MacIntosh MC2205

 

Silver Member
Username: Dan_the_man

London, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 102
Registered: Jun-04
Hello everyone, i stumbled across this used vintage amp for sale for about $1200 canadian. I realize that it is a vintage amp. I've heard and read that Macintosh amps are basically amazing, although i haven't heard one myself yet.

Well here is the dilemma, providing i like the sound and it is in good enough physical condition I want to buy it, i love the way it looks. I was wondering if there would be any problem with using the preouts on my marantz sr-6300 so i could just power my mains with the Mac? That way for two channel listening i could simply use the Mac or is this redundant because the the Mac will reveal my mid-fi equipment down stream?
I really want to buy a turntable this year and get into vinyl, i believe this amp would be perfect for this purpose. The reciever i have right now does not have a phono stage but of course the mc2205 does. Or maybe i'm wrong, that's why i'm here to ask you guys. Does anyone have any experience with this model? And if so could they please tell me of any inherent problems i should look for. Thanks in advance.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5827
Registered: Dec-04
Mind your footwork, Dan, that Mac is ultra expensive to repair.
If it is in very good condition, and you hear it running(full tilt), then I would call it a 'buy'.

Do you get a manual? Boxes? This is a major purchase, the extras mean resale value, nothing else.

Use it as a stand alone, the 'other' stuff will muddy up the Mac.

Good luck!
 

Silver Member
Username: Dan_the_man

London, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 103
Registered: Jun-04
yeah nuck, box and orignal manual. You think that it would be good for a turntable set up? Maybe with a set of vr-1's?
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 3989
Registered: Feb-05
Actually if you turn off the video goodies when you listen to 2 channel and use only the Mac there's no harm in powering your mains via pre outs on the Mac with the Marantz. By turn off I mean turn the Marantz and all of its friends (DVD player etc) off.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 3990
Registered: Feb-05
And would that amp make a good setup for a turntable...umm...yep!
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 9749
Registered: May-04
.

" ... there's no harm in powering your mains via pre outs on the Mac with the Marantz. By turn off I mean turn the Marantz and all of its friends (DVD player etc) off."


I'm sure you meant to say the pre outs on the Marantz. However, if he turns off the Marantz, he will not have a pre amp in his proposed set up.




"And would that amp make a good setup for a turntable...umm...yep!"



Uh, no, it wouldn't and it can't. Any Mac amplifier with a "MC" prefix is a basic power amplifier. The amp in question has no phono section. http://www.audioclassics.com/detail.php3?detail=MC2205&nav=cat


If you would like a McIntosh "amplifier" with a phono section, you will have to find an integrated amplifier which has a "MA" prefix. http://www.audioclassics.com/detail.php3?detail=MA6100&nav=cat


If you would like a Mac pre amplifier with a phono input, look for a "C" prefix. http://www.audioclassics.com/detail.php3?detail=C28&nav=cat


While the MC2205 in question would appear to be a good deal, you should ask about service records before making the plunge. Ask first if the amp was ever taken to a Mac clinic and, if so, does the ownwer have the print out for preformance. This is more a curiosity piece (though it adds value to a Mac owner) than a requirement since a Mac amplifier will meet its specs. The lack of a clinic sheet is not a deal breaker as not many owners of 200 watt Mac amplifiers wanted to schlepp this amp to and from a clinic just to prove it beats its specs.


Ask about the condition of the capacitors and if any have been changed recently. You are paricularly interested in power supply caps. I have to disagree with Nuck about cost of servicing a Mac amplifier. Mac repairs are the same price as every other product. Parts for a Mac are not expensive compared to what some manufactures get for lesser products. I had a few caps replaced in my Mac MA6100 last year and the cost was $181. $150 of that was labor and labor costs are the same for any amplifier, the dealer does not charge more because its McIntosh. The service included a complete clean up and performance check of the amplifier. I have to admit it came back looking better than when I took it in.


Ask if the unit has been in service recently or if it has sat powered down for a long period of time, such as three or more years. Letting an amplifier sit without power will dry out the caps faster than using it on a regular basis. If the amp has not had any caps repalced in the past five years, I would set aside a few dollars for a potential repair. Often a unit more than twenty years old will fail after a few weeks of working just fine. On the other hand, it's a Mac and it might go another twenty years without a problem. (There was another thread on the forum last year where someone purchased a used Mac integrated and it worked for a few weeks and then had to go into the shop. If possible, try to get some performance guaranteee from the seller for at least thirty to sixty days. If they feel good about their amplifier, they shouldn't object.)


Two hundred watts is probably overkill for most systems. You can easily get by with less power in almost any case and the difference between 50 watts and 200 is not as large as most people think, especially when dealing with McIntosh. This amp has Power Guard (it impossible to clip this amplifier) and Mac's famous meters which will surprise you at the actual difference between 50 and 200 watts. So, if you don't need the watts, you might consider a different Mac amplifier for less money.



As I said, if you are looking for a phono input, this basic power amp will not provide that function. You might rather look at a Mac integrated which can be had for less money with a short warranty from a shop like Audio Classics or without a warranty from Audiogon. The MA5100 and MA6100 are almost identical amplifiers and each is similar to a receiver of the same vintage; http://www.audioclassics.com/detail.php3?detail=MAC1700&nav=cat. The hybrids from Mac are quite interesting items and give exceptional performance.


Shoud you decide on the MC2205, get a guarantee regarding the condition of the face plate. The glass front panel for a Mac amp typically runs $200-500 and should be replaced by a technician (which will add a labor charge to the repair). Make certain the amp will be shipped in its original carton and not some other container. The complete package, in its original container, will weight 98 Lbs. If the amp must be shipped, account for this in your pricing. UPS and Fed Ex will not, to my knowledge, ship anything weighing more than 75 Lbs.


Finally, should you use the Mac with the Marantz as a pre amplifier? No. The Mac will not "reveal" the mid-fi gear you own but it will not do much better with the signal the mid-fi provides it (other than you will hear the surefooted nature of a 200 watt Mac amplifier).



My suggestion would be to leave your HT system as is and run a separate two channel system with the Mac amplifier. It has front panel gain controls and swichable input sensitivity which will allow you, with the sensitivity switched to 2.5 volts, to run a CD player directly into the amplifier's main inputs and use the front panel gain controls as "dual mono" volume controls. This is essentially a passive pre amp and will be the cleanest signal you can find. With appropriate speakers this should be a very enjoyable system.



.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 3998
Registered: Feb-05
I simply meant that Mac lends itself well to listening to vinyl.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 3999
Registered: Feb-05
BTW Jan is our resident expert on Mac..his advice is gospel on this subject...and I mean that sincerely.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5828
Registered: Dec-04
Amen!
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5829
Registered: Dec-04
Jan, remember it's Canadian dollars, so the price may be better than first read.
Great call on the bias and input sensitivity, a smooth, full bodied cdp would be terrific and minimalist. What more do you need, Dan?
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 9755
Registered: May-04
.


If you buy the amplifier, and if it is shipped, make certain the seller insures the contents for well above the actual selling price. Another forum member bought a MA6100 (mine actually, I bought it when she didn't want a damaged amplifier) and the seller shipped it in the carton for the Mac wooden cabinet which is obviously inappropriate for a 65 Lb. amplifier. When the UPS delivery man literally dropped it at her door, glass fell from the poorly sealed carton. The seller had not insured the shipping and ended up eating his profit from the deal.


Get insurance!


.
 

Silver Member
Username: Dan_the_man

London, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 105
Registered: Jun-04
Thanks everyone for your solid advice.

I looked at some of the intergrated units that Jan mentioned, and for me right now they might be a better deal.

I went and listened to the Macintosh paired with a set of Vr-1's. I can't belive they made amps like this in 1981. In short i'm totally sold on it. I have not wanted anything this bad in a while.

It had a tiny scratch on the face, the glass looks good. The analog needles are damn sexy. I had to chuckle a little bit, i work as an automotive techinician and the colour of the lights reminded me of the "sex" lights all the teens would put in their hondas with the annoying mufflers........ anyways lol liked it.

As far as the dealer is concerned they say they do not know about the service history, which probally means it has not been recapped. I'm going to sit on it for a bit, hopefully i'll just get irrational and just buy it and put it in the closet for a couple months so i can put together some more cash for my secondary system.

This amp is probally overkill for what i need. But it would be an intersting piece of kit to own. }
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5865
Registered: Dec-04
Dan which shop?
I would be in your shoes, too. A nice piece to own. Definitely nice.
Dan Santorini is a huge Mac service tech fan guy in Hamilton, oughta Alternative in Dundas.

He would look that over real good for you.
My old Pioneer is wonky and he was hepped up on the phone about opening it up.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5897
Registered: Dec-04
Dan, how does the deal fall out?

Are you getting the Mac?
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 9785
Registered: May-04
.

" ... I'm going to sit on it for a bit ... "


Rather impatient, aren't you, Nuck? Are you getting a cut on this deal or what?
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5903
Registered: Dec-04
Hey, Dan is local.
Any y'all ain't got nothin' beter to do, Jan?
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 5940
Registered: Dec-04
Dan I saw your unit yesterday. Looks pretty good.
I still like the option of a cdp direct and use the bias.
Looks nice with the 200w meters.
 

Silver Member
Username: Dan_the_man

London, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 107
Registered: Jun-04
i'm going for a third look on saturday. What player do you think would match up? I was looking at arcam. Any suggestions?
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 9841
Registered: May-04
.


Ask the dealer for a suggestion and an audition, if you're serious about buying the amp.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 9842
Registered: May-04
.

Saturdays are not a good day to be window shopping if you're going to ask a salesperson to hook up a 200 watt Mac amp. Do your audition on Monday unless you're ready to buy the amp on Saturday.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 6000
Registered: Dec-04
Dan which listening room is more like yours?
Upstairs is a quieter room. Softer, too.
I am sure he will bring the mac up there for you.

Im not sure what speakers there are more like your Axiom's, though.

A weekday is always appreciated by the dealer. Likely yourself as well, few interruptions.
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