• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

MC2600 - Is it the Big Dog?

I'm a big fan of high power amps. Having said that. I've been reading about Genelecs, Focal Utopia Diva and other active powered solutions. I have yet to audition them both out of lack of time as well as a little fear having invested so much time, energy and $$$ in SS amps. Any thoughts on that? (As I look for my next 400+wpc Mc amp )
 
GenghisKhan said:
I'm a big fan of high power amps. Having said that. I've been reading about Genelecs, Focal Utopia Diva and other active powered solutions. I have yet to audition them both out of lack of time as well as a little fear having invested so much time, energy and $$$ in SS amps. Any thoughts on that? (As I look for my next 400+wpc Mc amp )
Click to expand...

If mixing it up, rotating amps, shuffling the deck so to speak is part of the deal for you then I'd think active/powered speakers may not be since you're pretty much locked into what it is.
 
Active speakers are a great way for speaker manufacturers to get into more revenue, and it can have its advantages including speaker/amplifier pairing synergy, but there are also some disadvantages one of course being flexibility.

If you are communicating with the speakers' amps with analog signal, there is a lot of opportunity for noise, if digital then some will not like the A/D -> D/A conversion part (even though your music has already been through that many times in mixers and recording gear, ... another discussion). I'm a fan of the concept, have had some, but go back to the beauty and flexibility of separate amplifier(s).

A matter of preference IMO.
 
The 7300 continues to be in use. However, things are coming together to get the room situated and the 2600s pressed back into service. I did some spirited listening yesterday, albeit not at the onset of Power Guard. This room happens to be shaped in such a way that it IS possible to put the 22s flush against the wall. The difference in first octave output as compared to the last home where I had to have the bass towers over a foot away from the rear walls is not insignificant.

So, before I chose a location for the turntable, I believe it in my best interest to play some bass heavy music at those levels and sniff around in all the possible locations where the tt could live with the mic from my SA-3055. That way I can choose one where the likelihood of acoustic feedback is minimized.

So, what in the hell does all of this have to do with the 2600? Simple - if you can't find one, the 7300 is nearly the amplifier but just in a more domestic friendly package and at a fraction of the price.
 
I heard the 602 with XRT 28's 1.0's and XRT 22. It was a nice amp and you didn't have to listen to fans running if the amp were near by your listening location. Thank you Mcintosh for a circuit to control the fans on the second or third run of MC 2300's. 3500/ 350i fan was noisy, too. I preferred the sound of the 1201 and the 1.2 k for auditioning speakers. That way I new I would never run out of power during different speaker auditions. But who needs that ind of power. A 7300 powering XR 290's was more than enough for me. I seldom use more that 100 to 130 watts for peaks with very dynamic recordings with my MC 830's and XRT 28's. I had two spare channels on my MC 207 but you could hear them start to strain attempting to drive the 28's. Thats why I still believe in having 8 to 6 db head room of amplifier power your meters say you never use.
 
twiiii said:
I heard the 602 with XRT 28's 1.0's and XRT 22. It was a nice amp and you didn't have to listen to fans running if the amp were near by your listening location. Thank you Mcintosh for a circuit to control the fans on the second or third run of MC 2300's. 3500/ 350i fan was noisy, too. I preferred the sound of the 1201 and the 1.2 k for auditioning speakers. That way I new I would never run out of power during different speaker auditions. But who needs that ind of power. A 7300 powering XR 290's was more than enough for me. I seldom use more that 100 to 130 watts for peaks with very dynamic recordings with my MC 830's and XRT 28's. I had two spare channels on my MC 207 but you could hear them start to strain attempting to drive the 28's. Thats why I still believe in having 8 to 6 db head room of amplifier power your meters say you never use.
Click to expand...
I agree completely.

I have or have had many of the amps discussed in this thread, am currently running the MC602 and MC452. The MC602 was in my opinion McIntosh’s best 2-channel amplifier and that’s one reason it’s a keeper, also because it was designed by/under Charlie Randall, that’s my forever amp. However, I feel that the MC7300/MC300 is an outstanding amplifier that brought together all of the specs for current, noise, power, distortion, balanced-inputs, mono in case you want to, super-low impedance outputs, ... just everything that McIntosh is known for in a (still reasonably priced) fantastic amplifier that sold in big enough numbers to find nice examples out there. It has ample to excessive power for probably 98% of us even at extreme SPLs on inefficient speakers. For people who are looking for 2-channel amplifiers with that power I think it’s a bargain. I should have kept mine, also a good forever amp IMO.

The next step, although with less current capability but more rated power is the MC452, you add the quad-balanced circuitry and lose mono capability, it also has a newer iteration with more headroom but basically the same amp the MC462, or slightly less power and less expensive is the MC302 (and several in-between). All have the power to be speaker-flexible for those who want lots of SPL without losing the dynamics.

Probably 99% of us don’t need the power of these amps, but I believe in speaker flexibility for future buying urges. Look at @damacman and his Bose 901 experiment that turned quasi-permanent, can’t do that with 100WPC.
 
The friend which I sold and then reacquired the 7300 to / from has a few 7270s as well. He said he couldn't ever tell the difference but nearly always used the tap on the 7300 that corresponded to worst case scenario with the speakers he was driving. I did my best to explain why that wasn't how to use the amp but he was always worried that he'd blow something up.

