McIntosh MA8900

[ponkine 536]

https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/review-mcintosh-ma8900-integrated-amplifier

 

McIntosh’s new MA8900 integrated amplifier simply confirms the brand’s iconic status. Yes, I know, I know, it’s solid state. But trust me, it sounds so complete after an hour spent pleasurably in its company; you’ll want one.

 

MCINTOSH

MA8900 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

McIntosh’s new MA8900 integrated amplifier simply confirms the brand’s iconic status.

The Big Mc engenders a life-long loyalty as exemplified by an audio buddy of mine called, Ken who had to work hard for his first McIntosh, an MC275 valve amp.

Back in 1993, McIntosh surprised the audio world when it re-released its legendary 1961 valve power amplifier called the MC275.This limited-edition production run was in honour of Gordon Gow, Mcintosh’s long-serving president.

Subsequent reviews were not just glowing; they were hell-hot. So much so, the new MC275 became coveted and highly sought after for those that could afford the eye-watering $7000 or so price tag.

In hindsight, the rereleased MC275 looked as good as the original, but the sound wasn’t.

More than two decades since, my opinion hasn’t changed. The Gow commemorative MC275 had spongy bass.

Later revisions of the MC275 put things right. So right, in fact, I bought one in 2009.

In 1993, my mate Ken bought the Gow version. But not in Australia. It wasn’t available at the time, and the local distributor had a long waiting list. Ken was a long way short of the front of the queue.

Ever resourceful, he bought his from a Hong Kong High-End audio store along with a return airplane ticket.

With just a backpack on his shoulders, Ken carried a spanking new MC275, all 34.1 kgs of it, into Hong Kong’s airport terminal, and happily paid for the excess baggage.

Arriving in Melbourne, he carried it all the way from the Tullamarine terminal, hailed a cab, put the new Mc in the back seat and made for home.

He wasn’t the only one to go to elaborate lengths to own a spanking new MC275, proving the commitment of the fan base to McIntosh is unlike any other in audio.

Ken went on to adore his MC275. So did the few of us who got to hear it and see its tubes reflected against its upper chrome chassis.

A visual delight from its first release in 1961, the 1993 version looked as beautiful as the original and had that magic McIntosh liquid midrange, disinterested bass notwithstanding.

The $14,995 MA8900 is a different beast visually, but allow me to share with you how lust engendering it is in the flesh. Yes, I know, I know, it’s solid state. But trust me, it sounds so complete after an hour spent pleasurably in its company; you’ll want one.

It’s so formidable physically, and so pleasing aesthetically. It’s just so musical sounding that it makes me want to stomp all over anyone into the vows-of-poverty approach to life and the universe.

While I genuinely, deeply respect those renouncing the material life and the world of the flesh to focus on the spiritual, I just wish they’d get on with it and leave me out of the loop.

If a McIntosh amp the calibre and completeness of the MA8900 stand between redemption and me, I’ll take the Mc.

As for spirituality, Van The Man belting out “Ballerina’’ aided by the grace, power, presence and dynamic clout of the MA8900 is as much “otherworldliness” as I need these days.

Should I need more, I’ll press repeat on my Audio Research CD player or re-cue the SME V tonearm on my turntable.

Piles of lucre aside, what you’ll also need to unbox and install an amp of this size and weight are forceps like a gorilla. Or in my case a dutiful son and a couple of audio buddies built like Tarzan.

The Mc’s delivery driver was hairy but had neither the physique of ape or ape-man. As he told me that he had a “very heavy box on a pallet… to deliver”, I could sense his angst. No wonder, the MA8900 weighed 63.5 Kgs including pallet. Without the pallet, it was still a back torturing 43.5 Kgs.

“What the bloody hell is in there, boat anchors?’’ he said, pointing to the very, very, large, black, shrink-wrapped MA8900 carton.

“An American amplifier made by a brand that could be building Cadillacs,’’ I say back to him.

With a little help from a compact forklift, he moved the big Mc from his truck, down my driveway and left it on the doorstep. Job done, he was gone.

McIntosh doesn’t do small; I remember thinking after walking around a carton left on my porch that was big, bulky and heavy. So big, no one was going to cut it free from its pallet and make off with the 8900 down the street.

Later that evening and with a cast of thousands on hand to move it to the listening room, the MA8900 was unpacked and loaded onto my audio rack.

In situ, the MA8900 attracted plenty of admirers and accolades for its sheer, formidable presence, perceived build quality and that unique McIntosh styling.

If the large, blue power output meters ring your bells, make haste for any Mc. The pair on the glass fascia and the two chrome outer edges on the front of the chassis are the standard style signature for most McIntosh models.

So are large, visible transformers. The 8900 has three: a huge power transformer in the middle and either side hefty output transformers. This trio are built snugly just behind the facia.

As for the monogrammed heatsinks? Two run either side of the chassis just behind the transformers. Their humongous size used to dissipate heat away from the high current output transistor signals. This is a seriously powerful amplifier rated at 200 watts per channel into an 8ohm load.

And speaking of impedance, the rear of the MA8900 carries connection options for driving into 2, 4 and 8-ohm loads. The 4-ohm tap was tried with Yamaha NS1000s and Wilson Audio Sasha loudspeakers.

8 ohms sounded best. I’ve heard people describe the MA8900’s sound as “disinterested’’. My advice? Try the 8-ohm setting. Result? Plenty of life and verve to keep you entertained into the wee small hours.

And speaking of connections, since sparse and minimalist isn’t the McIntosh way, options abound.

MA8900 owners can knock themselves out choosing from six unbalanced and one balanced inputs, fixed moving magnet and adjustable phono stages, a pair of coaxial inputs, two optical inputs, one USB input, one unbalanced fixed output and two variable outputs. Yes, there’s also a headphone output, while the headphone amp is loaded with Mc’s patented technologies.

The USB input processes signals up to 32-bit/384kHz and supports DSD256, DXD256 and DXD 384kHz.

McIntosh describes the MA8900 as a “next generation’’ model. Meaning, when it comes to the ever-changing world of digital audio, it sports features that make it relatively future proof.

Each digital input, for example, cohabits in a McIntosh developed DA1 Digital Audio Module that supports an 8-channel, 32-bit DAC used in Quad Balanced mode with six digital inputs.

Owners can give each input a custom name and more importantly, the 8900 is Mc’s first integrated where its input works indecently.

But here’s the thing. McIntosh is now using digital modules that are easy to replace. Design features that ensure the 8900 and like designed Mc models remain future proof.

Elsewhere this amp is loaded with patented technologies including autoformer output stages and fuse-less protection circuits called ‘power guard’ and ‘sentry monitor’.

BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

The MA8900 was inserted in a system comprising SME 20/11 turntable, SME V tonearm and Koetsu Rosewood cartridge, Audio Research Reference 7 MK2 CD player, Elektra Audio pre and power amplifier driving Wilson Sasha speakers. Cabling used was Inakustik throughout, including the tonearm cable.

From the get-go, the new McIntosh drove the wicked Sasha speakers with arrogant ease. The sound was full-bodied, detailed, rhythmic, clear as a summer sky and effortlessly dynamic.

My curiosity piqued when I replaced the Sasha with Yamaha NS1000 speakers followed by 1994/5 Rogers LS35/As and a pair of rare B&W 805 Matrix. Every speaker proved an effortless match for the MA8900, so I switched back to the Sasha to exploit its full-range sound and explosive dynamics.

First port of call was the Mc’s built-in DAC using a MacBook Pro and my Tidal library as a signal source. My notes record the comment “quite enjoyable but lacking both the detail and transparency delivered via the moving coil phono stage’’.

The CD was leap years ahead sonically, and analogue via the SME combination light years ahead of CD or DAC.

Sounding like an audio dinosaur, I know. All I can do to assuage you I’m not anti-digital is ask you take yourself to any decent audio store and A/B digital versus analogue audio.

If you come down on the side of digital, you’ll have my commiseration.

Though I played dozens of vinyl and CD albums via the MA8900, one feature stood out whatever the source: a sense of cohesiveness that highlighted the way the MA8900 presented a highly detailed and clear sonic message without scrambling or pulling apart each element.

With John Lennon’s Steel and Glass filling my room with its sense of outrage, I felt I could lean over and touch the guitar or cheekily give the high hat a good tap.

