Moscode 300 Hybrid Vs McIntosh MC2200 SS

[ArgonSteele]

First off I’m about one year into my audiophile adventure and still just getting my feet wet. My setup is Klipsch Fortes powered by a Moscode 300 hybrid tube amp I scored for $150. I’m listening to lots of vinyl and I’ve been very happy with this, but, probably due to too much internet perusing, been lusting after McIntosh gear. Last week I found a deal on an McIntosh MC2200 I couldn’t resist (though I paid 4x more for it). Well... after a week I reconnected the Moscode tonight to confirm my suspicions, I prefer the cheap tubes. The difference is so subtle, it could certainly be purely psychological, I hesitate to try to quantify it; but if I were I’d say the Moscode was more lively, more dimensional, more engaging, and perhaps a bit brighter. I know McIntosh is often described as transparent and honestly I only hear the difference on vinyl, on CDs they sound pretty similar. So maybe it’s just that my ear is more accustom to the Moscode flavor and if I gave the MC2200 more time I’d get use to it? Or maybe that particular McIntosh model doesn’t have as good a sound as some others? Or maybe I’m underestimating the value of the Moscode just because I paid so little for it? (I’ve also read in places that the Moscode, being a hybrid, didn’t have a true tube sound.) Am I crazy? Spending too much time reading vintage audio blogs?

One more thing, the Moscode has a very slight buzz coming from the amp that I can’t get rid of. I’ve got it hooked up to a fancy "fuzzbuster" power source which helped a lot, but it still bugs me. Mostly I can only hear it when no music is playing, but I think it is having a kind of psychological effect. The McIntosh is dead silent.

 

[Brice]

No you're not crazy

I find that, to my hear, the best combination is to biamp my speakers, with a beefy SS amp MC402 for the lows, and tubes for the highs.
That's the way I get the best sound.

I believe your speakers can bi biamped, so I'll give it a shot. Put the McIntosh in the lows and your Moscode to the highs.
If it's like me you'll be blown away.

I think I understand what you are experiencing as I did try my MC402 alone powering my speakers. The sound was good, no doubts with a McIntosh amp, but the magic in the mids and highs just wasn't there anymore. The dynamic and clarity of a good tube amps is difficult to reproduce in a SS amp.

So by biamping your speakers, you'll get the best of both world.

Please let us know your results

Brice.

 

[soundmotor]

NYAL gear is something always eluded me when I was beating the pushes to try "everything". I've heard enough positive comments about the 300 that your experience doesn't surprise me too much. If yours is all original it is probably long overdue to be looked at and serviced. I don't recall exactly when they were made but early 80s seems about right.

 

[soundmotor]

with a beefy SS amp MC402 for the lows, and tubes for the highs.

Into a 4-ohm load, the 300 actually makes more power than the MC2200.

 

[MX117.MC7150]

Will guess the buzz you are hearing from the Moscode amp (tube input, MOSFET out, IIRC) is likely from tired caps in the power supply. Recap the power supply, including bypass caps on the main filter caps and it will likely be dead quiet. That is, if you've all ready tried new tubes (the first place to look in tube gear).