New McIntosh MC901 Dual Mono Amplifier

[Levitator]

Very very nice! Congrats

[SCAudiophile]

Originally Posted by rob725

Please excuse poor photo and unfinished room:

Wonderful system, looks amazing as well!

[rob725]

Originally Posted by Dtank

Rob, I currently have 1.25s running SF Amati Trads and I’m considering upgrading to a similar set up as yours w/ 901s and the 1.25s trip-amped to drive SF Liliums. Are you able to send pics?

The 1.25s and the 901s work well together, without even adjusting the the crossover to blend 1.25s. It would not surprise me if McIntosh didn't have this in mind. The crossover on the 901 is very useful for tuning the three together with the speaker to get that last bit of room/amp/speaker synergy. Also, if you feel the tubes will will benefit the upper end (I feel they did on the Xrt's) the 901s are a clever solution. As I mentioned elsewhere, Adding 2301s and something like the Bryston 10B crossover to the 1.25s would offer another choice, as I've no doubt the 1.25s could easily handle everything below the tubes and save a little money.

[rob725]

Originally Posted by Jem666

Beautiful room and system...enjoy in good health.

How would you describe the interaction of the XRT1.1k with the room.

Is the placement of these line arrays more critical or less critical than with other designs.

Guess I’m trying to find out if they would work well in smaller rooms, placed closer to the walls. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Thanks.

I think they would be fine nearer the side walls, as McIntosh demoed both them and the 2.1s that way in their NY launch. I had them father apart at one time, but moved them closer together to try and get the ideal triangle with the listening position. Also, the subs, being where they are, keeps me from trying them too far apart.

Still, I'm tempted to swap them and the 901s somewhat, because, you know, it's audio, and we can't ever help but wonder if it might not be better if...I'd prefer to have the amps a bit more behind their front radiation. That said, they sound great. There are not a lot of reviews, but those I've read about the 2.1s seem apt, but with lower power potential.

Speaking of power, the system is capable of more power than is needed for two channel in my theater. It's awesome for movies. Still I enjoy having the headroom. Effortless is not a bad thing.

Surprising to me is how well they do at very modest power levels: great detail, nice bass and general texture. At 89 db, they're are pretty sensitive and will do just fine in a small room.

All that said, if I were putting together a small-space 2-channel music-only system (I am considering it if I can find the space), I would want to audition a host of other alternatives, since the tremendous power handling would not be needed.

[Charles]

Rob, just saw your system. Absolutely stunning. I think aesthetics extremely important. I can't remember seeing a more beautiful system. You got it all, brother, with those massive subs and the custom designed room. In this time of worry and distress, being able to "escape" for awhile becomes so important. I am so happy for you!

I believe strongly in sound signatures. Stay with Mac. You won't be disappointed.

Charles

[rob725]

Originally Posted by Charles

Rob, just saw your system. Absolutely stunning. I think aesthetics extremely important. I can't remember seeing a more beautiful system. You got it all, brother, with those massive subs and the custom designed room. In this time of worry and distress, being able to "escape" for awhile becomes so important. I am so happy for you!

I believe strongly in sound signatures. Stay with Mac. You won't be disappointed.

Charles

Thanks Everyone!

No worries, Charles, the Mc's are here to stay. I couldn't be happier. I'm a bit reticent to be too effusive, because there are so many good speakers I've not heard. I've yet to attend an audio show (although I was hoping prior to Covid19 to attend Munich and/or Chicago and still am hoping for Rocky Mountain). I've had some nice speakers and components, but really didn't think I had audiophile ears. Sure, I could image a singer or a jazz trio, but listening to individual musicians in an orchestra, let alone the "air" around them, seemed beyond me.

Likewise, while I believed that some could hear the difference between quality cables and high-end cables, I figured it was maybe that last little bit sound quality reserved for golden ears. I was never a hard-core objectivist, but just figured that a well made cable of quality copper of sufficient gauge was all that was needed. And frankly, that all the to-do around power cables, and digital cables was pretty much BS.

