Any thoughts on the MC206?

[70sMac]

We've presently got a line on a Mac MC206 power amp. I just received some photos...and, quite frankly, it looks quite a bit different [internally] than what I'm used to seeing...and at roughly 2/3rds the weight of our MC300, it has me wondering.

Any thoughts on this amplifier -- or other [used] multichannel alternatives -- would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

P.S. - We've given Mac models like the MC207 a good hard look, but the ones we can afford are in pretty rough condition.

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by 70sMac

We've presently got a line on a Mac MC206 power amp. I just received some photos...and, quite frankly, it looks quite a bit different [internally] than what I'm used to seeing...and at roughly 2/3rds the weight of our MC300, it has me wondering.

Any thoughts on this amplifier -- or other [used] multichannel alternatives -- would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

P.S. - We've given Mac models like the MC207 a good hard look, but the ones we can afford are in pretty rough condition.

Bill....funny you should ask. I've had an MC206 for close to three years now and really like it. It's a great amp in my opinion. I owned an MC300 for 12 years, and I don't know that the MC206 is any lighter. Being a multi-channel amp, it will look a bit different internally.

The only hitch is, it does, as stock, use incandescent lighting. Just this last weekend I installed LED's in mine, and am very pleased with the results. I will likely post a thread about that in the near future.

I use the amp in my 5.1 channel bedroom system. Since it is a six channel amp, I do have one channel that sits dormant. An MC7205 might have been ideal, but the 206 was the only amp available on the secondary market at the time I was setting up my system.

I can recommend the MC206 without reservation. It is very well built, heavy, and has performed flawlessly for me thus far. Anything bigger than the MC206 (such as the MC303 or MC205) would be much too large and expensive for my setup.

Here's a thread to my setup of this amp in my bedroom theater system:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=41665

[70sMac]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

Bill....funny you should ask. I've had an MC206 for close to three years now and really like it. It's a great amp in my opinion. I owned an MC300 for 12 years, and I don't know that the MC206 is any lighter. Being a multi-channel amp, it will look a bit different internally.

The only hitch is, it does, as stock, use incandescent lighting. Just this last weekend I installed LED's in mine, and am very pleased with the results. I will likely post a thread about that in the near future.

I use the amp in my 5.1 channel bedroom system. Since it is a six channel amp, I do have one channel that sits dormant. An MC7205 might have been ideal, but the 206 was the only amp available on the secondary market at the time I was setting up my system.

I can recommend the MC206 without reservation. It is very well built, heavy, and has performed flawlessly for me thus far. Anything bigger than the MC206 (such as the MC303 or MC205) would be much too large and expensive for my setup.

Here's a thread to my setup of this amp in my bedroom theater system:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=41665

When I was writing to you earlier, Pete, I recalled that great photo of your MX120 pre-pro and the MC206 underneath it. That's why I thought that you would be a perfect person to ask!

By the way, I got the information about weight from the spec sheets for both the MC206 and [our] MC300 ... and, you're right, the multichannel amps are built differently for sure. Thanks for the great input.

[Yamaki]

MC-206 =

I don't remember your speaker specs but 200W/channel @ 4 ohms or 120W/channel @ 8 ohms will definitely do the trick for center and rear channel speakers.

Or you can power your front & center channel speakers and use an AVR to power your rear surround speakers.

[70sMac]

Originally Posted by Yamaki

MC-206 =

I don't remember your speaker specs but 200W/channel @ 4 ohms or 120W/channel @ 8 ohms will definitely do the trick for center and rear channel speakers.

Or you can power your front & center channel speakers and use an AVR to power your rear surround speakers.

Although it seems that B&W has stopped providing manuals for their older speakers, which is more than a bit upsetting, here's what I could piece together from various websites.

B&W Specifications

N802 - 8 ohm input impedance; 500W (max); Freq Response: 39Hz - 20KHz; Sensitivity: 91dB

HTM3S - 8 ohm input impedance; 250W (max); Freq Response: 38Hz - 20KHz; Sensitivity: 90dB

N805 - 8 ohm input impedance; 120W (max); Freq Response: 49Hz - 20KHz; Sensitivity: 88dB

[Yamaki]

Looks like those N802 speakers would be well served by a pair of McIntosh MC-501 monoblocks. I know they have done wonders with my Aerial Acoustic Model 8 speakers.

Just sayin' ...

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by Yamaki

Looks like those N802 speakers would be well served by a pair of McIntosh MC-501 monoblocks. I know they have done wonders with my Aerial Acoustic Model 8 speakers.

Just sayin' ...

Ahhh...the mighty 501's. Love mine!

[70sMac]

Yes, those MC501s are very nice indeed.