Tempted to buy a Macintosh

daeone, I’m glad you mentioned it, I just demoed the C 2700 for one week and went back to the stereo store and ordered one. It sounded great even with my old amp hooked up to it. I am looking forward to trying out those 611’s someday.

I recently swapped out a PS Audio BHK pre and BHK 300's for a C2700 and MC611's.  I was able to home audition the gear side by side.  The BHK stuff is quite good, but the MAC is a definite upgrade in my system.
More authoritative bass and mid-bass, More detail throughout the spectrum and harmonics to die for.  Sometimes the BHK 300's would seem strained and thin out when played loud.  No such issue with the 611's, effortless at volume with no fatigue.  To the OP, not exactly info you were looking for but wanted to share my McIntosh experience.  

yakbob, thank you for steering me to audioaficionado forum. I did finish reading a lot about the C2700 thread there. Everything you mentioned is what I am looking for. I am pretty sure I am going to buy it now. 

flavo, thank you also for pointing out other options. Too bad the Rita’s came damaged.

I don't know anything about the Macs, just wanted to give you another option to look at in the same vein. 

The Vincent K35 doesn't have the meters but is still reminiscent to me. The reviews were good until they tried to reproduce bass for loud rock music. Which doesn't apply to you. 
https://hifiheaven.net/shop/Vincent-K-35-Silver-Tube-Integrated-Amplifier-Used

The other is the even nicer Rita 880s that maybe ticks all of your boxes. 
I actually did buy this one a couple months ago, but it is a heavy sucker (over 100 pounds) and got damaged in shipping so I never got to hear it. 
https://www.dagogo.com/grant-fidelity-reference-system-review/

Jamitloud, you're likely to find  c2700 owners and opinions on the audioaficionado forums.

I've not heard the 2700 but own the c2300. The 2700 looks like a great solution if your long term plan is an all in one solution, meaning, pre amp, DAC, and phono stage all being housed in one package. Add in tone controls and tubed circuit and your options begin to narrow down to Luxman, Accuphase and Mcintosh (in your price range). The LUXMAN - CL-38u may be a sonic competitor, but lacks some of the Mc features. Might be worth a listen if you plan to go with a separate DAC.

I can tell you the Mcintosh tube preamps do benefit from NOS tube upgrades and worthy of consideration if you decide to purchase.

Gte357s. I have a similar situation as you.  May I interrupt this thread. Any Mac owners have an opinion on the McIntosh C2700 tube preamp? I am
new to Audiogon and recently started building a 2 channel/home theater system. I am demoing the C2700 in my home sound system now, I like it so far. My Budget will not exceed the price of a McIntosh price range. I’m looking for a better tube preamp with all the bells and whistles. I know there’s more expensive audio gear such as luxman, pass labs, audio research etc. which is out of my price range.
I never thought about McIntosh until last week when the dealer recommended I try it at home. I’m still looking at other preamp’s as well. In the future I would like a better amp as well.
Thank you in advance for any comments.

The McIntosh 3 year warranty is only valid for the original purchaser and cannot be transferred. If you’re buying used then not much of an issue as most second hand gear would be in excess of 3 years old I guess. Mac will repair and service gear if not original owner no problem.
I have an MA8000 solid state 300w integrated and love it. (Has a really good quality headphone amp built in as well). Can be bought for around $5,000 or £5,000 in UK on the used market. Bought mine 18 months ago on Ebay when it was just over 2 years old and been 100% reliable so far. Sounds silky smooth and doesn’t take up much room either compared to separates.

I'm thinking of a McIntosh c53 or c2700 preamp to pair with my Firstwatt. I like the idea of tone controls since I listen to 78's and many vintage recordings. Plus, I like to bump the low end up a notch on RVG mastered albums.

Zu and Spatial speakers are very high efficiency speakers. Those sounds best with low powered pure tube amplifiers. No need for crazy powerful amps here.