Best I can tell, a great number of these high current designs are used this way. Folks will say - Oh, I liked the 2 Ohm taps better. What they really said was - I didn't like the way my speakers sounded so I altered their frequency response by using the wrong tap to limit power at certain frequencies.
 
I played Touch Yello the other day . . . medium volume, nothing too crazy. [Yello is excellent at capturing BIG energy in their mixes, which are just phenomenal - well recorded, engineered, mastered, etc. They have it down to an art.] I just sat on the couch with my feet up and just let the music envelop me for the entire album. Afterwards, the misses asks, "Hey, who was that?"

Oh ****. She actually liked something!

So, I played Toy next. Same thing. She enjoyed both. And man, do these albums have high energy. Talk about pressurizing a room. Of course, I'm now sitting about 18ft from the XRT22s in the new room with the bass cabs flush to the wall - so, definitely the best I've ever heard them.

The MC2600 is like no other power amplifier I've experienced. When you press it a little bit, it just begs for more. Two would be just silly.
 
I recall when I lived in NM, there was a local resident listing his absolute mint MC-602, and of course it drew me like a moth to a flame! Claimed less than 100 hours use. Boxes, everything.

He was asking $6K firm. Or course I wouldn't had any worries with shipping, or taxes to pay, just cash on the barrel. It was very tempting to grab

Weight-size concerns was one hurdle that I knew personally would not be easy to overcome. That I was going to torture muscles I never knew I had! :-)
 
While wrestling my two MC 207's one day I jerked when I shouldn't have. I waited instead of going to the Chiropractor the same day. I couldn't get out of the bath tub the next day and had to roll over on to the floor and then use the edge of the tub and the door handle to get up on to my knees from there with a lot of effort I got up and made to bed. The next day getting out of bed and getting dressed was a real chore. No breakfast and straight to the Chiropractor. Well he fixed me after doing some pounding compression and stretching, Fortunately I hadn't slipped L5 S1 like I usually do or would have had to call ambulance! So, I don't wrestle my 207's any more and am thankful the MC 830's are relatively light. No MC 462's or 601 or 611's for me. The days when I could hump a MC 3500 are long gone. If you want to try something that will suprise you try lifting a 275 with the transformers away from your chest. You have to be blessed with very strong wrist muscles and a very strong grip to grab the amp by the tube section of the amp and lift. Wonder how awkward at MC 1502 is.
 
Last edited:
I wrestled my pair of MC501 amps into their rack, and it's probably the last time I'll ever be able to do that without assistance. Getting too old...
 
I took my MC2500 in for service a year ago.My wife and I hauled it up a flight of stairs and loaded it into a hatchback . I was 71,she's a bit younger . After that I went out and bought 2 MC275 vi units to split the weight (still have the MC2500 though). I'm never moving my XRT-22s . We were thinking of downsizing ,but it'd be too hard to move the Mcs, so I guess we're staying !
 
motorstereo said:
I last picked up and moved my 1201's 2 years ago. I'm hoping I don't have to find out if I'm still capable of doing that as I have my doubts now at 69 yo.
Click to expand...
My (4) 1201s are exactly staying were they have been originally sited since purchase and 2 person heavy appliance carrying body strap rig delivered/placed in 2006 !
My 3 trust executors & recipient`s issues/concerns when the time comes, will not be my problem, as their being very well compensated and should with effort earn some of their generous windfall ! HA !
 
I Check my XRT 28's after maid day and to my astonishment one of the screw in glides was rolling round on the floor. So I took a bar stool and placed it in front of the speaker so I only had to lay it down part way. and not clean to the floor. I screwed in the glide about 4 turns and then stood the speaker up. The back four glides rest on a piece of left over floor tile to get a slight tilt forward. This smoothes out the over all response of the speaker and improves the definition at my 15.5 foot listening distance. By turning the speakers in toward my listening position it keeps hard reflections from coming back to me off the back wall and gives a little more ambient sound at my seating position. I used a furniture dolly to move them to my current location after I assembled them in the garage. I had for gotten how heavy they are. I use a carpenters square to make sure the are pointed and tilted properly.

If I had full line arrays I wouldn't have the issue and they could remain vertical but they are not. Its their only short coming. If I were rich I would like to have a pair of XRT 30 's for the Home theater system. But then what to do for a center speaker has always kept that wish on the very very back shelf. I'd have to raise the screen to use an XR-7 or I guess I could use a XR 27 as it was designed to be used as a center channel. I wonder if either are capable enough. Usually the center channel speaker has to do the hardest work the way modern DVD's are mixed sonically.

It might be fun to have a pair of XR 290's also. Wonder what they weigh??? My Concert Grands weigh about 235 lbs. The 4005 in the center is no light weight either. I use these speakers for the HT system. Two Grands three 4005 Symphony speakers and two B-313 speakers. Grands are tri amped, the center, bi-amped and the 4 surround speakers conventionally.

Thats 12 channels of my two MC 207"s. That leaves two spares in case my MC 830's fail for my Stereo system driving my XRT 28's. The issue ended up being the oldest 207 deserting me and why I jerked my shoulders in the first place after the needed repairs. In case your wondering $800.00 including shipping which was 50% of the cost as it was shipped on a pallet both ways. . .
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom