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podaypodayson OP t1_jcw2hj2 wrote

Reply to comment by _Mechaloth_ in BIFL home audio-the McIntosh MC275 by podaypodayson

And able to be passed on to my children, and likely their children.

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humanzee70 t1_jcwcbg3 wrote

Hey, you don’t have to justify it to us, lol. If you can afford it, enjoy!

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcwcqey wrote

Thanks. Perhaps I misinterpreted the comment I replied to. Yes, it’s expensive (and honestly unnecessary). But it’s BIFL, so here we are!

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humanzee70 t1_jcwdkhs wrote

Well, I’m sure it sounds amazing. Many years ago, when I was in high school, a friend’s parents had a beautiful McIntosh system (they still do). We used to love cranking that thing up when they weren’t home!

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcwexnt wrote

I think I’m too old for cranking up the volume these days. I mostly just sit and listen while reading or working on a spreadsheet. Adulthood is exciting!

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humanzee70 t1_jcwm92g wrote

Adulthood has it’s own rewards.

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alphabet_order_bot t1_jcwm9zj wrote

Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.

I have checked 1,409,457,235 comments, and only 269,283 of them were in alphabetical order.

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seamallowance t1_jcxch0c wrote

Yes, but they all involve Ibuprofen.

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Koitenshin t1_jcz3fra wrote

I laughed harder at this than I should have. Then I had to take an ibuprofen.

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seamallowance t1_jczazl2 wrote

I am pleased to read of other’s passion for vintage hifi. I have Hafler gear. None of my peers care. It often seems that nobody under 50 appreciates vintage hifi. I just tell them to get off my lawn.

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ywBBxNqW t1_jczlnfw wrote

> Adulthood has it’s own rewards.

Like hypertension and swollen ankles.

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humanzee70 t1_jcznmlr wrote

No swollen ankles yet, but the hypertension is settling in, lol.

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Bootyblastastic t1_jcx83v3 wrote

But if you were to crank it up, what would you blast? Or what was the last album you cranked up?

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Jisp_36 t1_jcxn4tk wrote

Please excuse me, I realise your question was directed at the Op but I can't resist. Mine was AC/DC Back In Black. Cranked all the way up to 11 because that is the only way to listen to that masterpiece.📢🎤🎸🥁📢

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Dlemor t1_jcxzfhp wrote

For those about to rock, we salut you! FIRE!

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podaypodayson OP t1_jd0528z wrote

Oh man… that’s a tough one, as it depends greatly on the mood. Top five crank up tunes that come to mind (in no particular order):

  1. Low Self Opinion-Rollin’s Band
  2. Life On Mars-David Bowie
  3. Adore-Prince
  4. John Finn’s Wife-Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
  5. Regret-Fiona Apple
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ski-dad t1_jcyr7ei wrote

I don’t know.. 50’s here and was cranking Jane’s Addiction - Three Days this weekend. Sounded pretty good!

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amitrion t1_jcx1fsb wrote

Kids won't care... just like my $1000 fishing pole. Don't expect them to value your collectibles.

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Bootyblastastic t1_jcx8793 wrote

Totally, my dad gave me some old car named after a fish, said is valuable. Doesn’t have infotainment or anything I need. Hate it.

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iamshifter t1_jcxj68g wrote

A Barracuda?!

No, Tiburon… V6 😎

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mmmmmarty t1_jcyb187 wrote

I've landed some of my biggest catches on my grandfather's old heavers and pier rods. His Penn Senators and Mitchell clickers still run like new. I wish he knew how much I like them.

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alexandertg4 t1_jcyla3w wrote

He does. You make him proud.

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mmmmmarty t1_jczf5ja wrote

Thank you for saying that. My breath caught in my chest for moment when I read it. Peace to you.

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Thirdnipple79 t1_jcywgu5 wrote

Haha, depends on what you collect. Mine seem to value my video game collection.

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Koitenshin t1_jcz3sre wrote

This is definitely true from all the posts I've read in r/coins of people just unloading entire collections into Coinstar machines.

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skinny_jimmy54 t1_jcya2le wrote

You’re kids suck. I can’t wait for my dad to croak so I can inherit all his cool shit

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mailerdeemon t1_jcyhjfn wrote

After they recap it and buy new tubes every decade or two. Tube amps are BIFL in the same way a Rolex is BIFL. They aren't inherently reliable, in fact they are less reliable than many cheaper options, but due to their value people will keep servicing them.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcymddr wrote

Recapping shouldn’t be necessary for a long time, if ever on a modern unit (gen 4 and newer). Yes the tubes need replacing eventually, but I’ve got 16 years on mine so it’s not like it’s common, and they’re obviously user replaceable.

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Bob_Chris t1_jcza2m3 wrote

I was given a McIntosh MC-30 Monoblock amp about 30 years ago which was used as part of a home sound system in at my uncle's house in Binghamton, NY. Had to have been purchased late '50s early '60s based on when that model was made. And they were $153.50 when new ($1560 today). I never got it up and running myself, but ended up selling it on Ebay about 5 years ago for $1200. So basically maintained its value over time.

