My new...er... old McIntosh amplifier

With my midlife crisis in full swing, my usual hobbies haven't held the same interest they once did. My main rig - VPI Aries 1 turntable, Quicksilver preamp, Eico HF-60 EL34 monoblocks, and UREI 813A speakers - just wasn't getting much use anymore. Sure, it was one hell of a dynamic system but also quite cruel to lesser recordings. My second system, on the other hand, gets hours of use every day. This is where I do most of my listening, mostly casual while I read a book sort of stuff.

So what did I do? I sold off - except for the UREI speakers - my main stereo system and used some of the extra money to buy some records... but I still had a minor equipment bug. I decided to replace the Nakamichi receiver with something a bit more interesting to look at... and to listen to. The idea is to build a system geared to musicality; one that perhaps lacks the some definition and transparency, but maximizes the pleasure I get from spinning records.

A few years back I used to own a McIntosh MC250. It was a rather smooth sounding amplifier - kind of a poor man's tube amp, or, as I call it, the solid-state Dynaco 70. I made the mistake of selling it off to help purchase another audio goody. But I do remember this early SS amplifier's rather impressive industrial look and my once dream to have an all McIntosh system. You see it was Mac gear - for better or worse - that started me in this crazy hobby. Back in 1985 when I was fifteen, I went with my best friend to visit someone's house to check out this new stereo. That was the first time I saw a Mac amplifier - MC60s - and Magnepan speakers. It was a few years later that I got to hear a Mac 240 and it was then that my lust for tube gear started.

So with that in mind, I decided to go a bit retro but, for the family sake, shy away from tubes. Instead I bought this McIntosh MC2100 - a no-meter 105WPC unit - that looks much like their tube amplifiers, minus the golden glow of valves.

This thing is a beast. I'm no scrawny chicken, but wrestling this amplifier from the box definitely took some effort. I walked it over to the Ikea bookshelves and - since I currently don't have a preamplifier - plugged a CD player directly into the inputs. I swapped the speaker wire over and to my relief had music once the AC power was applied.

Initial impressions: My B&W Matrix 805s seemed to gain another octave of bass. The MC2100 doesn't sound flubbery like an underdamped tube amp, but does share some of that special smoothness in the midrange. Since it had less grain the MC2100 does sound a bit better in the treble than the MC250 . Of course years and different speakers have gone by, so it's hard to tell with my middle-aged ears. Overall I'm quite impressed by the sheer grip and control this amplifier seems to have with the B&W speakers.

Next I'll have to get a preamplifier. I'm sort of steering towards a McIntosh C27 preamplifier but have been warned that the vintage Mac SS preamps don't measure up to the amplifiers. Any thoughts on this? I'm still undecided which way to go with this.

 

Very nice

I get wheree you are coming from also, I obssed for some time gaining that maxamium resolution and detail......now I am looking at more of a "musicality" involving presentation.

 

Congratulations on your McIntosh!

I have gone the tube route, just based on what I was able to try out in my home to make sure it sounded right for me.
I believe that you can find a preamp (either SS or tube) that will please you if you follow that approach with patience.

It seems that a lot of McIntosh owners use tube preamps and SS amps as they like the bass control you now have, combined with the musicality of tubes up front.

Either way, if you find something that brings a smile to you when you turn it on, can you be too far off base?

Those are the keepers...

Good hunting!

 

That makes three of us

 

A C-27 is a nice mate for it or even a SS MX series tuner preamplifier. The MC 2100 is very nice sounding in good order. Welcome back to the McFamily.

 

You may also want to look into the C29 & C30 preamplifiers.

Also, an application of Meguiars Metal Polish will work wonders on the chrome of your MC 2100 without disturbing the silk screened lettering.

Here is the best offer I found online:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271440483357?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Happy listening.

 

Mequiars Metal Polish

thanks for the hint!

 

It looks more like you could grill burgers on there!

 

You sold off your HF 60's??? Those are some pretty great, big boy amps. Always wanted a pair. Settled for a pair of Heathkit W-7's which are pretty similar.

Congrats on the nice Mac though...I'm sure it will provide many hours of great listening fun.

