Who heard or has a McIntosh MC7100?

I owned (for a very short time) an MC-7150 and a C-712. They were both HORRIBLE. Thick is probably the best way to describe their sound. Of course they looked gorgeous but their performance was truly lackluster.

I picked them up used (here) from their original owner as a set. They had just been to the factory for a once-over and had about $350 worth of maintenance performed, so I know that they were up to spec and in proper operating condition.

Compared to the Classe DR-9 and Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 that they replaced, they were dreadful.

The MC-7100 is the same amp as the MC-7150 minus 50 watts and the cool meters. I would follow the advice regarding the older "2" series with the autoformers. I believe that the "7" series was produced during the transition period after being purchased by Clarion.

Good luck.

Again, it depends what type of sound you like. Some people don't like McIntosh, just like some people don't like ML, don't like Classe, don't like ARC, don't like Pass Labs, etc... To each his own. Gullahisland is proof that you need to audition for yourself.

As an alternate note, Gullahisland is totally wrong about the 7100 being the same as the 7150. They probably sound similar but the topology is quite different between the two since the 7150 has autoformers and the 7100 is direct-coupled. The 7100 was derived from the 7200 actually and the 7150 from the 7270.

Another correction is that the 7xxx series began before Clarion even came into the picture. The 7270 came out in 1985 and Clarion bought McIntosh in 1990. The inital design stage for the 7xxx series probably began in the early 1980s so this argument is out the window.

In addition, Clarion, per McIntosh employees I have spoken with at length (they are really cool guys and will just chat on the phone with you), did basically nothing to McIntosh. In other words, things didn't change and the designs continued as they would have normally but they got more money to build things like a better anechoic chamber and testing equipment. The Japanese essentially worship McIntosh and so Oyamada saw it like a feather in his hat when he bought the company.

I think that is the end of the corrections so far. Anyway, experiment and see if Mc suits your tastes. As Gullah says, If you want thin sound, then Mc won't be for you....

Yours truly,
The Mc Crusader ;)

Nice job Aball.

I'm clearly not very well-versed on McIntosh. I just knew that I had always wanted to own McIntosh gear and jumped at the opportunity to buy a matching amp/preamp in such superb condition. It clearly wasn't my cup of tea.

The good news, however, is that you can experiment with little to no risk. The stuff holds its' value and is EASY to sell if you don't like it. I actually made a tidy profit ($400) when I sold mine.

If the sound floats your boat, you'll be set - 'cuz there's nothing more beautiful than McIntosh blue.

After all this trouble,,,if I dont get a MC2100 I may go for a pair of Monarchy Audio SM70 monoblocks.

I have had a McIntosh MC7100 for about 8 years now, and love it. Mine is mated with a PS Audio 6.2 preamp. To my ears, there is plenty of detail to the sound and I currently have no desire to upgrade. I would highly recommend this amp.