No magic here, IMO - scroll down:
http://audiolab.co.jp/old/used/amp/mcintosh/mc275_081004/mcintosh_mc275_081004.htm
http://audiolab.co.jp/old/used/amp/mcintosh/mc275_081004/mcintosh_mc275_081004.htm
+6
corndog71
mazeeff
deepee99
MarcVBelgium
Bob Latino
audiobill
10 posters
McIntosh MC275 guts
audiobill- Posts : 425
Join date : 2014-03-13
Location : Albany, NY
Bob Latino- Admin
- Posts : 3276
Join date : 2008-11-26
Location : Massachusetts
A lot of those McIntosh original amps like the MC275 bring big bucks in Japan. 650,000 yen is about $5400 USD. That would be a real high price for that amp in the USA. A lot of the pricing may have to do with the fact that probably not too many of those original McIntosh amps were ever shipped to Japan. All the McIntosh amps are well made and very reliable. Every Mac amp that I ever heard (unfortunately) sounded to me a little just a little soft on the top end. A customer had the same impression when he compared the two in December of 2013. See link below ..
Comparing the VTA ST-120 with the McIntosh MC275
Bob
Comparing the VTA ST-120 with the McIntosh MC275
Bob
MarcVBelgium- Posts : 116
Join date : 2013-12-06
Age : 71
Location : Antwerp, BELGIUM
I have both amps MC275 MkV and St-120....... I've changed all driver tubes on the MC275 woth NOS (Philips Mil.spec) tubes and the McIntosh labeled KT-88 were changed by the Genalex Gold Lion KT-88. With these changes the amps are really up to each other.... Remains the fact that the Mc is far more expensive...
deepee99- Posts : 2244
Join date : 2012-05-23
Location : Wallace, Idaho
MarcVBelgium wrote:I have both amps MC275 MkV and St-120....... I've changed all driver tubes on the MC275 woth NOS (Philips Mil.spec) tubes and the McIntosh labeled KT-88 were changed by the Genalex Gold Lion KT-88. With these changes the amps are really up to each other.... Remains the fact that the Mc is far more expensive...
It strikes me as odd, too, that "high-end" amp and pre-amp makers will use average or bargain basement tubes.
mazeeff- Posts : 155
Join date : 2014-01-06
Age : 69
Location : Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
On the show "How its Made", on the Science channel, they showed how a new McIntosh 275 is made. I was shocked by the lack of quality, and the abundant use of spade lugs. There seems to be more focus on the green LED's that light up under each tube. Both the chassis and PC boards seem very flimsy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgS6gvokEI
Mike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgS6gvokEI
Mike
corndog71- Posts : 840
Join date : 2013-03-19
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polarflux- Posts : 49
Join date : 2010-02-12
Location : Alaska
I thought it was black strap molasses in those transformers for that sweet sound?
pedrocols- Posts : 162
Join date : 2014-11-24
Location : Western MA
No point to point that's for sure....
MarcVBelgium- Posts : 116
Join date : 2013-12-06
Age : 71
Location : Antwerp, BELGIUM
mazeeff wrote: On the show "How its Made", on the Science channel, they showed how a new McIntosh 275 is made. I was shocked by the lack of quality, and the abundant use of spade lugs. There seems to be more focus on the green LED's that light up under each tube. Both the chassis and PC boards seem very flimsy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgS6gvokEI
Mike
If there was a "dislike" knob here, I would use it .......
Bob Latino- Admin
- Posts : 3276
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Location : Massachusetts
A lot of people don't know that McIntosh as well as Audio Research are now owned by Fine Sounds of Milan, Italy. Yes - the McIntosh amps are still made in Binghamton, NY but all the corporate decisions of what to make and "How It's Made" are undoubtedly made in Italy.
Bob
Bob
peterh- Posts : 1869
Join date : 2012-12-25
Location : gothenburg, sweden
mazeeff wrote:On the show "How its Made", on the Science channel, they showed how a new McIntosh 275 is made. I was shocked by the lack of quality, and the abundant use of spade lugs. There seems to be more focus on the green LED's that light up under each tube. Both the chassis and PC boards seem very flimsy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgS6gvokEI
Mike
I'm not scared by this film, on the contrary using spade lugs ( crimped on the cables) is a
good way to make reliable connections.
What did concerned me was the tube sockets that was only soldered on a circuit board.
A tube-roller could easily damage the soldering and/or the board itself. Much better
soild be if the sockets were fastened with distances in the board, or even better in
the steel chassie.
Filling the transformer containers will prevent any future rewinding, and also to some
extent reduce cooling, which might be a problem. If mechanical stiffness is needed
it's much better to vacuum-impregnate with lacquer. The filling however might not
be a problem in itself.
Tubes4ever- Posts : 167
Join date : 2015-07-14
Location : Star, Idaho
My main complaint is why all the silicon in a tube amp?? I also noted the tube sockets being soldered to the board.
The green LEDs take away from the natural glow of the 12AT7 tubes and look flashy just for flashy's sake. I don't get this trend of lighting up tubes from the bottom when they produce their own wonderful glow from within.
The green LEDs take away from the natural glow of the 12AT7 tubes and look flashy just for flashy's sake. I don't get this trend of lighting up tubes from the bottom when they produce their own wonderful glow from within.
MarcVBelgium- Posts : 116
Join date : 2013-12-06
Age : 71
Location : Antwerp, BELGIUM
Bob Latino wrote:A lot of people don't know that McIntosh as well as Audio Research are now owned by Fine Sounds of Milan, Italy. Yes - the McIntosh amps are still made in Binghamton, NY but all the corporate decisions of what to make and "How It's Made" are undoubtedly made in Italy.
Bob
In may 2014 there has been a MBO (management byout) from the Fine Sounds Group by Charlie Randall (with McIntosh since 1985) and Mauro Grange. So, as far as McIntosh is concerned , I really beleive that the decisions still (or...again) are made in Binghampton.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/grange-and-randall-lead-management-buyout-of-fine-sounds-group-in-partnership-with-lbo-france-and-yarpa-2014-05-09
Whether some friends here consider the Mc275 "not well made and lacking quality" (a statement I totally disagree with),I can assure you that it still is a very, very good sounding amp.
Loving it is not "heresy"