New MA8900 Integrated

[Masterlu]

AudioFi... Welcome to AA!

[AudioFi]

Thank you buddy!

[emptystring]

Originally Posted by AudioFi

Hello AA members, it is my first post in the forum.
I recently ordered a MA8900 replacing my Ma252. I loved the sound of the 252 but I decided to change it because of an annoying buzzing sound that persisted no matter what. It was noticeable in low level volume listening.
I checked ground, tubes, power conditioner, EMI, cables and DC on powerlines, etc. It was a costy noise. After a battle I couldn't win I searched in the forums and I am not the first case, looks like some MA252's are experiencing that problem.
Finally my Mc dealer offered me to take the 252 and if I pay the difference for another product I could make a change, suggesting me the MA8900.

Aside of the price, how much of an improvement/difference will the MA8900 represent sonically over the MA252?
And do you think it will mate well with my other components?
Source: Lumin T2
Speakers: Sonus Faber Sonetto III
Turntable: Marantz TT-15s1
Cables:Wireworld Eclipse 8, Electra, Silver E. Interconnects

Thank you.

I listened to a 352 (kind of like a 252 maybe? with more wattage) and a 7200 the other day. While the speakers were not Sonus Faber, the major differences were:

- clarity: the 352 was very nice but when I switched to the 7200 I felt like a very thin veil (not necessarily a bad thing) had been lifted, and the vocals retreated a bit to be closer to the music
- power: with the autoformer the drums felt more substantial and not in a boom-y way

I ended up placing an order for MA8900 because I wanted the autoformer, and also because my cats like to chase each other around the apartment, having exposed tubes (even with the protectors) is not a good idea.

[PeterMusic]

Hi AudioFi,

Kudos for insisting on a fix to the buzzing. Too many people would instead complain for years. And kudos to your dealer for stepping up and doing the right thing, as a good dealer should be expected to do.

Both of these are fine amps, and tastes may vary, but emptystrings impressions are no surprise--the 8900 should be a marked step up to most ears/systems.

[AudioFi]

Originally Posted by emptystring

I listened to a 352 (kind of like a 252 maybe? with more wattage) and a 7200 the other day. While the speakers were not Sonus Faber, the major differences were:

- clarity: the 352 was very nice but when I switched to the 7200 I felt like a very thin veil (not necessarily a bad thing) had been lifted, and the vocals retreated a bit to be closer to the music
- power: with the autoformer the drums felt more substantial and not in a boom-y way

I ended up placing an order for MA8900 because I wanted the autoformer, and also because my cats like to chase each other around the apartment, having exposed tubes (even with the protectors) is not a good idea.

Makes a lot of sense... for what I understand, the sound of the 8900 is exactly the same of the 7200 only with the difference of the EQ. About the vocals, I have noted some kind of bloom or emphasis in those frequencies in the 252 as well. Not a bad thing but sometimes when listening to some music mostly 90´s (hard rock, alternative) can sound a little harsh, and in jazz or bossa may be pleasant.
I have heard some Mc´s with autoformers (not the 7200 or the 8900) and I like that smooth presentation with deep bass. The only thing I will miss I guess, Is my NOS tubes (Mullards, and GEs) that I got for the 252 when trying to mitigate the buzz. Those really were a boost for the 252. (but definitely not cat friendly LOL)

Congrats for your MA8900 buddy

[AudioFi]

Hello PeterMusic!

Yeah, that's a good thing about the most of MC dealers, usually they provide good advice and support.
At first I tried to give a chance to the 252 to find if the buzz was induced by and external source. At the end looking back in a positive way, my frustration helped me to improve my system. (better cables, interconnects and Powerline setup) but after that it was evident that the 252 was the cause. It was really handy to find so much info of other owners in this forum to have good arguments to negotiate with the dealer.

just for curiosity, how well does the Yggdrasil perform with the MC sound? I listened it once paired with a Luxman and I really liked it.

[PeterMusic]

Originally Posted by AudioFi

Hello PeterMusic!

