Imo...Mcintish is the last amp id pair with B&W....Too tubby to slow,Gryphon for sure or maybe a used Boulder
- ...
- 12 posts total
The current line of McIntosh is more neutral and the older models. Not that they are better than other things. Just a decent option. I think Mac helps take the edge off the upper mids and highs of the B&W. Just a hair soft where the B&W are hard sounding imo all in all a good balance. Subs crossed over to say 60hz will take some of the stress off your amps. I think people feel like they need a lot of power with 803ds because they lack bass and try to “fix” it with amps. Running subs will be a huge improvement. Good video McIntosh vs D’Agostino, the outcome might surprise you. https://youtu.be/td54mT0bGo4 |
Having worked briefly for Magnolia and having heard top Mac gear with 802D3s and KEF Blades pretty extensively, I have to say I largely agree with what I heard on the above video. For me, poorer recordings were well served by the “beautification” of the Mac electronics, but the flip side is that it also masked a lot of the detail that makes good recordings good — depends on your tastes/goals. I will say though that I don’t find the D3 versions (unlike some earlier versions) of the 8 series to be harsh either in the treble or the upper mids but rather just very transparent to what they’re being fed — and BTW I’m not a big B&W fan just to be clear. Which goes back back to the reason I recommended the Vitus Class-A integrated above as it gives some of that tube warmth, fluidity, and “magic” of tubes with the power to properly drive the 803s but also doesn’t hide detail the 803s are capable of conveying on better recordings. I think a good hybrid integrated would also be an excellent idea given the OP’s stated preferences. Lastly, as for subs, yes you can spend more than the SB2000 Pros, but those subs are still very, very good and if it’s me I’d put more $$$ toward a better integrated amp as I think there’s more overall sonic benefit to be had there than getting better subs. But that’s me, FWIW. |
- 12 posts total