.

Neither the MQ101 or the polished chassis units offered years ago are the type of equalizer DAn and I have been discussing here. Ron has chimed in a bit here on some general equalization principles, but has chosen not to address the question of whether MAC will eventually produce such a unit directly. I'm sure he has his reasons.

Pete
 
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