McIntosh MC312 vs. ARC Reference 150

The ARC will be more detailed giving a much more balanced presentation. The MAC is very midrange and bass heavy.

Have you not received the amp yet?

@ghdprentice No, it’s shipping today so I should have it by mid-next week. 

@ghdprentice   The McIntosh is NOT bass heavy and very midrange.  Why do you sprout lies about McIntosh?

I admit I haven't listened to any Mac equipment lately but the older amps did have a darker presentation than ARC.

Your question is baffling to me.  The MC312 has autoformers between its outputs and the load, and the ARC has transformers like most tube amps, and with its higher output impedance will interact with the speaker more than the MC312.  Your speakers use internal amps for their woofers, so a voltage divider shunts low frequencies to ground.  With all this going on, you ask about sound signatures.  You are asking to have your expectations set in advance of the simple process of listening and forming your own opinion, free of preconceptions.  

+1 @crustycoot and +1 @stereo5

To me McIntosh is a bit warmer and duller sounding than the ARC. 
In my experience ARC is bigger sounding than the McIntosh with more details and better soundstage. McIntosh gives you a nice overall picture but ARC digs deeper into the recording. Acoustic instruments is probably where you’ll hear it the most. Will take time to get used to new sound. My advice is, if you like the Ref150, get a matching ARC preamp. It’ll be another step up the sonic ladder. 

stereo5

The McIntosh is NOT bass heavy and very midrange. Why do you sprout lies about McIntosh?

That someone’s opinion differs from yours does not mean either of you is "sprouting" a lie.

@crustycoot First, if you have no desire to answer my question, why do you even bother posting. I am well aware that the Mac has autoformers and the GoldenEars have built in subs. After all, I own them.

Second, why do you feel you have a right to criticize my desire to hear from other, many experienced audiophiles in this forum about their view on the difference between the two amps, while I await the arrival of the ARC amp?

If I felt answers would give me preconceptions, or if I thought preconceptions would be a bad thing, it goes w/o saying that I wouldn’t have asked the question in the first place.

Surely your life cannot be so empty that you have time to pass judgement on others, while adding nothing to the thread?

@audphile1 I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. 👍

@bimmerlover 

Depending on the tubes used in the ARC, both amps can sound similar, but…. Do you what KT120’s they bought? Were they matched pairs? Do you know if the other tubes have been replaced? If so with what? Any updates or mods? 
I bought a tube amp maybe ten years ago and it came with new tubes. Unfortunately they were the bottom of the line EH tubes and the amp sounded awful!  Anyway, if the Ref 150 is anywhere close to spec, I’m sure you will love the sound.

@curiousjim thanks for your response. I don’t know any details yet about the tubes, such as if they were matched pairs, etc. except that they have been exchanged about 150 hours ago.

When I asked I was told that the previous owner replaced them with KT120s, and not KT150s that some do. 

I fooled around with MacIntosh and ARC, once upon a time. It was expensive. I ended up dumping all my Macintosh for all brand new ARC equipment. Nowadays I have a mixture of ARC and solid state.

I think the comments above are correct, Macintosh is not so defined and more boomy. The ARCs tend to have finer detail and a more open presentation.

Saying this I know Macintosh enthusiasts will defend their product to the end and so be it. But I have to treat it like it’s just another piece of audio gear bought and sold.

In the end both companies are fantastic and you pick or you choose the one you wish.

Certainly you are not hurting with either.

@bimmerlover 

Yeah, a lot of people put in the kt150’s.  ARC put them in the SE model as well.

Question,  do you have a 20 amp outlet near your rig?  ARC uses 20 PC’s on almost everything.

@curiousjim yes, I have a dedicated 20 Amp circuit for the amp.

As for KT150s, it might be something for the future as I have not even received and plugged it in yet… :-)

Four matched pairs of KT150s (I.e., 8 in all) from Upscale Audio would set me back about $1200-$1300, so I’ll cross that bridge later.