McIntosh MC2102 Tube Amp
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Posts: 267
Back in 2008 I discovered this forum. I had acquired a pair of Polk RT2000i speakers and I was driving them with an AVR. Needless to say, the AVR had a horribly difficult time running those speakers. This forum started me on a long journey down the proverbial rabbit hole.
I've learned so much from this group. The members here are terrific and extremely helpful. One member in particular has been extraordinarily gracious and helpful sharing his knowledge with me over the years. Not only with me, but with many others.
I've been really fortunate to have been able to buy and try many different amps, preamps, speakers, power products, power cables, DACs, speaker cables, ICs and tweaks over the last 8 years. I haven't posted nearly as much as I should given how much I have learned and how much knowledge I have extracted from reading posts on this site. Part of the reason for my not posting many of my personal experiences is the fact that indulging in this hobby can sometimes be a bit over the top and I'm sensitive to the fact that many folks are struggling financially in these trying times.
The above being said, I've been encouraged to give back and share more.
Rather than sell many pieces I've gone through over the years, much of it was sitting in boxes, collecting dust and not being used. I was recently bitten by the upgrade bug again. Rather than keep amassing gear, I traded in multiple pieces in order justify in my mind buying another amp.
I've always wanted to try a McIntosh MC2102. Given that fact, I made the move and bought one. It arrived Thursday. I've never seen or heard one of these amps in person, so this was a pretty big leap of faith on my part. This thing is huge, heavy and built like a tank. Definitely a two person task setting it up. A friend came over today and we disassembled my entire rig and then reassembled it with the 2102 in the mix.
I've read some good and maybe some not so good things about McIntosh tube amps. As such, I was expecting this to potentially be a lateral move. Incorporating the 2102 into my system today was one of those instant "wow" experiences that happened within only moments into playing the first song. I could use all the typical audiophile words in describing how this piece sounds, but I'm not very good at that. What I can say is this amp is simply terrific! It's warmer sounding than I had anticipated, the soundstage is wide, deep and quite holographic. The base is surprisingly really, really good for a tube amp. Current power tubes are Tung sol 6550 reissues and the 12AX7s and 12AT7s are McIntosh branded. I have no idea what condition these tubes are in, but they sound great. A complete re-tubing of this piece is very likely in my future. I'm hoping for even better results (if that's possible) when I roll in new tubes. All said and done, I'm really happy about this addition. No second thoughts whatsoever. Like others, I certainly can't say that about a number of pieces that I have tried in the past.
Up until a week ago I was using MIT Shotgun S1.3 speaker cables and S1.3 ICs. Those went back to Joe Abrams last week and in route to me shortly are MIT Magnum M1.3 speaker cables and M1.3 ICs. I had the S1.3s in my rig for about 5 years. I can't say enough about how much of a positive impact they had. As such, I'm super excited for M1.3s to arrive.
Right now I am using Kimber 8TC speaker cables and MIT Shotgun S.1 ICs. I have to say, this combination is no slouch. I'm hoping the M1.3s will blow my socks off.
After going through multiple preamps, I have found my current ModWright LS100 with internal DAC to suit my tastes perfectly. I run Psvane CV181-T (6SN7s) and a 1967 Mullard rectifier tube in this preamp. I won't go on other than to say this is a remarkable (to my ears) preamp. I went all digital a few years ago and the DAC in the ModWright is substantially better than any of the stand alone DACs I have tried. This includes a Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2, Peachtree Audio, Cambridge Audio etc.
I like horn loaded speakers. Given space constraints, current speakers in the room are Klipsch RF-7 IIs. No doubt horns are very challenging to work with. Tubes on these speakers are an absolute must IMHO.
Tonight I have a giant smile on my face. As many have said in this forum, I have found that everything truly does matter. Synergy, amps, preamps, DACs, power products, power cables, speaker cables, ICs, tweaks and good recordings.
Unfortunately I can't figure out how to attach a correctly formatted photo. I apologize that it shows up sideways below. Any help correcting this would be most appreciated.
This sure is one heck of a fun hobby!
I've learned so much from this group. The members here are terrific and extremely helpful. One member in particular has been extraordinarily gracious and helpful sharing his knowledge with me over the years. Not only with me, but with many others.
I've been really fortunate to have been able to buy and try many different amps, preamps, speakers, power products, power cables, DACs, speaker cables, ICs and tweaks over the last 8 years. I haven't posted nearly as much as I should given how much I have learned and how much knowledge I have extracted from reading posts on this site. Part of the reason for my not posting many of my personal experiences is the fact that indulging in this hobby can sometimes be a bit over the top and I'm sensitive to the fact that many folks are struggling financially in these trying times.
The above being said, I've been encouraged to give back and share more.
Rather than sell many pieces I've gone through over the years, much of it was sitting in boxes, collecting dust and not being used. I was recently bitten by the upgrade bug again. Rather than keep amassing gear, I traded in multiple pieces in order justify in my mind buying another amp.
