McSerious Or McBackground

[forzaroma]

Night shot for Alberto.

It's good we can keep our sense of humor on this dark, dark, day for McIntosh and especially for the MC501s .

Seriously, congratulations Serge. All good things do come to an end and, when we get lucky, we move of to better things.

I would say that for any component and any audiophile, 3 years is a GREAT run.

I will have to seek and listen to these Lamms but - as much as I understand and appreciate the benefits of class A - the heat will always be an issue in my small room.

I look forward to hearing your opinion on the Lamms as you spend more time on them.

My main concern is not so much having you moving away from McIntosh, or have our (once very similar) systems diverge, but it's more having you move away from this forum where you have become one of the more iconic, reliable and respected posters.

Alberto

 

[PHC1]

I was refering to the 110 watts class A output, which I had assumed was the prefered choice for listening.

They will do either 100w pure class A into 4 or 8 ohm depending on your speaker and the position of the bias switch in the back, sort of like the taps of McIntosh, except nothing like it. Class A/B after that will be like class A/B of other amps except for the sonic difference the mosfets and hybrid design of course.

In my system I am no where near stepping out of class A operation unless I want to lose my hearing. The Lamms are very thermally stable and capable of putting out tons of power if need be.

Stereophile actually tested the M1.2s at the same time as 501s. Paul Bolin used the M1.2s and 501s in the same system at the same time.. How ironic is that?

The 501s shut down after 1/3 rated power thermal stress. The Lamms actually improved in SNR after that thermal stress.

Not that I ever had a problem with the 501s shutting down, ever. The Lamms actually take 45 min to come up to temps and sound their best after that. The turn on procedure makes you wait over a minute before the amps are operational so that the driver tube warms up and the amp stabilizes. Just enough time to go make a cup of coffee and get ready.

 

[jdandy]

Alberto.......Well said.

What is your ratio of background to serious listening time?

 

[dj_AmTraX]

Those are McSerious.

 

[PHC1]

It's good we can keep our sense of humor on this dark, dark, day for McIntosh and especially for the MC501s .

Seriously, congratulations Serge. All good things do come to an end and, when we get lucky, we move of to better things.

I would say that for any component and any audiophile, 3 years is a GREAT run.

I will have to seek and listen to these Lamms but - as much as I understand and appreciate the benefits of class A - the heat will always be an issue in my small room.

I look forward to hearing your opinion on the Lamms as you spend more time on them.

My main concern is not so much having you moving away from McIntosh, or have our (once very similar) systems diverge, but it's more having you move away from this forum where you have become one of the more iconic, reliable and respected posters.

Alberto

Alberto, I am not going anywhere. Since I've joined the McForum, I've made many friends here and will continue to visit with regular frequency. :yes: I enjoy the posts, the humor, the friendly atmosphere, the desire to help others, the value of unbiased opinions, the willingness to share knowledge and experiences with others. :thmbsp:

Just because my amps changed, my attitude has not. I still have a very healthy respect for McIntosh, they truly do make great gear that is both solid performing and flexible by design. :yes:

The Lamms are superb monoblocks but they will not be everything to everyone. Someone with large speakers and large listening rooms as well as preference of higher listening levels may be better served by higher powered amps. The heat may be somewhat of an issue, they do draw 700w at idle between the two of them, raising the room temp. Their high sensitivity and gain can be a little tricky with proper pairing of preamps. There is a price to pay for the sonic beauty. I knew all of it getting into them and was willing to deal with the demands of these amps.

The 501s will still hold a special place in my audiophile heart. :yes: Hopefully one day our own David (2uberoller) can enjoy the same performance and listening pleasure they have brought me for the past 3 years. :yes: