Ultimate Advice MC2300/MC2500/MC2600

P

pw8888

New Member
HI Everybody,
I am triing to find info on that subject and i didn't find anything...

OK Guys.:D

I have a Pair of Jbl L300 that I LOVE !! powered by a MC2255:D:D
I am planning to get a MC-2600 or MC-2500
Can someone over here tells me and describe me the SOUND of these differents units ? (sound only don't need historical fact here...i ve reading a lot of them)

MC2255 VS MC2300 ?
MC2255 VS MC2500 ?
MC2255 VS MC2600 ?

We can find right now unit at a "raisonnable" price...but is the price differences between the MC2500 vs MC2600 is worth ?
I am NOT talking about the power. I just talking about the sound....:thmbsp:
later
Phil
 
I've never had the exact setups you're asking about so really can't comment. IIRC, the 2600s were close in circuit topology to your 2255 but someone like RonC would be able to verify that.

Have you contacted Audio Classics about this?

Cheers,

David
 
usually with Mcintosh, you really can't go WRONG with any of them, but if they are all within your budget get the MC2600. the improvments are often not HUGE, but their stuff always improves as you go up. I have heard that the MC2300 is warm like the MC2105 is it just has more power. Powerguard is a very worthwhile improvement and only the MC2500 and MC2600 have that. with the MC2600 there wont be a pair of speakers that you will ever want to run that it wont drive.
 
A 2500 owner here. I've never had a chance to compare mine directly to either the 2300 or the 2600. But I do know that the 2500 is probably the best upgrade I've ever made to my set up. I would describe it's sound as warmish yet very detailed. We've all heard the saying about being able to hear things we've never heard before on old recordings. I was never a believer in that saying till I got my 2500 and it's true. Voices are much easier to distinguish and place. I can listen to this brute of an amp all day long at low levels and not tire of the sound. But when it's time to get foolish with the volume knob I do have to make sure everything is secured as the bass is outstanding. The power guard feature is a necessity I believe with that kind of power on tap. Also if you get either the 25 or 2600 make sure you have a strong buddy with you. These amps are downright backbreakers.
 
I have both the Mc2300 and the Mc2255.

Some thoughts:

The Mc2300 has the classic Mc tube-like sound of the smaller amps, but with endless power (Mc2505,MC2105).

The Mc2300 is a man's amp, the Dirty Harry, the .357 Magnum of any amp I have ever owned.

The Mc2500 to me sounds good, but in the Mc2205/MC2255 sense of the word. Meaning, a little rounded at the edges sounding. It is a great amp, but to me the Mc2500 does not sound as loud or as menacing as a Mc2300.

I do not have experience with the Mc2600, but for the price of one, you can get two Mc2300s.

Comparing the Mc2255 to a Mc2300 is this: The Mc2255 is cleaner, less musical, a bit more detailed, but nevertheless lacking the brute force of the Mc2300.
 
There are many here who think Power Guard:thumbsdn: is NOT an improvement. If you want magical Mc tube sound go with the Mc-2300,:yes: or call the GREAT Terry D. & ask him why he uses a Mc-2300.
 
lordgarth said:
There are many here who think Power Guard:thumbsdn: is NOT an improvement. If you want magical Mc tube sound go with the Mc-2300,:yes: or call the GREAT Terry D. & ask him why he uses a Mc-2300.
Click to expand...

Yes, Terry is a true believer in the finest Mc Amps in the world, the Mc250, the Mc2505, the Mc2300, and pres too - Mx110 - and with forty years experience, well, that's what I've learned from him and have in my arsenal. I even have the same speakers as him - ML2Cs.
 
lordgarth said:
There are many here who think Power Guard:thumbsdn: is NOT an improvement. If you want magical Mc tube sound go with the Mc-2300,:yes: or call the GREAT Terry D. & ask him why he uses a Mc-2300.
Click to expand...

