Review: McIntosh MC-7100 Amplifier

Category: Amplifiers

I mainly listen to acoustic and electronic music. My favorite bands are Air, Badly Drawn Boy, and Kruder & Dorfmeister. I occasionally listen to jazz and folk too.

Musicality is one of my top priorities. I like resolution and detail too though. The sound has to be smooth and enjoyable for me to like it.

The 7100 was a very nice little amp. I owned one for 3 years as my main 2-channel amp and was impressed with its capabilities considering the used prices today. It is pretty warm overall, not as transparent or detailed as the MC7200, but its musicality and tonal quality bested the Bryston 3B and MC2125. It had better frequency extension when run with balanced cables to my C712 than it did with single-ended (the 7200 doesn't seem to care). It had a very silky quality that the 7200 doesn't pull off quite as well but the difference is subtle. Overall, for the used price, it is hard to beat if you are willing to trade a little resolution for smoothness.

Associated gear
McIntosh C712 preamp
Sony C333ES CDP
JM Lab Electra 926
Paradigm Reference 100.2
MIT T2 and Nordost Solar Wind cables

Similar products
McIntosh MC2125
Odyssey Stratos
McIntosh MC7200
Bryston 3B