McIntosh MC-2300 Power Amplifier -

The McIntosh MC-2300 was my first basic Mac power amplifier.  I bought it paired with a McIntosh C-29 preamp.

The MC-2300 is an imposing piece of gear, being 19” wide, about 10.5” tall  and 18” deep it is a beast.  It weighs in at 128lbs!  You find a place to put it and that’s where it stays.  

The 300 watts per channel rating is ridiculously modest, but it is noteworthy that MAC specs that rating all the way down to a .05 ohm load in stereo and .25 ohm load in mono!  That’s nearly a direct short!  

The McIntosh MC-2300 is well know for being used at Woodstock, powered the Grateful Dead’s wall of sound and was the personal guitar amp of Jerry Garcia.  They were used in outrageous commercial applications where they absolutely ruled the market place powering stadiums and concerts halls around the world.  I always felt that the MC-300 build in answer to Crowns famous DC-300, also widely used in sound reinforcement.  The difference of course was the power.  150 watts per channel for the Crown and 300+ for the Mac.

Back in 1997 I was in upstate Michigan in an audio showroom.  It was a rainy Saturday afternoon and the in house tech was bench testing amplifiers.  Not client amps, just some used gear they had laying around.  It was a slow day and it passed the time.  I mentioned that I owned an MC-2300 and noticed that they had one on the floor.  “Wanna see what it’s made of?” Remarked the tech.  You bet!  I gave him a hand and we carried the Beast over to the bench.  Using dummy loads of course we found that the MC-2300 would deliver more than 570 wpc at 1K (the only frequency we were testing) at 8 ohms.  1150 wpc at 4 ohms, 2670 into 2 ohms at which point the line voltage dropped below 90volts, so no further testing could be done.  That’s insane performance from an amplifier built in 1971, and way beyond its exceptionally low conservative power ratings.

 Phase Linear is often credited for offering the first ‘high power’ amplifier with the original Phase 700 which was rated at 350 wpc into 8 ohm.  Having owned many Phase Linear amps I can attest to their power, but I highly doubt it they would drive anything close to a .05 ohm load without imploding.

To me, the MC-2300 is McIntosh’s best sounding high powered amp.  This amp doesn’t have the famous McIntosh ‘Autoformer’, transformers which is why I think it sounds so good.  Also, if I am not mistaken the damping factor of this beast is about 13 which is really low for an amplifier of this power rating.  You can translate that into realizing the this was not only designed to be indestructible, it was designed to sound exceptionally good.  Conversely,  the damping factor of the Phase Linear 700 is 1000.  The low damping factor really plays a part in the Mac being so musical for a high powered amp.

At low volume you would think you’re listening to a MAC 1700 or something similar.  The amp has no negative characteristic that I can remember.  I remember it was musical, and coupled with the C-29 preamp it throws a huge sound stage.  At high volume, the sound is crystal clear, never any sign of weakness or lack of headroom. I didn’t dare open it up full gate, it would have set my speakers on fire, I am sure of that. I used one in my home system for more than a decade and never once had any issues.  The construction quality is unsurpassed in any amplifier I have owned. 

If I could choose between a Mac 2300, 2500 or 2600, the 2300 would be my choice.  NO ONE will ever need the power that this amp has on tap.

Yes, I have another audio story to tell. Remember the Apogee Scintilla ribbon speakers of the mid 80’s and 90’s?  Amazing sound, incredible, always which I could afford a pair.  These were famously difficult to drive, often having a Krell KSA 50 or 100 needed to bring them up to proper listening levels.  I have seen the Krells beg for mercy when high volume was asked for while driving these and I have heard stories how they mercilessly destroyed almost any amp subjected to their low 1.0 ohm impedance load.   

The Mac 2300 however,  will drive the Apogess without so much as a whimper, being rated to drive a .05 half ohm load all day long if asked to do so.

