Great review !!
Reading that the amp driving the OB1i should have a high dampening factor makes me feel rather uncomfortable with the very low damping factor of my 2301's driving EB1i's !
Still the sound is gorgeous, so who cares ?

__________________
Jérôme

They have convinced themselves that man, the worst transgressor of all the species, is the crown of creation. All other creatures were created merely to provide him with food, pelts, to be tormented, exterminated. In relation to them, all people are Nazis; for the animals, it is an eternal Treblinka. Isaac Bashevis Singer

As this has been discussed on several ocassions; don't get hung up on the so-called specification/attribute of "dampening factor". Heck, MC2Kw's have a DF of 40 as spec'd by McIntosh (which is rather low when compared to other amps).

I pay it no mind and let the audition or in-home listening to be the overriding factor.

Bob

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Amps: MC2301 tube mono's/dedicated 20A breakers.
Preamp: C500C/C500T
Digital Source: MCD1100 CD/SACD
Analogue Sources: SME 20/2 w/SME V arm and Palo Santos Presentation Cartridge & Akai GX-400D Reel-to-Reel w/relapped heads by JRF Magnetic Sciences.
Vibration Control: Nordost "TC" Sort Kones under CD/SACD & C500 and "AC" under amps. Shakti stones on amps.
Speakers: Sonus Faber Stradivari
Power Isolation: Isoclean PT-3030G III 3KVA Isolation Transformer w/Isoclean Super Focus In/Out Cables.
Power Bar: Isoclean ICP 206 Non-Filtered Power Bar.
Power Cables: Wireworld Platinum Electra on amps, preamp, CD/SACD.
Power Outlets: Isoclean ICP-003 Power Wall Socket.
Speaker Cables: Wireworld Platinum Eclipse
Signal Cables: WireWorld Platinum Eclipse XLR's on MCD500 & C500T to MC2301's.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD-650's and Koss Pro IV AA.
Tube Test Gear: Mint late '60's/calibrated Heathkit TT-1A & current SOTA MaxiMatcher tube test sets.

Thanks for the recall Bob !
Yes, the only thing that matters is the sound.
I was not aware of the rather "poor" DF of the MC 2k !
Jerome

__________________
Jérôme

They have convinced themselves that man, the worst transgressor of all the species, is the crown of creation. All other creatures were created merely to provide him with food, pelts, to be tormented, exterminated. In relation to them, all people are Nazis; for the animals, it is an eternal Treblinka. Isaac Bashevis Singer