Mcintosh 4100

[johnnyboy70]

Just got a Mcintosh 4100 handed down to me. It's my first Mac that I've ever listened to. I can see what all the fuss is about with Mcintosh now. The 4100 beat my newish Yamaha AS 1200 sound quality wise. Maybe I just got accustomed to vintage gear? I also have a few Sansui amps. Now I'd like to look for more Mcintosh seperates. I plan on having a friend go through the 4100 and replace some of old caps. I'm pairing the 4100 with some Wharfdale Lintons. Anyone have recommdations on what other vintage Mac pieces that would go well with the Lintons?

 

[sberger]

Just got a Mcintosh 4100 handed down to me. It's my first Mac that I've ever listened to. I can see what all the fuss is about with Mcintosh now. The 4100 beat my newish Yamaha AS 1200 sound quality wise. Maybe I just got accustomed to vintage gear? I also have a few Sansui amps. Now I'd like to look for more Mcintosh seperates. I plan on having a friend go through the 4100 and replace some of old caps. I'm pairing the 4100 with some Wharfdale Lintons. Anyone have recommdations on what other vintage Mac pieces that would go well with the Lintons?

Rabbit hole time

Those are reasonably efficient speakers, so pretty much anything will go with them. All depends on your specific circumstances IE your listening habits, your space, your budget. Any of the solid state offerings will be fine. A first generation MC2105 amp looks fantastic and sounds great. Of course, all the older stuff will need to be gone through and updated but you seem to already know that.

Do a search. Tons and tons of stuff here about older Mac gear.

 

[SaturationPt]

<<snip>> Anyone have recommdations on what other vintage Mac pieces that would go well with the Lintons?

I'm not sure what era Linton you have, but minimum amplifier spec'ed on the new Linton Heritage is 25W, which is covered by pretty much any McIntosh ampifier.

McIntosh amplifiers are designed to be neutral, your choice as they'll all go well with your speakers. The only thing I like to point out with people in this hobby/addiction is that you will likely some day buy different speakers, and therefore recommend your next amplifier (and the one after) have ample power for modern speakers so that you have that need covered.

 

[geddy402]

I think the C24 is a great place to start. Great sounding unit and should be able to find one reasonably priced (sub $1000). Can’t go wrong with a MC2105 to pair with the C24. I have that pairing with Klipsch Forte 3s and it’s great.
I also started with a 4100 and it’s been collecting dust since I went down the separates rabbit hole. Can’t really go wrong with any of the vintage Mac stuff as long as it’s been serviced and up to spec. They will all sound great with the Wharfdale. Have fun!

 

[johnnyboy70]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm used to posting in the Sansui forums as they were mostly my setups. The 9500 moved downstairs and the 4100 is in my main setup. I have the new Wharfedale Lintons. I was surprised how much more bass the Mac had compared to the modern Yamaha 1200 with the Lintons. I don't seem to want a phono preamp just yet, the 4100 as is sounds good to my ears so far. I do realize it'll have to get some newer caps. I read in the manual it is from 1983 I believe? I've read on the web that Macs also love Altec Lansing speakers as well as Klipsch. Kicking myself for getting rid of my ADS L 1090's. I've got my eyes set on some of the tube amps and a MX 110z. Those I imagine will be down the road someday. Don't think I could afford the newer Mcintosh pieces.

 

[BilboBaggins]

To be honest, I like the older pieces more myself. I started with a MAC1900, and this has been quite the rabbit hole I went down. I find McIntosh amps work really well with, as has been mentioned, Klipsch, JBL, etc. I have an MA6200 and an MC2205/C26 pair. I wouldn't use my MC2205 to drive a pair of Kef's or Celestion Dittons, but I would expect the Wharfedale Linton's will work very well, based on my experiences with a pair of Dovedale IIs. I would also expect it to work well with ADS. It is about 100 watts, if my memory serves me correctly. But it is a receiver, so you can be certain they made some sacrifices to put an amp, preamp, and tuner into one box. Such as a shared transformer and power supply caps. I have a Sansui AU-9900, so I am familiar with Sansui.

Have fun and enjoy the ride you are about to go on.

 

[sberger]

I think the C24 is a great place to start. Great sounding unit and should be able to find one reasonably priced (sub $1000). Can’t go wrong with a MC2105 to pair with the C24. I have that pairing with Klipsch Forte 3s and it’s great.
I also started with a 4100 and it’s been collecting dust since I went down the separates rabbit hole. Can’t really go wrong with any of the vintage Mac stuff as long as it’s been serviced and up to spec. They will all sound great with the Wharfdale. Have fun!

Agree 100%. I have restored one and it sounds as good as my C11. I just like the idea of using a tube preamp, but the C24 has pretty much most of the qualities of the C11, and yes, a hell of lot less money.