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MA8900 and MAC7200 only $500 difference in price?
- Thread starter joeinid
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No one's been able to explain to me the reason for the differentiation in price. Why is the MA8900 more costly?
SomeGeoffGuy
Active Member
Maybe it costs more to do an EQ than to do a tuner? A little more chrome on the 8900 too. It all adds up. The are pretty identical other than the one major difference.
-Geoff
-Geoff
Could be -- but the stainless steel chassis and five-vs-two-band equalizer have to be more than offset by the cost of the tuner module -- McIntosh tuners as stand alone units run $5k or so! That's enormous added value in the MAC7200.
twiiii
Lunatic Member
I'll take the 8900 for the Graphic tone controls any day. You either love them or you don't. If you are into Lp's big time you can't live without the Graphic controls. Now I admit my C-34 is with in arm reach so I can adjust the controls while listening. Other wise the conventional controls on the 7200 that can be remote controlled might be more appropriate.
eedork
Super Member
The MAC7200 is a great piece. I traded my MA6600 with TM-2 for a C52 and MC7300 just before the 7200 was released. Had I known about the 7200 I would have gone in that direction instead. I'm very happy with my current setup, but I miss the simplicity of a receiver, especially one as nice the MA6600/MAC7200. There's just a lot less stuff to deal with which is a huge bonus in my opinion.
-Matt
-Matt
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Ordered a MAC7200 last week which is an upgrade in my office system from the current (and very wonderful) MA5200. I could not figure any way to justify the extra $$$ for an MA8900. To me, that MAC7200 is a sweet spot in the product line. Hope no one tells McIntosh about that.
Personally, I'd save the money and go with the MAC7200. I have always run EQ setting flat, so the extra spend, in my use case, just isn't worth it. Plus there's a tuner in the 7200. 
It'll be interesting to compare the performance of the tuner section of the MAC7200 with my MR88 side-by-side.
I know this is totally preaching to the choir, but my MAC7200 arrived today. I needed assistance from two very willing helpers for the three of us to carefully lift it into place on my credenza. Still tinkering with this and that but **damn** does it sound good with the Focal Aria 906 speakers.
It replaces an MA5200 integrated amp, wonderful in its own right, which I'm now faced with the dilemma of what to do with.
That, as we say, is a first world problem.
It replaces an MA5200 integrated amp, wonderful in its own right, which I'm now faced with the dilemma of what to do with.
That, as we say, is a first world problem.
jimimac
UTOPIAN UNIVERSE?
The mirrored stainless steel comes in sheets big enough to make four chassis from one sheet.Even though it is wrapped in protective film.You still get tool marks,blemishes on A lot of it.They scratch very easy.They end up throwing out so many it's more cost-effective to use the Black.
No space.
The 1008 is just barley larger than the Aria 906. The Aria line is great and sounded excellent with my Mac gear.
Can't see replacing the Focal Arias for now anyway.
I'm very happy with the DAC module in the MAC7200 -- running three and soon to be four inputs into the unit -- my streaming services, particularly Spotify, sound extra fine. When the 8 foot digital coax cable arrives Monday from amazon, my second CD player, a Yamaha CD-S2000 will disconnect from the balanced inputs to be moved over to the MAC DAC unit.
I'm very happy with the DAC module in the MAC7200 -- running three and soon to be four inputs into the unit -- my streaming services, particularly Spotify, sound extra fine. When the 8 foot digital coax cable arrives Monday from amazon, my second CD player, a Yamaha CD-S2000 will disconnect from the balanced inputs to be moved over to the MAC DAC unit.
damacman
Resident Psycho
I’d be interested to see if you found the Mac DAC superior the the Yamahas.
Coax digital cable is supposed to arrive Monday. Was listening to Spotify late night jazz playlist yesterday evening, delivered to the MAC7200 through a Heos wireless preamp and optical digital input into the MAC; with the Heos app communicating with the preamp from a 'droid Samsung tablet. It's so interesting to me to compare how far this has gone since my first system cobbled together in 1965 or so from consignment shelves and newspaper classified ads: a Fisher 500B receiver, Fisher XP5 speakers connected to the receiver using zip cord, and Dual 1019 turntable.