 

The HF-60s are among the best amps I've heard to date... something about those Acrosound TO-330 output transformers. Of course they beat the h*ll out of EL34 tubes, but it was a relatively small price to pay for the best bass response I've ever heard - yes, even besting some heavy-hitter SS amps.

 

I use a 2100 to drive AR3a or AR 11 pairs used as subs. Perfect for the job. Lots of high current power at 4 ohms, deep bass and dead silent back ground. About perfect in this application. However when I used the amp full range I was not impressed. Flat sterile and 2 dimensional to my ears. Good luck with yours.

 

Nice amp! I have it's smaller brother the MC250...just as sweet as my tube amps.

I have been through both SS and tube preamps coupled with the MC250 and I find tubes work best. If you use an outboard phono preamp then you could look at a really good line stage tube preamp. The Eastern Electric Minimax pre is bonkers with my MC250; they can be had for $750 used. I have the 250 paired with my Shindo Aurieges pre at this moment.....it's an unbelievable combo!

 

I've plugged the CD player directly into an MC 2100 before and bypassed the preamp - The results are extreme power-with-clarity. Very intense! No tone controls or tube flabbiness to get in the way.

 

Congrats on the MC 2100. I have the metered version, a MC 2105 that I picked up last fall and had refurbished by Terry DeWick. I've had a slight McIntosh obsession since I was a kid and knew that one day I just had to have one as part of my hi fi set up. The mc 2505 / 2105 was the least expensive entree into the metered McIntosh world and it also didn't hurt that they voiced them to sound like their older tube counterparts-or so I have read. I like that presentation and needed to pair that kind of warmth with my NHT speakers. I thoroughly enjoy the sound and to my ears it's just very musical.

At this time I can't imagine getting rid of it (unless I moved up the Mc chain and even then I will still keep it and use it in a secondary system).

I do like that industrial-chic form factor of the 2100 and its smaller brother the 250. I've thought about getting a 250 for the bedroom one day.

 

The C29 is one of the great vintage McIntosh preamps if you can find one.

 

I own a MC2105 amp and C29 preamp that have had a DeWick restoration and I too thoroughly enjoy the sound. I've owned all kinds of different makes of solid state gear over the four decades and nothing has come close to the McIntosh sound IMO. I own a Fisher 500C for my tube fix and love it too but the McIntosh is just a great joy to own and listen too.

 

Congrats. I had a (cosmetically challenged) 2100 for years, and it was a real workhorse. I hope you'll have many happy hours of listening out of yours.

As to preamps, I had mine hooked to an Adcom tuner/preamp and was happy at the time. Since then I've found that my current Graham Slee Jazz Club phono preamp blows the Adcom's phono section out of the water. But then, the G.S. cost more for just a phono pre than the Adcom did with a tuner section, multiple tape loops, etc., etc.

 

I think a friend of mine in MD just picked up your old amp yesterday.

 

Congratulations! Nothing any prettier (without the cover) than a McIntosh tube amp. I chose a SS integrated MA6600. It is still purty and sounds very musical also. I decided against those super hi-rez amps in the same price range as I wanted something that I could listen to all day! I got enough of tube hassles back in the day, but that's just me. Anyhoo, awesome pick up dude!

 

No tubes in the 2100.

 

That MA6600 is a beautiful integrated amp.

 

Thank you sir, I'm really enjoying it!

 

Seeing that pic of the 2100 brought back some fond memories. Enjoyed mine for a few years, then traded it for a pair of self powered Braun (ADS) three-ways. My friend found another 2100 and was using them as monoblocks powering a pair of magnaplanars.

 

In case you were unaware of it, the MA 6600 is designed for installation of the TM 2 tuner module effectively turning it into a receiver. So outfitted, it is essentially the same as the current MAC 6700 receiver.

Although I have never heard one, the comments I have read about the MA 6600 have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

Yes, it has that option, I have not got that at this time. The HD radio part of it is interesting though. Reception is just so bad at my location. I have a HD tuner that I never use because the stations go in and out so badly. Too many trees around me. I do highly recommend the 6600! It's a 75 lb. tank....with finesse.