does McIntosh make really good 4 channel amps?
07-17-2004, 07:18 PM
#1
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,145
Hi there, Im looking for an Audiophile grade 4 channel amp for my 4 speakers. there is a 4 channel 50 watts RMS X4 for sale for $600, is that a good deal? are these great amps, if there is any better for a better price, please let me know.
07-20-2004, 05:02 AM
#5
i would find it very hard ot believe that you would ever be unhapy with a Mac. i've had a few and loved them. my fav amps by far!
you must be looking at the MC420. make sure it is in good working condition. if the cosmetic is bad, stay away from it (what person would not take care of such a beautifull piece?!??!)
good luck!!
you must be looking at the MC420. make sure it is in good working condition. if the cosmetic is bad, stay away from it (what person would not take care of such a beautifull piece?!??!)
good luck!!
07-20-2004, 07:21 AM
#6
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 73
I don't know -- Mac has this great rep but I would listen to it first. I was considering a used Mac but a friend of mine (a stand-up guy whom I trust, who has been in this industry a long time and has heard lots of great equipment) cautioned me that they can sound coarse and grainy.
The thing is, Mac home equipment is good but not amazing -- it is one of those brands that was once great but now trades on its brand name. Yes it is good stuff but not necessarily good enough to justify its high cost. The car audio stuff strikes me as being similar. So I would be careful. If you care mainly about impressing people, fine, but if you only care about SQ, you may wish to look further.
$600 is a lot of coin for a used amp. Look on the US boards and eBay -- with the CDN$ back up, that will get you some fine pieces. I just saw a Helix HXA400II 4-ch go for US$425. Now I haven't heard the two pieces, but I suspect that the Helix is every bit as good if not better.
I just bought a Diamond D7104 for not much more than what you're thinking of spending. Everyone has their preferences, and I'm sure that some would argue that the Mac would stomp my D7, but you should keep an open mind.
Not trying to offend any Mac lovers out there (although I probably have...)
All I am saying is that you are in a position to purchase a very nice piece, and you might want to consider the purchase carefully before pulling the trigger.
The thing is, Mac home equipment is good but not amazing -- it is one of those brands that was once great but now trades on its brand name. Yes it is good stuff but not necessarily good enough to justify its high cost. The car audio stuff strikes me as being similar. So I would be careful. If you care mainly about impressing people, fine, but if you only care about SQ, you may wish to look further.
$600 is a lot of coin for a used amp. Look on the US boards and eBay -- with the CDN$ back up, that will get you some fine pieces. I just saw a Helix HXA400II 4-ch go for US$425. Now I haven't heard the two pieces, but I suspect that the Helix is every bit as good if not better.
I just bought a Diamond D7104 for not much more than what you're thinking of spending. Everyone has their preferences, and I'm sure that some would argue that the Mac would stomp my D7, but you should keep an open mind.
Not trying to offend any Mac lovers out there (although I probably have...)
All I am saying is that you are in a position to purchase a very nice piece, and you might want to consider the purchase carefully before pulling the trigger.
07-20-2004, 10:36 PM
#9
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 952
If Mackintosh has been making great home and referance standard amplifiers, and make great 2 channel 12Volt amplifiers, why wouldn't they make a great 4 channel??
As for the grainines, or edgy sound altho highly detailed, it all will depend on the rest of the equipment, so a nice head unite like a Nak, will help smooth out the aggresive treble, and tame the horsepower for bass.
As for speakers, look at the PG Morels about $1800.
As for the grainines, or edgy sound altho highly detailed, it all will depend on the rest of the equipment, so a nice head unite like a Nak, will help smooth out the aggresive treble, and tame the horsepower for bass.
As for speakers, look at the PG Morels about $1800.
07-21-2004, 06:33 AM
#10
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 73
Be careful about balancing your equipment. The rule in audio is to maximize the quality of the front end (quality, not size/cost/appearance...), and then go from there. That is, you don't match Rainbow Reference speakers with a less-than-stellar amp or mediocre head unit.
Regarding the Morels: 1800 bones is a LOT of coin for speakers... better make sure that they are a good match for your system.
Now this brings up a sore point for me. I would not buy new pieces for my home system without auditioning them first. I've made these mistakes too many times: you see a drool-inducing piece (like the Magnepan planar speakers I have stored in my basement, or the Counterpoint tube/mosfet amp that I fried), it's a great deal, you buy it, and only then do you you audition it in your system.
Any good home audio shop will allow you to take an item for a day or more to try it out (or at least allow you to hear it with other good pieces at your leisure in one of their sound rooms).
But car audio is such a mess that it is virtually impossible to hear good equipment in a proper environment. I confess: I have bought all of my Nak decks, Audio Development speakers, subs, and amps (first my Monitor-1 pieces, and now my Diamond Audio D7s) w/o having listened first. Crazy? Yes (as my wife will attest). Now it has worked out pretty well. But I'm sure that I could have done better by finding a few cars first and listened to the systems, found out what the equipment was, who installed it, and then going from there.
Guess I should take my own advice right...? But I do think that if we as customers began to demand better of the industry, it would improve. It is crazy that we can't hear good equipment before handing over hard-earned cash.
Ok, rant over...
oh yeah, Hakujin: you're right, those silly blue power meters are great (can't help it, I love 'em too -- the owners of Mac have probably made a fortune off that gimmick). But they serve no function, and probably degrade the sound in some subtle way (that admittedly is probably inaudible in a noisy car environment). And in that install, they are behind the seat (when will anyone ever see them!)
My beef with Mac is that the buyer is paying for a reputation and for marketing, and for the ability to make friends jealous; that is money that ISN'T going into componentry or design. Someday when I'm rich, I won't mind paying extra for something that looks great. In the meantime, give me something that sounds great -- I could care less about how it looks.
But we all have to decide this one for ourselves...
Regarding the Morels: 1800 bones is a LOT of coin for speakers... better make sure that they are a good match for your system.
Now this brings up a sore point for me. I would not buy new pieces for my home system without auditioning them first. I've made these mistakes too many times: you see a drool-inducing piece (like the Magnepan planar speakers I have stored in my basement, or the Counterpoint tube/mosfet amp that I fried), it's a great deal, you buy it, and only then do you you audition it in your system.
Any good home audio shop will allow you to take an item for a day or more to try it out (or at least allow you to hear it with other good pieces at your leisure in one of their sound rooms).
But car audio is such a mess that it is virtually impossible to hear good equipment in a proper environment. I confess: I have bought all of my Nak decks, Audio Development speakers, subs, and amps (first my Monitor-1 pieces, and now my Diamond Audio D7s) w/o having listened first. Crazy? Yes (as my wife will attest). Now it has worked out pretty well. But I'm sure that I could have done better by finding a few cars first and listened to the systems, found out what the equipment was, who installed it, and then going from there.
Guess I should take my own advice right...? But I do think that if we as customers began to demand better of the industry, it would improve. It is crazy that we can't hear good equipment before handing over hard-earned cash.
Ok, rant over...
oh yeah, Hakujin: you're right, those silly blue power meters are great (can't help it, I love 'em too -- the owners of Mac have probably made a fortune off that gimmick). But they serve no function, and probably degrade the sound in some subtle way (that admittedly is probably inaudible in a noisy car environment). And in that install, they are behind the seat (when will anyone ever see them!)
My beef with Mac is that the buyer is paying for a reputation and for marketing, and for the ability to make friends jealous; that is money that ISN'T going into componentry or design. Someday when I'm rich, I won't mind paying extra for something that looks great. In the meantime, give me something that sounds great -- I could care less about how it looks.
But we all have to decide this one for ourselves...
