@runwell
“Congratulation! I can feel your happiness! What is your preamplifier? The pre in your system must be well matched.”
My preamp is the Octave Jubilee from Germany which costs substantially more than the Mc2301s. I listened to BAT and Audio Research in Europe and they did not persuade me that I was in front of a stage as much as the combination that I have now.
Regardless, at this level, it is a matter of taste and listening interpretations, and your interpretation is probably vastly different from many others, as mine is as well. Therefore, we will never come to a 100% Agreement on what the sound we seek and hear is better than what others say. All I can say, is that, I am more than happy and enjoy what I have. Now, going even further, no other amps have persuaded me to stick with the same brand as McIntosh has. Combined with the speakers I don’t need to seek out any other brand amps or am even curious because it is a waste of my time. I am still curious so will not ever experiment if the opportunity presents itself, but I am not going out of my way to make it happen.
In fact, I am waiting on test reports of the newly announced MC3500 to see how these new 350 watt plus tube amps compare to the MC2301s. I suggest you stick with what you like and stop brandishing brands as poorly made, when in fact, I can say the same about other speakers and amp combinations. The value is in the execution of the combined equipment and the summation of that equates the outputs, some good or bad, according to certain people. Live and learn.
