McIntosh Mc1.25kW vs Dan D'Agostino Progression Monoblock amplifiers

[@peterwilborn3233]

There is a major bias among some in the high-end world _against_ McIntosh. Thank you for challenging that bias with actual experience. IMO there’s no company that checks more boxes better than McIntosh.

[@bbfoto7248]

@Peter Wilborn To be fair, there is also a lot of bias FOR McIntosh, with most of it due to the nostalgia and aesthetics, and not based purely on sound quality alone, as both Adrian and Andrew alluded to. I'm not saying this is good or bad, just sayin'. Though I don't know anyone who isn't a sucker for big VU meters, whether it's on a McIntosh or another brand. :-P

[@michaelmityok1001]

@@bbfoto7248 agreed. CODA No 8 owner here which I bought full retail for $6K USD, compared to a comparably priced McIntosh like the MC312 at 7K, the CODA is on a whole other level sound quality wise, warranty is 10 years versus 3, and build quality is better too. The only reason I would have bought the MC152 is the resale value, which has everything to do with PERCEIVED quality, nostalgia and aesthetics biases versus what the reality is.

[@markw7303]

@@michaelmityok1001 not to mention the coda 15.5 or 16 ,there's a lot of built in cost for the dealer in either of these lines, coda i feel there's money for parts in a ratio you cant beat, theres nothing these can do to match codas current and snr

[@michaelmityok1001]

@@markw7303 yup, CODA right now is the best deal if you want to buy top-quality made-in-the-USA amps and not break the bank

[@silviopimentel7247]

Agree. Guess the richer one is the more they put down the poorer! I think McIntosh is a piece of art from bottom up. & yes it colors the sound but so do we musicians on purpose to make our art sound bigger than what it really is in the studio.

[@manardh7387]

This review and comparison matches what I hear on utube. I am very amazed that the songs and results resonate with some experiences that I have had. Absolutely fantastic job guys.

[@billrobertson2437]

Excellent review! You are the only reviewers on KZbin that review and compare McIntosh to other high end brands. I own McIntosh and love it, but obviously there are many other top brands. It is impossible for one person to have access to and critically listen to everything. It is very helpful that you make comparisons such as this. I would also be interested in some comparisons between McIntosh products. Specifically a comparison of the MC1.25 to the MC901. I currently own the MC611 and one of these amps is likely in my upgrade path for the future. Thanks for all you do.

[@vilip119]

The MC901 is one of the best amps I have ever heard but alas it is not suitable for Wilson speakers and as such we have only used them on Sonus faber speakers.

[@bernard8029]

@@vilip119 Hi, Can you explain why the 901 is not compatible with the Wilson please?

[@vilip119]

Wilson is configured with single set of speaker binding post per speaker and therefore you cannot connect MC901 which is designed for biamping.

[@stephencosta6814]

@@vilip119 hello vilip, I’ve never met you, but I feel you can be my best friend lol I want to buy a Macintosh solid-state amplifier the MC 152 compared to the 312 compared to the 454 What are the major differences between them? Are they really that much better as you move up? I already have the C49 preamplifier.

[@vilipmak3973]

@@stephencosta6814 They all have the same sonic signature - as you move up the range, you really get more more more. It will be quite apparent when you hear them. The improvements are not hard to discern. There is a big jump from 152 to the 312. From the 312 to the 462, the jump is not quite so jarring as the 462 quietly betters the 312 - bigger this, better that, deeper this, and quieter as this is a true quad-balanced amp. And once you hear the differences, it will be very hard to unhear them.

[@Fond0fBlondes]

Wow this is like a podcast. Got totally drawn into the review and did not even find it too long. I felt that it even got cut short due to time constraints. Nice work guys, maybe you could do a video on Andrew's system because he did not get to talk much. He seems to have some amazing stuff.

[@labalo5]

These videos, personalities and information have been great.

[@keklas69]

Thank you Audio Excellence Canada (Adrian & Vilip); I enjoy your videos. I appreciate the willingness express how different equipment does sound different and applying descriptors to what you are hearing and feeling. Expression of an opinion is appreciated and sharing the logic and emotion of your decision.

[@michaelmityok1001]

Love these videos from you guys, both of you are the real deal, if I ever have the money I will be buying the MSB stack from you and no one else.

[@eafc2112]

I really appreciate your honesty when reviewing gear.

[@jeffkalina7727]

Dan will be pleased to hear this praise. A wonderful family run company based here in Arizona!!

[@satishrao4813]

Great channel .... great chemistry between three of you.... next big yt stars ... lots of real world take on high end equipment

[@billfife6569]

Such an interesting video. You guys are so knowledgeable and interesting. Having met you both makes it all the more fun.

[@rjmaryman]

Well done gentleman. One of your best comparison videos. Vilip great job explaining the nuance in recordings and how "listening" can take things to a whole different level. Gonna find some of the recordings you mentioned and give a listen. I also need to put on the Trinity Session CD to find the countdown!