I really enjoyed my MC-2300.  I had seen one at a client home, it was black, all black.  I knew that there were a few produced this way, but had never actually seen one.  I also noticed that this one wasn’t 19” wide.  The owner mentioned that he removed the front plate, trimmed off the rack mounts and sanded the front then painted it in black lacquer.  That is exactly what I ended up doing.  I loved the look.

When I was in the middle of packing my home up during a house move, my wife asked if we could have some music. With all the Mac gear packed away I went to the basement and retrieved my Sansui 551, EPI 100’s and my Dual 1219.

I was thinking this is perfect for background music.  About 40 min later, we were sitting on the floor in front of the EPI’s listening.  My wife asked me “where have you been hiding this at”?  That’s when I discovered how good, a well voiced low powered amplifier can sound.  We played records all night long.  It was an eye opener for me and the end of my desire to have more power that any sane person could want.  I wanted to find the most musical system I could.  I wanted feel, touch, texture and tone.  That experience ended my McIntosh system, but I have no regrets in having owned Mac, or using the MC-2300.

I can find no fault with the McIntosh MC-2300.  It’s sounds beautiful, effortless power delivery, wide deep sound stage, and is massively over built.  Just a fine sounding, ultra powerful amplifier.  This is from what I call the ‘Old McIntosh”, and the design and construction are over the top.  If you can find one for less that $3000.00, buy it.  You will never regret it and the value is sure to increase. Today I see these listed between $4500 - 11,000 for clean examples. They are worth every penny.  More to come!

The Q-UP Tonearm Lift -

Back in the mid to late 70’s, Audio Technica made a refined tone arm lift and marketed to all those who were using manual turntables.  The high end audio world was fully of fine tonearms from SME, Ortofon, ADC, GRACE, Infinity, , Fidelity Research and Micro Seiki. The problem with these glorious tonearms is that at the end of the record you would have to manually lift the arm from the lead out groove, that or listen to it rotate and hope the stylus didn’t skip onto the label where serious stylus and cantilever damage could occur. 

Owning Linn Sondek LP12 directly after retiring my Dual 1219 was an eye opener.  Not because the Linn was better (not by a long shot), but because I was constantly on edge about jumping out of my seat to lift the tonearm.  I searched for quite some time for a used Audio Technica tonearm lift.  They were expensive and very rare and 30 years ago out of production.  Thankfully production resumed as audio fans eveywhere came to their senses and started buying up LP’s and turntables again.

While reading the Absolute Sound back in 2014, I remember seeing a review of a tonearm lift that was only $60.00 and was in production.  I immediately ordered one to use on my Dual 1229 turntable which was now sporting a fully manual GRACE 747 tonearm.  

When the package arrived I couldn’t believe that I paid $60.00 for this light weight plastic lift which probably cost the manufacturer less than $1.00 to produce.  I didn’t expect it to last a month, but since I had no other option at the time I reluctantly installed it. 

That was 12 years ago, and since then this cheap looking plastic tonearm lift has softly raised my tonearm nearly every single day since then.  I figure I play two or three LP’s nearly every evening, and on weekends the turntable could be running all day.  That means that The Q-UP has cycled over 26,280 times since I installed it.  Staggering when I think about it.

Unquestionably the Audio Technica AT6006R is the most eloquent tonearm lift you can buy, and should out live it’s owner with ease.  Like all thing built by Audio Technica, the AT6006R screams quality.  It’s also well worth the $139.00 retail price.  That said, I have seen The Q-UP sold now for as little as $39.00 new.  That is hard to pass up given it’s track record for reliability.  Yes, I would purchase another, and I highly recommend this all plastic light weight tonearm lift.  More to come! 

Oh, be sure to follow the instructions for setting the lifting force.  It’s crude, but what can I say…. It works!

Lazy Day Making Tapes -

I spent a lazy weekend sipping tea and dubbing some Jazz favorites to reel to reel tape.  Most all of my 7” tapes that I play regularly are ones that I have copied from LP selections or CD’s.  So often it’s just more enjoyable to put a tape on and sit back not having to worry about getting up to skip a selection on the turntable or flip over an LP.  I also find that I enjoy listening to tracks that are all of the same tempo.  I really don’t enjoy listening to a relaxing Jazz trio piece then the next cut on the LP is up-tempo with a swing.  I prefer to create mixed tapes that maintain a mood or mode that I want to enjoy.  Back in the 70's, my friends and I would create mixed tapes for each other on cassette to share and explore new music that we might not have in our collection.  It was great fun and always resulted in the purchase of new LP's. 

