McIntosh MA2275 - opinions

I have 805D3. I know it is generally accepted that 800s B&W are better matched with SS, and that they are very forward, but there’s something I hear in 800s that I don’t hear anywhere else, and I mean AIR and that floating ease with details. I had Sonus Faber, Magico, Tannoy Prestige (also fabulous), but the way I hear music in my head is the B&W way.

Nothing wrong with my combo per se, but I’d like a little more meat from the 805, and integrated speaks to me as using less room.

I am certainly done thinking about the 2275!

It all depends on what you are after. The gsi75 sure fits your expressed desire for fewer boxes and by extension, fewer cables. My recollection of the phono stage is that it was highly adjustable. It is a solid state phono stage however. The dac was actually quite good.

the downside of the gsi75 is what you get is what you get, zero ability to season the amp if it doesn’t check all your boxes. One manufacturer of kt150’s, one manufacturer of 6h30’s, no tone controls, about your only opportunity to affect the sound would be on the ac side and speaker cables. Maybe phono cartridge. Maybe through dsp with roon but that would be about it.

make no mistake, the gsi75 was arc’s all out assault on building a reference quality integrated and it is an exceptional piece, especially at used pricing. Biasing was no issue and it was rock steady. I had mine matched up with wilson audio duette 2 speakers and it was a really special setup. As i type this Im trying to recall why I moved on from it and frankly, I must have been crazy LOL.

good luck and best wishes.

ghasley great imput! I never heard and ARC amplifier, but heard a Ref preamp on Boulder and Wilson Sasha 2 and the image was crazy good.

Is ARC better than McTubes? How would you name its sound?

I own both the MA 2275 and the PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium.  The MA2275 is head and shoulders above the PrimaLuna.  I’m not knocking the PrimaLuna in the least.  It’s excellent.  If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t own it.   I’ve had some amazing listening sessions on both.  As for the MA2275 being veiled, nope.  It’s simply not.  It’s big.  It’s refined.  It’s  smooth.   As for the MA2275 phono preamp: it’s excellent but it’s MM or HOMC only.  I’ve used the reproduction SUT from Audio Classics for MC carts.  It’s very good but it’s not as good as a dedicated pre.  I’ve settled on the Manley Chinook and use one on both the Mac and PL systems.  

@bikesandguitars

No offense intended but reading your impressions of your MA2275 makes me wonder which one of our experiences was formed on a baseline MA2275. Even those in the know internally at McIntosh look away when discussing this amp. McIntosh rarely discontinues a good product, they evolve it, which wasn’t the case for the 2275.

its a beautiful piece of gear, I only wish it sounded as good as it looked. The damping factor of a run of the mill consumer grade receiver and a veil that would never lift were hallmarks of my ownership experience many years ago. It wasn’t terrible, it just didn’t fulfill its potential. If the OP were to sell a C22/275 combo and purchase a 2275 he/she would take a handfull of pills immediately.