OK, so my home theater system core blows up effectively, dead as a doornail absent the smoke, yet still coming to terms with the ramifications of losing said system core, and setting myself up properly for a system "restore", so to speak......
.....the old Krell preamp owed me nothing, in fact being the impetus for a number of forays into the "what if I replaced it" topic, which would be, in part, to undo some of the mistakes I made with the first iteration, namely insufficient two-channel performance when paired with my All Klipsch Cornwall theater. Now I'm not necessarily looking for MC30 tube like nirvana chased for years on end by rolling some of the most interesting caps and tubes that the audio world has to offer, but a solid "match" and more modern presentation, yet on the "lush-ish" side that Mac and Klipsch are famous for. You know, a sound I can live with for another 15 years......
One tact that I have taken with the preamp is looking at a "generation or two" back at Mac and similar high end HT preamps, allowing depreciation to run it's course but yet have something of audio value on the other side - to try to straddle the line from a 12K list unit to one that's still viable audio wise in a 5.1 to max 7.1 system, the MOST it will EVER be, as the dwelling is now pretty much set in stone - won't be moving. So I don't need a "15.2" unit, or necessarily even the latest "Atmos" or similar, but more basic versions of DD and DTS as well as what online streams and broadcast 5.1 or 7.1 can deliver. I'll never be burying Heritage Klipsch speakers in my ceiling.
So I'm looking at something along the lines of an MX151, which I have access to a seemingly excellent example from a good source, never seen a shop, so seems like a good piece. It's known that it won't pass 4K, but as I don't have 4K currently wouldn't be an immediate issue, and in the case where I go 4K, I would use the split HDMI audio into the MX151 and video does the end around to the display directly, just as I did on the current pre-pro that bit the dust.
So essentially, I'm focused on the audio end of the MX151, albeit would still use some of the video capabilities/OSD for setup but not so much as a video switcher.
I own TWO MC250 Power amps, very mint looking examples which I've considered keeping, but wonder if the old matches up with the new in this situation. The input on the MC250 is 0.5V to full power, the MX151 2.5V to full output. Should I be looking at a more modern Mac amp setup, or should I have the 250s rebuilt and just use those? I have them, so that makes it easier, but don't want to go down the road of rebuilding those amps if they aren't really right for this situation, at least in the more immediate sense. If I had the MC250s rebuilt (and added another 250 or 2100 to the stable) those could be rebuilt and made viable for maybe longer than even the preamp would be - maybe 30 years or more.
So since I have them, should I use them, or move to more modern Mc or something else for this application? Those old-era Mc amps really mate well with Heritage Klipsch, and there would be no argument with going more modern on the Mc amp in terms of matching either (newer amp being a five channel possibly, like an MC205).
One lament I do carry, as do I'm sure many audio freaks, is that loss of the "middle/upper middle" of audio, where a number of amp and gear manufacturers might be out there to find more flexible options to mate with my system. Many of those have seemingly disappeared from the scene. Then too, there seem more modern options that are lower cost an have more up-to-date connections on the HDMI side of things, but system matching on the Klipsch becomes a huge issue and rabbit hole, where the McIntosh is something I just know is in the right neighborhood in terms of matching generally. So too could it be said for Classe, Theta, and Bryston, but as there seem fewer examples in that recent-but-not-newest category of HT preamps and Mc having the numbers and the following also has a certain safety in choice.
I have considered the likes of Anthem, Marantz, and similar but always end up knowing they present a bit more of the "theater/impact-y side" of things, much like my Krell seemed to do - but maybe not so much my cup of tea on the music side. The HT gets used as an all purpose, and the relative lack of musicality of the HT of old here certainly lied in the nature of the preamp itself, which was made for high impact movies, and 20 years ago to boot. So no surprise there, either, but now this "disaster" becomes the opportunity to fix more than the pre, but to rectify other system issues noticed over time, primarily being a bit too HT-y for musical appreciation. I think Mac can address this, because Mc knows how to do that smooooooooooooth yet clear on Klipsch. But I have to be prudent on the admission price - can't spend 12K on a pre. So I have to choose between say a modern Anthem AVM60 with all the newer connections at 3K or a Mac that will no doubt sound right but be less on the modern video connections and audio surround formats (latter doubtful an issue) and as with economics generally limits exist.
I expect the Mc - even a gen or two back - will play better in this music area than most, even in a "room correct" or digitized situation, especially compared to the 20 year old gear of old. I also have a tube 2 channel system, but want to bring more musicality to this iteration of the HT, hence the preening and asking questions. I haven't fiddled with my HT in terms of build in years, but the years have had the bumps, bruises, and warts become more evident, with the preamp "crash" pretty much signaling that it's time for a rebuild. So I have this opportunity to get an MX 151, and I have a pair of MC250 to use if I could or should - or ???? At any rate, just out looking for some ideas that might lead to some triage in my situation. No hurry for sure, but I gotta start somewhere......and it seems I have a few things to consider to start.
.....the old Krell preamp owed me nothing, in fact being the impetus for a number of forays into the "what if I replaced it" topic, which would be, in part, to undo some of the mistakes I made with the first iteration, namely insufficient two-channel performance when paired with my All Klipsch Cornwall theater. Now I'm not necessarily looking for MC30 tube like nirvana chased for years on end by rolling some of the most interesting caps and tubes that the audio world has to offer, but a solid "match" and more modern presentation, yet on the "lush-ish" side that Mac and Klipsch are famous for. You know, a sound I can live with for another 15 years......
One tact that I have taken with the preamp is looking at a "generation or two" back at Mac and similar high end HT preamps, allowing depreciation to run it's course but yet have something of audio value on the other side - to try to straddle the line from a 12K list unit to one that's still viable audio wise in a 5.1 to max 7.1 system, the MOST it will EVER be, as the dwelling is now pretty much set in stone - won't be moving. So I don't need a "15.2" unit, or necessarily even the latest "Atmos" or similar, but more basic versions of DD and DTS as well as what online streams and broadcast 5.1 or 7.1 can deliver. I'll never be burying Heritage Klipsch speakers in my ceiling.
So I'm looking at something along the lines of an MX151, which I have access to a seemingly excellent example from a good source, never seen a shop, so seems like a good piece. It's known that it won't pass 4K, but as I don't have 4K currently wouldn't be an immediate issue, and in the case where I go 4K, I would use the split HDMI audio into the MX151 and video does the end around to the display directly, just as I did on the current pre-pro that bit the dust.
So essentially, I'm focused on the audio end of the MX151, albeit would still use some of the video capabilities/OSD for setup but not so much as a video switcher.
I own TWO MC250 Power amps, very mint looking examples which I've considered keeping, but wonder if the old matches up with the new in this situation. The input on the MC250 is 0.5V to full power, the MX151 2.5V to full output. Should I be looking at a more modern Mac amp setup, or should I have the 250s rebuilt and just use those? I have them, so that makes it easier, but don't want to go down the road of rebuilding those amps if they aren't really right for this situation, at least in the more immediate sense. If I had the MC250s rebuilt (and added another 250 or 2100 to the stable) those could be rebuilt and made viable for maybe longer than even the preamp would be - maybe 30 years or more.
So since I have them, should I use them, or move to more modern Mc or something else for this application? Those old-era Mc amps really mate well with Heritage Klipsch, and there would be no argument with going more modern on the Mc amp in terms of matching either (newer amp being a five channel possibly, like an MC205).
One lament I do carry, as do I'm sure many audio freaks, is that loss of the "middle/upper middle" of audio, where a number of amp and gear manufacturers might be out there to find more flexible options to mate with my system. Many of those have seemingly disappeared from the scene. Then too, there seem more modern options that are lower cost an have more up-to-date connections on the HDMI side of things, but system matching on the Klipsch becomes a huge issue and rabbit hole, where the McIntosh is something I just know is in the right neighborhood in terms of matching generally. So too could it be said for Classe, Theta, and Bryston, but as there seem fewer examples in that recent-but-not-newest category of HT preamps and Mc having the numbers and the following also has a certain safety in choice.
I have considered the likes of Anthem, Marantz, and similar but always end up knowing they present a bit more of the "theater/impact-y side" of things, much like my Krell seemed to do - but maybe not so much my cup of tea on the music side. The HT gets used as an all purpose, and the relative lack of musicality of the HT of old here certainly lied in the nature of the preamp itself, which was made for high impact movies, and 20 years ago to boot. So no surprise there, either, but now this "disaster" becomes the opportunity to fix more than the pre, but to rectify other system issues noticed over time, primarily being a bit too HT-y for musical appreciation. I think Mac can address this, because Mc knows how to do that smooooooooooooth yet clear on Klipsch. But I have to be prudent on the admission price - can't spend 12K on a pre. So I have to choose between say a modern Anthem AVM60 with all the newer connections at 3K or a Mac that will no doubt sound right but be less on the modern video connections and audio surround formats (latter doubtful an issue) and as with economics generally limits exist.
I expect the Mc - even a gen or two back - will play better in this music area than most, even in a "room correct" or digitized situation, especially compared to the 20 year old gear of old. I also have a tube 2 channel system, but want to bring more musicality to this iteration of the HT, hence the preening and asking questions. I haven't fiddled with my HT in terms of build in years, but the years have had the bumps, bruises, and warts become more evident, with the preamp "crash" pretty much signaling that it's time for a rebuild. So I have this opportunity to get an MX 151, and I have a pair of MC250 to use if I could or should - or ???? At any rate, just out looking for some ideas that might lead to some triage in my situation. No hurry for sure, but I gotta start somewhere......and it seems I have a few things to consider to start.
I spent a third of that on my Krell and ended up hating the 2 channel CD performance to a point I wouldn't even use it for that. Just couldn't motivate myself to "chase" improvements with it - after all, it IS an HT. But that said, it sure would benefit from more musicality, the 2 channel pass-through also maybe being a way to get that, but I like the convenience of all one unit that sounds "good enough". If the features are acceptable the sonics on Mac WILL be "good enough" from a convenience sense as well as an audio sense. I've just been soooooooooo disappointed with too many other brands on those speakers. 
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