This sense of realism made possible by the MA8900’s ability to conjure fine detail out of complex mixes was allied to a realistic soundstage with realistic depth, lateral spread, and height. So “realistic” is an appropriate word to describe the sound of the MA8900 driving the Wilson Sasha.

But the speaker brand I kept imagining would sing with the MA8900 is, Martin Logan. Intuition and years of grinding away at this hobby suggest a magical synergy between a Hybrid Logan and this doozy of an integrated model.

Logan owners, please take note.

So, the Mc could dish out the dynamic stuff, but feeling mischievous I played the Sinead O’Connormasterpiece called Streetcars.

WOW! DOUBLE WOW!

I had the sense this woman troubled by inner demons, but gifted the voice of an angel not only appeared in my room but was urging me to walk into the studio and hold her recording notes.

Streetcars is sparsely scored, mainly Sinead’s soaring voice accompanied by synthesiser. More a prayer than a song, by the time the lyrics got to the part where she intones,

“There’s no safety to be acquired/riding streetcars named desire’’,

I knew I was in the presence of one of pop music’s most unique and enduring voices. And I had had a great-integrated amp as the conduit into her music.

Speaking of great voices, the pairing of Simon and Garfunkel and their music helped to shape it has to be said, the vibe of a generation.

So, I pulled out a vinyl copy of, you guessed it, 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters'. I played the track the Only Living Boy In New York which is a song about friendship and the things that matter.

Insistent drums, muscular bass, and forceful guitars merge with otherworldly vocals replete with a multitracked chorus, on this superbly produced track. So beautiful I went on a bit of an S&G vinyl binge.

When I heard the slightly out of tune guitar on the track For Emily Wherever I May Find Her, performed live and pressed on the Simon And Garfunkel 'Greatest Hits' album, I understood just how much of a detail maestro the MA8900 is.

To prove I’m far from anti-digital, I closed the last listening session of a three-week review period with the 'Elbows' CD track called The Everthere. Sure enough, the skin folds on the Manchester group’s kick drum are tight and taut.

I was listening for an instrument that sounded like a wailing mandolin somewhere to the rear of the mix. It emerged from a moveable feast of instruments carrying the music to the listener on a complex weave of rhythm and timing. And it was clear and insistent, wanting a good amp to make it heard above the raucous din of instruments and vocals.

It isn’t hard to fall head over heels with an integrated amp with the sonic prowess of the MA8900. The technology and feature count also must be factored in to the eye-watering price tag.

Those that can afford the MA8900 will not all be wealthy. I imagine most audiophiles and music lovers are ordinary people who must save long and hard to shop for a model in this category.

And the category least you haven’t noticed is a high-end integrated amp. A perch on the top of the audio ladder where exotic rivals from Mark Levinson, Krell, and Gryphon abide alluringly but mostly unaffordable.

The MA8900 takes them all on and adds McIntosh’s legendary reliability and the newly derived nod to future proofing. The MA8900 doesn’t sound good- it sounds marvellous, on all types of music. It engenders a sense of pride of ownership, has Cadillac build quality, intelligent user features, and it’s bloody heavy.

A good thing, because once it’s brought home, unlike my review sample yours won’t be going back.

For more information visit McIntosh.

 

[maurogajar 121]

copy paste?

[ponkine 536]

Obvio

 

Soy un senador de la república. Ahora vote por mí

[José A. 581]

hace 4 horas, ponkine dijo:

Obvio

 

Soy un senador de la república. Ahora vote por mí

 ¿No me webees que con tu dieta parlamentaria te compraste uno...? Muestra galla.!!!

[IRON PRIEST 231]

Puchas que son lindos los Macintosh. Tan sobrios, elegantes e imponentes y los vumeters me matan. Tal vez algun día pueda.

[IRON PRIEST 231]

¿Alguien en el foro ha tenido experiencia con este integrado?

[UPset64 327]

hace 7 horas, IRON PRIEST dijo:

¿Alguien en el foro ha tenido experiencia con este integrado?

Well, sort of

[Ricardo Figueroa 87]

A mi también me gustan muuucho! Aunque no los he esecuchado personalmente.

[dokoo40 402]

Yo tengo un MA6700 y es otra cosa ,pero también tienen q gustarte el sonido hacer un buen match en Musicworld hay varios Mcintosh y te recomendaría escucharlos con klipsch forte mas q con otro parlantes así te harás una idea más acabada de su sonido .

Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

[adriang 4]

mcintosh vende mas estetica que calidad de audio segun tengo entendido por comentarios y reviews en internet. prefiero una caja negra con 4 potes y enfocado exclusivamente en sonido, al amp lo pongo en el rack y si uso el control me olvido que existe. para citar un ejemplo, venden una lampara/luz como le quieran llamar, por 1500 dolares, ok mcintosh ya entendimos a que clientes apuntas.

https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/merchandise/LB100 

[KroNE 32]

hace 7 horas, adriang dijo:

mcintosh vende mas estetica que calidad de audio segun tengo entendido por comentarios y reviews en internet. prefiero una caja negra con 4 potes y enfocado exclusivamente en sonido, al amp lo pongo en el rack y si uso el control me olvido que existe. para citar un ejemplo, venden una lampara/luz como le quieran llamar, por 1500 dolares, ok mcintosh ya entendimos a que clientes apuntas.

https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/merchandise/LB100 

Me parece que es más que una "lucecita", no soy un fanatico de mac... nunca he escuchado detenidamente uno como para emitir juicio alguno. Pero se ve que son productos de calidad y de colección, con todo un prestigio detras...

Salu2 a to2

[UPset64 327]

hace 10 horas, adriang dijo:

mcintosh vende mas estetica que calidad de audio segun tengo entendido por comentarios y reviews en internet. prefiero una caja negra con 4 potes y enfocado exclusivamente en sonido, al amp lo pongo en el rack y si uso el control me olvido que existe. para citar un ejemplo, venden una lampara/luz como le quieran llamar, por 1500 dolares, ok mcintosh ya entendimos a que clientes apuntas.

Adriang,

Lo que dices para McIntosh se puede decir de muchas marcas, y lo hacen para lucrar màs... y no hay que molestarse pro eso  McIntosh lo ha hecho tan bien que es un ìcono en el mundo del audio, tal como Harley lo es en el de las motocicletas.  Pero hay cosas mucho mejores que McIntosh... y màs caras... otro segmento.

[MartinV56 866]

Mcintosh Mc 3500 versión industrial  MI-350 versión comercial, considerado por muchos como el mejor  valvular de la historia de Mcintosch y uno de los mejores amplificadores en la historia de la alta fidelidad. Lo han escuchado? Diseñado por Mile Nestorovic a finales de la década de los 60, introducido en en año de 1968 cesó su producción en 1971. Cabe resaltar en su diseño  el uso del tubo 6LQ6/6JE6B compactron 30 watts de disipación en placa, base novar mas grande que la noval , 2.5 Amp en filamento. Transformadores pentafilar, enfriado por aire forzado. Etapas monofónicas 350 watts. Rectificación SS.

 

Stereo Review" Magazine, November 1969 Issue

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-McIntosh-MC-3500-Mono-Block-Amplifiers-Amazing-Condition-350W-Channel/321540647983?hash=item4add50ec2f:g:VS0AAOSwbqpTthSQ

 

Después de ver el diseño y especificaciones de esta bestia  sólo  me basta decirle a los amigos foreros que no han tenido la fortuna de escuchar esta joya de la alta fidelidad.

 

 

[adriang 4]

5 hours ago, UPset64 said:

Adriang,

Lo que dices para McIntosh se puede decir de muchas marcas, y lo hacen para lucrar màs... y no hay que molestarse pro eso  McIntosh lo ha hecho tan bien que es un ìcono en el mundo del audio, tal como Harley lo es en el de las motocicletas.  Pero hay cosas mucho mejores que McIntosh... y màs caras... otro segmento.

este integrado sale 15.000 dolares, la pregunta: es 5 veces mejor que un parasound halo por ejemplo? o que un naim que cuesta un cuarto o menos de lo que sale este ampli? yo estoy en el tema del audio porque me gusta el audio, no por luces. potes. marcas o marketing, esa filosofia es la que me gusta ami.

[PATTON64 173]

hace 4 minutos, adriang dijo:

este integrado sale 15.000 dolares, la pregunta: es 5 veces mejor que un parasound halo por ejemplo? o que un naim que cuesta un cuarto o menos de lo que sale este ampli? yo estoy en el tema del audio porque me gusta el audio, no por luces. potes. marcas o marketing, esa filosofia es la que me gusta ami.

adriang, aparte de reviews y foros en la red, ¿haz escuchado alguna vez algún mcintosh?

 

[MartinV56 866]

hace 10 minutos, adriang dijo:

este integrado sale 15.000 dolares, la pregunta: es 5 veces mejor que un parasound halo por ejemplo? o que un naim que cuesta un cuarto o menos de lo que sale este ampli? yo estoy en el tema del audio porque me gusta el audio, no por luces. potes. marcas o marketing, esa filosofia es la que me gusta ami.

Entiendo lo que dices sobre el marketing, marcas, revistas de audio, así las cosas me imagino que  prefieres el mundo artesanal via diy o estoy equivocado?

[adriang 4]

11 minutes ago, MartinV56 said:

Entiendo lo que dices sobre el marketing, marcas, revistas de audio, así las cosas me imagino que  prefieres el mundo artesanal via diy o estoy equivocado?

hola martin, me gusta el diy y los productos terminados tambien, pero sobre todo me gusta poner en la mesa los productos y criticarlos por lo que son capaces de hacer indiferentemente del precio, por eso mi pregunta fue, sera que este integrado suena 5 veces mejor que un parasound halo? no veo razon de hacersela facil a una empresa para vender espejitos de colores, mientras otras empresas serias de audio le ponen sangre y sudor a productos de buena ingenieria pero todos terminan aplaudiendo unas lucesitas azules.

[dokoo40 402]

El tema de los precios o la diferencia entre equipos de la misma marca también te lo podrías preguntar o no . Por ejemplos:

Los amplificadores Roksan los he escuchados el caspian el k3 y el black el cual supera por mucho el valor de los anteriores ,pero como tú dices , la diferencia en precios, lo vale en sonido o en estética ???? Otro buen ejemplo es Accuphase y etc etc , así q esto no es tan sólo en Mcintosh entre sí y sus competencias, cada quien elige por sus gustos , soy el feliz poseedor de un Mcintosh y más q su gran estética es su gran sonido guste a quien le guste . Y el tema de los rewiu ya se ha discutido otras veces q más q decir una verdad absoluta no es más ayuda, saludos . Al final el oído manda . Saludos .

Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

[adriang 4]

1 minute ago, jsc010 said:

si esperas que la relacion es lineal, plata gastada vs beneficio percibido, creo que te equivocaste de hobby

los primeros upgrades de equipo son impactantes y despues decrecen a pesar de las lucas.

ademas casi todos ignoran el impacto de la acustica asi que es un camino bien jodido

hola jsc010 es cierto que a medida que uno mejora componentes de un sistema no siempre los resultados son los esperados, no creo estar en el hobby equivocado ya que el audio es algo que de verdad me gusta y lo disfruto,y tambien es cierto el punto que tocas de la acustica es definitivamente importante.

[MartinV56 866]

hace 2 horas, adriang dijo:

hola martin, me gusta el diy y los productos terminados tambien, pero sobre todo me gusta poner en la mesa los productos y criticarlos por lo que son capaces de hacer indiferentemente del precio, por eso mi pregunta fue, sera que este integrado suena 5 veces mejor que un parasound halo? no veo razon de hacersela facil a una empresa para vender espejitos de colores, mientras otras empresas serias de audio le ponen sangre y sudor a productos de buena ingenieria pero todos terminan aplaudiendo unas lucesitas azules.

Discrepo contigo, Mcintosh es un referente en la historia de la alta fidelidad soy feliz propietario de un modelo valvular  ver la calidad de los trafos de salida y su diseño, al igual que su sonido, creo que el segmento de los actuales Mcintosh como el de este post es el de Mark Levinson, Krell, por citar algunas marcas, no creo que una marca como Mcintosh venda espejitos de colores si fuera así ya estaria hace rato fuera del mercado, es cierto que actualmente no es lo que fue en  otrora, no obstante sigue haciendo muy buenos amps. Cuando se hacen comparaciones hay que mirar las topologias, no es lo mismo un clase A que un PP AB. En ultimas el oido manda.