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My Macs are in da house!

Just picked up my new to me McIntosh amp and pre. They're an MC-2105 and a C-28. I've got them hooked up to my Cornwalls already. All I can say is.....WOW!!!

Wow indeed. They look amazing. Please don't tell me you got them for $25.00.:D Welcome to the big leagues - not that your Eico is a slouch.
 
That's some of the prettiest gear ever made. What are the differences that stand out in the sound compared to what you had? I heard this same setup once at an estate sale playing through a pair of large IMFs, with the matching tuner playing the live Metropolitan Opera feed, which never fails to sound good but it sounded GREAT. It was too expensive for me then (wish- really wish I'd bought it, though).

So, are we going to see you around less as you get sucked into actually listening instead of talking about your stereo? ;)
 
That's some of the prettiest gear ever made. What are the differences that stand out in the sound compared to what you had? I heard this same setup once at an estate sale playing through a pair of large IMFs, with the matching tuner playing the live Metropolitan Opera feed, which never fails to sound good but it sounded GREAT. It was too expensive for me then (wish- really wish I'd bought it, though).

So, are we going to see you around less as you get sucked into actually listening instead of talking about your stereo? ;)

Everything is crystal clear. Someone plucks a guitar string, you hear a pluck. Bass is clear, not just a thump. Drum beats are crisp. Imaging is better. That Eico was a fine amp, and I'll hold on to it (we got lots of rooms here to play with), but this is all around a better set up. I'm a sucker for looks too. Let's face it, an HF-81 is rather industrial. The Mac stuff oooooozes class.

I'm home all the time so I'm listening a lot as it is. Critical listening is another matter, and I'm already doing more of that.
 
Ed:

Your MACs look so good that I am actually thinking about replacing my CJs with them. I am sure the Mac sounds more authoritative but I love the tones that your HF-81/Cornwall combo produced the last time I heard them.

You are a lucky man.
 
I'm home all the time so I'm listening a lot as it is. Critical listening is another matter, and I'm already doing more of that.
.....are you rubbing any chill bumps on your forearms?....I quickly got to the point I quit critiquing the new to me Mac pieces, and just enjoyed the realism I was hearing....I guess critiquing McIntosh has always been for me, a simple path of joyful discoveries....I meant what I said in that other thread, I think how the ambiance rolls off is what brings the realism....how McIntosh accomplishes that with the same principles as everyone else astounds me....and it's not just the amps that have autoformers....autoformers are just a coil of wire with multiple "get on/off" points, or so I was told by a guy in the McIntosh lab....ain't that a mind-blower as well?.....
 
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Just picked up my new to me McIntosh amp and pre. They're an MC-2105 and a C-28. I've got them hooked up to my Cornwalls already. All I can say is.....WOW!!!

Man! Those are beauties!

My very first piece of McIntosh gear was a C28, followed shortly after by a 2300. I never did find the 2105 that I was originally looking for. They replaced the Yamaha A-1060 integrated amp that I was driving my Snell C's with. My jaw dropped and goosebumps raised on my arms the first time I listened to it.

Be sure to listen to your favorite vinyl with a good MM cartridge through the phono stage. It's wonderful!

The C28 and the companion 2105 are my absolute favorite McIntosh pieces! I've still got my MR-77 tuner. Congratulations on the new (and wonderful) McIntosh components! Enjoy! :thmbsp:
 
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.....are you rubbing any chill bumps on your forearms?....I quickly got to the point I quit critiquing the new to me Mac pieces, and just enjoyed the realism I was hearing....I guess critiquing McIntosh has always been for me, a simple path of joyful discoveries.

I'm finding that I want to pull out recordings I haven't had any interest in and play them so I can experiance them in an entirely new light. Mrs. Manning and I were watching 'The Book of Eli' last night and there was an Al Green song in the movie. I want to get a couple of his albums out of the basement when we get home and see how they 'really' sound.
 
I'm finding that I want to pull out recordings I haven't had any interest in and play them so I can experiance them in an entirely new light. Mrs. Manning and I were watching 'The Book of Eli' last night and there was an Al Green song in the movie. I want to get a couple of his albums out of the basement when we get home and see how they 'really' sound.

That's exactly what I did when I bought my first McIntosh! It's amazing the differences you'll hear in familiar recordings!

When I upgraded from my Pioneer SX-626 to my Yamaha A-1060, I heard details I had never heard before in recordings that I was very familiar with, like the harpsichord in Nonesuch's Festival of Trumpets. With the Pioneer receiver, the delicate sound of the harpsichord was always obscured by powerful sound of the trumpets. But in listening to the same recording via the Yamaha, the harpsichord detail was very much present and crystal clear, with the brass portion being even more crisp, clear, and glorious!

When I upgraded from my Yamaha A-1060 to my McIntosh C28 and 2300 separates, the difference in the music's dynamic power was night and day, with no loss of clarity and detail, but a warm richness and depth added. Apparently my Yamaha was compressing the music signal, although that was definitely not apparent when listening to Yamaha alone.

But, when the McIntosh gear was inserted into the system it was like opening a window to the music and letting the freshness in. When listening to Come Home to the Sea by Mannheim Steamroller on their Fresh Aire VI album (on vinyl), as the music builds dynamically, it just keeps on going with seemingly no limit that is both breathtaking and goose bump raising at the same time. It's like looking at a beautiful work of art through a somewhat cloudy window and then opening the window to both see the art in all its glory and letting the fresh air in at the same time. Amazing and wonderful!

Thanks very much for sharing your photos and impressions of your new McIntosh gear! Your enthusiasm and happiness is definitely contagious! I'm definitely going to dig out some of my recordings tonight that I haven't listened to in quite some time, with Festival of Trumpets and Fresh Aire VI at the top of the list.

Enjoy the Hell out of that new gear! :thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:
 
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