playdrv4me
Active Member
So FINALLY after all this time I got a pair of MC monos to babysit for a while and I must say I am blown away. Especially since I was expecting little difference between them and my Classe CA-5200, to which my 802D were connected in a bi-amped configuration at 200 8ohm/370 4ohm. It's a multichannel amp based on the same topology of the 2 ch CA-2200 so it's no slouch. After all, *amplifiers* are not supposed to have a "sound", they're supposed to amplify and pass along whatever they receive, right? Maybe.
This "new" Mac sound (and bare in mind I never did get my hands on the MC501s so I don't necessarily know what the "darker" sound was) is truly something special, even in comparison only to the Classe I had there. Classe gear is generally known for leaning to the analytical end of the spectrum itself, but I always had problems in my rather small listening room, with a pair of 802Ds that seemed to just exert too much bass dominance over all the other frequencies because, I figured, of the lack of ability to really breathe. Well I am pleased to say the MC601s abated most of this "tubbiness" in the low frequencies of the 802Ds. Not ALL of it mind you, but it's no longer uncomfortable to listen with the CP-800's tone controls completely disabled. If I do turn them on, -.5db is just about *right* on the bass control, whereas before I needed a good -1.5 to -2.5db of attenuation for optimal listening, and then it had too much effect on the remaining frequencies. So that's definitely a tangible difference in bass handling I can see in a numerical value. Not just perception.
But perhaps the most impressive aspect of the 601s is their absolutely airy top end. McIntosh from everything I've seen, has always been viewed as kind of a "blunt object", not necessarily able to treat top end frequencies with the delicacy of other brands. Not so with these. I live in an apartment, and so listening at ear blasting volume levels, where you'd *assume* the 601's benefits would shine, is not even a considerate thing for me to do. But I don't really have to, because the delicacy of the handling at the *lowest* volumes is what most impressed me. I was amazed at what I could hear with the volume barely above a comfortable "background music" level. A lot of this probably again has to do with the fact that the 802s are being much better handled and bass is not muddying the whole presentation. If I understand electrical principles correctly, at these listening volumes I'm probably not even using 10 watts, so I don't really have a reasonable explanation for why this difference exists, other than perhaps the way Mac is voicing their amps now. And that's fine with me, it *works*.
I have heard that the MC452 sounds virtually the same as the 601s, and if that's true, I would run rather than walk to find one if you don't care about the "cool factor" of the monos (I do, and I love those enormous meters) or need this level of power handling. I firmly believe this is the sweetest spot in the SS Mac lineup right now, and perhaps the MC2301s on the tube side, but I've never heard them so I can't comment.
On the other hand, I'm a little struck by some "cheap" elements. Namely the cover over the rear-most portion of the amp (the big metal cover between the two heat sinks). Something about that cover just sounds a little flimsy, like some of the cheap chinese made receivers you'd find at Best Buy on an average day, though pushing down on it I have to admit it doesn't give *too* easily. It's also strange to look in there and see a mass of empty space which makes the amp look "hollow". The main cover on the CA-5200 is a MASSIVE THICK piece of metal that I couldn't even faze if I STOOD on it. I suppose that back in the day Mac amps had no cover over this area at all, so take that as you will. Likewise, the omission of locking tabs on the XLR ports is utterly baffling. I really like the lock-tabs on the CA-5200 as the cables can't get pulled out if I'm back there doing other things. Finally, the power knob is not quite what I would have expected. It just doesn't have a secure, satisfying "CLICK" as it reaches each position, with the hefty amount of finger force I expected to feel to move from one selection to the next. An included "stereo mini-phone cable", to either connect or bypass the power save standby, which is a pain in my system that's also used for TV at low volumes late at night, would also have been nice at this cost. But... these are the kinds of build details *I* obsess about on ANYTHING I own.
There is rather a dearth of "real person" 601 reviews out there, so hopefully this will give someone a little guidance, though I am by no means an expert with tons of graphs and microphones and testing equipment. Easily an 8.8 out of a perfect 10 on these. I might even make a youtube video about them, but my listening area isn't very attractive.
This "new" Mac sound (and bare in mind I never did get my hands on the MC501s so I don't necessarily know what the "darker" sound was) is truly something special, even in comparison only to the Classe I had there. Classe gear is generally known for leaning to the analytical end of the spectrum itself, but I always had problems in my rather small listening room, with a pair of 802Ds that seemed to just exert too much bass dominance over all the other frequencies because, I figured, of the lack of ability to really breathe. Well I am pleased to say the MC601s abated most of this "tubbiness" in the low frequencies of the 802Ds. Not ALL of it mind you, but it's no longer uncomfortable to listen with the CP-800's tone controls completely disabled. If I do turn them on, -.5db is just about *right* on the bass control, whereas before I needed a good -1.5 to -2.5db of attenuation for optimal listening, and then it had too much effect on the remaining frequencies. So that's definitely a tangible difference in bass handling I can see in a numerical value. Not just perception.
But perhaps the most impressive aspect of the 601s is their absolutely airy top end. McIntosh from everything I've seen, has always been viewed as kind of a "blunt object", not necessarily able to treat top end frequencies with the delicacy of other brands. Not so with these. I live in an apartment, and so listening at ear blasting volume levels, where you'd *assume* the 601's benefits would shine, is not even a considerate thing for me to do. But I don't really have to, because the delicacy of the handling at the *lowest* volumes is what most impressed me. I was amazed at what I could hear with the volume barely above a comfortable "background music" level. A lot of this probably again has to do with the fact that the 802s are being much better handled and bass is not muddying the whole presentation. If I understand electrical principles correctly, at these listening volumes I'm probably not even using 10 watts, so I don't really have a reasonable explanation for why this difference exists, other than perhaps the way Mac is voicing their amps now. And that's fine with me, it *works*.
I have heard that the MC452 sounds virtually the same as the 601s, and if that's true, I would run rather than walk to find one if you don't care about the "cool factor" of the monos (I do, and I love those enormous meters) or need this level of power handling. I firmly believe this is the sweetest spot in the SS Mac lineup right now, and perhaps the MC2301s on the tube side, but I've never heard them so I can't comment.
On the other hand, I'm a little struck by some "cheap" elements. Namely the cover over the rear-most portion of the amp (the big metal cover between the two heat sinks). Something about that cover just sounds a little flimsy, like some of the cheap chinese made receivers you'd find at Best Buy on an average day, though pushing down on it I have to admit it doesn't give *too* easily. It's also strange to look in there and see a mass of empty space which makes the amp look "hollow". The main cover on the CA-5200 is a MASSIVE THICK piece of metal that I couldn't even faze if I STOOD on it. I suppose that back in the day Mac amps had no cover over this area at all, so take that as you will. Likewise, the omission of locking tabs on the XLR ports is utterly baffling. I really like the lock-tabs on the CA-5200 as the cables can't get pulled out if I'm back there doing other things. Finally, the power knob is not quite what I would have expected. It just doesn't have a secure, satisfying "CLICK" as it reaches each position, with the hefty amount of finger force I expected to feel to move from one selection to the next. An included "stereo mini-phone cable", to either connect or bypass the power save standby, which is a pain in my system that's also used for TV at low volumes late at night, would also have been nice at this cost. But... these are the kinds of build details *I* obsess about on ANYTHING I own.
There is rather a dearth of "real person" 601 reviews out there, so hopefully this will give someone a little guidance, though I am by no means an expert with tons of graphs and microphones and testing equipment. Easily an 8.8 out of a perfect 10 on these. I might even make a youtube video about them, but my listening area isn't very attractive.
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