Mac MA8900 Questions

M

Mechnutt

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Location
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Has anyone heard the Mac MA8900. I can get a great deal on a used one. I can't hear it. I have concerns about detail. Some Macs that I have heard sounded midfi and others sounded great. I am looking for an amp that has some warmth but detail and good dynamics. I cannot tolerate brightness. I bought a Krell K-300i today at TMR but put it on hold after reading that Krell has been out of business since 2024 since the wife od Dagastino died. They may or may not reopen. Too bad because the review on this amp is excellent. This amp has a warm sonic signature and is not like previous Krell.
 
mep said:
I hope you love it. I have never heard either integrated amp that was on your list so I couldn't offer an opinion.
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Reviews are very good. All the reviews that I have read, describe it pretty much the same. Good dynamics and bass. A totally rich mid-range, a non fatiguing and smooth top end. Great air, transparency and a huge sound stage. We will see.
It is a little disappointing that it is a dual mono design but only 1 xlr input. My dac, TT and phono pre are all balanced.
 
Mechnutt said:
Reviews are very good. All the reviews that I have read, describe it pretty much the same. Good dynamics and bass. A totally rich mid-range, a non fatiguing and smooth top end. Great air, transparency and a huge sound stage. We will see.
It is a little disappointing that it is a dual mono design but only 1 xlr input. My dac, TT and phono pre are all balanced.
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Your last paragraph would have made the ML integrated a nonstarter if I was in your position. You really need 3 XLR inputs with your gear.
 
mep said:
Your last paragraph would have made the ML integrated a nonstarter if I was in your position. You really need 3 XLR inputs with your gear.
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Most of the integrated amps that I have looked at recently or bought and returned have only 1 or 2 xlr inputs. I find it strange. And all the amps I have been looking at or bought cost $9k or more. The ML costs $10,500. I paid about 1/2 off on a B or what they call Z stock. It is brand new.

I will run my Luxman DA-06 DAC with XLRs and my Gold Note phono preamp in single ended mode.
 
Mechnutt said:
Most of the integrated amps that I have looked at recently or bought and returned have only 1 or 2 xlr inputs. I find it strange. And all the amps I have been looking at or bought cost $9k or more. The ML costs $10,500. I paid about 1/2 off on a B or what they call Z stock. It is brand new.

I will run my Luxman DA-06 DAC with XLRs and my Gold Note phono preamp in single ended mode.
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You changed from separates to an integrated amp because of weight issues?
 
mep said:
You changed from separates to an integrated amp because of weight issues?
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That is only part of the story. My wife has put up with my gear in our family room for over 30 years. She is tired of having doors as speakers and a 6 tier audio rack with a monsterous Pass amp and BAT preamp. I promised her a few years ago that I would downsize when I retire (I regret telling her that). Well, I am finally retiring in January after 40 years as an Emergency Medicine doctor. We are also going to downsize our house. My wife wants to move back to Kansas City where her sister and her family live. We lived there for 2 years 30 years ago. She hates MN due to its winters. I may have her convinced to live in KC during the winter months and summer in MN. All my friends are here. Maybe I should dump the wife and keep my gear. A lot of people have made comments like that to me, LOL.

And to tell you the truth, I am sort of ready to downsize for simplicity. I know that I will be taking a step back in many respects but the Marantz PM-10 that I am returning has more detail and air. But not the dynamics and musicality of the Pass-BAT combo. Hopefully the ML will give me more. Based on pro and user reviews, it just might.
 
Mechnutt said:
That is only part of the story. My wife has put up with my gear in our family room for over 30 years. She is tired of having doors as speakers and a 6 tier audio rack with a monsterous Pass amp and BAT preamp. I promised her a few years ago that I would downsize when I retire (I regret telling her that). Well, I am finally retiring in January after 40 years as an Emergency Medicine doctor. We are also going to downsize our house. My wife wants to move back to Kansas City where her sister and her family live. We lived there for 2 years 30 years ago. She hates MN due to its winters. I may have her convinced to live in KC during the winter months and summer in MN. All my friends are here. Maybe I should dump the wife and keep my gear. A lot of people have made comments like that to me, LOL.