The mighty little Akai 4000DS is one of my personal favorites for creating and listening to 1/4 track 7” format.  This little machine just knocks it out of the park sonically.  Mine has been completely gone through by reel to reel guru Nabeel at Speakerport just South of Chicago in Crest Hill.  It absolutely screams and is a joy to use.  I can't get over how good this deck sounds!

I had so much fun making tapes that I was thinking about pulling the ReVox A-77 or Pioneer RT-1050 from the basement.   Isn't that what this hobby is about?  More to come!

Sansui 4000 Stereo Receiver -

It’s obvious I am a fan of Sansui.  As a musician, I absolutely love the voicing of their amplifiers.  Regardless of price, I have yet to hear a modern day amplifier which pulls me into the music the way that Sansui does.  There is just something about the tone, texture and depth of the sound.  Of course I am talking about all gear manufactured prior to 1978.  But there have been some nice pieces built after that date that come close.

Sansui built tube amplifiers, capacitor coupled amplifier, quasi-complimentary amplifiers, fully complimentary amplifier and directly coupled amplifiers, and they all have a similar character to them. To me, they all have what I call a sweetness to their sound and they all have beautiful tone.  The bass is deep, the midrange is sweet and the highs are liquid, never shrill. 

I have owned quite a number of Sansui pieces over the years, favorites that immediately come to mind are the AU-7700, Sansui 551 is so amazing.  The AU-111, complete magic, the AU-777 likewise incredible.  The complete 1000-5000 series, for that matter the entire XX1 series are all gems. Of course, the 9090 and 9090DB.

Having owned nearly everything that’s been listed, the Sansui 4000 somehow set’s itself apart.  It’s the only receiver in the 1000-5000 series that was never upgraded.  The 4000, has always been the 4000.  No 4000a or 4000x.

Although the face of the 4000 was lent to the 2000a and 2000x, they are different electronically, especially the phono section, which is were the 4000 pulls away from the pack.  All of this series are cap-coupled and are very robust sounding, similar to a tube amplifier.  I am certain that these were voiced by the same team that gave us the 707, 1000 and 1000a tube receivers, as well as the top of the line AU-111 integrated.  

Directly comparing 4000 to the 2000x (a favorite of mine) and the. 5000x, I find that there is NO appreciable volume difference in any of these, and sonically the 2000x and 5000x are nearly clones.  But the 4000 has a little more magic in the midrange.  I tell everyone that the 4000 sounds more like a tube amp than any tube amplifier I have ever owned, including the AU-111.  

My 4000 is a late model being manufactured in August 1972 towards the end of the production run.  I am surprised to see that my unrestored unit has some paper in oil capacitors in it.  My 2000x and 5000x never had them and I wonder if that is the difference I am hearing?  My unit has been to a tech, and it’s still in spec.  He really wanted to recap the receiver, which I told him to leave alone unless a cap has drifted out of acceptable tolerances.  None were changed.

I love rotating gear, experiencing different preamps and amplifiers, but the minute I pull this one out of the cabinet I miss it and look forward to brining it back.  With 45 WPC on tap, (if it’s even that much.. this is before the 1974 FTC power rating guide), I never really seem to want for more power.  It drives my 1990 Definitive Technology BP10’s (these are modified from the production units) with ease.  The have a nominal 3ohm rating, so not so easy a task.  