No matter how I like McIntosh, it seems it won’t match my speaker.  Definitely over power.  At the beginning, I though more power is not necessarily a bad thing.  Yes, the volume gained can be a problem, but I read it will give tighter bass.  I also read that higher power amp “May” also have less detailed, and have more stress on mid range.  This is exactly how I feel when using my Almarro on the Spatial Audio X5.  I think if my speakers don’t have a power subwoofer, then the extra power can be beneficial.  However, with my Zu and Spatial X5, McIntosh seems really not a good match.  But thanks for helping me to learn more about McIntosh.  

The Firstwatt, mentioned above, is fantastic. Much louder than you would think with 25 watts. Here's the kicker.........you can crank the J2 up super loud......the sound is as clear as normal listening volumes. I've never had an amp so clear near the top of its peak volume. It is really amzing once you hear the clarity in person. I've been told the Benchmark amp is super clear as well.

MC240 tube amp you can find used under your target price. One on eBay now for $2,225 plus shipping. Power amp, not integrated. Then easy to find tube preamps under $600 +/-

If you can handle very low wattage, I would highly recommend a First Watt J2. Plain box. Nelson Pass magic inside. But, this is a power amp. $2200 - 2400 pre-owned w a 3yr warranty backed by Pass Labs.

@aberyclark thanks for your input, that’s what I am worried.  In fact, I just received the 2A3 tube and test out a 4 W SET amp.  It matches better than the 18W Almarro, I feel.  So, I feel the MA275 is not a good match with my speakers, too much power.
 
@treynolds155 The MHA100 is interesting.  Wow, it is like a Swiss Army knife.  It can be a all in one, but it also has a preamp out so it acts as a DAC+preamp?  That’s a plus which opens up option to buy a power amp.  There are some power amps I am interested such as the Yamamoto A08s.  Can I bypass the headphone amp section when I use it for speakers?  One concern is usually, something must be sacrificed when cramping more features and keeping the budget.  It would be even better to have a DAC out to my integrated amp?  I just bought a Topping D7x DAC.  

I own a Mac 252 and just love it.  Use my B&W 803 D4 speakers and run only digital in this system using a modest Bluesound Node 2i.  It sound exceptional in my office.  And if you are into the look, it is a look that becomes an art piece.  Doesn't have the meters, but has an awesome look just the same.  But it is the sound that does it for me.  I don't think I will ever get rid of that 252.  Just to cool.  I will ultimately pass it down to one of the kids when they get settled.

I’m also a happy Mac owner here, but before I purchased my MC 601 monoblocks, I was auditioning between Audio Research, Pass Lab, and McIntosh, I end up liking the Mac amp with the C2300 tube preamp by far. Before this I had the C2100 for 25 years build in the early 70s, no pretty blue light nor meter just pure clean sound until I wanted to upgrade and still endEd up with Mac that matches really great with Vandersteen speakers. Obviously I did not bought the Mac for it’s looks, it’s purely for its sounds quality because if the AR or Pass Lab sounded great to me, I would have bought that instead and they’re not pretty looking.

You should demo the MC-152. Has all the newer Mc features. Easily obtains the stated 150 wpc and has great headroom. One of the most “musical” sounding of all Mc amps. I paired with a C47 pre in my office rig. Great combo. 

I can speak from personal experience about the MA252; I bought mine about a year and a half ago. I'm using it with a PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Roon Nucleus and Harbeth C7ES3 speakers. It sounds wonderful and I can't see myself ever parting with it. Totally recommended!

I have the Almarro 318b and several other including Shindo, Trafomatic, etc.
If your speakers are high efficiency and staying, I would look into McIntosh MC30 or 40 or the 225 stern amp fully restored.
I also own the 225 and the MC 30 and happy with them. 

You use SET amps now, with max power of 18wpc.   How much power do you want from an upgrade ?    You have a Triode TRV 2a3 amp.  Have you considered moving up in the Triode line ?   Triode TRV-845SE is an 845 integrated that can deliver about 25wpc.  The offer a new parallel 300b amp that is rated for 22wpc.  The also a few amps using EL34 and KT88 tubes, for more power.

