Vintage Asylum

Pairing a mcintosh C8 with an mc-30 or mc-60, which one

71.192.45.197

gonzo

would sound best. I understand that you can power the C8 from the amp, and wonder which amp is sonically better or which is the best match for the C8. Still trying to figure all this out. Thanks Norm

Follow Ups:

RE: Pairing a mcintosh C8 with an mc-30 or mc-60, which one - Marantzguy 11:16:06 07/31/08 (1)
Hi, gonzo:

It is very difficult to properly answer your question, though I understand it completely.

First of all, how good it sounds to you is so totally subjective that unless these units are restored to proper working condition, there is no way to properly answer this.

Obviously, if you are in possession or have access to a good, working MC-30 and an MC-60, go for it!

But, as we have been saying endlessly on this forum, it is doubtful that any of these pieces in unrestored condition could be expected to perform to published specification these days. They may sound good to the ear, but on paper and under proper test condition for total harmonic distortion, et al., they often just do not hold up to published specifications. I have the "before and after" graphic proof of what total harmonic distortion looks like and very often, the graph of an unrestored piece with lots of hours on the output tubes is like looking at a profile of the Swiss Alps. The "after" restoration graphs with tube replacement are nice and flat, comparatively speaking.

I have restored pieces like these over and over again during the past thirty years and it is worth any amount of time you invest to get them right. And if you want my personal opinion on which pairing might sound "best"? It would be your C-8 (restored) working with a restored MC-30. The MC-30 was perhaps the most "musical" sounding of the Mac tube power amplifiers, not to mention its predecessor, the A-116. I've had them all.

Happy Listening to YOU!

Richard Links
Berkeley, CA
- RE: Pairing a mcintosh C8 with an mc-30 or mc-60, which one - Michael Samra 12:58:29 07/31/08 (0)
  Well Stated.
  No matter how stir the pot,you only get out as good as what goes in.Power supplies matter most.

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