Macintosh MC2102 Power Amp help needed

[barrie]

hi Purchased a Mcintosh MC2102 Power Amp couples up with a audio research sp9 pre on a pair of esl63 quads but music sounds very hard and crappy hi-end vocals can anyone help


cheers in advance

 

[RogerD]

hi Purchased a Mcintosh MC2102 Power Amp couples up with a audio research sp9 pre on a pair of esl63 quads but music sounds very hard and crappy hi-end vocals can anyone help


cheers in advance

Was the amp tested by a tech? Mac maybe a little colored but what you describe is not a quality I have ever witnessed with that amp. Also are the cables new?

 

[barrie]

Hi Roger

Thanks for the reply ..... I purchased the amp from Europe .. Im in the U.K. so was unable to audition it .... it came with a set of new phono cables and I've put new valves in the audio research just incase it was that ... the quads have just been re-built by Quad so they are ok ... Im using a naim audio cd3 it sounds fine in my naim system so really don't know what to do next apart from buying new valves ... they were suppose to have all been tested and matched before I bought it ... if did come from a hifi shop in portegul

cheers

Barrie

 

[RogerD]

Hi Roger

Thanks for the reply ..... I purchased the amp from Europe .. Im in the U.K. so was unable to audition it .... it came with a set of new phono cables and I've put new valves in the audio research just incase it was that ... the quads have just been re-built by Quad so they are ok ... Im using a naim audio cd3 it sounds fine in my naim system so really don't know what to do next apart from buying new valves ... they were suppose to have all been tested and matched before I bought it ... if did come from a hifi shop in portegul

cheers

Barrie

Hi Barrie
Read these reviews. Seems like there could be a problem. Have you run the amplifier for at least a week? See if anybody can recommend a tech in your area and call him.Good luck...also post this problem over on Audio Karma forum...lots of MAC people there.
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/amplification/amplifiers/mcintosh/mc2102/prd_347915_1583crx.aspx

 

[XV-1]

I used to own a pair of MC2102's and hard and crappy they are not. They are pretty tubey sounding.

Have you played around with the different taps on the amp - that will have a large difference in sounding depending what taps you are using. In theory the 4ohm taps should sound best, but try 2 and 8 ohms.

 

[barrie]

ok if the speakers are 8 ohms surely I cannot plug them into 4 ohms won't it damage my electrostatics... I was wondering if the amp and pre-amp are a mismatch

 

[XV-1]

You can use any tap you like. This is why tube amps multiple taps that you can use.

Have a read of the Stereophile review - they recommend to use the 4 ohm tap of tube amps. Give it a try, you cannot damage anything.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/quad-esl-63-loudspeaker-measurements

 

[barrie]

Ok thanks for that ... it has not made much difference at all I'm trying to get hold of another valve pre amp to se what thats like but I'm sure its a miss match between the audio research and Macintosh

 

[microstrip]

I have owned an MC2102 with ESL63 - a great sound with the C2200. Mine is now playing in Italy ...

The ARC SP9, particularly the mk1 and 2, can sound lean, even thin and edgy, in some systems. A disaster with most CD players IMHO ... Perhaps you should try another real tube preamplifier - the SP9 is an hybrid.

 

[Elberoth]

I have owned an MC2102 with ESL63 - a great sound with the C2200. Mine is now playing in Italy ...

The ARC SP9, particularly the mk1 and 2, can sound lean, even thin and edgy, in some systems. A disaster with most CD players IMHO ... Perhaps you should try another real tube preamplifier - the SP9 is an hybrid.

+1

Sell the Sp9 and get the C2200 or C2300 instead.

 

[barrie]

Thanks for the reply .... if I could afford to buy a Macintosh pre amp I would but funds were a little low after purchasing the amp/speakers/turntable thats why I went for the sp9 is there any alternatives

thanks in advance


Barrie

 

[pessoa00]

hi Purchased a Mcintosh MC2102 Power Amp couples up with a audio research sp9 pre on a pair of esl63 quads but music sounds very hard and crappy hi-end vocals can anyone help


cheers in advance

I’m probably a little late and you already figured it out, but here it goes anyway. I’m not surprised ARC with Mc sounded like you mentioned. The Arc has an output impedance of 500 ohms and requires an amp of minimum 60k ohms (100k and higher is better). The Mc is 20k, which means is a no go.