Given your tastes and setup, I would recommend vintage MAC equipment.  With $3000 you should be able to find a pr of Mc30 monoblocks, MC225 or MC240 stereo amps; all having been serviced.

All have level controls so you can connect a source component directly to the amp (or through a passive preamp).

I have experience with many MAC tube amps (currently use restored MC225 and MC240), and SS amps (6100 / 6200 / 2100 / 2105 / 250 / 2505). Many extol the virtues of the MC275.  It is a good amp, but the lower powered Mac amps sound better.   

A sideways recommendation would be a restored Eico HF81.  This is a 6bq5 based integrated amplifier.  It will deliver about 15 wpc.  I have a restored unit (ALL new caps, resistors, wiring etc).  It sounds sublime within its limits.   You may also investigate restored vintage Fisher, Scott, Sherwood integrated amplifiers.  Key is to be sure any unit has been carefully restored by a competent tech with a good reputation.

Vintage MAC holds value, as do the other vintage units I mentioned.   All will probably continue to appreciate in value over time.   Benefit here is if you don't like what you hear, you can resell for what you paid or even a little more.  Your only cost is time !    How rare is that in this hobby ?

Mac made their rep with their tube gear. The Mac C22 preamp is terrific. The Mac 275 amp was the Gold Standard. *Was* is the operative watch word. It’s still a great amp. There are those who see the VTA ST-120 as a Mac 275 killer.

https://www.audioasylum.com/messages/amp/193985/review-vta-m-125-amp-kit-amplifier-tube

There are two ways to look at Mac tube gear. It’s very good, but overpriced for the sound you get from it. That being said, properly cared for, it will never lose value, but will in fact appreciate over time.

VTA tube gear is MUCH less costly and in the views of many, BETTER sounding. But it very rarely comes up for sale used, so you have to buy it new - either in kit form or preassembled and tested. So anything VTA piece you get will have a lower resale value.

A Mac 275 will run you about $5000 or so. That’s also about the going price for a C22 preamp. But the top-line VTA phono preamp, line stage preamp and 60 wpc ST-120 power amp, preassembled and tested, altogether price out at about $4200. You can save about $1000 off that price if you build the kit versions.

http://tubes4hifi.com

I know this combo is above your desired spend but FWIW, I have a C-2300 tube preamp paired with an MC-275 (gen VI) tube power amp. Paired with efficient speakers would make a great set up but every listener is different.  For me, I love the sound and the look is hard to beat.  

I had a complete Mac separates setup in the 80's. Amp, preamp & receiver. For whatever reason, I moved on to a Nakamichi integrated receiver when I went to CD's. I kept the CS's over the years and they went into storage in a closet. Now in retirement I decided to dive back in and plunged in with Mac again. C2600 tube preamp, MC462 amp, MCD600 CD, SACD player. Also have Mac speakers. Could not be happier with the sound. I know there are a lot of Mac haters on the forum but we all have varied taste and ears.

Knowing  Mac and selling them know they are dependable ,and 
nice looking with the meters ,respectable sounding but not in the passlabs class or ,a Krell or a Mark Levenson .
i am into modding ,go to utube many average parts at least a dozen red wima capacitors decent but nothing speacial 
for coupling capacitors there are so many different better choices 
also it is a class AB amplifier a top Amplifier usually will have at least   The first 10 watts in pure class A which is sonicly better
unless running a top digital amplifier like Merrill which has its pros and cons . You didnot mention budget , or integrated only 
or new or used . McIntosh is very respectable and maybe the nicest looking but not near the best sounding if spending over $6000 New for a seperate or integrated. I am just giving my evaluation after selling them for several years . If you have the extra money a Pass labs is clearly a step up , as well as the New Krell line.