I also love the quality of this receiver.  You can see it when you pull the cover, you notice it when you oil the wooden cabinet, or turn one of the solid metal selector knobs.  This was seemingly built with no cost objective in mind.  It’s every bit as well made as my MAC 1700 was.  It was certainly as powerful, actually it sounded much more powerful than the MAC, but I believe that to just be the voicing difference between the two.  The Sansui is absolutely colored in the sound department and it’s a beautiful palate of colors. It’s not cool and sterile, it’s warm and liquid.  The MAC, well, that’s a lot more black and white when it comes to music.  The 4000 has an elegance to it, that few receivers from this period have.  It reminds me of the build quality that Marantz used to have in the mid-sixties when Saul was in control.

Sonically the 4000 throws a huge deep wide soundstage.  But the first thing you will notice when comparing this to Pioneer, Kenwood, Marantz, Yamaha, Harman Kardon etal, it's the tone in the bass.  You don’t just hear low frequency you hear tone.  Rich, glorious tone.  Listen to any jazz trio notice the double bass, to resonance of a well recorded piano.  Diana Krall has some of the finest studio musicians on the planet working on her records.  Put on one and listen to them.  

When a classic rock fan is over I am quick to put on my 1975 copy of Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac and watch their jaws drop.  McVie’s bass is in the room with you.  So is solo guitar or piano LP from my Windam Hill collection will like wise leave listeners in disbelief.  Close your eyes and you are THERE.  I could go on and on and on.

I have many friends who call this mid-fi, then they play their latest overpriced under engineered built in China integrated or separates.  I recently listened to a new good looking Yamaha integrated amp.  I was impressed and walked up to it to rotate the selector switch and couldn’t believe that at more that $5000.00 is was made of plastic.  The sound? Vanilla comes to mind.

I am always looking, always listening but for me at this time, this is the most musical receiver/amplifier I have ever heard.  

I have had my  engraved face, Marantz 1030 integrated and my Project/ONE MKXXI integrated sitting on my living room floor now for over a year waiting to be listened too and I just can’t bring myself to pull the 4000 out of the stand.  Not to mention a stack of amps and preamps in the basement waiting their turn.  It’s gonna a while. More to come!

Great Recordings! - Franklin MInt -

I don’t have an extensive Classical Record collection, but I do have some real gems that I want to talk about.  In particular are those from Franklin Mint.  I remember television commercials advertising selling the collection one LP at a time when I was a kid.  I think they were a bit pricy for the time, and the commercials were postured as a family investment, a treasure.  

Superb packaging, fantastic pressings and a real effort to make a high quality recording that was set apart from other collections of lesser quality and especially the RCA and CBS collections which were considered the standard at the time here in the US.  

The packaging is superb with excellent high quality slip sheets which are among the finest I’ve ever seen. Further a fine high quality information booklet provides highlights of the artist and their personal lives as well as detail on the recording itself.  You can find these now for pennies on the dollar at garage sales, snd secondhand shops everywhere.  Because they were expensive, most are found to be in excellent condition.  Enjoy.  More to come!

Nagaoka MP-11 Boron Phono Cartridge -

I know, it’s been forever since my last post.  When you get swamped at work, there’s not much you can do.  I have had some emails asking about the phono cartridge I use.  It’s a 1983 Nagaoka MP-11 Boron cartridge.  This cartridge came installed on the Grace 747 tonearm which was on the Ariston RD-11 that I purchased from an audio nut in Canada in 2000.  (They both now reside on my 1974 Dual 1229 turntable) 

When I received the turntable, the first thing I did was remove the cartridge and install my favorite moving coil a Yamaha MC-11 using an audio-technical SUT.  The combination was wonderful.  Yamaha moving coil cartridges are not only a bargain, they are wonderful sounding with great depth and a wide soundstage.  I prefer a conical stylus, which is why I chose the MC-11 over the identical MC-7, the only difference being the stylus tip.  I find that the conical stylus rides more true to the LP groove and is certainly much quieter than an elliptical tip.  It’s also one of the reason I enjoy the Denon 103.  I found the Denon to be a darker sounding cartridge than the Yamaha , and when you’re using McIntosh preamps or even some Marantz that darkness can be just overwhelming.

