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  #291  
Old 11-23-2019, 03:32 PM
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Vintage Pete Vintage Pete is offline
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Originally Posted by macman007 View Post
I purchased my 501's in 2006. After listening to the MC 252, 352 and 452 amps, I decided I wanted to go mono with a little more power. When I was ramping up to purchasing these, myself and others were having conversations online regarding the design and power aspects, as well as real world capability.
Although I can't find the exact post (from 14 years ago) it was discussed between a number of us and Ron Cornelius at McIntosh, that the 501 fed a clean 120 volts on a 20 amp line is actually capable of over 700wpc. Redlighting Power Guard at 50% he claimed closer to 800 wpc during laboratory tests.

I have no way to test those numbers, my dummy loads are only rated to 500wpc, however there was no reason for Ron to lie to us, let alone on an open forum. My experiences with the 501's are that they can run any capable fairly efficient speaker to insane levels in a 16 by 20 foot room with 10 foot ceilings. Levels that are not painful because distortion levels are low, but will leave your hearing with a ring for several days after,..levels as loud as any rock concert I've ever attended.

I know in the real world people own a variety of speakers with different specs and can be difficult to drive. That said, I don't find the sound/performance abilities of the 501's dated or limited. Personally, I don't see any need to upgrade ever, but then I'm that guy who still owns and uses multiple 2105's, 2205's 2255's and 2125's. With some new caps and other minimal age related work, those amps sound as good as new today, perhaps better than most of what is on the market today, to me anyway. Unless I hit the Lotto or whatever ( I don't ever play, so fat chance) bigger more powerful Mc amps aren't in my future.

I'd much rather keep my preamps and digital audio (CD, DVD, SACD, DVD/A, Blu Ray, High Resolution, Streaming) units up to date with the latest performance levels you can hear, buy a lot more vinyl, and keep upgrading my turntable, (I just bought VPI's Prime Signature this year), as opposed to chasing more watts. I'm similarly contented with my speakers,.. Mc's own XRT 22's which I've owned even longer, over 20 years, which continue to sound perfect with new capacitors I recently installed into their aging crossover networks.

How many can honestly say they are that content with the sound and quality of their gear after 14 years or more? I happy to say I am one of those people, and proud owner of several 501's.

What these amps do need are those glorious and gorgeous rack handle upgrades that Master Liu offers for sale, which makes the "little" 501's look every bit as formidable as the bigger dogs in Mc's amp stable..

If you are ever in the Hanover Pa. area, feel free to stop in for a listen...
Very interesting post, and I wholeheartedly agree as the to the 501's capabilities....I own three 501's, bought new in 2008, and I love them to this day.

I also agree as to the need for the handles....my 501's definitely sound better with them...



Okay....so MAYBE the handles don't improve the sound, but they certainly give the 501's a more "muscular" look.....
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No. 35


Main System: VPI Prime Signature TT in Rosewood, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Stillpoints LP1 V2, McIntosh: MP100, MR78, MCD1000 Transport on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, MDA1000 D/A Converter on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, MS750 Music Server, C40, MC501's (3), Soundcraftsmen: DC2215 Eq/AS1000 Real time analyzer, DBX 3BX II, Carver C9, Nakamichi Dragon, Crown SX724, Crown D-75A (as headphone amp), Sony XBR55X900E 4K TV, JBL L220A's, JBL B460, Sumo Delilah active crossover, WireWorld Silver Eclipse audio interconnects, WireWorld Starlight and Silver Starlight Coaxial Digital interconnects, Wireworld SuperNova 7 Toslink digital interconnect, WireWorld Aurora 7 and Silver Electra Power cords, Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 speaker cables, Terk AF-1 Powered Antenna, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-Ray Player, Bryson BUC-1 USB Converter, Wireworld Gold Starlight XLR Digital interconnect, PS Audio Direct Stream Power Plant 12 on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, PS Audio Dectect, FuruTech Flux-50 NCF Inline Power Filter, Add-Powr Wizard EM Field AC Line conditioner; Stillpoint Ultra SS's under (3) McIntosh MC501 Amplifiers

Florida Room/Art Studio System: Harmon Kardon T60 TT/Ortofon 2M Black, McIntosh: MR77, C32, MC2205; Crown Power Line Four, Wyred for Sound DAC-2 Digital to Analog converter, Soundcraftsmen AE2000 Eq, JBL 4313B's, JBL 2241-based Sub, JBL BX63A Active Crossover, Oppo BDP-105D Blu-Ray Player, Samsung 5500 Series 32" Smart TV, Terk AF-1 Powered Antenna

Master Bedroom System: McIntosh: MX120 Theater processor, MC206 6-channel amplifier; MR74 AM/FM Tuner, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, JVC HM-DH40000U D-Theater Digital VHS, Phase Technology PC80 Towers (now used as stands), (2) JBL 4401's, (1) JBL Studio 6IW speaker, (2) JBL Studio 6IC speakers, Sony XBR-49X900E UHD TV, Panamax 1000 Line Conditioner, (2) JL Audio E110 Subwoofers, Wireworld Solstice speaker cables, Wireworld Aurora Power cords, Wireworld Equinox and Solstice speaker cables and various other flavors of Wireworld and Audioquest cabling