The only Mac I would consider is the MC-275. Otherwise just go lie down for awhile till the urge goes away.....Former Mac owner.

mcintosh amps are rated into 2, 4 and 8 ohms!! they don't put out more power into 2, 4 and 8ohms. that's how they are designed!

The MA 6900 is 200 watts per using their auto former design.  It does not double down into 4 or 2 ohms.  So it is on the low power side of their SS amps.  I run preamp out to a subs crossover and back into the amp section. To me an improvement.  I also have a Wyred4Sound St1000v2 which drove Maggie 1.7s well with 400 watts class D. After a few months I went back to the McIntosh. I may switch again for fun.

I am working off a 71 year olds memory, but one of the big magazines (stereophile maybe)  bench tested the MC501 mono blocks circa 2008 and they tested out at 750 wpc.

@ihasaguy, i once read that mcintosh amps usaully put out about 33% more than it's rated output!

To flatbackround, did you ever compare your ma 6900 to any other Mcintosh amp? I have several other Mcintosh amps that make me happy, but my ma 6900 just doesn't deliver. What do I do wrong?
The ma 6900 was in production for 15 years, so it must do something wright!  Can anybody help me to let it s(w)ing???

Let me add another very happy McIntosh owner.   I have MC501s driving 3.6 Maggies via a C220 tube preamp.  I bought all the McIntosh gear used 10 years ago +/- and could sell them all today for what I paid.  Another thing about McIntosh amps, they are typically under rated for power.  My MC501s are advertised at 500 wpc, bench test to about 750.  As others have said, you can get your money back out if them if you don't like them.  Another vote for Audio Classics and used gear as well!

I am running the often maligned MA 6900 integrated into Maggie 1.7s with a sub.   It makes me very happy.

I have the McIntosh 601 monoblocks, Martin Logan 15a Renaissance and a McIntosh c47 pre amp. Music is absolutely crystal clear. Highs are strong, cymbals are perfect. Midrange and voice, I don’t think anything can compare or I just can’t imagine
 something sounding better
You haven’t Really heard Whitney Houston until you hear her and others on this system. It’s really mind boggling. 
Bass and low end is awesome also. Stand up Bass on jazz is perfect. The transition of deep base on violins to mid and upper ranges are seamless
Rap, yes Rap, will blow you away.
 So so much power when you need it and still Chrystal clear. 
Still looking to upgrade from a blusound node 2 to something that will match my system more. Like the 5k Lumin. But, no big rush. 

chorus,
Don't apologize. You're the one who's missing out. And by the way, you don't find what sounds good by "reading up".

dill,
 
"I did it out of respect for the OP only. Not for those who judge me."

I don't know that anyone was judging you, maybe just asking you to ease up on the OP, and as it turned out, there was a good reason. I know that I've written some things on this forum that I've regretted, and I've written PM's to the person involved to apologize.   

Aren't we all? 
Then we sober up, read up
and make an informed decision.

Sorry Mac People. I got no reason not to love you.

Thanks stereo5. A few years back we remodeled our home and had to relocate my listening room to a smaller one. At the time I had an all Pass Aleph system (including phono stage) and Silverline Sonatina's (Avalon style). Loved the system, however it took up too much room. I am very happy with the Pathos and my current setup.

@dill ,

I checked out your system. Congratulations on the Pathos Integrated.  I heard it in upstate New York and it is quite special. Very nice system, enjoy.  

I did it out of respect for the OP only. Not for those who judge me.

i see 'dill' has deleted some of his comments! 

I've got 95db Omega alnico monitors powered by a MHA100 (non autoformer for speaker taps) fed by a MB50 streamer/dac. At spirited volume the meters aren't even hitting 2 watts. I've had class A and tube amps, all separates, some pretty high end stuff in the past and I'm not wanting for anything with this setup. It sounds great, draws very little power, runs cool to the touch and it's nice to know you can leave the house for a while with everything still running. 