Back to the Nagaoka.  I was sampling cartridges one weekend when I seemingly had nothing better to do and since I had accumulated about 30 or so high quality units, I thought I would listen carefully and narrow it down to two or three favorites.  (not an easy thing to do)

My favorite moving magnet cartridges were the Pickering XSV3000, the Shure Ultra 500 and the Audio Technica AT_12S.  I have an Ortofon 15E MKII that I have never listened to and the Nagaoka is to blame.

I was down to the last two, and honestly tired of installing and setting up phone cartridges when I almost didn’t install the Nagaoka MP-11 Boron, mainly because it was used and I didn't know the condition of the stylus and also because Nagaoka isn't that well know here in the US.  Germany and Japan seem to be their strongest markets.  

I also found during this exercise, that I had become somewhat of a snob and was looking down at my moving magnet cartridges, considering them inferior to the moving coil counterparts.  That sentiment was changed completely when I installed the Pickering XSV3000.  Let me tell you, that puppy has some serious mojo!  An incredibly dynamic and powerful sounding.   Anyway, back to the Nagaoka.  I found this the easiest of all cartridges to align and set up on the protractor.  The square body makes it a breeze.

First listen was Sade’s Promise Lp.  I about poo'd my pants when Stronger than Pride finished up.  Wow!, this cartridge has a soul.  It’s scary smooth, texture out the ying-yang, lush, liquid, revealing, and real, honest full, deep sounding bass, glorious bass, bass with tone, harmonics, and ring.  Drums are live, dynamic and cymbals rings out with a pristine tone.  Vocals, Leory Osborne's voice is heard so clearly on the track Paradise that the hair on your arms might stand up. The vocal texture was so clear and pronounced.  I played the entire LP, then moved on to some solo piano and guitar.  George Winston and Michael Hedges, oh my!  Are you kidding me?  The piano was 5 ft in front of me and the  notes rang forever, I could hear the peddles being depressed.  Hedges guitar was glorious.  

Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby was next, followed by Miles Davis Kind of Blue.  Rock, I need to try some classic Rock.  Foreigners self titled debut sounded amazing.  I played LP’s all night long.

The long and short of it, is that I love this cartridge.  To me, it’s the “Sansui’ of phone cartridges.  Sweet, powerful, full-bodied, lush, liquid, smooth, it’s so smooth.  The bottom line is that to me, it does everything ‘right’.  No, it’s not as accurate as the Shure ULTRA 500, nor does it have the crystalline highs of the Yamaha MC-11, but it’s so CLEAN sounding.  The midrange kicks the Shure and the Yamaha into the weeds.  In fact, to me this Cartriged bested every one I own.  I can find things to like and enjoy in all of the ones I listed too, but none of them stopped me in my tracks. 

That was in 2007, and the Nagaoka has never come off the tone arm.  

I found that I could easily fit an MP-10 conical stylus to my Nagaoka MP-11 Boron.  In fact all the the Nagaoka MP styli will fit my cartridge including the Boron MP-20 stylus since the original MP-11 Boron replacements are no longer made. 

Specification wise, the body of the MP-11 Boron is electrically different than the standard MP-11, but I doubt I would hear a difference between the two.  What stuns me is how affordable these cartridges are.  Nagaoka has been building the MP line of cartridges now for better than 50 years, and honestly they are seemingly unchanged from year to year.  I clearly understand why.  

Another benefit of the MP line, is the includsion of a 78RPM stylus, which allows me to use and enjoy my large collection of early 1950’s 78rpm jazz records.

Yeah, I highly recommend this cartridge.  It's my hands down absolute favorite, besting all of my moving coil and moving magnet cartridges.

So what happened to the 33 other cartridges in my collection?  I eventually sold most all of them.  I kept the AT12-S, a Stanton 681EEE, an ADC XLM, the Ortofon (only because I still have never listened to it) and a Shure V15 III.  I sold the Yamaha MC-11, which I regret doing, but I believe I still have the Denon 103.  You can also pick these up on the used market at ridiculously cheap prices.  High-end audio company Osaka also private labeled the MP-11 and was known as the Osawa MP.  The only changes were cosmetic.  More to come!