New member needing help

stingray13

New Member
Apr 16, 2015
2
0
0
I think I have made my choices for a 2 channel stereo system but would appreciate all the help you can offer
(1) Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor Elipsa speakers

(2) McIntosh MCD500 Player

(3) McIntosh C2200 tube preamp

(4) McIntosh (2) 501 amp

Is this a good combination with expandability for a turntable in the future ?

Thanks in advance.

Bill
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
Welcome to the WBF, Bill.

To get the best helpful advice, it would be good if you could let us have an idea of the size of room you are going to put this system in, whether it is a purpose-built audio room or the living room, and your taste in music.
 

stingray13

New Member
Apr 16, 2015
2
0
0
For now the living room will have to do and the size is18 ft X 20ft
As far as to my listening preferences I love classical music, instramentals especially strings and of course rock

Thanks
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
In this day and age, most people are moving to audio servers instead of dedicated CD players. Have you considered that?
 

DaveyF

Well-Known Member
Jul 31, 2010
6,129
181
458
La Jolla, Calif USA
I think that system will sound ok. However, I personally am not a big fan of SF and McIntosh. Instead perhaps listen to SF with ARC or BAT gear or for ss...Rowland.
 

Fred

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2010
296
5
365
Covington, LA
I think I have made my choices for a 2 channel stereo system but would appreciate all the help you can offer
(1) Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor Elipsa speakers

(2) McIntosh MCD500 Player

(3) McIntosh C2200 tube preamp

(4) McIntosh (2) 501 amp

Is this a good combination with expandability for a turntable in the future ?

Thanks in advance.

Bill

You can always add a TT any time to this system. I have to echo Amirm's thoughts. Rather than invest in a CD player have you considered a dedicated digital server. I recently went with a dedicated music server and since then I haven't powered up my CD player one time. Just a thought, kind of thinking out loud.

In this day and age, most people are moving to audio servers instead of dedicated CD players. Have you considered that?

You speak the truth my friend.
 

Big Dog RJ

Well-Known Member
Feb 2, 2012
1,242
463
1,155
Melbourne
The mcd 500 is an excellent digital playback system. I believe it has 4 on-board dacs, this allows the mcd 500 to be used as a stand alone dac as well and accepts usb input. I listened to this very system with a pc as the music server having the usb interface directly into the mcd500 dac, the sound was very good! Overall well balanced and quite natural.

Pop in a cd or sacd and it still sounds wonderful, I really couldn't tell what the fuss was about with all the high-res downloads etc. I understand that the high res stuff like 24/32 bit 192k sounds awfully good but then again a good recording on standard cd & sacd sounds great as well.

Perhaps stingray has a pretty expansive cd collection, therefore is naturally thinking of a dedicated cd player. In this case after listening to the mcd500 you maybe tempted...

Having said that, the New way to go would obviously be a music server, I think mac does one, can't remember the model.
mac also just released a new dedicated transport with a separate dac, maybe something to consider as well.

With regards to amplification, between tubes and ss such as Jeff Rowland designs and Arc or mac, this is a matter of taste and budgets. Stingray, you would have to actually audition various amps combinations before settling in for mc501 monoblocks. If you could stretch the budget, you may find a fine stereo amp that is capable of driving the SF Elipsa beautifully.

On the other hand the mc501's are very good. Cheers, RJ
 

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