And to tell you the truth, I am sort of ready to downsize for simplicity. I know that I will be taking a step back in many respects but the Marantz PM-10 that I am returning has more detail and air. But not the dynamics and musicality of the Pass-BAT combo. Hopefully the ML will give me more. Based on pro and user reviews, it just might.
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The first thing people ask you when you retire is are you going to downsize your home? My answer was NO! If you downsize your home, you upsize your wife!

Why not make it a priority that your next house in Kansas has a big room that you can call yours?
 
My wife wants a smaller house, easier up keep and she wants a ranch so she does not have to go up and down stairs all day as we approach our 70's. I am 66 and she is 65. I would love having a dedicated large audio room. Maybe a wife upgrade is needed.:) Actually, my wife has been very supportive on my audio hobby. She used to listen with me for a couple of hours at a time and would listen on her own, way louder than I ever would. It is probably why she got hearing aide's last month thank god after putting it off for 2 years.

I am fine downsizing our house which is over 3000 sq feet on the top 2 levels and another 1200 to 1500 in the basement.
 
Mechnutt said:
My wife wants a smaller house, easier up keep and she wants a ranch so she does not have to go up and down stairs all day as we approach our 70's. I am 66 and she is 65. I would love having a dedicated large audio room. Maybe a wife upgrade is needed.:) Actually, my wife has been very supportive on my audio hobby. She used to listen with me for a couple of hours at a time and would listen on her own, way louder than I ever would. It is probably why she got hearing aide's last month thank god after putting it off for 2 years.

I am fine downsizing our house which is over 3000 sq feet on the top 2 levels and another 1200 to 1500 in the basement.
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My retirement house is as big as your current home. I retired in 2017 at 61 years of age. We made 2 week-long house hunting trips from southern Indiana to NE TN before we decided on this house.

I told my wife I was not going to buy a house if it didn't have a nice room for my stereo. It was an absolute deal breaker for me.

This is my fourth house with my own personal stereo room. That means zero worries about WAF and great sound.
 
Look forward to hearing how you like the 5805. What speakers will you use?

Randy moved somewhere in KS.

Seriously maybe find a house with both a living room and family room so one can be for music. When we bought our house now about 25 years ago both of us were happy to have my gear in large room in the lower level.
 
I still have my 1.6s and the Arendal 1528s. I am on the fence with them, but they were not a good match with the PM10.

Fritz from Fritz speakers is sending me a pair of his Carbon 7 speakers to review. He is a member of the ac forum and likes my reviews that I do for Van Alstine. He would also like to sell me a pair. He built them with Tiger Ebony veneer as he knows that it is my favorite. Sneaky guy, lol.

I auditioned the Magnepan LRS+ and they are awesome sounding. More clarity and detail than my 1.6s. Just a smaller scale.
 
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Mechnutt said:
I still have my 1.6s and the Arendal 1528s. I am on the fence with them, but they were not a good match with the PM10.

Fritz from Fritz speakers is sending me a pair of his Carbon 7 speakers to review. He is a member of the ac forum and likes my reviews that I do for Van Alstine. He would also like to sell me a pair. He built them with Tiger Ebony veneer as he knows that it is my favorite. Sneaky guy, lol.

I auditioned the Magnepan LRS+ and they are awesome sounding. More clarity and detail than my 1.6s. Just a smaller scale.
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A local guy designed and manufactures a stand and sub for the LRS. He is usually at Axpona showing them with vintage Aleph amps. For the life of me I can't remember the company name. If you kept a pair I can find out for you. His set up really takes the LRS to a new level.
 
Thanks Bryan. This changing my system is driving me nuts. I can't audition most of the gear that I have been interested in.
The local mom and pop places (there are 4 of them and they all carry high end gear) here do not carry gear that I am interested in or they do but do not have floor models. Hopefully, I like the ML 5805. I would love for it to be a good match for the 1528 speakers which has an uncanny huge soundstage and clarity. The bass is like having a subwoofer. They were shouty and bright with the PM-10 and the center image was too diffuse, especially with vocals. Not so with my Pass and BAT which I am listening to at the moment.
 
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