I've got a pair of Dynaudio BM15p, I've tried a few different solid
state amps (Hafler, Onkyo, Carver) but want the option of a tube amp,
I'm considering buying a McIntosh MC225 to try.

I don't need theater levels, just normal monitoring with occasional
playback checks at higher volume. My room is about 15' x 25' x 8'.

Any experience with this or similar low power amps (25 wpc) into studio
monitors like these? I've heard the MC225 may not have quite the
headroom of some other Mac amps, and the BM15s are not too sensitive at
88 dB. But the attraction is the reputation of the fine sound of the
225.

Any thoughts on the old MC225 in general?

Steve

On 4 May 2005 17:57:15 -0700, "Steve Scott"
wrote:

Any thoughts on the old MC225 in general?

FWIW, not much, the 225 is my favorite of the old Mc's. 7591's
are being made again, in Russia, so grab some while it's happenin'.

Good fortune,

Chris Hornbeck
"Clean, edgy, gutless, and lifeless." -Dan Kennedy

Thanks Chris. Yes this one will ship with new 7591s, hope they sound
ok.

Can you comment on the response or performance of that amp with
less-sensitive speakers? I've also been told it might not do so well
with highly dynamic digital sources... ?

Steve

On 4 May 2005 20:24:31 -0700, "Steve Scott"
wrote:

Can you comment on the response or performance of that amp with
less-sensitive speakers? I've also been told it might not do so well
with highly dynamic digital sources... ?

What speakers? Can you find their sensitivity spec? It'll
be something in xx dBSPL/1W/1M or something like that.

How close to the speakers do you expect to be listening?
A +14dBW per channel amplifier pair can make an uncorrelated
+17dBW at 1meter (nearfield) from a one watt source.

If you consider 80dB SPL (loud for me, but I'm old) to be
0VU, then even an old party like a Mc225 can make 88 + 17
= 105 dBSPL uncorrelated (the classic ((marginally true
these days)) orchestral peak volume) with a typical 88dB
SPL/1W/1M monitor pair and an assumed 17 dB peak to average
ratio.

More, is, as always, more. And "cain't hoit".
But smaller has it's own rewards. I started to extrapolate
into Western tastes of males for females, but that's
just WRONG, as my new coworker Lee puts it so eloquently,
and so often.

Whip me, beat me, make me write bad checks,

Chris Hornbeck
"Clean, edgy, gutless, and lifeless." -Dan Kennedy

Hey I'm old enough to remember "whip me beat me..." too

Speakers are as mentioned in my first post -- Dynaudio Bm15 at 88 dB.
I don't doubt the volume can be enough for my near field needs, I'm
just a little concerned about the dynamic headroom.

I'm mainly looking for clean and fairly accurate, with some musicality.
I'm not building audiophile rocketships so the Krell/Spectral/etc. is
not for my needs right now. And I admit I have the soft spot for
classic equipment that "feels" right as well as sounds right.

Steve

On 4 May 2005 21:32:50 -0700, "Steve Scott"
wrote:

Hey I'm old enough to remember "whip me beat me..." too

I'd love to know the reference! Sadly, faded away...


Speakers are as mentioned in my first post -- Dynaudio Bm15 at 88 dB.
I don't doubt the volume can be enough for my near field needs, I'm
just a little concerned about the dynamic headroom.

So, your issue is in defining peak to average ratio? Yeah, that's
*the* modern issue. Wouldn't an acoustical orchestra be reasonably
conservative? Dunno, maybe not enough; Radiohead/ PJ Harvey kinda
stuff also has real dynamics. Not a trivial matter.


I'm mainly looking for clean and fairly accurate, with some musicality.
I'm not building audiophile rocketships so the Krell/Spectral/etc. is
not for my needs right now. And I admit I have the soft spot for
classic equipment that "feels" right as well as sounds right.

Monitoring is the most personal thing that doesn't involve
squishy body parts. Some folks (including me) still seem to hear
something in some old-fashioned vacuum tube equipment that is
a lot harder to hear in some "better" modern equipment. So shoot me.

Tools are personal. Work is work.
It's YOUR gig.

Good fortune; you sound like a real trooper,

Chris Hornbeck
"Clean, edgy, gutless, and lifeless." -Dan Kennedy