McIntosh MX170 & MX123 Processors

[RaceCarDriver]

Originally Posted by Timobi

that's a lot of money for a rebranded Marantz. I'm sure its great and they are really nice. But wow.

D&M used to own McIntosh. The Marantz processors are some of the most solid ones on the market IMO. A bigger engineering team than any other. They just work. Processors that cost thousands more always have growing pains. The way technology changes in this space you gotta be crazy or stupid to go at it your own in a niche category. By the time they are released they are already outdated.

As far as being a rebranded Marantz, the only thing shared is the HDMI board. I’m happy for that. Leaves me nothing to worry about. All the other PCBs were looked to be made by McIntosh in-house, with the exception of the front display, which is attached to the front McIntosh made PCB.

At first glance the Marantz box looked more full, but taking into account the McIntosh power boards are laying flat up front, on the Marantz it’s sideways in the back next to the HDMI board.

The Marantz has 15 HDAMs, 1 per channel stacked up front. Take those out and under them is a few caps. McIntosh won’t have the HDAMs. The McIntosh DAC PCB, Video PCB, Audio PCB and Balanced XLR PCB are bigger/wider so they take up more space under the HDMI PCB. So if you were to move the Marantz transformer to the middle like the McIntosh and the power board from the back corner to up front like the McIntosh the layout would look similar.

I weighed the Marantz and it came in at 30 lbs, McIntosh 32.

I spent a week comparing both. The menu system seemed to move a hair faster in the McIntosh. Just enough to notice comparing it to the last 2 years with the 8805. The Audyssey is different. Can’t figure out why or what, but I change some settings in the Mc where if I want to do the same in the Marantz I have to run/restore the Audyssey mode vs Manual.

The IR window seems better in the 123, always a gripe for me with the narrow window on the 8805.

After using them both I’m sticking with the 123. The XLR rated output of 5V compared to the 2.4V on the 8805 is another plus in my book. It also seemed to me the MX123 ran cooler. I had the 8805 sitting in the next bay over of my stand. With the HDMI output of the 8805 going into the 123. Made switch my XLRs to jt amps easy for testing.

Do I think the 8805 is bad? Nope! A bargain IMO!! Awesome piece. I just got to the point where I wanted a McIntosh Pre/Pro to go with my amps. Being how solid the 8805 was and familiar I was with Audyssey The 123 was a plus for me. I enjoy the McIntosh menu over the Marantz. I don’t have to worry about any HDMI gremlins. The 123 is leaps improved over the 122 IMO and using the much praised AK4490 DACs that the Made In Japan Marantz pieces use is nice.

I believe this is the first time the McIntosh 12X was more loosely based on the Marantz 88XX series instead of the cheaper 77XX series. If it was based on the entry level Marantz I would have kept the 8805. The 123 doesn't do anything that the 8805 does. As a matter of fact the 8805 has a few more tricks like I mentioned built in AM/FM under and Heos. It makes sense why the McIntosh doesn't offer either of those sources and I am totally fine with it. App control would be nice, but not a necessary with my Harmony. Actually logging into the IP of the Marantz and the McIntosh leaves you with nearly an identical menu system.

Dating back to the McIntosh MX121
https://www.soundandvision.com/conte...possible-dream

MX121 7.1-Channel Preamp Processor
Without naming names, more than a few specialty audio companies’ attempts to develop multichannel surround-sound processors nearly put them out of business. Costs of development are high for this category, and by the time a product is brought to market in this fast-changing world, it can be close to, if not already, obsolete.

For the same reason, consumers, too, have to be cautious when investing in pricey preamp processors. Many an expensive state-of-the-art processor ends up on eBay or Audiogon at boat-anchor prices because they lack today’s now taken-for-granted functionality like HDMI and the high-resolution audio formats HDMI supports.

....

In addition to the remote control, McIntosh was able to make use of the video-control and processing board Marantz developed for its AV7005 preamp processor, as well as the onscreen GUI. In fact, much of the MX121’s brains were sourced from Marantz and adopted with minor modifications. But despite the borrowed resources, in no way is the MX121 a repackaged AV7005.

[RaceCarDriver]

Also keep in mind the MX170 which is nearly 2x the price of the MX123 is based on the Lyngdorf MP-60.

[rony]

Do you recommend using :

Mains Protect device ?

Or anything else ?

Thanks

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by RaceCarDriver

The 123 is leaps improved over the 122 IMO and using the much praised AK4490 DACs that the Made In Japan Marantz pieces use is nice.

According to McIntosh the DAC is the same between the MX122 and MX123.