Office System: Marantz 150 Tuner, Crown DL 2, Crown EQ 2, Crown SA 2, Crown D-75A (as headphone amp), McIntosh MCD7009 (as transport), DBX 3BX Series II, Oppo BDP-103 Blu-ray player, JBL 4401's, JL Audio E112 Subwoofer, Samsung 5500 series 32" Smart TV, Wire World Oasis audio interconnects, Wire World Solstice speaker cables, Wyred for Sound DAC-2 DSDse Digital to Analog converter, Wireworld Starlight Coaxial Digital Interconnect, Sennheiser HD800 Headphones, Sennheiser HDVA600 Headphone amp, Wireworld Silver Eclipse Balanced Interconnects, Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB Cable, Add-Powr EAU-2 AC Harmonic resonator

High Resolution Source: HP Omen 17" Gaming Laptop
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  #292  
Old 11-23-2019, 03:46 PM
keef keef is offline
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Pete - nice handles!

I am really with you guys. Unlikely that I will ever really need more power that my 501's. I cannot believe I have had mine for 15 years next month.

More power also likely means more weight and that does not excite me. The 501's are already above my back's limit!
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  #293  
Old 11-23-2019, 04:09 PM
macman007 macman007 is offline
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They are beasts to move..My back is at maximum when I have to move one or two of them. They are around 100 pounds unboxed. Moving any larger Mc amp is a chore, even the' lowly' 2105's have respectable heft just to move around willy-nilly.

I LOVE the look of the handles! Mc missed out putting them on from new. They should have come with them to begin with. I've wanted a few pairs for a long while now. I need to break down and JUST 'join the club"' ...

VintagePete: I love the way you worked in old school gear as well, Soundcraftsmen, DBX, Nakamichi to, with Mc both older and new,. Please forgive my ignorance, but what speakers are you rocking?

You almost never see a great combination of old school goodness in the real world of today. I think there is a lot of old school gear out there that needs love and still sounds great. With modern internals they can sound better than ever.

Last edited by macman007; 11-23-2019 at 04:47 PM.
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  #294  
Old 11-23-2019, 05:05 PM
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Vintage Pete Vintage Pete is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macman007 View Post
They are beasts to move..My back is at maximum when I have to move one or two of them. They are around 100 pounds unboxed. Moving any larger Mc amp is a chore, even the' lowly' 2105's have respectable heft just to move around willy-nilly.

I LOVE the look of the handles! Mc missed out putting them on from new. They should have come with them to begin with. I've wanted a few pairs for a long while now. I need to break down and JUST 'join the club"' ...

VintagePete: I love the way you worked in old school gear as well, Soundcraftsmen, DBX, Nakamichi to, with Mc both older and new,. Please forgive my ignorance, but what speakers are you rocking?

You almost never see a great combination of old school goodness in the real world of today. I think there is a lot of old school gear out there that needs love and still sounds great. With modern internals they can sound better than ever.
macman007....thank you sir! The speakers are JBL L220A, which I purchased new in 1982. Over the years I've maintained them well, and in the last couple of years rebuilt/upgraded the crossover networks, modded a pair of grille frames to include a cutout for the midrange lenses, and upgraded the binding posts. The drivers were refoamed maybe 3 years ago and are in perfect shape. Also in the system is a JBL B460 subwoofer, powered by a third MC501 amp. The active crossover for the sub and sub amp is a Sumo Delilah.





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No. 35


Main System: VPI Prime Signature TT in Rosewood, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Stillpoints LP1 V2, McIntosh: MP100, MR78, MCD1000 Transport on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, MDA1000 D/A Converter on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, MS750 Music Server, C40, MC501's (3), Soundcraftsmen: DC2215 Eq/AS1000 Real time analyzer, DBX 3BX II, Carver C9, Nakamichi Dragon, Crown SX724, Crown D-75A (as headphone amp), Sony XBR55X900E 4K TV, JBL L220A's, JBL B460, Sumo Delilah active crossover, WireWorld Silver Eclipse audio interconnects, WireWorld Starlight and Silver Starlight Coaxial Digital interconnects, Wireworld SuperNova 7 Toslink digital interconnect, WireWorld Aurora 7 and Silver Electra Power cords, Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 speaker cables, Terk AF-1 Powered Antenna, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-Ray Player, Bryson BUC-1 USB Converter, Wireworld Gold Starlight XLR Digital interconnect, PS Audio Direct Stream Power Plant 12 on Stillpoint Ultra Minis, PS Audio Dectect, FuruTech Flux-50 NCF Inline Power Filter, Add-Powr Wizard EM Field AC Line conditioner; Stillpoint Ultra SS's under (3) McIntosh MC501 Amplifiers

Florida Room/Art Studio System: Harmon Kardon T60 TT/Ortofon 2M Black, McIntosh: MR77, C32, MC2205; Crown Power Line Four, Wyred for Sound DAC-2 Digital to Analog converter, Soundcraftsmen AE2000 Eq, JBL 4313B's, JBL 2241-based Sub, JBL BX63A Active Crossover, Oppo BDP-105D Blu-Ray Player, Samsung 5500 Series 32" Smart TV, Terk AF-1 Powered Antenna

