[jdandy]

Originally Posted by V7Sport73

I have owned a lot of tube amps throughout the years. The MC75's are among the best sounding amps you can buy. They have more than enough power to drive just about any speaker and sound absolutely fabulous. I like them better than the McIntosh MC2301's or the MC275's. It does a great job throughout the frequency range at any volume level. It does sound even better with a set of Gold Loins. Great purchase.

V7Sport73.......Like you, I have also owned quite a few tube power amplifiers and tube preamplifiers through the years. I agree the MC75 is a serious contender in the tube amp arena. My pair are quite responsive to tube rolling. I am presently running Gold Lion KT88's and Siemens ECC801S (12AT7) driver tubes. They sound fabulous, but I would not put the MC75's performance above the MC2301 tube power amplifiers, which I also own and use with another sound system in a dedicated room. The MC2301's are also sensitive to tube rolling. In my MC2301's I have the Gold Lion KT88 power tubes and Siemens E81CC triple mica 12AT7 driver tubes. I have rolled in a number of other 12AT7 driver tubes from JJ, Gold Lion, McIntosh branded chinese tubes, and two versions of Siemens. The driver tubes make quite the difference in the MC2301's sound. The combination of power tubes and driver tubes I have in place now do a marvelous job of revealing the full audio spectrum without exaggerating any part of the frequency spectrum. The MC2301's are in a class of their own.

Yesterday I spent three hours listening to the MC75's in the living room system, then spent another three hours listening to the MC2301's in the studio sound system. I wanted to refresh my mind as to how they compare, albeit in different systems with different sources and speakers. None the less, both system's power amplifiers fully present an amazing performance. The MC75's are definitely in the same ballpark as the MC2301's, output power not withstanding. Both amplifiers deliver robust bass, smooth detailed midrange, and crystal clear top end. Both are also dead quiet. I love both of these power amplifiers equally. If I had to live with only one of my sound systems, I have five, I could easily live with the MC75's or the MC2301's without remorse.