I've noticed that some folks don't think the power guard is an improvement. I'll be the odd man out and say I think it's a great idea. I've lit up mine a few times and probably saved a couple benjamins in tweeter repair. The 2500 sure sounds good to me; but now you've got me wondering.
A couple of years ago I was at a concert and they used a total of 12 mc2300's. The sound was quite nice and I thought it was strange that the roadies should be wrestling these heavy monsters around. Some of the new technology power amps are featherweights compared to these guys. With the price of fuel hauling all that weight around the continent has got to add up. My guess is the musician kept his Mac stack because he didn't want to compromise the sound.
 
Thanks to everybody for all those great info !
i may end up buiing the 3 models and sell them to keep the best match.
:D

any other info welcome !
 
yeah in a way maybe I should have gotten the 2300 I did like the warm sound of the 2105 but it might be nice to hear that amp with more power.I was maxing out the 2105.Everytime I was listening to it the meters were all the way to the right, especially with cd's.
 
motorstereo said:
I've noticed that some folks don't think the power guard is an improvement. I'll be the odd man out and say I think it's a great idea. I've lit up mine a few times and probably saved a couple benjamins in tweeter repair. The 2500 sure sounds good to me; but now you've got me wondering.
A couple of years ago I was at a concert and they used a total of 12 mc2300's. The sound was quite nice and I thought it was strange that the roadies should be wrestling these heavy monsters around. Some of the new technology power amps are featherweights compared to these guys. With the price of fuel hauling all that weight around the continent has got to add up. My guess is the musician kept his Mac stack because he didn't want to compromise the sound.
Click to expand...

What show did you go to who was using the 12 Mc2300s?
 
CountD said:
What show did you go to who was using the 12 Mc2300s?
Click to expand...

George Jones. It was outside and when a dark cloud appeared you should've seen the scrambling to get all that mac gear covered. The roadies didn't bother with the speakers though. For some odd reason I seemed to be the only person in the audience fascinated and taking pics of all those pretty blue meters.
 
motorstereo said:
George Jones. It was outside and when a dark cloud appeared you should've seen the scrambling to get all that mac gear covered. The roadies didn't bother with the speakers though. For some odd reason I seemed to be the only person in the audience fascinated and taking pics of all those pretty blue meters.
Click to expand...

Cool story motorstereo, but are you sure it was just a couple years ago? I can recall that the Mc2300 was the ticket back in the day (late 70's early 80's), heck I had two myself.:yes:
 
motorstereo said:
George Jones. It was outside and when a dark cloud appeared you should've seen the scrambling to get all that mac gear covered. The roadies didn't bother with the speakers though. For some odd reason I seemed to be the only person in the audience fascinated and taking pics of all those pretty blue meters.
Click to expand...

That's awesome. I saw that George Strait also uses a minimum of 9 Mc2300s and two Mc2200s in the Mc book - 'For The Love Of Music.' I guess those country guys know something about amplification.
 
hwirt said:
Cool story motorstereo, but are you sure it was just a couple years ago? I can recall that the Mc2300 was the ticket back in the day (late 70's early 80's), heck I had two myself.:yes:
Click to expand...

Yes it was actually a little less than 2 years ago. That's why it surprised me.
 
CountD said:
That's awesome. I saw that George Strait also uses a minimum of 9 Mc2300s and two Mc2200s in the Mc book - 'For The Love Of Music.' I guess those country guys know something about amplification.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking about Jones. After charting hits in 7 different decades I'm thinking he must know a little something about good sound. They're certainly quite the impressive looking stacks. Much more so than the generic qsc and peavey stacks I'm used to seeing at concerts.
 
Actually sold MC2255s against all these amps back in the day. Had to listen to them and absorb customer feedback and their votes via their checkbooks. MC2300 was noisier than the others and many came in on trade, MC2500 and 2600 were quieter but still noisy compared to MC2255. The MC2255 seemed much more dynamic compared to the others even though it would not play as loud as the others. Really liked using MC2255s and MC7270s in a vertical biamp.
 
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