Until this system. As I was upgrading and re-involving myself in audio, I noticed an awful lot of people were singing the praises of power conditioning and cables. I had been breaking in the pre/1.25/xrts for about a month and was already blown away by the imaging, detail, bass...My dealer sent me an Audioquest Niagra 7000 and cable demo kit to try. I plugged in both amps and my mind was completely blown. The level of detail was immediately shocking. It sounded awful musically but I could hear everything. Within 2-3 days the music came back and the detail stayed. Now, when I'd built the room 7 years ago, I installed balanced power and had 10 20amp circuits. It had its own grounding system buried outside and came straight from the pole. None of the signals coming into the room were electric, all fiber. I did not expect power cables to make any difference in an already "clean room." But they sure did. So I started playing a bit and tried some shunyata cables from a dealer I trusted to great effect. I could be happy with the sound from either the shunyatas or AQs. I just found the AQs to be a bit physically unwieldy at the upper end. I went with mostly shunyata Sigma's because I simply didn't want to go through the constant upgrading over time and always wondering what I was missing (and they were running large discounts at this time). It took a while to get them all in and I kept adding, so I seemed to be breaking something in for months. And it's crazy. It was only a week ago that everything settled and the system became that much sweeter that I just shook my head and smiled.

I wrote all that to make the point that this system is incredibly revealing. Every change, every cable swap, even cable movement (if major) made a difference and would take some time to settle. And what I thought was amazing, would become even better. The system is not rounded off at all. it does not hide blemishes. Beautiful recordings are beautiful and poor recordings are perfectly poor.

And now, having everything settled down for a while, I am blissfully listening to everything every single day, including orchestras where I can listen to the whole or any individual, often with a stupid grin on my face.

Still, I have that devil on my shoulder whispering in my ear, "just think how it would sound with the 1100 preamp, but then I would need to add a DAC, what about ether regen..."

[JemHadar]

Originally Posted by rob725

Still, I have that devil on my shoulder whispering in my ear, "just think how it would sound with the 1100 preamp, but then I would need to add a DAC, what about ether regen..."

Just tell him [emoji48] to keep his social distance...for now.
...we all know there is no escape.

Thank you for sharing your journey

[Charles]

Originally Posted by rob725

Thanks Everyone!

No worries, Charles, the Mc's are here to stay. I couldn't be happier. I'm a bit reticent to be too effusive, because there are so many good speakers I've not heard. I've yet to attend an audio show (although I was hoping prior to Covid19 to attend Munich and/or Chicago and still am hoping for Rocky Mountain). I've had some nice speakers and components, but really didn't think I had audiophile ears. Sure, I could image a singer or a jazz trio, but listening to individual musicians in an orchestra, let alone the "air" around them, seemed beyond me.

Likewise, while I believed that some could hear the difference between quality cables and high-end cables, I figured it was maybe that last little bit sound quality reserved for golden ears. I was never a hard-core objectivist, but just figured that a well made cable of quality copper of sufficient gauge was all that was needed. And frankly, that all the to-do around power cables, and digital cables was pretty much BS.

Until this system. As I was upgrading and re-involving myself in audio, I noticed an awful lot of people were singing the praises of power conditioning and cables. I had been breaking in the pre/1.25/xrts for about a month and was already blown away by the imaging, detail, bass...My dealer sent me an Audioquest Niagra 7000 and cable demo kit to try. I plugged in both amps and my mind was completely blown. The level of detail was immediately shocking. It sounded awful musically but I could hear everything. Within 2-3 days the music came back and the detail stayed. Now, when I'd built the room 7 years ago, I installed balanced power and had 10 20amp circuits. It had its own grounding system buried outside and came straight from the pole. None of the signals coming into the room were electric, all fiber. I did not expect power cables to make any difference in an already "clean room." But they sure did. So I started playing a bit and tried some shunyata cables from a dealer I trusted to great effect. I could be happy with the sound from either the shunyatas or AQs. I just found the AQs to be a bit physically unwieldy at the upper end. I went with mostly shunyata Sigma's because I simply didn't want to go through the constant upgrading over time and always wondering what I was missing (and they were running large discounts at this time). It took a while to get them all in and I kept adding, so I seemed to be breaking something in for months. And it's crazy. It was only a week ago that everything settled and the system became that much sweeter that I just shook my head and smiled.

I wrote all that to make the point that this system is incredibly revealing. Every change, every cable swap, even cable movement (if major) made a difference and would take some time to settle. And what I thought was amazing, would become even better. The system is not rounded off at all. it does not hide blemishes. Beautiful recordings are beautiful and poor recordings are perfectly poor.

And now, having everything settled down for a while, I am blissfully listening to everything every single day, including orchestras where I can listen to the whole or any individual, often with a stupid grin on my face.

Still, I have that devil on my shoulder whispering in my ear, "just think how it would sound with the 1100 preamp, but then I would need to add a DAC, what about ether regen..."

Rob, I think you have a lot of audiophile common sense. There are many ways to to, many paths to follow. It's very easy to get lost. Many do and then it's constantly searching for that little improvement here or there, constantly switching a cable or piece of gear and being "blown away". That's not for me.