Master Bedroom System: McIntosh: MX120 Theater processor, MC206 6-channel amplifier; MR74 AM/FM Tuner, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, JVC HM-DH40000U D-Theater Digital VHS, Phase Technology PC80 Towers (now used as stands), (2) JBL 4401's, (1) JBL Studio 6IW speaker, (2) JBL Studio 6IC speakers, Sony XBR-49X900E UHD TV, Panamax 1000 Line Conditioner, (2) JL Audio E110 Subwoofers, Wireworld Solstice speaker cables, Wireworld Aurora Power cords, Wireworld Equinox and Solstice speaker cables and various other flavors of Wireworld and Audioquest cabling

Office System: Marantz 150 Tuner, Crown DL 2, Crown EQ 2, Crown SA 2, Crown D-75A (as headphone amp), McIntosh MCD7009 (as transport), DBX 3BX Series II, Oppo BDP-103 Blu-ray player, JBL 4401's, JL Audio E112 Subwoofer, Samsung 5500 series 32" Smart TV, Wire World Oasis audio interconnects, Wire World Solstice speaker cables, Wyred for Sound DAC-2 DSDse Digital to Analog converter, Wireworld Starlight Coaxial Digital Interconnect, Sennheiser HD800 Headphones, Sennheiser HDVA600 Headphone amp, Wireworld Silver Eclipse Balanced Interconnects, Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB Cable, Add-Powr EAU-2 AC Harmonic resonator

High Resolution Source: HP Omen 17" Gaming Laptop

Last edited by Vintage Pete; 11-24-2019 at 03:25 PM.
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  #295  
Old 11-23-2019, 06:50 PM
macman007 macman007 is offline
Between 2 LARGE Speakers

 
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Simply beautiful and well executed. I'll bet the sound quality is exquisite..Getting a speaker and amp combo that you love and enjoy living with long term is tricky. But, it can be done. Your system is an excellent example of quality older and new gear. Age matters not, the sound quality is whats important.

The 501's are an amazing amp with a lot of synergy, energy, life, and punch. Coupled to the right speaker choice suiting the listener and the room, they are hard to beat, IMO.

For me, the 501's are worth every penny you pay for them. I don't see them ever going anywhere, which makes my wife happy too. Happy wife = happy life.
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  #296  
Old 11-24-2019, 01:53 PM
damacman damacman is offline
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From page 12 of the OM:

The McIntosh engineering staff has cre-ated a power amplifier without compromise, using the most advanced McIntosh circuit design concepts.

A continuous average power output rating of 500 watts and with an output current of greater than 100 amperes, makes this not only the most advanced, but also one of the most powerful amplifiers McIntosh has ever manufactured.
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  #297  
Old 11-25-2019, 12:26 AM
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urei urei is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Pete View Post
Very interesting post, and I wholeheartedly agree as the to the 501's capabilities....I own three 501's, bought new in 2008, and I love them to this day.

I also agree as to the need for the handles....my 501's definitely sound better with them...



Okay....so MAYBE the handles don't improve the sound, but they certainly give the 501's a more "muscular" look.....
Love the handles on the 501's!
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  #298  
Old 11-25-2019, 04:10 AM
Chericelise Chericelise is offline
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has anybody tried doing bi-amp on the 501s(4 units) or 501s with other amp(which model)?
Can u share the improvements?
and 501s driving the high or low side?

Thank u.
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  #299  
Old 02-17-2020, 12:03 PM
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prepress prepress is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chericelise View Post
has anybody tried doing bi-amp on the 501s(4 units) or 501s with other amp(which model)?
Can u share the improvements?
and 501s driving the high or low side?

Thank u.
For what it's worth, I bi-amped with 2 pair of B&K monos (200wpc) before getting my 501s. When one pair was taken out of the system because the left amp had to go off for repair, the bottom end was thinner, the sound less full.

With my 501s, I use two pairs of speaker cable on the 4-ohm tap. One has bananas and another has spades on the amp end in order to accomplish the connection. It sounds good to me. It didn't occur to me to try bi-amping with the 501s, and I didn't have the money or space to do so anyway. I think it would have been overkill, unless I had power-hungry, six-figure "super speakers" to feed; I couldn't afford them either.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #300  
Old 02-20-2020, 04:02 PM
kurt1970 kurt1970 is offline
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Concerning a statement above "... Although I can't find the exact post (from 14 years ago) it was discussed between a number of us and Ron Cornelius at McIntosh, that the 501 fed a clean 120 volts on a 20 amp line is actually capable of over 700wpc. Redlighting Power Guard at 50% he claimed closer to 800 wpc during laboratory tests..."

Basically it's pure math. Looking at the compendium of the 501 (http://mcintoshcompendium.com/Compen...PDFs/MC501.pdf) you can read the amp has a dynamic headroom of 1,8 dB.
So, 500W x 10^(1,8/10) = ~757W peak. Pushing it to the PG shines will likely be something around 800W.

Last edited by kurt1970; 02-21-2020 at 03:24 AM.
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