[@paulhovenga4138]

Adrian, your description of how some recordings that you previously did not like until heard on the Progression pieces resonates well with me. My system currently to me, is very revealing, yet uncompressed and very free sounding, while being musical all the while. This has always been the goal for me, and a seemingly tough combination to get. For me, each step in the right direction made more and more previously annoying recordings become connectable. Maybe this aspect of the Progression pieces in your system is what you are referring to, in that eliminating all forms of compression in the system pays transcending dividends to even more poor recordings? I don't know if compression is the right word, but I view any anomalies as compression or something that draws attention to the speakers. Great video by the way.

[@bluejeanblues3789]

Great review gentlemen, informative engaging. Two thumbs up to villip on this one.

[@cdunphy457]

good job everyone really good job villip (sorry if I spelled your name wrong) thanks for the vid

[@SuperMcgenius]

After owning 15 different power amps my two all around favourites are VTL AND PASS LABS, that said it made sense using Vandersteen 5 speakers, so matching is a thing. I do like the balance of the Macs👍 using a Aesthetix pre with nos tubes, Telefunken and Ampex

[@bikemike1118]

Yes, I‘m also a lover of PASS power amps in conjunction with a dynamic and rather neutral sounding tube preamp (in my case Einstein ‚The Tube‘). 👍🏼

[@helgar791]

Not surprisingly the guy with the McIntosh hat liked the Mac's.

[@Steveh817]

Adrian, Vilip, excellent in-depth review. I agree with your guest Andrew about the look of the Mac gear. There’s something about it. Plus I’m old and my bias is towards the old look...and it’s great stuff as well. But really, you can’t go wrong in that stratosphere when it comes to gear. Get what you like and want. Who knows, maybe the new C8 and MC830’s are in my future.

[@timobi_1604]

Great video... I would be interested in knowing what you guys (and Andrew's take since he own 1.2s now.)...what you guys think of the updated 1.25KW vs the 1.2s?

[@thebiffer100]

Hi Adrian, I recently purchased the Mc1502 amplifier and the Mc2700 preamplifier. Haven't even burned it in yet but so far extremely pleased using it with a pair of Legacy Audio Focus SE speakers. I follow your videos and all reviews and enjoy them very much and without getting too into great detail I always have my mind set to the future acquisition and wanted to ask you your opinion about stepping up even further one day and possibly consider the Mc2301 tube monoblocks or the Mc1.25Kw amps you are reviewing here. I will be staying in the Mac family for several reasons. Appreciate your comments with thanks.

[@hennievangalen3789]

1502 sounds better than 2301.

[@HermesTrismegistes369]

Andrea Bocelli also does a Spanish version of L'appuntamento. If you wanna hear a different timbre of voice. Great vid! 🤘🏼

[@dannyabballe2175]

When are you going to review the new MC830’s? Just curious . Thx

[@mtbiker64]

Thanks for identifying the specific music tracks you used to evaluate equipment. I picked up a few from you today that I might have never found on my own. Do you have a list of the demo tracks you use at the store posted somewhere?

[@damianzaninovich4900]

“Dimming of the Day” was written by Richard Thompson. I have the album with his then wife Linda. AJ Lee does a nice job of it on KZbin as well. She’s a little known blue grass singer!musician from Nor Cal. Love her voice singing “Hickory Wind”.

[@ryanyan6516]

Thank you for the video! Some demo tracks would be much appreciated after comments.

[@Turboy65]

I used to wonder at people who think they "need" a thousand watt amp...now I am one. I run a 2x2 biamp configuration, 500 WPC X 4, in stereo, with speakers that will take it. Things get VERY fun at times when I want to let the system breathe.

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

One of your best videos.

[@rickcarlson5916]

Great review, thank you for sharing!

[@rickyhendrawan8613]

McIntosh just released a more affordable tube preamp C8. Are you guys going to review it in the near future?

[@Steveh817]

Yep. That and the matching MC830 monoblocks because maybe, just maybe my household CFO will let me get that set-up

[@jeffandich3894]

Hi. I appreciate the insight into audio gear provided by your channel. I’m considering a Progression Integrated vs MC611 monos and rehabbing my old LS3 to use as a preamp. I like both amplifiers very much from the clips I’ve heard online. Recently a dealer whom I believe sells Mac said he felt they can get overwhelmed. To me, I think it’s important that the amp can allow all of the different instruments in an orchestra to shine through. I have seen reviews that indicate that the MC611 certainly does that. I was wondering if you had an opinion on this. Thanks!

[@ajayr8781]

Guys, do you ever reply to the comments or is it just you guys discussing amongst?

[@MrAndrewChung]

great review details and insights. Thank you for more wonderful tracks to listen to.

[@elderinmoi1571]

I would like to hear the TAD ME1 with these big monos. I own them and run them with a tube amp. I was very surprised to learn that they are much easier to drive than i was expecting. Most holographic sound i ever heard anywhere (including audio shows). There are no speakers in the room just music with body and soul.

[@Date08202011]

Hello Elderin, may I ask which amps you've found the ME1s to partner well with? Any favorite cables to connect the two? It's hard for me to find TAD gear paired with anything else than their own electronics.

[@byronb.]

They clearly sell a lot of McIntosh in their area.

