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McIntosh - Tubes or Solid State - Poll

Tubes or Solid State

  • Tubes

    Votes: 71 56.3%

  • Solid State

    Votes: 55 43.7%
  • Total voters
    126
PHC1 said:
The parameters of your question fit my profile, I have both in my system in an average size room with monitor sized speakers. Yes the 275 MKIV more than holds its own against the 501s in everything across the board except the bass where it is just a little rounder and plumper but still very, very enjoyable and musical. :music: Of course you gotta have the right tool for the job, bigger rooms, more demanding speakers and you'll need more "muscle" of solid state.
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Helpful. If one were to retain monitor speakers and add a quality powered subwoofer, would this essentially bring the MC275 MkV and MC501 on equal footing (not withstanding the need for a large room and high spl levels)?
 
If one were to retain monitor speakers and add a quality powered subwoofer, would this essentially bring the MC275 MkV and MC501 on equal footing (not withstanding the need for a large room and high spl levels)?
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No doubt. The 501s do come very close to tubes in the midrange and have silky smooth highs but McIntosh tubes still do have a very slight advantage in the midrange and you can always tube roll just a bit to tweak them to your liking. With the 2 pairs of output tubes I have for my 275, I can have the vintage/romantic presentation or go for a more dynamic, neutral presentation just by swapping them. Fun. :yes: A high quality powered sub would erase any difference there is in the bass response between the 275 and 501s. :music:
 
william.keith said:
Victor, can I infer that based on your experience and judgement, with relatively efficient and well constructed speakers, a MC275 MkV will provide essentially equal sound quality as a pair of MC501s at normal listening levels?
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I did my amp comparisons a few years ago and here is what I found:

System used for comparisons: C2200 preamp and Avalon Eclipse Classic speakers. I usually listen at lower levels (75db-85db) and I almost never use more than 5 watts.

In my system the MC275, MC2102, MC252 and MC402 all sounded almost the same, it was very difficult to hear any differences in these amps. Then I tried the MC501s and they were a significant improvement in my system. All the other amps had a nice side to side soundstage but the MC501s added depth to the soundstage that was missing with the other amps. The MC501s added fine detail that made it easier to hear echo and reverb in the music and the MC501s added detail to snare drums and cymbals that did not add any harshness to the music.

So I would say that if power is not an issue the MC275 MkV will provide essentially equal sound quality as a MC252 or MC402 but the MC501s are a step above these in sound quality.

Victor
 
This is hard... but I have to say tube. Not just any tube, make it the vintage tube stuff. However, I do like the SS too. That is why we have to have multiple sets...
 
All the other amps had a nice side to side soundstage but the MC501s added depth to the soundstage that was missing with the other amps. The MC501s added fine detail that made it easier to hear echo and reverb in the music and the MC501s added detail to snare drums and cymbals that did not add any harshness to the music.
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True, the 501s do have some more "air" to them but I did notice that the 275 really did sound better in combination with a tube preamp, the C2200 and my ARC preamp really made it sing and open up better than the C46/201, that is why I prefer tubes on tubes and ss with ss when it comes to McIntosh. I would imagine that proper pairing of the 275 with certain speakers would present a more favorable load and let the amp sing and be more dynamic instead of being strained and sounding more congested and closed up. Not sure about the Avalons but the SF Cremona A's sing just about as good with either 275 or 501s. I don't think I've ever come even close to tapping the full output of the 275 but then again I tend to listen to more acoustic stuff with the 275 in the system. I'll have to experiment a little more with that. :scratch2:

If you will indulge me for one final question, why do McIntosh tubes sound better than McIntosh transistors in the midrange?
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No doubt it has to do with the tubes vs transistors. Granted the transistors have come a long way since the chalky, grainy transistors of the 70's but I guess the tubes still have that liquid smooth midrange advantage, however slight it may be these days. Why do different FET types of transistors sound different? Why do mosfets sound different from others, especially the earlier BJT variety? In a way the vinyl has a true analog waveform where the CD is made up of little "steps" of ones and zeros that resemble a sine wave, however small they may be, a well executed tube amp like McIntosh reminds me of that analog vs digital comparison not to say it's the same principal, just a lack of better description.
 
I grew up with the tubes. My dad had a C22, MC30s and MC60s. I have bi-amped my front channels with a MC2205 driving the woofers and a MC275MkIV driving the mids and tweeters. I use MC2100s for the rear and center. C39-6 controls it all.
 
:thmbsp:Well. I am (actually was) one of the bigger collectors of vintage Marshall guitar amps...... this obviously spilled over into Hi- Fi. I "tried" to like SS amps but could never come to terms. I probably should state that i only use Heritage Klipsch Khorns and Belles, Modded of course , courtesy of ALK engineering. 2 MC 2102's are MAGIC to my ear, Via C2200 preamp. I really can't imagine anything else sounding much better..... I'm STOKED!!
 
tjnif said:
I probably should state that i only use Heritage Klipsch Khorns and Belles, Modded of course , courtesy of ALK engineering. 2 MC 2102's are MAGIC to my ear, Via C2200 preamp. I really can't imagine anything else sounding much better..... I'm STOKED!!
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I own K-horns & a Mc2102 & C-2200 & have had them all in the same system,its funny how everybody has different tastes in gear,my all time favorite combination with K-horns was with a Mcintosh C-38 preamp & Krell KSA 150 amplifier,to this day ive never heard K-horns sound that good.

Ive been toying with the idea of picking up a 2nd Mc2102 but havent found a smoking deal yet.
 
Have MAC 4100 and MDC 7005, both ss of course. Had trwo MC 30 amps in my youth (1960s). Loved the 30s and love the ss gear I have now. I am on the fence on this issue.
 
I've got both, but voted SS (transformer coupled).

I love the sound of my 240's, but when it comes time for a little 'Silent Lucidity' the MC-2600 has the authority in the bass, while giving up little overall.

"When you're talkin' to yourself, and nobody's home"

Yah, you get my point...

Mike
 
Interesting Stat's , considering Mac were so against tubes in the 70's, 80's and early 90's.

Good to see they corrected the error's of their ways and now have SS and tubes in a happy co-existence.

Did Mac originally start making tubes again, purely to make money - after all they said for 25+ years SS was way better.
 
I'm a solid state user and fan. Fire and forget, until the caps have to be replaced in 20-25 years. My new MC252 should be good until my hearing deteriorates to the point where I can't tell that it is due for service!
I prefer the tighter bass from SS amps. You could probably twist my arm to host an MC2000 or similar for a few weeks just to be sure, especially now that the cold weather is coming.
 
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