C-12000 An, MCD12000 An, MC2.1KW An ordered

[Charles]

Well, I pulled the trigger today and ordered my dream McIntosh gear. All three of my 1.25KW's are going, as well as my D1100 and MCT500 and all ancillary gear. I went to look at the MCD12000 and C12000 at the dealer and was absolutely smitten. I ordered the Anniversary although they were 500 bucks more expensive, 12.5K and 17K respectively. It is interesting that you can order either one or both of the C12000 pieces as an anniversary. I didn't know that, but I ordered everything "anniversary".

The 2.1KW An was a bit complicated. The thing that was holding me back was I couldn't figure out how to incorporate my third Niagara 5000 into the new system. Then I discovered that each power module made maximum output with only 12 amps. This discovery meant that I could easily plug both of them in to my third Niagara 5000 with my 3500's into the other 5000's. All my Niagara's use 20 amp dedicated lines.

Next I discovered that the Control module needed only 1/3 amp and required only an AudioQuest source power cord that will be plugged into my left side Niagara where my 3500 is plugged. I will be using Hurricanes because they are fine power cords commensurate (of equal quality) with the rest of my subwoofer cabling.

I will be using an AudioQuest 1 meter Dragon balanced IC (11,900.00 dollars) between the MCD12000 and C12000. I have been thinking about this for months.

I have known for a long time that my subwoofer amplification was not up to the quality of my Wilson Thor or my Wilson ActivXO electronic crossover. The watts simply were not there but my 1.25KW still did a superb job. Now I have the amp that I need.

I believe these Mac pieces will stand the test of time and that I will not be replacing them in my lifetime. I think they are quite special. I have always seemed to have good timing when it comes to major purchases. Really, my D1100 and MCT500 were interim pieces. They are 6 years old. My 1.25's are in perfect condition but I have had my use of them also.

Mac will make the 3500 "forever" and it is about a year old. It is the finest tube power amp on the market. It has the most power, the best specifications, and the best circuit of any tube power amp that I know of. It will drive my XVX to insane levels in my room. It's sonic qualities are beyond reproach. It's the Mac tube sound of my childhood. It's unmistakable and simply the best sonic presentation I have heard.

My MVP881 has recently been totally refurbished. It is now 50% faster than originally from the factory.

So there you have it.

Best

Charles

[Rojet2015]

Well Congratulations! I am looking forward to photos in the future.

[Masterlu]

Charles… Congratulations on a lifelong acquisition!

[audiogear]

Speechless! I knew this would come sooner than later. Huge Congratulations Charles!!!

[Charles]

Thanks everyone!! It was the easiest smoothest deal that I ever made. I said to myself, OK, let's go in and just see what they say. My old friend that I had dealt with for so many wonderful years was gone for over a year. It had been a long time since I had made a really large purchase and I didn't know who I would be dealing with although I knew all the guys quite well. He had a sheet of paper filled with a page of figures and this made me uncomfortable. I said before you go into all that let me tell you what I am willing to do. It took me about 3 minutes. He said give me two minutes. Two minutes later he came back. The deal was done. He gave me an extra .25 meter on my Dragon IC (1,500 dollars) no extra charge and free installation that will take probably 2-3 hours because I need significant extra work done with my Niagara 7000, because of a stupid mistake that I made. After the installation you will see the face of my Niagara 7000 in my cabinet for the first time. It was the second dumbness mistake that I have made in my 60 plus years in the high end but will now be rectified soon. I didn't ask for free installation or the extra .25 meter. I thought I was getting a great deal based on my offer.

Best

Charles

[Masterlu]

A bit of sales humor; turn up the volume.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl7cGc1WCa8

[vintage_tube]

Congratulations Charles - you've climbed an audiophiles Mt Everest. You'll be in nirvana.

Oh BTW, as I rearrange the Carnac hat I'm wearing, I see Genalex Gold Lion Gold Pins in your future.

Bob

[Tony007]

Major congrats to you Charles!!

[Charles]

Thanks Bob. Coming from you and knowing your superb system, it means a lot. I patiently waited a long time to buy these pieces. There were many pitfalls along the way. I almost bought a Wilson XLF or the original 2KW. I really liked the C-1100 but the C12000 will have a much better resale and is a much better companion piece for the MCD12000. It made no sense to buy the C-1100 since I don't do vinyl. I imagine that folks think that me saying that I have an extremely cost effective system ridiculous, but I do. For example, I chose the Dragon balanced IC but eschewed the Firebird power cords, finally deciding on the Hurricanes because they were not commensurate with the rest of my subwoofer cabling. I use the very expensive Dragon power cords coming out of the wall into the Niagara 5000's for my all amps (and 7000 for sources) and I believe this makes the Firebirds overkill for my subwoofer system. I have carefully considered the costs of everything. Another example is biting the bullet and getting an extra meter on the extremely expensive approximate 25' AQ Wel Signature balanced IC's (28K/pair, both the same length, this was an extra tough pill to swallow at that time) running from my pre to the 3500's. Years later this extra length has saved me thousands of dollars. The payoff is that I have zero hum in my system and great detail because of the solid silver. I could go on, but your are correct about the Mt. Everest analogy. It will feel good to stand on the top.

Best

Charles

p.s. I believe that cabling is as important as the gear itself. Many folks neglect the connections, which is one of the reasons I never liked the Mac gear before the Solid Cinch era. Superb connections and power are the foundation of any audio system.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Tony007

Major congrats to you Charles!!

Tony, thank you so much. Coming from you it means a lot. I have really appreciated your comments over the years. In answer to Bob's speculation about the tubes I will begin with the solid state outputs and will at some point experiment with the tubes. According to my Mac friend the MCD12000 has 8 channel DAC's that are superb. I was very impressed with what I saw at the dealer. I am worried that my bass might be different using the tubes. You must hear the bass to understand why I am concerned to mess with it. I want to use all tubes because that's reliving my childhood, which was all tube. On the mid/treble that I have now I have zero harshness with great detail. The system is quite musical and forgiving at present. It's difficult to make it sound bad. So I will begin with solid state. Listen for a few months and then begin to make comparisons/changes. Different tubes are a distinct possibility down the road. Obviously, even an experienced audiophile like myself can't help but be excited by all these incredible possibilities. Having the updated 2.1KW (I expect my subsonic and very low bass to be substantially improved) and the new pre/CD player all at the same time is a dream come true, and of course being able to afford it comfortably: yes:

Best

Charles