Thanks for the info. I have Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Speakers with a Rowland Concentra amp. I plan to use the pre-amp section of the Concentra to run the amp. I have listened to the two amps in different stores, but never together, and to get them at the house at the same time would be quite an ordeal. I have not listened to the upgrade("e" or platinum) for either amp. I can pick up a used McCormack for a pretty good price. |
FSarc,
While the DNA-500 and DNA-225 share some of the same heritage, the dual-differential topology of the DNA-500 is SO MUCH DIFFERENT than the DNA-125 and DNA-225 that we can not extrapolate that the DNA-255 is just a lower powered version of the DNA-500. The DNA-500 is a superb amplifier in it's own right and more than a few steps above the DNA-125 amd DNA-225. At $7000 a pop, we should expect so.
I don't think that even the modded 225 will touch a stock 500. |
4yanx, I didn't say the soundstage was bad in the 225, I simply said the Ayre is better which it is. I also said the 225 was a good amplifier but it is certainly not as liquid as the Ayre nor is its midrange as good. The 225 was given a "B" position by Stereophile and has pretty much been agreed by other reviewers indicating where it stands and even though I too don't put much faith in Stereophile, in this case, I think they are right on. You've got to ask yourself though why did the amp not soundstage with the Revel speakers. I find this curious since I can think of no logical reason other than the reviewer is making a subtle statement.
Steve McCormack has always made an excellent amp but the inclusion of caps in the input signal path to the amp, I feel, are its downfall. Any cap in the signal path will affect the sound in someway. The amp is powerful and at its price point, a good deal. The ouput stage is biased in class B (same as the Belles amps)and it runs very cool.
It also uses negative feedback to achieve some of its specs. The Ayre does not use negative feedback and I think this is where the Ayre's sonic purity comes from(which can be said for Theta's dreadnaught amp.) I did state early on that I thought the McCormack was better in the bass(I understand from Ayre that the "Evolution" upgrade solves this.) McCormack's upgrades I'm sure would take the amp to a higher status just as it does with a fully done DNA .5(another amp I like very much)
Lastly, I'm glad you like the amp so much and I'm sorry I can't agree with your conclusions. As long as you are personally satisfied, that's all that really matters. We will just have to agree to disagree. I would submit that the person above looking for an amp listen to a lot of different choices and not limit himself to these. If he finds the 225 suitable, then he has saved himself a chunk of money over the Ayre. It took me several months to figure out what I was hearing that made me like the Ayre and find it worth the money. Some things take time. Audio is a funny hobby. There's a reason you see so much stuff for sale on the used market. |
No problem, Bigtee, I will happily agree to disagree. As long as we're speaking of reviews, below is one by Martin DeWulf that I read before buying my DNA-225 and which may be of interest to Dumboat regarding another perspective visa vis soundstaging and imaging. Sorry to post the whole thing, but I was sent a copy of this and cannot find a link: "From Bound for Sound #137
More Power Amplifiers:
The McCormack DNA-225, $2,795
McCormack Audio Corporation of Virginia, 2733 Merrilee Dr., Fairfax, VA 22031
tel 703.573.9665; fax 703.573.9667; www.McCormackAudio.com
On loan from manufacturer.
Steve McCormack is one of the original pioneers in the modern era of the high-end. As one of the founding partners of The Mod Squad, he almost single-handedly started the accessories market with the famous Tip Toes. What Steve is doing presently doesn't exactly fit the term "mod" anymore as McCormack Audio is less into mods and more into from the ground up component designs of amps and preamps.
Knowing that McCormack is now a subsidiary of conrad-johnson, when the DNA-225 arrived, I was curious to see what the impact of the new ownership would be on the Steve McCormack designed components. After all, Steve had been making amps and
preamps long before being acquired by c-j, and his designs have a signature style power supply: The Distributed Node Amplifier supply. This supply is distinctive in that it does not use the large soup can type capacitors in the power supply, nor does it cluster the supply caps around the input transformer. What Steve has done, starting way back with his DNA-1 in the middle 1990's, is locate the supply caps (smaller ones) right next to the bipolar output devices. That way, when the output device needs extra energy it has a low resistance source right next to it. Another McCormack calling card is the use of big, old-fashioned iron core transformers in the power supply - no toroids here. It was nice then to open tip the hood on the 225 and see that big old fashioned laminated transformer sitting there covered in varnish - (sniff, sniff) - it even smelled good. With the power supply caps distributed next to the output devices and the big, old transformer at the front of the chassis, I knew this was still a McCormack design - and that's good.
Tale of the tape. This is an all-discrete design using FETs at the inputs and 8 bipolar output devices per channel for current. As you may have guessed, the amplifier is capable of 225 WPC into 8 Ohms, output into 4 Ohms is a rated 400 WPC. The distributed capacitance power supply has 75,200 uF of filtering, This is a non-inverting amp, meaning that a positive signal going in is positive when it comes out. AC line polarity is correct. My measurements revealed only 2.82 volts to the chassis in the standard AC polarity, and 7.87 volts with the polarity of the AC reversed. These are incredibly low numbers, and show some fine electrical design work on behalf of McCormack. It also means, however, that with numbers this low, in some systems the amp may actually sound best with the AC reversed. If in doubt, leave the AC in the manufacturer set position. The 225 draws 130 Watts from the line at idle. Input impedance is 100kOhms. It is 6.5" x 19" x 16" (HWD) and weighs 54 lbs. The rear chassis is simple in layout having a single set of 5-way speaker terminals. These terminals are all metal and lock down very nicely with the use of a Post Man. Overall construction is good, a definite notch above the Adcoms and NADs of the world, but not audio jewelry, either. Heatsinks are situated along the sides of the amp, and became moderately warm during operation, though never hot.
