MC1.25KW's are at dealer

[Charles]

Listening impressions and brief review.The 1.25KW will I believe turn out to be a very special power amplifier. Right out of the box when I heard the tone of a cymbal I knew it was better than my previous 1.2's. The cymbal was more natural and it seemed to hang in space forever. The treble of this amp is sweeter/smoother/less intense and more refined and extended and detailed at the same time. It's a classical music lover's dream amp.

Rearview Mirror by Don McLean the vocal (midrange) of Starry Starry Night (second cut) is quite demanding. Under my previous systems even with my massive AQ cable upgrade there was still a trace of hardness at a realistic sound level (which is only a few watts) present through my Alexxes. This is now gone completely. The guitar is full bodied and his voice is simply there centered between the speakers as though he is in the room.

Bass is deeper and there is more of it. The articulation of soft hard to hear low notes is better. In other words bass detail is better. Bass drums are fuller. I believe that the distortion of the 1.25 is significantly lower than the 1.2. There is a smoothness, mellowness, and liquidity that was not present before. I don't think these amps require much breaking in.

Without writing some long review which I am not prone to do, the 1.25 is simply significantly better in every audio aspect than the 1.2. I am glad that it is. It's a great value. It is built to drive speakers like the SF Aida 2, XRT2.1K, and Wilson Alexx to their full potentials. It is built to rival or compete with the super amps from companies like Dag, Boulder, Burmester, Constellation, Accuphase, and Solution Audio. And at a fraction of their price. If you are looking for superb solid state amplification at a bargain price and looking for an upgrade or just a new amp, I suggest you take very a serious look at the 1.25.

Last thing I want to say is my impression of the build quality and aesthetics. These amps exude quality. The connections are much improved including the binding posts and AC receptacles. The amps have a compact muscular powerful look and feel about them, much more so than the 1.2. They are a true pleasure to be in the room with. And they sound as good as they look.

[jdandy]

Charles.......Nice review. Good to know the new MC1.25KW amplifiers present a genuine step up in performance. May you enjoy them for many years.

[2fastdriving]

Congratulations! I've heard alexx with a lot of power before. Not something I can easily forget. You live with it daily, you are a lucky man, Charles. Enjoy!

[damacman]

Very interesting. This is the first positive review I've read of these amplifiers and am glad to see it. I'm three generations behind in the 1.2kW Mc Amps at this point ...

I'll be sure to look for updates here.

[prepress]

I really like HiFi Buys. There's one in Nashville on Nolensville Pike (don't know if you bought from the same store). I bought my first pair of Transparent ICs from them a few years back. I hope you found them a pleasure to deal with. You've got yourself some killer-looking amps there. Enjoy them.

[Charles]

Thanks all. A few comments. The 1.25 is two full generations ahead of the 1.2. They are meant to drive speakers like my Alexx. They are sounding better and better everyday. My sound is beautiful through them. It really is. It's all I can say. I can't imagine anyone hearing my system before and after this upgrade preferring the 1.2's. The 1.2 from a design standpoint is an enhanced 1201. According to Mac all the circuitry in the 1.25 is different and greatly upgraded. There is as much difference between my 1.25's and the 1.2's as there is between my Alexx and my Maxx3's. I'm glad there is. I can see at this point very little reason to buy a 2K. Mac believes the 1.25 its sonic superior. What you want when you buy a solid state super amp is mega watts in a small compact footprint at a weight that does not overwhelm. In reality the 1.25's are more powerful than the 1.2's and much more refined in their sound. It doesn't take more than a minute to hear this. Mac has produced in the 1.25's a mega amp that will compete with the big boys. The 1.2's while great amps in their own right can't do it. When Wilson built the Alexx they rightly pointed out that comparing it to the Maxx3 was an unfair comparison. Likewise the better comparison here is to the 2K, or to a Dag, Accupase, Constellation, Burmester, Solution, etc.

[Audiophilehi]

The look and I'm sure sound incredible Charles. Congratulations and happy listening.

[ps7256]

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful review Charles. The lingering of notes in the air, says it all. Fantabulous!

[SL1800]

So when are we all invited to the listening party??? Seriously I would like to hear a system of this caliber someday. Congrats!!

[1KW]

congratulations, glad your happy with your purchase. Amazing that you can hear such differences between the 2 amps without doing a A/B comparison....