My vintage McIntosh MX-110 preamp surprised me today. Follow up post #61!

Hello I am a player from China, I am sorry I have just come to your post, I just bought a MX110 EBAY in the original version, I would like to understand the contrast between the Z series of what is the difference, a lot of it?

 

MX 110 (EARLY):

http://mcc.berners.ch/tuner-pre-amps/MX110EARLY.pdf

MX 110Z (LATE):

http://mcc.berners.ch/tuner-pre-amps/MX110LATE.pdf

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

 

Steve, not certain how I missed your MX 110 before but it looks spectacular.

 

What else comes closest to the 225 sound? I'd be feeding from an ARC SP-6c and into Omega Alnico single-driver monitors.

 

I have a beautiful M-series MX-110 and it sounds incredible. I have it paired to an MC-240 amp and the combination is really nice.

I am actually going to have to sell this combo soon as my wife and I are downsizing and I won't have the space for this "extra" listening room.

 

What's the best McIntosh power amp (solid state) in your opinion for the 110? Is the 502 any good?

 

In solid state (stereo) : MC 250, 2505, 2100, 2105. Mono (x2): MC 50, 250, 100 (rare as hen's teeth), 2100.

Any of the above would be ideal with the MX 110.

Early McIntosh solid state sounds surprisingly close to the tube amplifiers of the same era.

 

So, Steve, given your reservations about the 225's output tube — what is it and how much does it cost when found? — would you recommend a pair of 30s over a 225? I've heard really good things about 225s restored by Dewick and others.

Among later amps, what would come closest to a 225, for about $3K?

I'm just old enough to remember my friends' fathers' Mc-based rigs and after all these years I've come to realize that that's what I think recorded music should sound like. The sound's still in my head. Except in certain precincts like this forum, I suppose that might be described as a neurological condition. Oh well.

 

Steve or someone else now owns Bobby Darin's MX110.

 

The Vintage McIntosh Experience: A Musical Ride With The MX110Z Tuner/Preamplifier and the MC30, MC225, and MC240 Amplifiers »

Enjoyed reading this! Nice write-up and nice photos.

 

Steve--
Since you've revived this thread, could you answer my question about whether there are any modern amps that can compare with those old Macs?

By the way, since ForTheRecord mentions Bobby Darin's MX-110, you might want to check out Day's blog posts about acquiring Leopold Stokowski's 1947 pair of Altec Voice of the Theaters. Maybe the first home stereo rig.

 

True, though a MC 250 doesn't do bad stand-in duty for a EL-34 PP amp when the weather gets hot. With a good pre-amp in front of it the results are pretty satisfying and the overall sound is remarkably similar. I definitely prefer my tube amp, but the 250 sounds a whole lot better than the tubes do with a window A/C running for accompaniment.

 

Steve,
Sorry. I was thinking primarily of the MC-225, so that's the amp I'm looking for a contemporary equivalent.

 

Unfortunately McIntosh never manufactured a later version of the original MC225.

MC 225 also happens to be the lowest power standalone stereo amplifier McIntosh ever produced - tube or solid state.

The closest thing to an MC225 (at least visually) is the current MC275 tube amplifier but I cannot comment on whether this extends to the sonic characteristics of the 1960s-era MC225.

 

Looks like i've begun to go down the rabbit hole of tubes and bought a MX110Z. I'm going to have Terry Dewick give it an overhaul before I do anything. I've also stocked up on RCA 6U8A's and already have some tele 12AX7's from tube rolling in my guitar amps.

For the time being, I'm going to use the amp section of my MA6200 but will be looking for a tube amplifier to compliment it. MC30's seem like the obvious choice but will they have enough power to fill up a medium size room with music? My room is approx. 17' x 23'. Any other suggestions for tube amps that would compliment this pre? I listen to all types of music but mainly rock and jazz, in the broadest sense. I'll also be looking for a pair of speakers that would play nice with tubes. Any suggestions for speakers as well? The plan is to have the tube set up in my living room and move my MA6200 and Vandersteen 2Ce's into another room.

 

I also just bought what appears to be a very clean, unmolested MX110z which is being sent on to Bill Thalmann for sympathetic overhaul. I cut and pasted Steve's tube suggestions and sent them on to Bill, who found them very helpful. (He's also restoring my Quad II amps). I haven't bitten the bullet yet on paying for the tubes--the ones that scare me are the GEC KT 66s (for the Quad II's). I will also be using the McI in a vintage system with my old Quad 57s, which should arrive any day after Kent McCollum did his magic to bring them back to life. I'm looking forward to this--my main system is now in storage and won't be set up until I figure out a new space for it, but I suspect I'll be clocking some serious hours on this vintage system in the meantime. Way more fun than most modern gear in some respects- despite all the improvements in high end hi-fi, there's a lot of magic in the old gear. Next in my quest is an SME 3012r.

 

Aloha
How true MC-30 is a very special Tube amp kind of Magic
Luckily I own a nice pair unfortunately 1 of them got a bad hum during warm up procedere process for a short time anyone know maybe what's wrong ? Any advice or idea?
Thanks in advance
Wally

 

McIntosh MX110 Tuner-Vorverstärker

Hope I can get this beautiful one


Sorry it's all in German

 

This is the kind of thing I discovered at a very young age during the 80s when I hooked up my dads Hearhkit AA111 from the closet just to see what tubes sounded like. That lifelike presentation and palpably and that "in the room" feel that the better tube stuff from the era just seems to have in its DNA. I've been hooked ever since and have been collecting and carefully restoring these amps and preamps ever since. I was actually thinking of using my tax return to get something I always wanted, a MC240 and Mac preamp, I think I'll put the MX110 on that list.