Sound wise it's probably not SOTA but what I'm learning is that Mac gear hits that nice balance of performance and enjoyment factor. Think of it in car terms. A Lotus or similar style car will perform better, but will be an uncomfortable ride even in the short term. A nice Benz or BMW will give the average driver all the performance they need, and still be a very comfortable ride in the long term. Think listener fatigue, Mac stuff is often described as smooth. 

I'd imagine your Zu's would sound great with Mac gear. Good luck!

Beware of the MAC tube integrated amps with your Zu's. I have ZU Omen Defs myself. I wrote MAC and the total output gain is 44db. With the tubes you are looking at super loud tube hiss. I was running a tube pre with a ss, high gain amp with a total of 43db gain...the hiss was unbearable. I had to place a passive pre in between the pre and amp. I now have a tube pre and a low gain FirstWatt amp. 

I say with your speakers...stick with Solid State if you are looking at Mac Integrated amps.

Dude, ignore the negative,

Mac amps are amazing!!

 Just double check the used warranty , as I don’t think there’s any service for a used buyer!

 Go with bryston, odyssey, sanders sound, if it’s an issue.

 If Mac does warranty for secondary owner , go with Mac!

 Make sure Mac does warranty on used gear, if not look elsewhere, or drop the coin and buy new Mac amp.

your call brother!’Be careful!

I personally have not "Fallen in love" with the Mac sound but have a good bit of respect for it. 
'Subjective as that is'. But, nearly all of them I integrated into my main rig were SS, not tube. Most were also "Vintage". It seemed best to me and also the "easy path", to purchase certain Mac "Paired Set’s". These "set’s", I tried, somehow seemed easier to set-up and complimented each other quite well. Both in their cosmetic attributes, as well as in their sonic capabilities. I had heard many speak well of the MC2105 amplifier paired with the C-28 preamp. "A set I kept in fact". If your patient you could I believe, find this set at your price-point.
Also, The MC2105 has separate gain controls for each channel "Also, these I am thinking, were the original amp with their signature,- Auto-formers!
So no clipping! On the front panel. And some simply use those as the volume/attenuation. So that there is no need for a preamp. I never tried that myself, but I am sure there are those here whom could respond if you wished to know more. A perfectly "Mint", MC2105 should fall into your budget area!

I never cared for Mcs but probably never listened to them in the right system/room. Got a great deal on a MA 5200 and was very impressed with it. Took some time matching it with various source components and speakers. And it took some time to sound better. 
But it is a keeper for me now and the classic looks and over build are great. Very neutral sound but punchy enough for small-medium size listening room. It would be good to get one with 150 watts or more. Worth the extra if you can. 

I am invested with McIntosh as I have a tube preamp and SS amp- no regrets. 
The questions I would pose are integrated vs separates and used versus new. 
Are there better investments for the money?  Absolutely, yet I am satisfied with the fact I enjoy unwinding with music everyday. 

Don't forget to try the vintage Mcintosh integrate ma 6850. It blows away all my other Mcintosh ss gear and it was my cheapest Mcintosh purchase. I use it on Harbeth super hl5 plus, on more efficient speakers it's even better.
good luck to you.

Great stuff!
if your set on a Mac, your in the correct direction.

Mac gear is amazing, service is great, BUT, buying used gear I believe is NOT serviceable, ONLY TO ORIGINAL purchaser.

tread lightly........

find out before u drop a lot of coin.

The McCormack amps are absolutely no slouch.
  Great service as well, and you can call Steve McCormack and speak to him directly over the phone!!

 The new revamped SMC audio is amazing! 
Double,check the,warranty/service buying a used Mac amp.

I run dual McIntosh 7300s bridged mono for 600watts per channel with a mc preamp and also have the dual MC275s for when I want tubes. Ran off the McIntosh c2600, I've ran a ton of speakers with this setup. I love the mc sound for me or rivals my vintage Conrad Johnson setup and beats the McCormick and audible illusions system. Yes the meters are cool and all, but the sound it's pure to me, no color and great for vinyl or digital through my dac.