Tube audio.....hmmm got my recapped MC240 back!

Nice! One of my pairs went to mekons for the chrome, silkscreen job, the other pair are in nice original condition and are awaiting electronic restoration too :-)
 
Damn you guys, I gotta stop reading how much fun you are all having with your tube gear!! It could start getting expensive down here in New Zealand for me....:D
 
Congrats on the beautiful gear! You guys are giving me sweaty palms reading about all this tube stuff. Here's MAC I own. 2 MC250, 2100, 1700, 6100, 2 C24, C26, C28, 2 MQ101. Nothing tube. I sure would like to listen to some somewhere. I have a neat little vintage audio sales and repair place in my hometown of Lakewood, Oh called "Play It Again Sam" . They have been there forever.They had a couple 240's come in on consignment. I wonder if they would audition. I can't remember their asking price. I want to say 3K each. What is the going rate? I am very interestd and maybe I can sell some of my SS gear. BTW it would not be an option to use a SS pre with tube amps? Would that defeat everything?
 
tuffstuff1 said:
Congrats on the beautiful gear! You guys are giving me sweaty palms reading about all this tube stuff. Here's MAC I own. 2 MC250, 2100, 1700, 6100, 2 C24, C26, C28, 2 MQ101. Nothing tube. I sure would like to listen to some somewhere. I have a neat little vintage audio sales and repair place in my hometown of Lakewood, Oh called "Play It Again Sam" . They have been there forever.They had a couple 240's come in on consignment. I wonder if they would audition. I can't remember their asking price. I want to say 3K each. What is the going rate? I am very interestd and maybe I can sell some of my SS gear. BTW it would not be an option to use a SS pre with tube amps? Would that defeat everything?
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Yeah, no kidding about the sweaty palms!!

For me it would be an additional purchase, I really like my system and I am not really thinking it needs anything right now.......

Of course you can use a SS pre with a tube power amp......its all subjective anyway....
You could just keep taking steps until you arrive at a sound you really like....
maybe a SS pre and tube power amp will give you that sound....
 
tuffstuff1 said:
They had a couple 240's come in on consignment. I wonder if they would audition. I can't remember their asking price. I want to say 3K each. What is the going rate? I am very interestd and maybe I can sell some of my SS gear. BTW it would not be an option to use a SS pre with tube amps? Would that defeat everything?
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$3K is an awful lot from a consignment store IMO. I just listened to a super sharp looking MC 240, offered by a reputable McIntosh dealer that had been gone thru, certified and is sold with a 90 day warranty for $500 less. It's kind of annoying when everybody who owns a piece of Mc tubage- regardless of condition and servicing needs automatically thinks it's worth full max retail.

As to running SS preamp with tube amp- I agree with Kevzep - it's completely subjective. While one pre may sound slightly different from another, it's not a case of "losing" something.
 
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Personally I would say a decent MC240 could be had for around $2400 any more and it would have to be a really special unit. In terms of pre-amps I would recommend keeping your eyes peeled for an MX110z which again can be had in the 800 to 1200 range and is a perfect partner for the MC240 or MC30's or MC60's?? It's interesting as I have certainly been missing something since I sold my MC30's and now have 'it' back since the MC240 is here. The MX110z hooked to the MC252 or the 2205's in mono just didn't add enough of the tube dynamic to the sound but combined with the tube power amp there is a lot of very nice stuff coming out of my speakers. Last night in fact I was listening to Beck's 'Sea Change' MFSL on the LP12 and also my Quiex SVP 'Kind of Blue' and that is the best i've ever heard these albums sound...:yes::yes::yes:

tuffstuff1 said:
Congrats on the beautiful gear! You guys are giving me sweaty palms reading about all this tube stuff. Here's MAC I own. 2 MC250, 2100, 1700, 6100, 2 C24, C26, C28, 2 MQ101. Nothing tube. I sure would like to listen to some somewhere. I have a neat little vintage audio sales and repair place in my hometown of Lakewood, Oh called "Play It Again Sam" . They have been there forever.They had a couple 240's come in on consignment. I wonder if they would audition. I can't remember their asking price. I want to say 3K each. What is the going rate? I am very interestd and maybe I can sell some of my SS gear. BTW it would not be an option to use a SS pre with tube amps? Would that defeat everything?
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For some reason MX110s and MC 240s have been coming out of the woodwork on the auction site lately. Very few are stated to have been serviced though.
 
Thanks guys. I'll have to see what they are actually asking. Sometimes these guys will shoot high and hope someone bites. If they don't move you can make offers and get for less. Should I ask if there had been upgrades and if they had been spec'd? If they had been upgraded, what components would normally be replaced and what are good components? I am guessing tubes and capacitors?

Ahhhhh! Beck. I have a master LP of Blow By Blow. Remarkable on the TD125 MKII W/3009 and Sumiko Pearl cart. I think I have 1,000 hours on that cart. It's time for a changeup. I know this isn't MAC subject, but I find it coincidence that many of you have the same TT and arm. Any cart preferences?

I would really like my bar system to consist of MAC tube (240?), the TD 125 and my New Large Advents.

I will let you know what the deal is on those 240's when I find out.

By the way, I own a chrome plating company and we do triple plating if anyone needs chassis show chromed.
 
There is a 240 that I found for $2k but I need to dump my excess gear before I can afford it. Sigh...
 
What does changing out the old bumble bee caps out of the MC240 do sonically, does it open up the sound stage, detail?
 
Changing out the bumble bees can do an number of changes from subtle to fatal, depends on how bad they are and location.
 
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