C2700 ordered. Now what?

[dkorbal]

MEN220 update. Long story short…… all the issues with the MEN220 can be chocked up to user error. Yes ME. The shutdown was due to the c2700 auto shutoff because it saw no signal and the MEN220 calibration uses only the left speaker at the start to set the volume level. My dealer worked with me to help figure everything out. This was only after an RMA was issued by McIntosh. I’m glad I halted the process and got my MEN220 back. I must say through this whole process (which was completely my fault) my dealer and Chuck @ McIntosh were great.

[dkorbal]

Originally Posted by PeterMusic

On the MEN220--make sure to listen carefully with a number of different types of music before deciding whether/how to use it. It can degrade some aspects of sound quality as it improves others

Good luck!

Are you willing to expound on that statement? Feel free to PM me if you like.

[PeterMusic]

Originally Posted by dkorbal

Are you willing to expound on that statement? Feel free to PM me if you like.

Hi Doug,

I demoed the MEN220 because I have a compromised room, at least compared to ideal. Plus I love the idea of being able to tune my system to the room itself. My bass was definitely improved, but I lost detail on the high end. Voices did not quite shimmer the way they did before. Neither of these changes was subtle or difficult to identify. I could feel the change in bass almost instantly, and I was really excited for a few minutes. But I realized the loss by the second or third song I played. I sent it back because for me the trade-off was not worth it.

But, as with most high end products, YMMV. My sense is that this can be a plus in some situations, but a minus in others. If I had a more compromised room, or different system, or different taste; I may have kept it. Whatever you decide, I look forward to your report!

[dkorbal]

Just picked up these guys from my dealer today. They will have to wait for install since I’m going out tonight. I’m also considering the best configuration (cabling that is) for 2 channel and HT listening. My dealer was no help other than to say during passthru the low pass is still passing a signal. Still evaluating the men220?

[UFTE]

Nice pair Doug

[dkorbal]

Wow. It’s hard to believe it has been more than 8 months since I posted in this thread. So here is an update. I’ve been listening to the JL subs after doing a deep dive in how to set them up properly in my system using the men220. I must give a shout out to Ryan (UFTE) for all his input. Bass extension was great and it didn’t seem to loss too much top end until … more on that later.

My next addition was a roon server and Sonore opticalrendu hooked up via usb to the DA2 in the C2700. It was clearly noticeable how the opticalrendu galvanticly isolated the signal by how the noise floor dropped. It was amazing.

The next purchase was a Denali 6000/S V2 power conditioner and a couple Alpha cables thanks to Ivan and his incredible offerings. Believe it or not once hooked up the noise floor dropped further and the soundstage increased with all instruments seeming to have much more space between them.

What was my next purchase? Thanks to Stephen (Puma Cat) I FINAL purchased a Lampizator Baltic 3 DAC a few week ago. All I can say is WOW. Soundstage, separation, resolution, clarity and tight bass all have been taken to a new level. Now to that top end i left out earlier. It became clear I had lost top end once I changed from the DA2 DAC to the Baltic 3. Yes I have 803D3 which some say can be bright but I like top end. I’ve also set the rest of my system to deal with any brightness. The addition of the Baltic 3 has renewed my appreciation for that top end.

My next step is to roll some tubes into the Baltic 3. Along with the DAC and stock tubes came a eml274b rectifier. I want to try this tube out alone with a set of JAN Sylvania VT231 that I just ordered. Does anyone have other suggestions for tubes? Here is what Lampizator says about tube in the Baltic 3

Baltic-3 particular tube rolling tips:
Output impedence buffer ECC82 contributes to 10% of sound quality. You can use 12BH7 there, ECC99, 12AU7. Our tube choice is excellent and I doubt if it can be beat.
We use one tube per channel.
Our main music tube - excellent in-Directly Heated Dual Triode 6SN7GT contributes 80% to sound quality and you can use 6SN7 with any additional letters in the name code, as well as 6H8C from Soviet production. We use one tube per channel.
Rectifier Rolling
Our excellent Directly Heated Dual Diode Rectifier 5U4G contributes 10% to sound quality and you can use 5Y3, 5R4, 5C3S, GZ34, GZ37, 274B, and all other rectifiers which have: 5V heaters, Anodes on pins 4 and 6, heaters and cathode on pins 2 and 8, and 2 to 3A heater current. We use one tube per DAC.
Rectifiers are generally less rolled but many customers report that huge leaps in synergy can be achieved when, after choosing the optimal music tubes, we also choose optimal rectifier

When I first purchased my C2700 I was given the advice to first get used to the stock sound first before experimenting with different tubes. We’ll I did and now it’s time to roll. I’m new to tubes so I’m hoping some of you experienced guys have some advice.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed my venture.

[dkorbal]

Update. I've been listening to the B3 with the stock tubes since initial install. The sound was pleasing but I felt a little too clinical for a tube DAC. I thought maybe my expectations were too high from all the rave reviews. Don't get me wrong, I like clean full of detail sound which this DAC has in loads and the DAC took my system in the direction I wanted to go.

I wanted to try the EML274b rectifier but decided if I was going to try and soften the sound why not "Go all the way" and change out the 5U4G tubes. So after garnering advice from outside this forum I decided to purchase a pair of JAN Sylvania VT231 military tubes. The Sylvania and EML tubes have been installed for about two weeks now. Results? I think my system has arrived. What a glorious sound. My wife made the statement that she has never heard a system sound as good as this one. One of the things that bothered me initially was a slight listening fatigue after long listening sessions. I found myself turning down the music as time went on. Not now, when I listen I'm engulfed with a velvet silky textured sound that raps you like a warm blanket in the dead of winter. I've never said this before but this might be my end game. ......... Maybe. There is that WooAudio TA-274B Takatsuki Tube.

Side bar: Out of curiosity, since I received no advice about tube rolling. Do we not have as many avid tubers here? Wrong thread post? Source tubes different than power tubes?

[UFTE]

Glad to hear all the positive results Doug Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

[dkorbal]

And the same to you Ryan.

[dkorbal]

For the past several months I've been experiencing a crackling sound coming from one channel in my system. The sound is random, inconsistent (no pattern) like a Woodwick candle burning, the kind with three wood wicks in it. What can I say my wife likes to burn candles. It's quite noticeable during quieter passages and when watching TV. Volume does not affect the level of the crackling and it's there with nothing playing and on multiple inputs. Although, I have not confirmed MM & MC INPUTS since I don't play LP's all that much. When I switch the cables on the MAIN OUTPUTS the crackling follows the switch.

Is this a tube issue? When I first received the C2700 I had to take it back for a tube replacement because the two channels where not balanced when the balance knob was set at neutral.

PS. I find it disappointing/annoying that the total sum of tube information in the manual is this:

Tube Complement
6 Tubes, Five - 12AX7A and One - 12AT7
(viewed thru the Top Cover Window)

REALLY

Hopefully, someone can comment here before I go any further. I have new Gold Lion tubes ready and waiting but I'm not sure that should be my next step.