I've always wanted to try a McIntosh MC2102. Given that fact, I made the move and bought one. It arrived Thursday. I've never seen or heard one of these amps in person, so this was a pretty big leap of faith on my part. This thing is huge, heavy and built like a tank. Definitely a two person task setting it up. A friend came over today and we disassembled my entire rig and then reassembled it with the 2102 in the mix.
I've read some good and maybe some not so good things about McIntosh tube amps. As such, I was expecting this to potentially be a lateral move. Incorporating the 2102 into my system today was one of those instant "wow" experiences that happened within only moments into playing the first song. I could use all the typical audiophile words in describing how this piece sounds, but I'm not very good at that. What I can say is this amp is simply terrific! It's warmer sounding than I had anticipated, the soundstage is wide, deep and quite holographic. The base is surprisingly really, really good for a tube amp. Current power tubes are Tung sol 6550 reissues and the 12AX7s and 12AT7s are McIntosh branded. I have no idea what condition these tubes are in, but they sound great. A complete re-tubing of this piece is very likely in my future. I'm hoping for even better results (if that's possible) when I roll in new tubes. All said and done, I'm really happy about this addition. No second thoughts whatsoever. Like others, I certainly can't say that about a number of pieces that I have tried in the past.
Up until a week ago I was using MIT Shotgun S1.3 speaker cables and S1.3 ICs. Those went back to Joe Abrams last week and in route to me shortly are MIT Magnum M1.3 speaker cables and M1.3 ICs. I had the S1.3s in my rig for about 5 years. I can't say enough about how much of a positive impact they had. As such, I'm super excited for M1.3s to arrive.
Right now I am using Kimber 8TC speaker cables and MIT Shotgun S.1 ICs. I have to say, this combination is no slouch. I'm hoping the M1.3s will blow my socks off.
After going through multiple preamps, I have found my current ModWright LS100 with internal DAC to suit my tastes perfectly. I run Psvane CV181-T (6SN7s) and a 1967 Mullard rectifier tube in this preamp. I won't go on other than to say this is a remarkable (to my ears) preamp. I went all digital a few years ago and the DAC in the ModWright is substantially better than any of the stand alone DACs I have tried. This includes a Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2, Peachtree Audio, Cambridge Audio etc.
I like horn loaded speakers. Given space constraints, current speakers in the room are Klipsch RF-7 IIs. No doubt horns are very challenging to work with. Tubes on these speakers are an absolute must IMHO.
Tonight I have a giant smile on my face. As many have said in this forum, I have found that everything truly does matter. Synergy, amps, preamps, DACs, power products, power cables, speaker cables, ICs, tweaks and good recordings.
Unfortunately I can't figure out how to attach a correctly formatted photo. I apologize that it shows up sideways below. Any help correcting this would be most appreciated.
This sure is one heck of a fun hobby!
Comments
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FantasticMagico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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Thanks for the write-up!
Good stuff. -
Very nice write up, the Mac and the Modwright are good choices for horns. Seems to me you did a bang up job putting together a system that pleases you. Pop in more often and participate.
If you'll excuse me for a second, I can't help but chuckle a bit. Not at you...at the "all amps sound the same" crowd or the "cables don't matter" crowd. Here we have a perfect example of what we have been preaching since day one. Someone who kept an open mind and simply tried some different things to accumulate pieces that floated his boat.
Kudo's to you man, or maybe you should curse the person who threw you down this rabbit hole of audio, I dunno....but it's a fun ride eh ?HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Very nice looking gear you got there so what speakers you using now? It is an addictive but fun hobby, lots of people to help you along spending on your dime
I merely came to Polks site to register my A5's the most expensive speakers I ever bought, why so expensive, because I have spent a lot of dimes on buying other stuff since joining the forum. Home Theater
Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable
2 Channel
Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+
Stuff for the Head
JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365
Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin
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That is an amazing looking piece. I have a mc402 that I like quite a bit. I can only imagine how that 2102 sounds.
Hey if you like horns, check out some of the newer jbl stuff. The ones I heard sounded darn good!.Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's. -
Thank you for your post. It's all about enjoying life.
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Andy, thanks for sharing your journey. That looks like a beast of an amp, I hope you've got a good A/C system.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Appreciate the comments.
Prior to this 2102, my system was being driven with a EL34 based tube amp. That amp was less powerful but highly modified and certainly capable of efficiently driving horns. Quite a noticeable and pleasant improvement in the lower end with the 6550s.
I've never heard any Klipsch speakers sound this good. I've driven Klipsch (both the Heritage and RF lines) with quality solid state amps and solid state preamps. Not to bash on Klipsch (I'm a huge fan) but my personal experience with that combination was akin to having needles shot into my ears. Extremely fatiguing.