Set-up. For an amplifier this large and substantial, I was surprised to see how sensitive it was to the various power cords it was tried with. Cords such as the JPS, the TG Audio and the Empirical were not impressive as each left the 225 shy and light in the bass.
The Shunyata Viper was a little better, but it was the Audience Power Chord and the new AudioPrism S-2 that allowed the amp to shine its brightest. Due to the superior performance of the 225 with the AudioPrism S-2, my final audition was with that cord.
Preamps were a piece of cake with this amp. Its high-ish input impedance of 100 kOhms is an easy load for any preamp to drive, including tubes. I was surprised then at how well the amp worked with the Symfonia Opus 8, a transistor preamp with an enormous power supply that generally prefers an amp with a lower input impedance.
The 225 worked equally well with a wide variety of loudspeakers. Due to the ability of the PBN KAS loudspeaker to reveal and explain the performance of components in front of it, most of my auditioning of the 225 was done with it. They worked extremely well together. I think part of the 225's ability to work with speakers of high and low impedance must be due to the amp not being designed for extreme current delivery, while still being able to deliver sufficient power into loads of 4 - 6 Ohms. In that regard, this design is more middle of the road than it is slanted toward either impedance extreme.
Speaker cables for auditioning were the all silver TG Audio HSRs.
Sonics. The rather mundane looks of this amp disguise the sonics available with some work. The 225 tends to sound light in the bass and lower midrange if not set up just right. Even under the knowing eye of Steve himself in Las Vegas at the CES, the sound tended toward the light side. But it doesn't have to be that way. All you need is the right power cord. I ended up using the S-2 cord from AudioPrism to alleviate the lightness. But at $1,500 per cord, I realize that for many something a little less costly might be needed. For a less costly alternative, I chose the Audience Power Cord. With the Audience cord the tonal balance was right and dynamics were powerful. Some depth and dimension was missing compared to the AudioPrism, but the performance was very good none the less. The following comments are with the S-2 power cord, for that is the true potential of the amplifier.
This amp images like a mutha'. Left to right and depth wise, the 225 has it all: It can take you there. By "there", I mean a strong sensation of getting back to the original event. It starts with great space. I like it when a power amplifier takes control of the sound space, and to the extent possible, creates a new space inside the one you are listening in. Once connected to the 54 power card, that's exactly what happened with the DNA 225. The result was a layered space with almost no blurring or coloring outside the lines. With a good recording such as Red Norvos "The Forward Look", the sensation of hearing the entire acoustic space and transparency to the back of the hall was strong. One of the strengths of the amp has to be the transparency it displays once you listen past the instruments at the fore of the stage. Actually, in an odd turn of events, the 225 seemed to these ears to have slightly better focus at the back of the stage than it did at the front of it. Regardless, this amp's ability to capture the little aspects of the sound represented by the decays and reverbs, lends to an over all feeling that you are largely in touch with what was recorded, and not listening to some version of the performance that merely mimics the original. The transition between direct and indirect sound is clean and unmuddied.
If there is any problem with the mids, it may the amp's lack of a tube like bloom in the lower mids. And this is probably the area where some tube-o'philes would take issue with the overall sound. The result is a sound that is highly transparent and responsive, while lacking some of the warm and cuddly audio nest feel. Fortunately for even the tube lover, the DNA-225 has enough warmth in the lower mids that cello and male vocals still have a nice presence.
The highs on the DNA-225 are a little forward, a little etched, and a bit touchy. This amp puts demands not only on the electronics in front of it to stay clean, but on the speakers used not to worsen things by being too aggressive. For most of my listening to the DNA-225, I used the PBN KAS which, while being extremely revealing, is extremely clean and airy in the highs - it was exactly what the McCormack needed in terms of a playback speaker. Though one could get along with a speaker that was a little soft on top too as long as it wasn't hard. Cheap or mediocre tweeters have no place here.
The bass was exactly what one would expect from a bipolar output power amp with a well designed power supply....deep, tight and explosive, just the way it should be. And to these ears, the bass and the lower mids integrated very well.
Conclusion. The DNA-225 is an interesting counterpoint to the sound of the SimAudlo Moon W3. The sound of the Moon W3, though being a bipolar design, had a warmth and texturing ability that was seductive to the point of being addictive. But you know something, I think the DNA-225 would be an easier listen in the long run. Not only because the McCormack tends to be slightly more truthful, but because the 225 is more visual from the front of the stage to the very back of the stage... it's all there with this amp. The W3 is incredible at the front of the stage; few tube amps of any price are as vivid and alive up front, but in retrospect, the further you listened back into the stage, the cloudier things became, especially in the lower frequencies. The DNA-225, on the other hand, was able to preserve the "acoustic" of the original venue better than the W3, which to me was a reflection and a direct result of the greater focusing power of the McCormack amp.
In a lot of ways, the DNA-225 reminded me of the Counterpoint Solid 1 amp. No doubt, the McCormack is the better amplifier, but both amps had a nice way with a soundstage, great bass, and good visuals from front to back.
If you need power, but a measure of finesse and transparency is a high priority at a reasonable price, this is one heck of a power amplifier - but be ready to buy the right power cord." |
I am not a fan of the so called "zero feedback" approach to power amplifiers. The light weight bass is a deviation from neutrality (not able to present flat frequency response). Why start out with something that needs to be corrected. |
