Listening level for MA 8000

[vinylFanMichael]

What volume percentage do owners of this integrated (or MA9000) usually use to listen to music?

I realize a lot of factors go into this. Room size, source, speakers, treatment etc.

If I turn mine up over 35% I am routinely accused of going deaf by my wife. It’s just not sounding great to me at these lower volumes.

Unfortunately I haven’t been listening to vinyl recently and mainly just Tidal through an Apple TV. Not ideal I know. Before Covid, my vinyl listening was happening Monday and Tuesday when the house was empty. Unfortunately, this is all in the living room.

Speakers could be better (Sonus Faber Chameleon T) but I just don’t see the point of buying anything new until we move to a larger house which needs to happen with having two kids in two years.

So ...too long don’t read: your typical McIntosh listening volume and speaker recommendation under 10K for an MA8000.

[Dylan Morris]

My MA8000 is somewhere between 38% and 42% smallish room 22ft by 11ft. Speakers Monitor Audio PL200 Mk11 on Iso Acoustics Gaia 2 isolation feet. Cable is Atlas Asimi which is silver cable, bought second hand as new price is crazy.

[vinylFanMichael]

Thanks Dylan.

Well I am embarrassed. One reason it wasn’t sounding good...I discovered last night my kid must have been mashing buttons. I was bypassing tone controls, but that was turned on again and of course my daughter turns those on the unit.

Actually turned it up around 50% and the wife didn’t complain last night. Sounded better. the living room ceiling is pretty high. I need to check and see if the MC input has been reset as well.

[Grasshopper]

My MAC6700 likes to be at 30-35 when we are listening casually.

If I’m “pushing it” I hover around 40-42.

[BuffaloBill]

If you need that much volume gain you must have inefficient speakers. This means that as you turn the volume up even more distortion is created.

[crwilli]

OP, what speakers are you using with the MA8000?

[vinylFanMichael]

I have Sonus Faber Chameleon T. Problem was discovered. Toddler engaged tone controls that were previously bypassed. Sounding great at 42% today. I am up for speaker suggestions.

[joel_hifi]

I had a MA8000 for a short while, good match with my Harbeth 30.1 35th Anniversary

[FreddieFerric]

Source components also dictate what volume level. I have the MA8000 and listen to it from anywhere as low as 17% to as much as 65%. It all depends on what I'm looking for.

For example, an early morning listening session before anyone else in the house is up usually involves something like Helene Grimaud on piano. I like that very low. Between 17 and 21%. If I'm listening to jazz on tape it usually plays at around 35%. If I want to demo the full grip of the amp on something like The Fairfield Four or pipe organ music, then nothing short of 65% will do.

Obviously the time of day or night factors in since I don't live alone.

The MA8000 is an excellent sounding IA btw.

[Dylan Morris]

Does my MA8000 have blue LED’s or the old fashioned bulbs that need replacing ?