Upgraded McCormack DNA-1 or Dennis Had Inspire SEP?


It’s make or break time. I need to make a decision about which direction I need to take regarding my next amplifier. I’m coming from a Jolida Fusion 3502P that I’ve spent the last year searching for the best tube combinations.

Do I keep the McCormack DNA-1 I just bought and save up to have it upgraded, or do I sell it and buy a new Insipre amp from Mr. Had? 

I have a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls, Better Cables silver serpent interconnects, high quality copper speaker cables, and I’m feeding them with a Marantz preamp, through which I feed almost all my music via Amazon/Heos.

Discuss. 

Thanks in advance.

jsbw

If you are going to keep the Cornwalls, then the DH low wattage tube amp is the route. Highly efficient speakers like yours @ 102 db sensitivity like low power. Its not about which amp is best. They both have their place. The DH tubes belong in your system as long as you have the cornwalls.

@artemus_5 Yep. It’s Dennis Had or Steve Deckert. Or maybe the Jolida upgrade. I’ll give Jerred a call.

I will always have Klipsch Heritage speakers, full stop. And that, gentlemen, means I will always have tubes.

At least I’ve eliminated one option.

Taking the McCormack to UPS after this post. 

I vote Inspire.  Mine was wonderful. Should have kept it but changed to less sensitive speakers and sold it to get SS.  Mistake!

@ddd1

 I vote Inspire.  Mine was wonderful. Should have kept it but changed to less sensitive speakers and sold it to get SS.  Mistake

Live and learn.😊

Charles 

It's probably safe to say more than a few of us have sold amps we later regretted. And, not trying others would be a miss too, so it all works out in the end.  🤜  🤛

I’m pretty much in the same sitch.  I have a dead 0.5 Rev A that I loved and not sure if it’s worth the $$$ doing the upgrades or going with one of the newer GaN amps.  I’m leaning toward going with Steve’s upgrades cause I know it’ll sound awesome.  But here we are.