McIntosh MC30 Vs. MC60

[mcgjohn]

In either the 30 or the 60, try the PSVANE hifi grade, coke bottle 5U4G rectifiers. noticeable step up in resolution and imaging. I used to think different brands of tube rectifiers had little effect on the sound. But in this case was quite wrong.

 

[Seamaster]

When ever folks ask me what they should get if they want to love tube sound I recommend the MC 60 with a C-20. I had MC 60's way back when they were just special with my Stevens and Altec speakers. Now those speakers all roll off starting around 9 KHZ, so the differences between the amps was n't very large to my young ears and I preferred the grunt of the MC-60. A friend of mine still has my 60's though he lives now in Florida and his system is in storage when I last heard his 60's driving big 15 Altec coax the sound was very detailed and warm. A totally different sound from what I experienced way back when. 30's were a little to soft for me and like I said they don't growl or roar like a MC 60. Its like the difference between a 240 and a 275. Though I think a 275 is smoother than a 240 which is the opposite of a 30 vs a 60. Tube amps with their low dampening factor are so easily influenced by impedance swings of speaker loads. A couple DB difference here versus a couple of db the other way from a different amp can really influence the sound. Look at Stereophiles tests of tube amps or Ken Rockwell's test of a 240 and its easy to see how a speaker load can change the output of a Mac amp 3 or 4 db over an octave or two. This change can easily influence our opinions. So unless everyone is using the same speaker for comparisons,its hard to make a decision. And what a MC 30 sounds like maybe preferred with X speakers a MC 60 maybe preferred with Y speakers.

9 years later I shall share my Yazaki MC30:

 

[cspyon]

According to my technician, a veteran technician at the McIntosh-authorized dealer in my area, the best of the McIntosh tube amps in the 1950s and 1960s (MC225, MC30, MC240, MC60, MC275) is the mono block MC30.

 

[damacman]

And the best looking female in history is ...

 

[Seamaster]

According to my technician, a veteran technician at the McIntosh-authorized dealer in my area, the best of the McIntosh tube amps in the 1950s and 1960s (MC225, MC30, MC240, MC60, MC275) is the mono block MC30.

I heard MC275, did not like it, sounded too flat, and the imaging and sound stage were too far back.

 

[Seamaster]

I shall share some pictures of Yazaiki MC30:

 

[Buck Rogers]

The two best sounding Mac amplifiers I've used are the transformer coupled 20W2 and the 50W2 power amps.

Miles better than any other model! A superb clean and very delicate top end, Wonderful!

Next would be the MC40 followed very closely by the MC30's. Surprising how good the 40's are.

MC60's and 75's are farther down the list.