If that is the case, then I am disappointed that their least expensive amp sounds better than their much more expensive one. I can’t go back to the MC152 as I traded it in on the MC302. I love the bass and ease to the sound with the amp butthe treble really irks me. I shouldn’t have to use tone controls as a permanent solution. Tone controls should be for the occasional disk that doesn’t sound good, not as a permanent solution.

I concur. Do your Tritons have the ability to bi-wire while separating inputs for the woofer and the rest of the speaker? If so, you can use separate output taps of the MC302 for each, based on your listening preferences.

McIntosh MC302 Puzzling observation
 

I agree with both sides, you shouldn’t have to use the tone controls. This is the exact reason I don’t want to upgrade my MC402’s...I love their sound and don’t want to risk “upgrading” only to be unhappy with the result (and extra cash spent).

On the flip side, you’re not using tone controls at this point simply out of spite isn’t giving you pleasure.

If tone controls help, I’d use them.

The Triton References are not bi wire-able or bi amp-able. They use a 54 bit DSP crossover for the powered bass units then to a conventional crossover for the 2 midranges/midbass and tweeter. I wonder if changing the cable between the preamp and amp to something slightly more lively may take care of it. The cables I am using now (Groneberg Quattro Reference, $350.00 USD) are slightly on the warm side of neutral. I hesitate because I don't want to spend a lot on another cable and a livelier cable may make the fantastic bass suffer.

I kicked up the treble 3 then 4 notches and although it was slightly better, I didn't care for the presentation. The treble control works @ 10K, I believe I need to adjust something a bit lower.

Wow!
I am impressed at all the great advice you have received. I am very sorry you have not been satisfied with your new amplifier.
This hobby of ours is fickle. I too have been burned making an “upgrade “ only to find it was either a lateral move or had an unintended consequence. Even a better amp from the same manufacturer may not be without a price.

I sense your reticence to make a change which may or may not get you for what you are looking. Not to mention the $$$. My personal dilemma was that every time I listened to my rig I couldn’t help but only hear what I was missing and not enjoying what was better. This only fed my incessant upgraditis.

I do hear your loathing to use tone controls since it really doesn’t do what you want it to do.

My personal experience was to spend time listening to the music and not the system. After a few weeks of nonaudiophile time you may rediscover what you loved about this hobby all along. It is all too easy to get jaded. It’s all part of the experience unfortunately.

Best.

Mike S.

Great point Mike S.^^^

Sorry to hear you are bummed out with your new amp stereo 5. I learned many years ago and have had to relearn that once you change one thing it usually necessitates changing another. Not sure I would change cables to try to bring back what you had before. That’s a black hole for sure and expensive.

Thank you, I agree. I am going to schedule a hearing test with an audiologist. I'm going to be 66 and never had a hearing test. I tried an online test and it said for my age, I have hearing loss. Since the test was done by Beltone, I suspect they were trying to sell me a hearing aid.

I agree changing one component can completely alter the synergy between all the others. I have the MA8000 integrated (which is an amalgamation of the C50 preamp and MC302 power amp). I absolutely love the sound of it and I don’t experience loss of treble at the high end, it just sounds rich and detailed with no harshness. Perfect in fact to my ears. My speaker cable is Atlas Asimi which is silver cable (which is generally thought of as a bit brighter in the higher frequencies). My old non McIntosh power amps really didn’t like it and it sounded too bright, but with my McIntosh MA8000 it’s just lovely, the amp controls all the high frequencies so well. Just a thought but would it be worth trying out some silver speaker cable to see if this eeks out a little more top end ? Silver cable is quite expensive though so you will need a pretty good budget. Worth a try IMO.

Since my speaker cables are 8 meters long (each), I couldn’t afford silver cables. I spent $1800.00 for my present cables in 2012.

FWIW, Costco and Sam's Club will do a complete hearing test for free and even give you a graph of the results. Be prepared. I'm 61 and had one a couple of years ago. Ouch!

Still can't abide the though of hearing aids though.