Jerome W
Active member
- Thread Author
- #1
Hello folks,
A few years ago, a Mc expert came to my home, sent by AC, to check one of my 2301 amp. He listened to the big babies and did not say much. I talked to him about my 275's MKIV that I missed so much when I got my 501's and the reason why I bought the 2301's.
He asked " did you ever hear an original 275 ? that is clearly an other beast. Much better than the new ones. But the King of the King is the MC225. Hard to find in great condition, it is a rare amp, but the best that McIntosh ever made".
I do not post often, neither here or at AA, but I read a lot.
And all those years, this little phrase about the 225 picked more and more my curiosity. A few months ago, I started to read about it on various forums, to find out that all the owners of the 225, skilled and dedicated Mc owners who often owned many Mc amps modern and vintage, were all saying the same thing : the 225 is the best Mc amp ever made. Period.
So what was first a curiosity, became an obsession.
I found a great unit at AC, and thanks to Mike, it arrived perfectly safe in my home 3 days ago.
Connected to the C48 preamp. Source was the Mc Book Pro with SSD and Audirvana + and speakers are the REGA RS10. The 225 took the place of the 2205 ( which I love a lot in this system ) by just unplugging the speaker cables of the Rega. The 2205 has the WW Silver Eclipse 6 SC while the 225 was connected with an old simple Naim Naca 4.
What a shock ! The 225 sound is amazing. Clean, clear, crisp, detailed, agile, fast, with tight bass and flat all over the spectrum : all the qualities of the modern amps but indeed faster and cleaner, and Natural, human, voluptuous, rich, uncanny, warm : all the qualities of the vintage gear.
Actually, it sounds like a great Shindo amplifier, very close to my CCQ monoblocks.
For the very first time, I am hearing a Mc amplifier that sounds as good as Shindo, who is for me, the " Superlative McIntosh". Shindo sound is like the Mc sound to me, but better, stronger, cleaner and so on. It is in the same family of sound reproduction but like 2 brothers. One would be 13 and is discovering love. While the other one would be 20.
the CCQ kicked the 2301's out of my home. The Giscours smokes my former C1000P preamp.
And the 225 would have done the same on speakers representing an average load ( not necessarily an easy load : the power supply of the 225 is beefy for sure ).
Concerning the sound per se, yes the 225 is the very very best, by very far, Mc amp that I ever had in my home or ever listened to.
For those who could live with 30 W of power or 60 W for 2 of them in mono, the MC225 is not only the best McIntosh amps of all times. It is one of the best amplifier in the world.
I have already asked Mike at AC to find me an other one. I want to try a pair of 225 in my main set up, with the Wilson's WP8's.
McIntosh !! Why can't you build a current 225 ! But please, I want the same sound !
A few years ago, a Mc expert came to my home, sent by AC, to check one of my 2301 amp. He listened to the big babies and did not say much. I talked to him about my 275's MKIV that I missed so much when I got my 501's and the reason why I bought the 2301's.
He asked " did you ever hear an original 275 ? that is clearly an other beast. Much better than the new ones. But the King of the King is the MC225. Hard to find in great condition, it is a rare amp, but the best that McIntosh ever made".
I do not post often, neither here or at AA, but I read a lot.
And all those years, this little phrase about the 225 picked more and more my curiosity. A few months ago, I started to read about it on various forums, to find out that all the owners of the 225, skilled and dedicated Mc owners who often owned many Mc amps modern and vintage, were all saying the same thing : the 225 is the best Mc amp ever made. Period.
So what was first a curiosity, became an obsession.
I found a great unit at AC, and thanks to Mike, it arrived perfectly safe in my home 3 days ago.
Connected to the C48 preamp. Source was the Mc Book Pro with SSD and Audirvana + and speakers are the REGA RS10. The 225 took the place of the 2205 ( which I love a lot in this system ) by just unplugging the speaker cables of the Rega. The 2205 has the WW Silver Eclipse 6 SC while the 225 was connected with an old simple Naim Naca 4.
What a shock ! The 225 sound is amazing. Clean, clear, crisp, detailed, agile, fast, with tight bass and flat all over the spectrum : all the qualities of the modern amps but indeed faster and cleaner, and Natural, human, voluptuous, rich, uncanny, warm : all the qualities of the vintage gear.
Actually, it sounds like a great Shindo amplifier, very close to my CCQ monoblocks.
For the very first time, I am hearing a Mc amplifier that sounds as good as Shindo, who is for me, the " Superlative McIntosh". Shindo sound is like the Mc sound to me, but better, stronger, cleaner and so on. It is in the same family of sound reproduction but like 2 brothers. One would be 13 and is discovering love. While the other one would be 20.
the CCQ kicked the 2301's out of my home. The Giscours smokes my former C1000P preamp.
And the 225 would have done the same on speakers representing an average load ( not necessarily an easy load : the power supply of the 225 is beefy for sure ).
Concerning the sound per se, yes the 225 is the very very best, by very far, Mc amp that I ever had in my home or ever listened to.
For those who could live with 30 W of power or 60 W for 2 of them in mono, the MC225 is not only the best McIntosh amps of all times. It is one of the best amplifier in the world.
I have already asked Mike at AC to find me an other one. I want to try a pair of 225 in my main set up, with the Wilson's WP8's.
McIntosh !! Why can't you build a current 225 ! But please, I want the same sound !
...You're one hell of a great guy! 
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