A triad of McIntosh Tube Magic
 

As of this writing, McIntosh has three tube amplifiers in current production; the classic 75 wpc MC275V, the 100 wpc MC2102, and the massive 300 w MC2301 mono-blocs. I’ve had the pleasure of owning all three at various times, and now enjoy the MC275V and a pair MC 2301’s. Each amplifier has a distinct personality, and I’ll try to capture the essence of each. Let me know how I do.

Equipment is listed in my signature.

Music I used to compare these amplifiers included:
Camille Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 76 Telarc CD-80051
The Art of the Balalaika Nonesuch CD
Famous Blue Raincoat: 20th Anniversary Edition LP Cisco CLP-7060-45
Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East LP Classic ACRN 2802-180
ZZ Top Tres Hombres Rhino reissue 274492
…and lots more. So here goes...


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The MC 275V
is based very intentionally on the original McIntosh MC275 introduced in 1961. Its retro-classic styling borders on steam punk. The original MC275 went out of production in 1970. It has been revived in several re-issue incarnations and is in production today in two versions, the MC275V and the 50th anniversary edition.

When I first saw the MC275 as a kid, I was smitten. I knew someday I’d own one. It just looks cool – the glowing tubes, the big transformers, the chrome chassis. College intervened, and when I was working and could afford a system, big solid state amps like Phase Linear and Dynaco were de rigueur and the receiver power wars were in full swing. I went all in for SS, and had speakers that needed big power to sing. The MC275 receded into the fog of history.
Fast forward 40 years, and thanks to Mike (Dj_AmTraX) I now own an MC275V. So how does it sound? In a word, stunning. There is something about this amplifier that is beguiling. The presentation is at once delicate and alive, with great timbral accuracy. Violins sound like violins, not metallic facsimiles. Transients are clearly reproduced. Female vocals are beautifully reproduced, rich and clear. For a tube amp, the bottom and top octaves are reproduced extremely well. The MC275 can’t compete with a big solid state amp in terms of bass slam and dynamics. But while the MC 275 doesn’t plumb the depths, it is punchy and authoritative nonetheless. The bass is tuneful and somehow more musical than most amplifiers. The highs are clear and extended. The soundstage is wide and deep. The MC 275V is an amplifier I can live with for the rest of my life. It is that good. Yes, at the climaxes of big orchestral crescendos, it falls short of the full dynamics that a bigger amp is capable of creating. Even when driven hard, it doesn’t sound harsh or strident. The sins of the MC275V are sins of omission. Finally, I am not using the stock tubes, instead I’m running GL KT-88’s, Mullard 12AT7A’s, and a combination of GL and Tung-Sol 12AX7A’s.

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The MC2102
is the first piece of McIntosh gear that I owned, so it has a special place in my heart. I love the glass faceplate and blue meters, and the large tube viewing window. Sidney Corderman, McIntosh co-founder and designer of the MC275 came out of retirement to design the MC2102. Frankly, I'm not sure which is the better-sounding amp, the MC 2102 or the MC 275V. I sold the MC2102’s (I had a pair running as mono-blocs) to buy the MC2301’s, so this isn’t a direct comparison. A few years have intervened, but I lived with the MC2102 long enough to understand its sonic signature. The MC2102 sounds very much like the MC275. So close that you can probably make the decision based on styling and the desire for blue meters.

The MC 2102 is a more powerful amplifier than the MC275V. The bass is more extended and the soundstage a bit wider. It produces a more dynamic sound, and can handle orchestral creendos with relative ease. But somehow it doesn’t quite hang together quite as well as the MC275V. Its timbral accuracy is not up to the standard of the MC275V, and vocals, while excellent, aren’t as beguiling. These are very minor differences. I am not using the stock tubes, instead I’m running GL KT-88’s, Mullard 12AT7A’s, and Tung-Sol 12AX7A’s.

Everything changes when you run the MC2102 as a mono-bloc in “mono bridged” mode. The MC2102 has two mono modes, parallel and bridged. In parallel, you feed the same signal to each channel and connect the output transformers in parallel, creating a 200W mono-bloc that sounds exactly like the amp run in stereo mode, albeit with better bass. In bridged mode, one of the channels is fed an inverted signal. The output transformers are then connected in series, and the output taken from both + terminals, creating a balanced amplifier. By connecting the amplifier in this way, much of the distortion is cancelled out. This is where the magic happens. The MC2102 just shines in mono-bridged mode, becoming at once cleaner, more effortless, and more dynamic. Highly recommended.


