McCormack DNA-1 Gold or DNA-225

I wanted to update this, as the amp will be shipped this week. I ended up moving up to the Ultra Platinum DNA-1. With the price of the build, I contemplated an integrated setup but for the $$$ it seems like the DNA-1 will be well worth it, can't wait.

@dyl71   I just looked at SMc Audio's site.  If I understand correctly, you are getting the highest level of DNA-1 modification.  My Revision A+ as it was called years ago was the top revision except I kept the original transformer.  I know how great my amp sounds.  I very much look forward to hearing from you about the beauty you are about to receive.  Congratulations!

dyl71 - exciting stuff. Enjoy your "new" amplifier as I am sure it will sound great. Based on your description, it sounds as if you probably had Steve install the Plitron transformer, which I understand should improve dynamics even further. Since you probably discussed the upgrades in detail, you would know whether the input transformers were part of the upgrade, which should be true if the upgrade included balanced inputs. In any event, the stock DNA-1s came with an input impedance of 100K ohms and the upgraded DNA-1s (either monoblocks or with balanced connections - anything where Steve added the input transformers) have a much lower input impedance of 10K ohms. If you don’t have the input transformers, then you likely retained the higher input impedance.

Below is a link to an Audiogon thread where Steve explains this situation. If you have the lower input impedance, you need to be more careful about matching with a preamp and I have found that most (but not all) tube preamps and most (but not all) passives will probably not mate well with the lower input impedance. However, just about any SS preamp, passive using autoformers, and Steve’s own TLC-1, which is a unity-gain, buffered preamp, should mate very well. Steve offers upgrades to the TLC-1 unit that turns a very good sounding older preamp into an excellent sounding preamp regardless of age and virtually regardless of price, IMO. I have tried/owned around 20 well-regarded preamps (tubed and SS) in the $5-12K range, and my upgraded TLC-1 with outboard power supply beat all of them on sonics, ease of operation and just about any other parameter...except having a remote, which I do not miss at all. I have heard he is doing very good things with the micro line drive preamp also but not quite to the level of what he can accomplish with the TLC-1.

Link:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/preamp-impedance-mismatch-with-mccormack-dna2/post?highlight=dna-1%2Binput%2Bimpedance&postid=732291#732291

Good luck with your upgraded DNA-1!

@mitch2 
Pat ( I don't know his last name) has been my contact since I contacted SMcAudio. I don't know about Kris, but maybe he isn't on the phone as much as Pat. Some folks are better at taking calls than others.
@hifiman5 
Yes, I got the amps back a while ago, but haven't put them to their paces, yet. I needed to have Bob Worzalla at Sound Anchors make me a pair of stands to hold my subs and amps (besides the McC, I have a pair of Atma MA-1's- for my winter listening as they get way too hot).
Steve and Pat knew I had Atma's and gave it their best go, given my budget.
I will post my findings when everything gets put together, which includes not only amps, but new speaker cables, and Equi+Core power conditioners.
Yes, I know I am ill.
Bob

Hi Bob, 
Good luck with the DNA-1 monos.  Please do let us know what you think of them, and how they compare with your MA-1s.  Steve and his crew do great work and he certainly pays attention to the details and does all he can to meet the expectations of his clients.