Vintage Mcintosh Separates or New Integrated?

Tin_Ears said:
Actually, analog audio and film went through countless iterations as well (gramophone, daguerreotype). It reached a point that new advancements were more-or-less pointless because we could no longer hear or see the improvements provided the quality was there.
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I'm sure someone somewhere said daguerrotype had better "filmicality" and was "less sterile and more dynamic" than Kodachrome. :D
 
Give Terry or AudioClassics a call and get some idea of what it may cost to bring everything back to spec and go from there. They both have banner ads at the bottom of this page.
 
My two cents...I think your C33 and 2105 are timeless. With some proactive maintenance they will last a lifetime and considering you keep your system very simple, I would think they will serve you well.
 
The 2105 will outlast many other amps after it's been serviced. New manufacture caps are better than the originals, and the 2105 autoformers make it damn near impossible to short the output transistors. If after servicing it you still want to move on, you'll get more money out of it.
 
I'd be curious to hear your impressions of the MC2105 after it has been serviced. twiiii had a good recommendation with the MC7200, although they're somewhat difficult to find.
 
damacman said:
I'd be curious to hear your impressions of the MC2105 after it has been serviced. twiiii had a good recommendation with the MC7200, although they're somewhat difficult to find.
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I'll update the thread when randy gives me an estimate as to what's wrong. This will be more of a repair than a restore service though...
 
To me a 2105, 2505, 2300 are a little forward sounding, the bass a little on the soft side and the highs have just an edge. As time moves forward the bass gets faster, the highs better defined the amps quieter, and the over all sound is more revealing. My speakers are sensitive to amp speed in the bass, so I prefer Mac amps without autoformers. I like sweet highs, so a 1.2k on other speakers is my favorite amp. A contradiction, not really. Always buy your speakers first and then choose which Mac amp you want. Then look to the preamp. If your an analog nut, your phono cartridge is as important selection as your speakers! in my case I seldom use over 60 watts and as I tri-amp a 207 was a great choice. Would I rather have , 5 1.2 k for the highs and super teeters and 2 7200's for the bass with a couple of 303's for everything else? For sure! But I'll stick with my 2 207's.
 
Update: Randy did the following to my amp.

Replaced input boot strap capacitors on each channel's driver PC board

Replaced open emitter resistor to the left channel output transistor

Secured main filter capacitor bolts and grounds

Adjusted output meter levels

Replaced front lamps, as needed

Checked and correct previous service work

Repositioned pinched red secondary wire under main transformer shield and remounted main transformer

Cleaned up leaking transformer tar, as best I can

Rebuilt speaker selector switch

Rewired headphone jack to correct right and left channel output

Verified and adjusted idle current through both channels output stages

Cleaned and tightened driver's stage PC board edge connectors

Cleaned switches and controls with Cramolin Gold

Checked power supply filter capacitors for low ESR and value

Cleaned knobs in ultra sonic cleaner

Cleaned front panel and chassis

Checked to specification

Checked alignment and adjusted as necessary
 
I will pick it up next friday, and see how she sounds! I haven't seen or heard his work on my amp yet, but he was quick, friendly, and definitely knowledgable.

I will update the thread after I've spent some time listening to the serviced amp.
 
Sounds like a very thorough servicing.

As others have said, McIntosh is built & designed for virtually limitless service life - given necessary periodic refurbishment intervals. McIntosh amps (especially of that era) don't have a tremendous following for no good reason!

I think you'll be very happy with it for many years to come.
 
A 2105 and C 33 serviced is as dependable and good sounding as they come. They were built with care to have limitless service life. And they are better supported than a lot of newer 2 year old integrated amplifiers.
 
Quick update. Got my amp back from Randy at Audio Elite Tech. First impressions were great, the amp is clean and all the bulbs are new, and like a true tech he handed me a bag with my old replaced parts.
That said I got home and began listening, and the old MC2105 has new life! It is much quieter first off. My bass has come back from being somewhat tubby and non existent to the prodigious sound I used to remember! It is sounding quite wonderful and much better than before. I am a happy camper. For the cost of one 'mid grade' interconnect from some companies my amp is a new bird.
Highly recommend Randy's work.
 
Just an update: after living with the mc2105 post servicing, I will say it is a wonderful amp. It has tube like midrange magic! The bass is not as tight as some of the modern mc amps I've heard, certainly not as defined. While I don't find the treble to have any edge it's just a hair closed off compared to even the c33 monitor amp. All in all a wonderful and musical amp with some compromises in the extreme frequencies (sounds like to me anyway.) I've thought about the integrateds but to get anywhere close to the performance of the c33 you have to really look at the MA7900. Money that would probably be better spent on speakers, or an international trip.
Anyway - thanks for all the input from everyone. I think the MC2105 will probably leave the system this next year, but that's a subject for another thread.
 
There's the new MC152 to consider, too. It will most likely put out 200 watts before the Power guard kicks in. It will have all the latest technology and should be a great unit for you to consider. I would probably take the 7900 on the trade up program, if you can sell them for more on the open market.
 
I'll likely have to keep a new amp purchase under $2k, don't think I could get near the 7900 financially speaking! That 152 looks rally enticing, I'm sure it is also beyond my budget...
 
MC162, MC202, MC7150, MC7200, MC7270, MC7300 . . . all newer designs that are great choices at that budget.
 
I have nearly the same system that you do: a C33 and an MC2100. The MC2100 has gotten the spa treatment at Terry's, and sounds beautiful with my Vandersteens. And the C33 is the last piece of audio equipment I would sell — it just does everything so well, and provides tremendous versatility.

I've also had or heard a lot of other more modern equipment, including some high-end items, and I do not feel like these 30- and 40-year-old Mac pieces are holding me back. I am routinely captivated by the music they reproduce. What more could I ask? For me, room treatment probably would make a bigger difference than upgrading electronics.
 
C33 is crazy versatile and so nice. I agree the room is that huge factor and the final speaker as they say. However I'm hearing definitively better results to my ear with just the c33 monitor amp (I have fairly efficient speakers) and the bass control is almost night and day difference in terms of control and and definition. As well as more air in the treble region. All in all, the mc2105 has been no slouch, but I also like to hear different things and experiment, so some tube amps may make an appearance for. Demo this winter!
 
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