Ironically, prior to picking up this 2102, I was just about to retire the RF-7 IIs for a time and swap in a pair of LSiM707s thanks to Polk and the friends and family event. That swap will have to wait for the time being.
I'll sit tight with this current configuration and get a good fix on it. I'll then insert the M1.3s, allow adequate time on them and then post my observations with respect to that addition.
Good point Jesse. This amp could be used as a space heater in the winter.
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That's beautiful! When I was a kid I thought McIntosh gear was ugly...Now I think it's absolutely beautiful on many levels.
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Great write up! Beautiful gear! Although I don't envy your wallet when it comes time to re-tube
Your story is much like mine and a lot of others around here. Polk Audio and especially the Forums members has helped take this hobby (passion) to levels I never imagined.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor, you've earned it. -
It’s been a while since I’ve checked in with a post. I still visit daily and learn so much from all you Polkies.
I’ve added a few pieces to my 2 channel rig since I posted this thread. I sourced a second MC2102 amp and now run them in a mono block configuration. I picked up a pair of LsiM 707s during one the first friends family sales back in 2013 or thereabout. Due to life events, I only unboxed them about six months ago and set them up. Added a PS Audio P10 and 4 PS Audio PowerBases. Tonight I added a Cary SLP 05 with the Cary Ultimate Upgrade and a Cary DMS-500.
Just started listening. The SLP 05 and DMS-500 sound terrific, even with stock EH tubes and before break-in. I moved out my ModWright LS 100 preamp with internal DAC, which is no slouch IMHO. It’ll be fun to compare these two preamps.
It’s been about 10 years now since I was fortunate to discover Club Polk. The assistance and knowledge that can be had here is unrivaled in my experience. A big thank you to all that help keep this community going! -
I've met some great people here, and, my life is better having found this forum.
Nice setup you have. I have a fondness for McIntosh gear though I've never heard that particular model amp. -
I can't see my post from earlier tonight. Hope I didn't inadvertently delete it?
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McIntosh tube amp is the most attractive and solid tube amp. Its VU meters are magic!
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Love my MC240...does very well with my pair of JBL 120Ti's..My eldest son has been drooling over that amp for years and I keep reminding him that the only time he will get hold of that amp is when I'm in a box and planted...
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You could request that you be buried with it.Love my MC240...does very well with my pair of JBL 120Ti's..My eldest son has been drooling over that amp for years and I keep reminding him that the only time he will get hold of that amp is when I'm in a box and planted...
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Looks awesome, bet it sounds amazing.
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When you retube I highly recommend the Gold Lion gold pin reissues. A great bang for the buck. Nice system you put together.[
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I’m curious as to where you derive your music. What kinda of sources are you using? Do you stream from any higher-res sources or do you have everything in house?I went all digital a few years ago... -
Very nice upgrade path you've taken. Not one for slackers. Nice setup and thanks for sharing. Congrats on the sound you've accomplished.Music: Oppo103 - Parasound JC2 - Parasound A21- SDA 3.1
Theater: Denon 3808 - B&K 7500/Emotiva XPA-3- RTi12, CSi5, RTiA7x4, PSW505
Sleeping: Marantz 70005 - Harman Kardon 2400 - SDA 2
2 Channel: Cary 306 SACD - Canary Audio 906 - Pass Labs x250 - PS Audio Perfectwave DAC, Polk LSiM705, SVS SB13 Ultra
Office: Dell Optiplex, Emotiva XDA-2, Adcom 5500, LSiM 703
Spares: Yamaha CA-810; LSi 15; Kenwood Basic M2a, Yamaha M60/M80, Polk Monitor 7, SVS SB13 Ultra -
When you retube I highly recommend the Gold Lion gold pin reissues. A great bang for the buck. Nice system you put together.
The 12AX7s in my amps are Gold Lion gold pin reissues. They do sound nice. The 12AT7s are NOS Mullards. The KT88s are Shuguang Treasure black bottles.alucididea wrote: »
I've ripped most of my CDs into iTunes via Apple Lossless. I'm also using TIDAL's HiFi option.
I was originally going to purchase Cary's DAC-200ts. After extensive dialog with the folks at Cary, I decided to go with their DMS-500. Thus far, I'm really happy I made that decision. I'm still trying to figure out all of the DMS-500's options. I'm actually really impressed by how good the sound is by simply streaming songs via Bluetooth from my iPhone. -
I had a pair of MC-2102 a few years back and loved them. They are one of only a handful of fully balanced McIntosh tube amps. Tube rolling made a large difference in my system as well. Should have kept them, but I still have MY MC-2000's.
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
-George Orwell -
Some nice Mac eye candy in this thread. You boys are lucky, hold on to those bad boys for life.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's
![[Deleted User]](https://w4.vanillicon.com/40bc09a87daec053937ab0249c85e591_100.png)
