Babur72:I naturally assumed that you would have tagged along with Andy
Don't do 'tagging along'...
Babur72:Rumour has it that an announcement regarding the replacements for/upgrade of the C1000 pre-amp. & MC501 power-amp. is imminent.
"The new MC601 Monoblock Amplifier, which replaces McIntosh's hugely popular MC501 amplifier, will ship in January of 2011. It joins the company's new Models MC302 and MC452 in the McIntosh amplifier lineup, all with new engineering advances and extended functionality.
"Distinguished by its rock-solid, new larger sized chassis of mirror polished stainless steel, the MC601 features the premium cosmetic design that has always distinguished McIntosh components, including a backlit glass faceplate.
"The newly designed 8-inch wide True Wattmeter, featuring elegant "McIntosh Blue" LED lighting, is a special larger size last used by McIntosh on its acclaimed MC1000 amplifier. The MC601's custom machined and anodized aluminum trim handles complete the iconic McIntosh look and styling. Among its many leading- edge feature capabilities is Power Guard, a McIntosh circuit innovation that maximizes sound quality at high power levels.
"Additionally, the unit's advanced "Sentry Monitor" feature provides continuous short circuit protection of the amplifier and connected loudspeakers.
"In addition to its higher power rating of 600 watts, the MC601 features Thermal Track output transistors that allow for cooler, more efficient operation. Other new features that add to the MC601's performance capabilities and make it ideally suited for use in today's digital universe are specially designed McIntosh speaker binding posts, Quad Balanced circuit design for highest audio performance, and input and output jacks that allow bi or tri-amping with multiple MC601s.
"Notably, the MC601's extraordinary, distortion-canceling, quad-differential design consists of two complete amplifier circuits, whose outputs are combined in the unique McIntosh-crafted autoformers.
"Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.005% maximum from 250 milliwatts to rated 600 watt mono power output. MC601 delivers absolute transparency and musical accuracy into speaker loads of 2, 4, or 8-Ohms"
There's also a press release from ESS, maker of the Sabre32 DAC used in the new McIntosh player, but as yet no official release from McIntosh itself.
The ESS release says:
"ESS Technology, a leading provider of high performance audio/video solutions, today announced that its Sabre32 Reference eight-channel 32-bit audio D/A converter (ES9018) has been shipping in McIntosh Laboratory's new flagship MCD1100 SACD/CD/USB Player (MSRP: $10,000).
"ESS's Sabre32 Reference DAC enables the MCD1100 to reproduce music with unrivaled fidelity and purity that will surpass the expectations of even the most discriminating audio enthusiasts.
"The MCD1100, built on a rigid aluminum die-cast mechanism base with aluminum die-cast tray and a 3D front panel, is a stereo player supporting SACD, Hybrid SACD, CD, MP3 and WMA discs. Both balanced and unbalanced outputs with fixed or variable volume are provided, together with a low-impendence headphone output. The MCD1100 can also be used as standalone D/A converter through its coaxial, optical, XLR, BNC as well as USB digital audio inputs.
"The ES9018 Sabre32 Reference DAC in the MCD1100 outperforms conventional sigma-delta (S?) DACs by incorporating innovative patented circuits to deliver spectacular music with an unsurpassed sound stage, with up to 135dB dynamic range and 0.0001% (-120dB) total harmonic distortion, and free from clock jitter common in digital audio systems.
"The patented circuits include the 32-bit HyperStreamT modulator, capable of 100% modulation and unconditional stability, the RevolverT Dynamic Element Matching which ensures the highest performance over an extremely wide audio dynamic range, and a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator to remove the digital jitter that causes distortion.
" 'The MCD1100 sets a new standard for digital source equipment by extending McIntosh's superlative performance from compact discs to audio downloads through the addition of the USB digital audio input,' said Charlie Randall, President of McIntosh. 'ESS's Sabre32 Reference DAC enables the MCD1100 to reproduce music with unrivaled fidelity and purity that will surpass the expectations of even the most discriminating audio enthusiasts.' "