McIntosh MC-2105 Amplifier -

I really loved this amplifier.  McIntosh rates the power at 105 watts per channel, but some test reports put the power closer to 140 watts per channel. So, the power is there and of course this amp has the traditional MAC sound.  

Not too much bass, not too much midrange, not too much treble.  As with everything MAC, the sound  like the specs are conservative. That’s not a bad thing.  Those who love MAC for their sound, enjoy the fact that there is no color, just accuracy.  No BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!, just well defined bass.  No sucked out midrange, No bloated midrange, No Ice Pick in the forehead midrange.  It’s just smooth.  Nothing SHRILL, with the highs, No HARSHNESS with the highs, No PIERCING cover your ears treble.  Just highs, when there are some.  Nothing fancy in the treble department.

So the McIntosh MC-2105 can be described as ‘pleasant’.  That too is a very good thing.  That means the sound won’t drive you away.  The sound stage will be well positioned and stable.  Listening fatigue will probably never occur, though boredom will raise its ugly head from time to time depending on the quality of your program material and the sound of your preamp.

McIntosh fans, always use McIntosh amps with McIntosh preamps.  I know I did.  I broke the mold once and used a SUMO Andromeda with my McIntosh C-26.  The SUMO just had more of everything in the amp department, and brought the C-26 alive in ways that I had never heard.  I liked it.

Still, McIntosh amps used with McIntosh preamps will let you sleep better at night.  It seems to restore balance in your audio trained mind.  It's the way things are supposed to be.

That said, there is still something captivating about the MAC sound.  It just sounds ‘right’.  It won’t draw your attention and make you stop reading a book while your listening the way that Sansui does, it won’t make you wonder where that low note just came from the way a Krell KSA 50 does, it won’t make you get up and replay a passage of music the way a Marantz 7T/15 combination will, and it won’t make you say, “I’ve never heard that before” the way a Nikko Beta ONE and Alpha ONE  will.  

It just does what it does without any fanfare.  Good, pleasant music all of the time.  Day in and day out.   It’s the McIntosh way and there is nothing wrong with that.

I used my McIntosh MC-2105 in my MAC system to power either a pair of Polk Model 5’s or a pair of EPI 100’s.  The Mac sounded just like it should, wonderful.  It, like all Mac gear from this era was built to last forever.  It was beautiful to look at with it’s blue/teal meters, thick glass face plate and real walnut veneer cabinetry   Weighing at just under 70lbs, in its fully chromed chassis it was a beautiful work of art.  I loved it!  Paired with my McIntosh C-29 preamp, I could sit and listen all day long, especially when I had the EPI’s hooked up.

This amp was built during a time when McIntosh meant something.  The audiophile who purchased this amp intended to use it for life.  It certainly had enough power to drive any sensible speaker to beyond concert volume and I never had an instance where I heard this amp strain or clip.

This is what I call a ‘real’ MAC amp.  Gloriously made, using the highest skilled craftsman and the highest quality parts and impeccable quality control.  Highly Recommended!