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Review 1 of 10
Price Paid:
$300.00
from Audiogon Summary:
As I said in my McIntosh MC250 review here, the MC250 is merely an transitional amp, an vintage McIntosh SS amp that sounds so good that you'd like to make the jump into the true McIntosh tube sound that is so famous.
So I made the dive. And it's very very rough. And I could say the MC30 is an KEEPER!
*****
I got my pair in an average shape in Audiogon. But it will get really really bad until it gets better. The fuse holders are broken, I could hear background noises, the RCA input is rusty and dirty, the tube socketes are loose, etc.
But I am not the crazy kind to do an revamp. I have been told that you're better off getting an MC30 with all original parts because any replacement part may affect its sound (that will explain why many buyers demand pictures of inside).
I simply replace the RCA jacks with WBT, replaced some loose/wore-out wires, re-wire the grounding, replaced the aged power resistors, removed 2 resistors that appear to be previous owner's own mod, and replaced the power cords and the fuse holders. And the amps really shine after that! I think I spent like $60 and 12 hours to do everything.
Paired with the VTL 2.5 tube preamp and the Coincident Partial Eclipse Mk I, the sound is fully bodied, sweet and rich, and could play very very very loud in my room (26 x 22 x 8). Unlike many tube amps I used before, the MC30 gives great bass - not as nice as some of the better SS amps I owned before (ML #23 for example) of course but already betters than most tube amps I have.
The soundstage is actually better than I expected. It makes a major difference when I switch from Monarchy Model 33 preamp to the VTL 2.5 preamp.
It simply makes me to keep thinking of sitting down to listen (if I am not doing that already). After all is said and done, the music simply comes thru.
Just make sure your soldering skill is good to go. During the WBT replacement, I mistakenly knocked an wire loose (bad original soldering). I was not that educated then, and AudioClaXXicX quoted me $250-$350 (shipping not included) to fix when I told them all tubes light up but no sound.
With all due respect, this is EXCESSIVE regardless of how good a job AudioClaXXicX may do! I spent about 30 min to read the schematics carefully and trace all the wirings, and I saw the loose wire, and I fixed it in 30 sec using some quality silver connecting wire.
Well, I said this because I know a few people who got them from eBay and got ripped off. The sellers told the buyers the amp worked fine but they did not. With vintage amps like MC30 (which it's last year of manufacture is 1962, still many years before I was even born!), casual audiophiles may simply get discouraged and give up and either send them to AudioClaXXicX for their premium $$$$$$$ work or sell them cheap in eBay suffering major loss (or pass the scam along and scam the next unsuspecting buyer stating "as-is")
So if you happen to be the unfortunate one who got an lemon, the local authorized Mc service center will do a great job at 1/2 the price AudioClaXXicX would charge. Just IMHO it makes better sense.
In my listening room's merry-go-round, this pair of MC30 will certainly stay much much longer than everything else. Strengths:
Awesome looks and sound. Very musical and sweet. Superb dynamics if you have the right speakers. The voice is without peers (well, may be MC240). Weaknesses:
Get ready to use your soldering skills! Similar Products Used:
Kora Galaxy Reference; Mark Levinson #23; ASL 1060 DT (845) SET monoblocks; Marantz MA700 (shame!); NAD 300 (ahhhh!); Musical Fidelity A300; Classe CA200 (overrated!); Conrad Johnson MF2300; McIntosh MC250; McIntosh MA6850; Accuphase E202/E203/E205; Aragon 4004 Mk II; Krell 300i; Dynaco ST70; VTL 100; Sonic Frontiers Power 2 and 3....God, I just keep changing amps and can't remember all!
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