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Disappointing On Mcintosh......help

 3 Months ago  I went to NYC and stopped by the WOM  and auditioned several MCintosh gear...........and left a bit disappointed or not impressed...then I told myself   " lets give a second shot"  and went today to a  HIFI store and again Good room accoustics10K speakers , MC Preamp , MC Amplifier........ and again  the same disappointment I felt 3 month earlier.

Is that the "warm" sound people reffer to about Mcintosh?  
The sound is ample, base is powerfull  but the the sound is simply  not to clear, the hights are not too "crisp"  It sounds like the treble is set at 3 and needs to be adjusted at 9 or 10.
It seems like  the sound is  coming through a thin layer of paper ...that is the way I describe that sound.  

Then 20 minutes later I auditioned a Parasound A21+ and a JC5 and the sound was more clear and the highs were crispier

Whats your take on my experience?  or That is the MC "warm sound? 
128x128cydrone
jordi's avatar
jordi
110 posts
 
Yes low tubes..........it holds resale value better then most but in actually NO AUDIO EQUIPMENT hold resale value worth a darn only bested by cars and trucks but at times audio holds resale value even worse then cars and trucks and BY DARN when i buy audio equipment I HAVE NEVER ever purchased with that idea In mind ....NEVER ...... i purchase to keep forever to make love to my music with the best  sound possible that is why i own 4 pair of Quicksilver TRIODE 6C33C Atma-sphere M60 and Merlin and i will die with all of those that is how impressive they all are ................ and yes I have made mistakes about 250k worth over the last 40+ years but I finally I got smart (possibly even divine intervention) that is why a higher power sent me Quicksilver 6c33c’s ....Merlin....Atma-sphere....DH labs Revelation and Deity..... Hattor and thank god Khozmo to replace all Alps junk and Duelund in everything
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
@durkn The Mcintosh C2500 is a perfect match with my VTL 450MKII amps.  The C2500 beat out ARC and VTL for a place on my rack. It came down to preferred house sound, options and bang for buck value.  One of the deciding factors was the two Phono sections, MC & MM.   Huge cost and space saving.  Yet, even better is how it brings out the best is all my gear.  Note: I've owned various VTL product over the years and love it. I have never owned ARC.
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,635 posts
 
I've been driving ESL's since the 70s starting with Tiger .01's.
WTF is this "over detailed" paranoia of which you speak?
durkn
70 posts
 
@vegasears 
The Mac I tried was SS.
It had too much house sound for me.
C2500 looks to be quite a bit better...

Curious which other VTL & ARC pre’s you compared?
TL-2.5
TL-5.5 (series one or two)



vegasears
1,173 posts
 
I mainly look at used gear. I owned the TL-2.5 for a few years.  It was just OK or maybe I just wanted a more of a tube sound.  My unit has 12AT7 and 12AU7 tubes. Some of the VTL 2.5's had a different tube complement.  I heard the VTL TL-5.5 in a shop, impressive.  To me it had a tight and controlled presentation.  It made me think about the TL-6.5.  Never got around to any ARC product.  A friend pointed me to Mcintosh, which I'd always felt would be priced out of my reach based resale value/cost. In the end my choice came down to Company Reputation, Cost and Warranty.  The Mcintosh C2500 came New In Box with a three year warranty for just under 5 grand.
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