Vintage SS McIntosh Gear

jdjohn

There is an estate sale literally down-the-street from me tomorrow, and it has some vintage McIntosh SS electronics and speakers...not to mention what looks like a Salamander rack.


I think this equipment is one-owner, and obviously very clean. Prices have not been set yet, but of course I can't help but walk down there and check it out.

How good is this stuff, and what would you pay? I doubt any of it will displace my current gear, but how can I resist?

I think it's a C-28 preamp, MR-74 tuner, and MC-2105 power amp.

Clipdat

Dat Onkyo disc spinner tho

pitdogg2

Well it sure looks nice.

jdjohn

It is right purdy, fer sher. Just wondering if the lure of vintage SS Mac gear is worth the price of admission. I know their vintage tube gear is worth its weight in gold, but not sure about their solid state stuff (SSS).

txcoastal1

I would like it as a set vs per piece ...
And if a close family member was there, I'm sure they would agree

jdjohn

They have engaged an estate sale company to handle the sale (lots of artwork and other high-dollar stuff), and expressly stated that friends/family are NOT allowed to attend the sale.

But yeah, my offer would be for the whole lot, with perhaps the speakers being an add-on...not worth as much as the rest of the gear.

txcoastal1

Agreed, as a set would be the rack equipment

jdjohn

Sale/admission starts at 9AM, so luckily I can stumble over there easily, and see how things go...

txcoastal1

Around $3500 for the set??

jdjohn

That may be a fair price, but more generous than I'm willing to offer...given my current situation/wants/needs. Stay tuned!

VR3

I'm with Drew, only go for it if they include the CD player


Gear looks super clean though, most likely will need some maintenance

jdjohn

You got to be kidding me...no indication of DSD/SACD playback. 1 bit, yes, but not up in the GHz range.

Clipdat

Don't knock it till you try it, that Onkyo is a sleeper.

tratliff

Inspect the chrome for pitting and make sure the lettering on the front is intact. These are known issues on the first generation McIntosh SS components.

Some say these first gens don’t sound as nice as the tube components or newer autoformer SS.

But one thing is for sure. They hold their value and many folks will chase them.

Good luck.

tratliff

And I’ll be happy to take that tuner off your hands if you get it!

motorstereo

A few things to keep in mind......the volume pot on the c28 is known to be problematic and requires either cleaning every few months or better yet a replacement. The ML1C's will more than likely need refoaming and will benefit greatly from recapping. If the tweeters are open that could be a problem sourcing new ones as they're 50 years old. They also require a MQ101 to sound their best and even with that they fall far short of more modern speakers. The plastic pieces that hold the grills on more than likely have a few that are snapped off and are impossible to find the originals. The MR74 will probably need servicing as well. My 74 is sitting at Audio Classics currently awaiting pickup with a $600 charge for alignment and a few minor issues. I have no experience with the 2105 but I do believe I see some pitting around the headphone jack. Other than that the gear appears to well taken care of and the woodcases are a plus. My guess is they'll go quickly for stupid money to a Mac collector.

mhardy6647

The C28 here is a mediocre sounding preamp at best. The MC-2100 autoformer coupled ss amp (same innards as an MC-2105) sounds terrible - steely and grainy.
Mac is not noted for their loudspeakers.
The tuner's nice, though.

All of that stuff is very flippable, though.

jdjohn

The sellers made the decision very easy for me They're using a professional estate sale company, so the prices are full 'retail'. Pre-amp is $1,255, tuner $655, power amp $1,675. Oh, speakers are $300, and the sweet Onkyo CDP is $55 Salamander rack is $299, which is actually not toooo bad. Everything is pristine.

txcoastal1

Well I was close, $3585 for the set

mhardy6647

I'd buy the tuner for that if it is working -- I paid almost as much for my MR-67 (which, admittedly, was rehabbed by 'the pros').
You could buy about 6 much better preamps than the C28 for that price. The early Mac ss preamps (C-24, 26, 28) are, sadly, pretty dreadful.

Power amp price is OK, especially if you're just gonna look at the blue lights and use a better sounding amp hidden behind it.



Get the Onkyo!

jdjohn

It will be interesting to see how things go as the sale progresses. It's a 3-day sale, so too early for them to start marking things down yet. I doubt I would keep any of it, anyway. I have a MAC-1700 receiver from my dad's collection that scratches the McIntosh itch well enough for me.

mhardy6647

The MAC-1700... is a good place to be.
Danged good place to be, Mac-wise.
(IMO, of course)

jdjohn

It is a sweet-sounding receiver, with a tube-stage for the tuner. Phonostage sounds sweet as well, but no tubes

Regarding the estate sale, today everything is 40% off. Those 'in-the-know' (not me) were there bright-and-early, and apparently one of the estate sale company's 'regulars' snatched-up the electronics first thing - except for the Onkyo CDP (must have been an oversight on his part).

I did get the Salamander rack, though, for $180. I'm pretty happy with that.

Clipdat

jdjohn wrote: »

one of the estate sale company's 'regulars' snatched-up the electronics first thing - except for the Onkyo CDP (must have been an oversight on his part).

Hahah!

txcoastal1

Glad you were able to grab a piece

All you can do is vulture around, every once in awhile you get the grab

Was fun working with you on it, had my fingers crossed that someone would drop the ball

I know Todd would have been golden on grabbing that tuner if helped you out...

Keep that eye out guys!!! Maybe next time

tratliff

The vintage McIntosh is allusive. Might be for the best if you were not looking to keep it. That’s awesome you got the rack.

I still love the looks and history of that tuner…. But not like I need another!

jdjohn

The biggest crime, perhaps, was that I couldn't turn everything on, and listen to the sound of local FM playback, if nothing else. Thanks to @mhardy6647 for helping me temper unnecessary enthusiasm for these pieces.

mhardy6647

Well, there are lots of folks that feel differently than do I about them (especially the MC-2100, MC-2105, and MC-250). I can just say that I've heard at least one of each, some of them restored and (truth be told) some "as is", and they all sounded harsh, grainy, thin and irritating to me (i.e., they all sounded more the same than different, irrespective of having been rehabbed or not).

I have zero tolerance for harshness from components nor loudspeakers.

TroyD

I'm not a huge fan of Macintosh.....not saying it's bad but other than they LOOK cool, I've just not seen the attraction....but vintage Mac does go for stupid cash though.

Estate sale operators can be brutal if you get wind of a good deal. Here in town....one wanted 600 bucks for a pair of cosmetically challenged Bozak Symphonies which isn't bad if the cabinets didn't have such bad water damage. Worse, the guy who bought them is trying to peddle them for 1400 on usaudiomart....