Yeah, that's a good thing about the most of MC dealers, usually they provide good advice and support.
At first I tried to give a chance to the 252 to find if the buzz was induced by and external source. A the end looking back in a positive way, my frustration helped me to improve my system. (better cables, interconnects and Powerline setup) but after that it was evident that the 252 was the cause. It was really handy to find so much info of other owners in this forum to have good arguments to negotiate with the dealer.

just for curiosity, how well does the Yggdrasil perform with the MC sound? I listened it once paired with a Luxman and I really liked it.

I love the Yggy with Mc combo. It's very analog/organic.

Glad to hear you paid attention to cables as well. I use Nordost Blue Heaven from my server to Yggy, and Transparent Super (unbalanced) from Yggy to C22. Both made a big difference.

[AudioFi]

Originally Posted by Reynolds617

Greetings AA forumites! Brand new community member here, and also first time owner of a McIntosh unit, specifically the MA8900.

I have wanted a McIntosh since I was 10 years old after seeing/hearing one my friend's dad owned. Now that dream is a reality.

I'm upgrading from a Rogue Sphinx V2 which was a very nice amp, especially for the money, but the McIntosh is next-level by comparison. This unit will be the centerpiece of my system for many years to come. By way of background, here's what the whole thing looks like besides the 8900:

• Rega Planar 3 (2017)
• Hana EH cartridge
• NAD C 538 CD player
• KEF LS50 speakers
• MacBook Air for streaming

I am a huge Sonos fan, but their new replacement for the Connect seems stupidly overpriced for what it is, so I'm content to make do with streaming Spotify et al via the spare laptop. Sounds very good, and that's $500 that can be spent elsewhere.

The next obvious upgrade is the speakers; the LS50's are very nice, but now that I am freed from the constraints of the dreaded spousal approval factor, I'm looking to upgrade to floor standers. This upgrade won't happen for a while since I'll need to save up, but my initial thoughts are:

Dynaudio Contour 60's
Martin Logan Impression ESL 11A's

This is a princely sum for loudspeakers for me ($10k), but sometimes life causes you to adjust your priorities, and in this case, I've decided mine is building the best system I can possibly (not) afford.

When I have enough posts under my belt I'll begin a dedicated thread about best speaker pairings for the MA8900, but for now any initial thoughts are welcome.

Being new I'll look to contribute around here as best as I'm able, but I am the furthest thing from the holder of a degree in audio engineering. I just know how important music is in my life, and I want the best reproduction I can afford, even if it's at the expense of other things people traditionally spend their disposable income on (e.g. cars, vacations, etc.)

Looking forward to getting to know folks on this board; I'm a veteran of online communities, so I know the drill.

Congrats for your MA8900, In two weeks I will receive mine. Don't forget the promised thread of speaker match for the 8900.

your Impressions of this time spent with the 8900?

[BuffaloBill]

Modern McIntosh integrated amplifiers with autoformers sound the same, this can be achieved with either solid state or tubes, features may vary.

[AudioFi]

Originally Posted by PeterMusic

I love the Yggy with Mc combo. It's very analog/organic.

Glad to hear you paid attention to cables as well. I use Nordost Blue Heaven from my server to Yggy, and Transparent Super (unbalanced) from Yggy to C22. Both made a big difference.

A few days ago I just received my MA8900. It sounded quite nice just out of the box, but now after 20 Hours of burn in, I can hear significant differences (bigger soundstage, smooth and effortless sound and bass response)

I have to admit that this Amp is a killer match for my Lumin T2. The Lumin is musical but sometimes tends to lean on the clinical side of sound. The sound now is detailed but smooth paired with the MA8900.
I was kinda worried because all that myth of Macs with autoformers lacking control on bass due to the lower damping factor. At least with my speakers I can notice very good bass control and speed.

Testing the DA1 module via USB, I found a warm sound, very decent but compared to the T2 is just inferior.
Guess I will use it as a sound output for my Mac mini when watching Youtube or streaming TV.

Finally.... about that Horrific humm of the MA252, I can now say that is in the past, The MA8900 is just dead silent when not playing music and there's no interference, buzzing or electrical noise anymore.