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The MC2301
is a completely different animal. The first thing I noticed about these amps is that they are incredibly quiet – so much so that they may as well be off when they are not playing music. There is no sound whatsoever coming from the speakers or amps themselves, even when you put your ear right next to them. The second thing is the tremendous amount of attack and detail these amps have. I think this is really their strong suit. Whenever an instrument is plucked or struck, the sound is detailed, immediate, and very realistic. You can resolve every plucked string on “Art of the Balalaika” and tell where each instrument is on the stage. Even with this much detail the midrange is nice and airy, I think better than low powered SET amps that I’ve had the pleasure of auditioning. Female vocals are clearly and cleanly reproduced. This is a very open and delicate amplifier. Cymbals and brushes are clearly resolved, with deep decay. On the other end of the spectrum, bass is very deep & controlled, almost to the level of good solid state amplifiers. This amplifier makes very tuneful and powerful bass. The soundstage is wider and substantailly deeper than the MC2102 and MC275V, and these amps are not slouches. The hall is very evident in good classical recordings, and you can always resolve the hall ambient background noise. I am running my MC2301's with GL KT-88's and 12AT7's.

Is there a downside? Well, these amps highlight poor recordings. If the recording is strident or sibilant, these amps will reproduce the good with the bad. But that’s where the MC275V comes in – it makes even harsh recordings sound better. I was going to use it in a second system....now I'm not so sure. It may have earned a spot in the main system as an alternate to the 2301's.

So there you have it. Three great amplifiers with three distinct presentations. I hope you've enjoyed this comparison.

Tom

What a wonderful write up Tom ! Superbly done. As a former 275 and present 2301 owner, I agree to everything stated.

I also thought about getting a 275 to get more "forgiveness" in my main system. ( well actually I bought a 240 which never arrived ! ) But I finally went with a pair of EL34 Manley Snappers monoblocks.
I never had them side by side with the 275 but if my memory is not faulty, I prefer them over the 275. They are extremely sweet sounding while keeping this timbre accuracy in common with the 275 and yet they have the PRaT of SS amps with a bass drive missing in the 275. Moreover, they are fully balanced so they could integrate easier near the 2301's.
But I fully agree to the idea of the 2301's and the 275 as an alternate choice in a system. It sounds warmer than the 2301's.

Although my WP8 / 2301's sound so good with everything played through them, even poor recordings, that I did not plug the Snappers at all in the main system as I felt this need with my PMC's.
Your need for more forgiveness could come from what Laurent told me about the WP8 comparing them to the S3 and the Sasha (and the formers like the WP7) : they would be the warmer speakers Wilson made among these products, less neutral sounding than the S3.

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Tom - great review and thanks for sharing!

I had the opportunity owning a pair of 275 then 75 60th edition monoblocks but not the 2102 and 2301...maybe someday.

Bon Jour
 

Thanks Jerome',
I'm glad you enjoyed my little write-up with your morning coffee! I have never heard the WP8, or the Manley's, but I will look for an opportunity to do so. I am also interested in the Sophia 3. The 275 has earned a permanent home, it is just a matter of where it will live. Have a great day.
Tom

Thanks Dario,
I'd love to hear the new MC75's. Ron C says they are voiced similar to the MC2301's. If you get a chance to try a pair of MC2301's you won't be disappointed. What did you think of the differences between the MC275 and the MC75's? Your impressions will be a great addition to this thread.
Tom

The shipping on MC2301's would kill you! I'm not sure people on the mainland understand that ALL of your power is from diesel generators supplied by tankers. At approx $0.40 per kwh, power cost is a real concern. If I lived in Hawaii, I'd be running Bel Canto Class D gear, not the 16 KT-88 fire bottles, 4 12AT7's, and 8 12AX7A's I'm running now. :smoking:

Thanks Tom !
How did you guess ? :D
I had the time for 3 Nespressos while enjoying your review !
Have a great night my friend !

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Great review Tom. I have started using the MC2301s for HT/multi-ch in addition to 2ch via the C1000T triggered for HT pass thru. The AV pre is a Denon AVP-A1HDASP3D. The result is truly spectacular! These amps can do it all. I am contemplating buying another 2301 to drive the centre channel.... :yes:

Wow ! A 2301 for the center channel ! Now you're talking !

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Having owned the MC275MkV and MC2102, think you've got it just about right in your second paragraph of the MC2102 review, though I found the differences more then minor. MC275MkV is the clear winner to my ears. :thumbsup: