Quote:
Originally Posted by piolaxo
Very interesting. How about the quality or the characteristics of the sound?
How do they compare (1.2KW vs 1.25KW)?
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The major change in the amp is the output transistor which is now the same as the one used in the 601 and the 611. This "new" transistor has been around for many years (at least 12 since it is used in the 2KW). The capacitance has been increased etc. In other words the 1.2KW has been given a face lift but it is still the exact same amp. That's why there's only a 500 dollar difference. The 601 is a much smaller amp. It would drive my Alexxes I feel but simply would be too stressed to provide superb sound. The 611's would probably do a better job because of their increased current capacity and capacitance.
If you compare the spec's between the 1.2KW and 1.25KW they are identical. 35 amps continuous current
600 (1.2KW) vs 450 (1.25 KW) joules of storage, same power transformer (12.06 kg) and
exactly same design..
I use the 1.25 as a subwoofer amp and it is greatly superior to my old 601 which would noticeably clip on certain heavy bass passages requiring great power. The 1.25 doesn't even come close. Also the quality of the bass produced is so much superior. I use a Wilson Thor.
The main difference in the two amps will not be in my opinion the sound. It's the looks and feel. I significantly prefer the look of the 1.25. It is a beautiful amp and well worth the 500 dollars.
Let me say one thing about Mac amps. Certainly, you can buy better amps, if you want to pay 50-100 thousand dollars apiece on an unlimited budget. However, I can't imagine the speaker that a 1.25KW couldn't drive to 99.5% performance, easily, or for that matter a 1.2KW. I just finished a major upgrade to my system and if I felt I needed better amps to maximize the performance of my Alexxes I would have bought them. Rather I went with Wel Signature solid silver speaker cables and IC's which cost significantly more than most amps. My Alexxes don't even cause my 1.2's to run even slightly warm even when played at ear splitting levels for 1-2 hours. The 1.2 is a great amp. It's just that given the choice between the two I'd definitely buy the 1.25 which I highly recommend.