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by Mouse

According to McIntosh the DAC is the same between the MX122 and MX123.

The MX123 A/V Processor marries a long tradition of uncompromising McIntosh sound quality with the latest home theater technologies to bring you an unsurpassed luxury home entertainment experience. It is compatible with all the leading home theater surround sound and object-based 3D audio formats including Dolby® Atmos, DTS:XTM and Auro-3D®. It’s also fully compatible with modern 4K Ultra HD video sources and can upscale lower resolutions to 4K Ultra HD for the best possible picture quality.

The MX123 features upgraded digital audio processing capabilities that results in 2 more discrete audio channels, bringing the MX123 to 13.2 discrete audio channels compared to 11.2 in the previous model. These 13.2 discrete channels are available via both balanced and unbalanced audio outputs that can be used in a variety of home theater speaker configurations; 2 additional unbalanced outputs offer further connection flexibility. DSD and ALAC playback support have been doubled to DSD128 and ALAC 192kHz for better high resolution audio performance.

For the video needs of your home theater, the MX123 has 7 HDMI inputs and 3 HDMI outputs. All HDMI inputs and outputs are HDCP 2.3, making the MX123 compliant and compatible with digital content protection specifications for well into the future. They all also have 18Gbps of bandwidth to support High Dynamic Range ( HDR ) formats Dolby VisionTM, HDR10 and HLG; 4K Ultra HD at 50/60Hz; 4:4:4 color spacing; Rec. 2020; and 3D video pass-through. Enhanced Audio Return Channel ( eARC ) functionality is included on 1 of the HDMI outputs. eARC offers improved bandwidth so the MX123 can receive higher resolution audio from your TV to produce the best possible sound quality. Additional connections include: 4 digital audio inputs; 1 balanced and 8 unbalanced analog stereo audio inputs (including 1 dedicated as a Moving Magnet phono input to connect a turntable); an unbalanced 7.1 multi-channel audio input; 3 component and 4 composite video inputs; 1 USB Type A input; 2 unbalanced analog stereo outputs; and 2 composite and 1 component video outputs.

An exciting new feature on the MX123 is IMAX® Enhanced. IMAX Enhanced is a set of stringent performance standards established by IMAX and DTS® to create a consistent and higher bar for image and sound performance on premium devices. It utilizes a sophisticated, advanced algorithm designed to produce the highest-quality, sharpest 4K HDR images. IMAX and DTS will also partner with award-winning Hollywood sound mixers to use a special variant of the DTS:X codec technology included in the MX123 to deliver an IMAX signature sound experience in your home theater.

Streaming options on the MX123 have been upgraded from the previous model. The MX123 now includes Apple® AirPlay 2® along with Bluetooth® and Spotify Connect for easy streaming from your mobile devices. AirPlay 2 is an Apple technology designed to control home audio systems and speakers in any room – with a tap or by just asking Siri – right from an iPhone®, iPad®, HomePodTM, or Apple TV®. It offers multiroom audio, Siri voice control, and enhanced playback. TuneIn is also included for further music streaming options. To assist with streaming performance and reliability, wireless connectivity has been improved to include 2.4/5GHz dual band support.

Audyssey MultEQ® XT32 is included and will calibrate the MX123 to your home theater’s unique acoustical properties, letting it deliver the clearest and most balanced earth-shattering sound possible. Each discrete audio channel has its own 32-bit premium Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) to produce the best audio quality. Bass and treble tone controls plus a 9-band equalizer offer additional fine-tuning. The MX123 also gives you the flexibility to create 2 additional zones in your house and send select audio and/or video to each zone.

[RaceCarDriver]

Originally Posted by Mouse

According to McIntosh the DAC is the same between the MX122 and MX123.

I can’t say what DAC is in the 122, only what was in my 123. I’m not doubting what McIntosh said, only that the 123 is much improved.

The HDMI board upgraded and is the same as the 8805, upgraded to 13 channel processing, airplay 2, dual band 5ghz support, IMAX enhanced. HDCP 2.3 and eARC support.

[rony]

Is there any opinion to buy / use Expensive HDMI cables instead of cheep ones ?
For the Expensive MX123...
Thanks

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by rony

Is there any opinion to buy / use Expensive HDMI cables instead of cheep ones ?
For the Expensive MX123...
Thanks

In my opinion, yes. I did a demo with both nordost and analysis plus HDMI cables and put them against my audioquest cinnamon.

I was promised better picture and sound, and while I didn't witness any change to the picture, the treble seemed more in focus, less glaringly bright distortion.

[rony]

Thanks

[rony]

How can I adjust Bass & Treble in the MX123 ?
Thanks