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McIntosh MC275 MK VI Clone

I am currently using a Marantz 7t Modified Pre-Amp. Since this Thread is generating (which I knew it would) to be Closed, How dear you use a Mac Name Plate, there are Positive posts on what
the outcome will be...Again, I purchased out of Curiosity, and I am impressed what I am hearing. I will be ordering this weekend the Mate to this Amp.... C22 Clone...:whip:

C22a.png

Real Marantz 7t
Marantz7t.png
 
I guess the ethos of making exact copies of any product with the intention of mass producing it for resale can be answered by asking themselves if they would welcome it if the product was one they designed and produced. Some of us would probably be flattered, others would be offended.
 
maxhifi said:
I think the real issue here is that the genuine US made version has become ridiculously expensive - they keep jacking up the price disproportionate to inflation, on a product which is substantially the same as it was 60 years ago.
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That’s not quite a fair comparison to make between the cost associated with reviving older technology with the cost when that earlier technology had been mainstream. If the electronic industry never transitioned from tubes to solid state, the price of tube equipment would be far lower than it is now.
 
I know the Dewalt multi / oscillating tool, and others like it, are modernized versions of the Fein plaster cast saw, which was developed in '67 (https://www.allfasteners.com.au/news-articles/the-unlikely-origins-of-the-oscillating-multi-tool). When the patents expired, many tool manufactures copied it. Nobody seemed upset at the time, and that saw was much more significant to humanity than a hi-fi power amp is. I'm sure that more non-Fein oscillating tools exist than Fein-branded ones.
This brings up some questions. Are some upset that this amp looks like a MC 275 or that it basically is a MC 275? How do we know that its design and components are the same? How much must it differ before we are OK with it? How similar can it look? How close can the performance be before we should be up in arms? Until there's a complete tear-down of one, how will we really ever know if it's an exact copy? If it looked like a ST-70, would that be OK? On that note, it'd be kinda cool to have a chassis for a ST-70 that looks, as much as possible, like a McIntosh tube amp!
 
David_NC said:
I know the Dewalt multi / oscillating tool, and others like it, are modernized versions of the Fein plaster cast saw, which was developed in '67 (https://www.allfasteners.com.au/news-articles/the-unlikely-origins-of-the-oscillating-multi-tool). When the patents expired, many tool manufactures copied it. Nobody seemed upset at the time, and that saw was much more significant to humanity than a hi-fi power amp is. I'm sure that more non-Fein oscillating tools exist than Fein-branded ones.
This brings up some questions. Are some upset that this amp looks like a MC 275 or that it basically is a MC 275? How do we know that its design and components are the same? How much must it differ before we are OK with it? How similar can it look? How close can the performance be before we should be up in arms? Until there's a complete tear-down of one, how will we really ever know if it's an exact copy? If it looked like a ST-70, would that be OK? On that note, it'd be kinda cool to have a chassis for a ST-70 that looks, as much as possible, like a McIntosh tube amp!
Click to expand...

:idea:
ST70.png
 
CohibaJoe said:
I was not sure which Model (I will ask later tonight). Listing to the Amp...running 10-12hrs each day and I am impressed.
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IIRC, Cohiba has done a lot of restorations here so he is certainly entitled to indulge his curiosity. As a former owner of a pair of MC275V and current owner of a limited edition MC275G, I can say that the MC275 sound is not hard to match. When I had the 275's, I also had a 4100 preamp with remote controlled dual outputs. This setup was ideal for blind testing. On one side was the MC275V and on the other a nicer Chinese built to an American design KT88 amp. (I can't remember the name but it was not Yaqin or Ming Da.) There was a slight difference in the flavor of the sound but both were equally engaging and equally entertaining. So, I am not surprised in the least that some very clever person was able to duplicate the sound and possibly very well.

I am not going to defend this clone because it is an obvious copy. However, I will say that some effort went into the build. If they made the exposed chassis design different in look while retaining the feel of a classic exposed chassis, they could have gained wider acceptance. Maybe if they had went for UL listing, that would allay safety concerns. The other observation is that this clone is not analogous to Bob Latino. Bob has upped the power and made significant design changes while staying true to the look and feel of the original. Bob has evolved the ST-70 which is why it is widely accepted and admired. I doubt the 275 clone is anything more than a schematic recreation. I also doubt the build integrity as this kind of clone is subject to corner cutting.

In summary, would I have one in the house? As a MC275G owner, I could probably pull it off but I would not celebrate the fact. The answer would have to be no. Am I glad Cohiba is examining one and leaving himself exposed to the full spectrum of comments? Yes.
 
62caddy said:
That’s not quite a fair comparison to make between the cost associated with reviving older technology with the cost when that earlier technology had been mainstream. If the electronic industry never transitioned from tubes to solid state, the price of tube equipment would be far lower than it is now.
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.

True but the MC275 was $4500 in 2009, and is $6500 now.
 
David_NC said:
I know the Dewalt multi / oscillating tool, and others like it, are modernized versions of the Fein plaster cast saw, which was developed in '67 (https://www.allfasteners.com.au/news-articles/the-unlikely-origins-of-the-oscillating-multi-tool). When the patents expired, many tool manufactures copied it. Nobody seemed upset at the time, and that saw was much more significant to humanity than a hi-fi power amp is. I'm sure that more non-Fein oscillating tools exist than Fein-branded ones.
This brings up some questions. Are some upset that this amp looks like a MC 275 or that it basically is a MC 275? How do we know that its design and components are the same? How much must it differ before we are OK with it? How similar can it look? How close can the performance be before we should be up in arms? Until there's a complete tear-down of one, how will we really ever know if it's an exact copy? If it looked like a ST-70, would that be OK? On that note, it'd be kinda cool to have a chassis for a ST-70 that looks, as much as possible, like a McIntosh tube amp!
Click to expand...
Now wouldn't that be cool!
 
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