Upgrade to McIntosh

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac and @glennewdick

I swapped out the JJ tubes in my MC275s with Gold Lion and Mullard. Nice improvement all around, but especially in the mids range and bass. I changed the tubes in my C2700 with Telefuken and Mullard. Good improvement on the upper range with the Telefuken tube.

I demoed the MA325 prior to getting the C2700/MC275 combo. It’s a really good hybrid integrated amp. If you pair it with some decent high efficiency speakers you will not regret it unless you want the flexibility of separates. I listened to the MA325 with Cornwalls and it was a great setup.

No right or wrong answer on pairing Tube with SS or Tube with Tube. It all comes down to personal preference. I will say that adding subwoofers will also provide better bass than what you can get out of typical speakers.

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac 

I stayed with a tube preamp (C2700) and SS power amp (MC462) setup when I upgraded to separates.  I'm very happy with the combo.  Best of both worlds.  The C2700 is a fantastic pre, IMO.  Regarding the MA352 - To be fair, I think it just wasn't a great match with my speakers.  It's a nice, solid unit, and most owners are very happy with it.  I definitely seem to be in the minority with my experience.

Very new to Mac. I brought home a pair of 611’s and a c49 this weekend to drive my Kef blades. These are the store demos and I expect are indicative of what a run in system will sound like. The system has exceeded my expectations and I’m buying them. My Mc dealer says I’ll like the tube pre better, but he also says I’ll get full future trade value so I’m going to keep enjoying the c49 awhile. I expected the amps to sail through chili peppers turned up to 11 and they do. What really surprised me is how open, detailed and dynamic they sound at low and moderate volume. I just need a couple bases to get them off the carpet and I’m set. 

@jumia Wrote:

Mc 611 monos work very well with a tube preamp.  Monos a lot better due two separate power supply and more power.

I agree. I will also add that monoblock amps have better left and right channel separation and the ability to keep the speaker cables very, very short plus each monoblock amp can have it's own AC dedicated circuit. Lastly, the mono blocks do not take up any real estate in my listen room as I have each monoblock amp under each speaker. 😎

Mike

I, like @styleman went from a 6900 to a MA352 and really love the sound of the 352. I have rolled a couple of tubes in it. Currently using some Tung-sol’s and they have added a thickness to it in the best way possible. I like the combo of SS amp and tube preamp. I feel like the MA352 gives you a lot of flexibility. The MA352 is a winner in my book. I haven't noticed any harshness in the mids. I'm running mine with the JBL L100 Classic 75's. Amazing combo. Let us know what you end up doing!