The ARC will be more detailed giving a much more balanced presentation. The MAC is very midrange and bass heavy.
Have you not received the amp yet?
McIntosh MC312 vs. ARC Reference 150
Greetings!
I am very happy with my Mac MC312 power amp but the other day, on a whim (this darn hobby does that to you sometimes…) I purchased a used ARC Reference 150 (non-SE) tube amp. (The amp had the KT120 tubes replaced just 150 hrs ago.)
I am not planning to replace the Mac, but perhaps switch them in and out. (On a whim means I don’t really have a plan…)
Either way I am exited to receive it and though I’d ask this knowledgeable forum what I can expect in sound “signature” (for a lack of a better all-encompassing term) between the MC312 and the R150?
The rest of my system is a Rega P10 tt with Apheta 3 cart, a Simaudio MOON 310LP/320S phono stage/linear power supply, a PrimaLuna EVO 400 tube preamp, and GoldenEar Triton One.R speakers.
Would love to tap into any thoughts you all have about these two amps and the difference I can expect. Thanks!
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@ghdprentice No, it’s shipping today so I should have it by mid-next week. |
@ghdprentice The McIntosh is NOT bass heavy and very midrange. Why do you sprout lies about McIntosh? |
Your question is baffling to me. The MC312 has autoformers between its outputs and the load, and the ARC has transformers like most tube amps, and with its higher output impedance will interact with the speaker more than the MC312. Your speakers use internal amps for their woofers, so a voltage divider shunts low frequencies to ground. With all this going on, you ask about sound signatures. You are asking to have your expectations set in advance of the simple process of listening and forming your own opinion, free of preconceptions. |
- 14 posts total