McIntosh MA9000 Integrated Amplifier -- 300 Watts, Upgradeable DAC

You could well be right. Unlike (IBM) PC's where parts have been standardized across the industry over the past thirty years, the audio industry just started to get computerized over the past decade and I do wonder how valid the claim of swappable board is ...

 

The best swappable DAC is the one you plug in as another source component


Still, neat concept. If they can replicate this in one of their A/V processors they'd have a winner on their hands.

 

I don't doubt that. The upgrade, if available, would probably cost more than a top of the line PS Audio DAC anyway. I wish they offered a preamp with meters and MC phono without a DAC in it. The MC302 amp looks good to me too.

 

Very strongly

 

Beautiful drool worthy unit!
Only concern I have, maybe not a concern as much as puzzlement. Why include a digital section in the unit. I see that Mc is doing that on other models as well.
At this level would not the user have outboard digital components? I'm sure it's well isolated, but still...
On my amp I have the option to install a tuner module (never did, why fire the unit up for radio, seems silly to me), could the digital section have been treated that way?

 

Any tuner added to the audio system these days should be able to receive internet radio broadcast. Traditional AM/FM only tuner really is not that meaningful IMO ...

 

Makes sense. Still I would think it best to keep that outboard, and even then, not a worthy source for units of this caliber. Just IMO.

 

Mac has to provide something extra in order to charge premium price. I have never owned a Mac but have gears that are in the similar league ...

 

A tad negative there towards Mc, but I've noticed others adding in a digital section as well.
And of course it adds to the price.

 

Mac needs to come up with a great sounding Class D amp that weighs a bit less than 100 lbs before I would consider buying one ...

 

Just a BTW thingie, Mac is a computer company ( no "A" in McIntosh), unless you mean the MAC line? The amp in this discussion is in their MA line.

 

I am well aware of that. Most people refer to McIntosh as Mac in the audio circle. After all, not all people are Apple fanboys and I will never buy any Apple products anyway ...

 

C1100 does, but at a very high price. They also have the C22 reissue with MM and MC inputs, but no meters.

 

I doubt many present-day preamps come with meters. Even back in the old days, it was not a popular feature ...

 

OK, but if something is wrong, even if "most" (your view, not mine) do it, does that make it right?
Anyhoo....my last post on the subject.
Sorry to derail.

 

True, meters on a preamp seem a little bit useless to me...

 

They have a few...C2600, C52 for example.

 

The C1100 is a perfect fit. The downside is it's as much as I want to spend total, but without amplification.
The next step down is the C2600, but once again includes a DAC.

 

Anyone using the MC phono pre in a Mcintosh tube preamp? If I go that route, could I ditch my Rogue Ares tube phono pre? Would it be an upgrade, downgrade or a wash?

 

For what it's worth, I have the C2600 and the MC phono stage is terrific (stock tubes). Extremely low noise, great dynamics, variable loading, and you can adjust the gain. With the "level trim" set at zero it's at 60db, but you can adjust it in .5db increments down to -6db or up to + 6db from there. Much less grainy than the Clearaudio Nano V2 I used before. While that Nano was only $450, but I auditioned separate phono stages in the $1,000 - $2,000 range before buying the C2600, and IMO its phono section was at least as good as any of them, though I've never heard the Ares. I also like not having another component taking up space and it obviates the decision about what interconnects to use and the like.

The DAC in the C2600 sounds quite good and accepts pretty much any file type, but I don't do much digital beyond physical discs or AirPlay from iTunes, so that wasn't really a priority for me. You could ignore the built-in DAC I suppose and continue to use whatever you have. All the inputs are programmable. Again, if you don't need meters or home theater pass-thru (which I needed), the C22 is excellent.

 

Thanks Snorker. There is a lot to think about.

 

I'm looking at C2300 now. It looks like the direct predecessor of the C2500, sans DAC.
Tube pre with MC phono stage, HT bypass and meters. I realize the meters are a not a necessity, but if I go McIntosh, I want blue meters everywhere!

 

Yeah, that's right. If you're going used the C2300 would be exactly what you're looking for. Can't go wrong with that.

 

I could go uesd on the pre, new on the MC302. Ive heard good things about Audio Classics. They specialize in preowned Mcintosh. Do you have any experience with them?

 

I do not. Only what I've read here, which is positive.