I'm guessing your amp has done about the same.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jczadrf wrote

Definitely. I don’t plan on selling it, but knowing I can get back what I paid pretty easily is a nice bonus.

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77707777770777 t1_jcweyty wrote

Do you think that someone who has at best heard, in terms of home speaker setups, just stuff like bose from the 90s and on wards would actually hear much of a difference?

They few times I have know "audiophiles" they just turn stuff up way too freaking loud.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcwhhlp wrote

In this case? Yes, with a “but”

I replaced the amp in a nice ($1200)Denon receiver with the MC275, and the difference was instantly noticeable, and far more pleasing to my ear.

That said, tube amps tend to be less accurate than solid state amps, so while it may sound better to my ear, it’s not as close to the original recording as solid state. Think of it like Vaseline on a camera lens. It hides imperfections, but isn’t necessarily true to the original source.

There are more modern tube amps that most would agree sound better than the MC275, but they’re in the same price range (if not higher), and don’t have the same aesthetic appeal.

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SlightComplaint t1_jcxiar0 wrote

Also bear in mind the speakers themselves have higher distortion factors than the amps. And I think that's just physics. You can swing an electrical signal far quicker than moving the mass of a speaker cone.

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HeywoodJaBlessMe t1_jcyu60o wrote

Nope.

The differences between quality amplifiers is vanishingly small. And the closer to perfect they are, the more similar they sound.

Amps are one of the last places to spend your money when designing a home audio system.

In terms of sound quality importance the order is: speakers, room, source, amp, interconnects.

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h2opolodude4 t1_jcwre0o wrote

Can confirm. I'm the 2nd generation owner of a bunch of hifi equipment. Lots more enjoyment still to be had.

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LittleBitGhengisKhan t1_jcyfwqt wrote

What about the tubes? I’ve read it’s harder and harder to find replacements.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcym4ls wrote

KT88 are relatively commonplace, and those are the primary tubes that will need to be replaced. I would hope someone would step in to continue manufacturing them if it came to that but who knows.

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SunnyCofax t1_jczgt95 wrote

Agree. Saying this as a person who has bought my Mac gear new… and has my father’s Macs from the late 60s/70s … both are overbuilt & work great!

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Noteagro t1_jcys0vz wrote

That is all contingent on parts being replaced and regular servicing. These style amps often need to be serviced once every 5-10 years based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

I bet you know that, but make sure those that are being passed such an expensive piece of hardware understand they will need to pay those expenses too. Otherwise they will just end up with an expensive paperweight.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcyx5wz wrote

I can’t speak for other tube amps, but there is no recommended service interval for these. Replace the tubes when they burn out, and repair things as they break (as with anything else). I’ve had this amp 16 years now, and I’m still running the original tubes. They’ll likely need to be replaced soon, but that’s not a bad run

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Noteagro t1_jcyxmgw wrote

Damn! That is really good, when I was looking at amps I kept seeing people talk about the tubes and other components need to be replaced after 5-10 years. Wonder if the high price point helps with better quality.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcz6mfq wrote

From what I understand, amp design can have a pretty significant impact on tube life. The harder the tubes are driven, the more often they’ll need replacement, so the amp tubes (the large 4) will need to be replaced probably twice as often as the pre-stage (the smaller ones in front). Considering this only puts out 75 watts per channel, it’s a pretty conservative design.

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CosmicRambo t1_jcz5cjs wrote

And one of them is probably gonna sell it on facebook marketplace for $50

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gregsting t1_jczjgvj wrote

I’m not sure this is more reliable than any other reasonable quality stereo amp though

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podaypodayson OP t1_jczwzbp wrote

While possibly true, how many reasonable quality stereo amps are still in use after 20, 30, or 40 years?

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gregsting t1_jd1rxim wrote

Still a lot but of course people keep the most valuable stuff. But is a Ferrari a buy it for life car because people will never discard it?

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podaypodayson OP t1_jd2huyk wrote

Assuming someone buys a Ferrari as a daily driver and it’s maintenance free for a decade and a half? Yes.

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gregsting t1_jd3ig89 wrote

It isn’t, but still people keep their 50 years old Ferrari and don’t keep their 50 yo Toyota

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MayorDaley t1_jd0bsni wrote

If you have the manual or packaging, write down where to find replacement tubes and which specific type to look for. A manual might just say to buy from Mcintosh, but there are other options.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jd0c51r wrote

Yeah the manual recommends McIntosh, but if course theirs are just rebranded from other brands.

There are a few websites that sell them, and luckily each tube is labeled with the type.

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Axel1010 t1_jcxtb9h wrote

I have a great Sony amp from 1995. It was passed down to me by my father. It cost 100$ in a pawn shop back then and gets used every single day. It sure doesn’t look that good but I’ll bet you 100$ no one can hear the difference.

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podaypodayson OP t1_jcy5hsz wrote

Pretty much anyone can hear the difference. It’s a completely different technology versus FET driven amps and has an inherently different sound. Whether or not the difference is worth the cost is up to the individual, but the difference is profound.

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