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Does McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe Take Banana Plugs?

After months of debate, as to the amp to match my McCormack TLC-1, I have decided to go with the DNA-1 Delluxe. I thought that was the safest route to go as far as "sonic achievement".

The amp is still on its way to me. One question though. Does the amp accommodate banana-type speaker connectors? I have several higher end speaker cables that are banana plug terminated. If the amp only accepts bare wire or spades, and short of converting my existing cables to spades, are there adapters on the market I could buy instead?

I would appreciate any feedback. I would like to thank those who provided me with guidance on the discussion of using DNA-0.5 as mono amplifiers.
morgandogge
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,982 posts
 
Yes it does accept banana plugs. Below is a picture of the back of the unit:

http://pic4.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1235140100.jpg
morgandogge OP
16 posts
 
Thank you!

I have seen several photos of the amp's back side online and saw the Cardas binding posts with holes in them. But I was not sure.

Also, I have obtained a PDF copy of the owners manual for the DNA-1. The manual does not state "Deluxe". Is this manual for both the standard and Deluxe versions?

Thanks again.
stevemcx
166 posts
 
There is no functional difference between the standard and deluxe models, so the one manual covers both.

The “Deluxe” upgrade program originated with the DNA-1 amplifier around 1993. It consisted of replacing a selected set of parts with higher-performance, more expensive parts for improved performance. In the case of the DNA-1, the RCA jacks and speaker terminals were upgraded to Cardas, and several critical resistors were upgraded to Vishay and Caddock. The regulated power supply rectifier diodes were replaced with soft-recovery units from Harris, and the output wiring was upgraded to Van den Hul. These changes resulted in a nice performance enhancement at a very reasonable cost. The Deluxe upgrade program proved to be so popular that we extended it to include most of the products produced at McCormack Audio.

Best regards,

Steve McCormack
SMc Audio
morgandogge OP
16 posts
 
I finally acquired a DNA-1 Deluxe through Audiogon. Hooked it up to my TLC-1, DAC-1, and SST-1 transport. The DNA-1 is larger in life than in the photos. It weighs a ton too.

Alternating between B&W 803S and Energy Veritas V2.4 speakers using bi-wired MIT Terminator 2 banana connections, I have never heard these speakers play so good. I am very pleased with the results. I have no regrets getting the DNA-1 Deluxe.
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