I use top line AQ. I know the Sigma USB may be a better USB cable than the Diamond. Don't care. Stay within my sound signature. I have an XVX and am very pleased with it. Currently, I'll soon be upgrading to a Master Chronosonic sub from my Thor. But I can tell you that I would be just as happy with your speakers and subs. I want the "big" speaker and you have the custom built room, I don't. It's quite amazing how well the XVX fits into my room. Your room and power lines/conditioning are amazing.

The great thing about Mac is the beautiful cosmetics and its sound signature. Folks forget that Mac has been making speakers since the 1950's. I well remember when the first Mac's came out. My dad had his Bozak's built into his living room at that time. These Macs were sealed systems at that time. Mac has an anechoic chamber. I wouldn't place much faith in shows.

Keep inside your sound signatures and as new products come, make appropriate upgrades. Certainly a D1100/C1100/MP1100 would be a significant sonic upgrade and would be a cosmetic knockout.

With a room as beautiful as yours aesthetics become extremely important. With a room like mine which is extremely well built but basically a converted rec room, cosmetics are much less important. I care about them but cosmetics are secondary for me.

I have 4 20 amp lines which is all I will ever need. Since I have a whole house generator I use a Transguard Tg 60 surge lightning protector between the light pole and huge transfer switch. I well remember the sonic difference it made the first time I turned my system on after its installation. Unexpected and rather remarkable. Power and room is all important, IMO. You have it in spades. I am so happy for you.

____________________
Charles Updated System
Most recent updates: AQ Diamond USB replaces AQ Coffee; Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx replaced by Wilson Audio Specialties XVX Chronosonic
Amps: McIntosh 1.25KW’s (3) set on floor on custom made cultured marble slabs
Preamp and DAC: McIntosh D1100
Sources: McIntosh MCD1100 SACD player, MVP881 BR player, MVP851 DVD player, MR87 tuner, Marantz 510LV Laser Disc player, ASUS laptop USB (JRiver Media Center 23)
Speakers: Wilson Audio Specialties XVX Chronosonic
Sub-woofer: Wilson Audio Specialties Thor’s Hammer (1) horizontal lie and Wilson Watch Controller (abbr: WC)
Cables main system: Audioquest Wel Signature speaker cables and balanced IC (preamp to amps); Wel Signature AES/EBU balanced digital IC for CD playback; Audioquest Diamond optical (1) for tuner, (1) for BR player, and (1) for LD player for total of (3); Diamond USB cable; McIntosh MCT cable for SACD playback; Dragon power cords (5 HC cords and 3 source cords for total of 8); Thunder HC power cord for tuner; cables for DVD player not listed
Cables subwoofer system: Audioquest Redwood speaker cable (1); Wolf balanced subwoofer IC from WC to amp; Wind balanced IC from preamp to WC; Hurricane HC (2) and Dragon HC (1) power cords
Power conditioners: Audioquest Niagara 7000 (1) and Niagara 5000 (3); (4) dedicated 20-amp lines with no. 10 wire straight out of fuse box
Cabinet: Double Custom Woodwork & Design (CWD) solid walnut cabinet on large casters; holds all sources and preamp; also, Niagara 7000; 11 feet minimum distance from speakers
Acoustic Treatments: Room and Echo Tunes
AC: Dedicated to this room only, an ultra-high efficiency and quiet recently installed Ruud split system 3-ton heat pump.
Room (mancave): 40’L x 15.5’W A-frame; max ceiling height 8’ min 5’; wall within wall construction built of 2 x 6’s; built over garage with custom hardwood floor with gym seal with over 40 Lowes stiffened wooden I-beams supporting floor; complete isolation from rest of house

[rob725]

Originally Posted by Jem666

Just tell him [emoji48] to keep his social distance...for now.
...we all know there is no escape.

Thank you for sharing your journey

I'm doing my best to resist, lol.

A couple of other things I've learned on this journey:

They both involve the McIntosh meters. I was not originally a fan. I worked with the crestron integrator to make it easy to turn them off, especially during movies.

As it turns out, I don't ever turn them off. For movies, I find it extremely helpful to be able to see what's going on with all of the decoding scenarios. I have found music-movies that are missing channels. I now love the meters and have found them less distracting when involved in a movie than I thought they would be

Secondly, the meters have taught me how little power is often needed for satisfying 2-channel listening. This is one of the reasons I am interest in setting up a dedicated two-channel system. I'd like to hear some high efficiency speakers with modestly powered class A and SET amps. There are just so many choices and so many opinions, which is why I'd like to get to an audio show. This is a long-term research project, as I currently don't have an appropriate space, but have some ideas about building one.

[rob725]

A more typical listening session