[@bbfoto7248]

@Audio Excellence Canada @Vilip Nice discussion, gents! I'll definitely check out those *Ornella Vanoni, L'appuntamento* and *Caroline No, Still Waters Run Deep* tracks. Thanks! If you don't already have it, add *Emmanuel Santarromana's "Opéra" track from the Metropolitain album* to your playlist. It's one of those tracks that will "draw you in" only if the dynamics, subtleties, and passion in her vocals are reproduced convincingly, along with the resonance of the cellos & strings. But this track has another unusual and special "high resolution detail" aspect to it that must also be reproduced accurately in order for it to be compelling: There are some very dynamic/transient R2D2-like electronic "blips" that very quickly transition back & forth accross the soundstage from extreme right & left. IME, both the amplifiers and the speakers must be up to the task to reproduce these CLEANLY, especially in regards to the detail, speed, and a lack of resonance or ringing/smearing from the tweeters. Credit goes to Jaap from the *TheAlphaAudio* KZbin channel in the Netherlands for making me aware of this track (and others) that they use in their Online equipment comparisons and demos. Check it out.

[@imosolar]

Good review however you should review Gryphon amplifier

[@MrJason9142002]

Wait, I had a video on but I lost it. Who body shamed villip?

[@raymondgriffiths8284]

Dimming of the day, was written by Richard Thompson.

[@donpayne1040]

well articulated, i thought

[@johnanderson8096]

Well, well done... Thank You!!!

[@jtsamarinda]

I like the sound of the Dan D'agostino amps as a listener very dynamic due to the very high damping factor of 2000plus. But from the engineering point of view it's a night mare inside the D'agostino reliability issues, where looking at ahead say 5 yrs from now would have parts problem as most of the PCB boards are all surface mounted. A normal service tech would not be able to repair it. My experience in servicing Dan D'Agostino as a service agent. It's a beautiful amp from the out side, but inside the electronics are poorly design. The Mac still has shown a reliability and design concept the sound quality even with a very low damping factor below 100 is still sound great and a non fatigue which you can listen for hours.

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

Hmm, I have heard the D’Agostino with Wilson audio Alexa and I thought they sounded kind of cold and hard. I then heard the Sasha 2 with AR gear and it was soft and musical. There is a happy middle in there somewhere. Maybe it is mac.

[@tommulders]

ARC pre and D'agostino power amp ;-)

[@jsmctch]

If youre going to listen to that Gregory Porter album for test tracks you gotta play Musical Genocide... The stand up bass and the piano are so tangible.

[@klaymoon1]

To my ears I thought Mac is just way too slow, but perhaps it’s McIntosh preamp’s fault not the amp. I’ve never heard a Mac amp with a non-Mac preamp.

[@philmay7834]

Why is it that a lot of high end audiophiles reviews is just a string of high end superlatives strung together, yet at the end you can’t tell if they liked what they heard or didn’t like what they heard. They’re so busy trying to think up the next appropriately high end superlatives that they lose track of what it is they’re trying to say. I know I got lost in all the verbal vesuviating. Like my favourite system…….low power tubes and 2 way, the same when listening to information……..less is usually better.

[@josepharchila1496]

Can you also compare them to the PS Audio M1200 Nono blocks?

[@RealHIFIHelp]

D'agostino is much better than PSaudio.

[@josepharchila1496]

@@RealHIFIHelp I figured that much but curious what more you get and how much for the massive price difference.

[@RealHIFIHelp]

@@josepharchila1496 Here is what I wrote in another comment: D'agostino is much much better. More natural/deeper soundstage/better layering/more 3d. Mcintosh is very flat/2d/reserved and locked in sound, but has a lot of ease and huge separation which a lot of people fall for. But a lot of people like that more locked/mean personality that mcintosh has, that is more vulgar. Also D'agostino makes preamps that are way better than mcintosh, making it a lot more easy to separate a d'agostino preamp and put in on another brand. You cannot say that with mcintosh, it cannot be used with a lot of other brands without it locking the sound in a very safe zone. A lot of people that respect authority who typically are policemen, lawyers, doctors and such own a mcintosh, it's a funny thing, I see it constantly. I don't agree with mcintosh being warm and intense, quite the opposite. It is either to warm/limited/safe or very cold/analytical/locked in sound depending on the model. Of course this very much depends on what gear you are coming from. When I listen to mcintosh I am going very much down compared to the Nagra/Spectral/Audio Note world that I am used to, which is the best in the world. But I get the fact that regular people with only normal gear like sony/philips/technics/denon/yamaha/exposure/lyngdorf/vincent and such, will consider mcintosh maybe the best they have heard, so I respect that, because of where they are coming from. And Jospeh, if you want something a lot better than D'agostino then I recommend the second best transistor brand: Nagra. The best is Spectral. Nagra is also cool looking and flashy a bit like those 2 other brands. Hope that helps.

[@francisdelacruz6439]

Wouldn't Progression match Sonus Faber more so? These impression maybe at this level would HV system matching issues rather than individual performance. And Adele, as great as she is the recording is such that even on the budget earphones it's bad.Wondering about Pass Labs how they match up using these ultra hi end speakers....

[@jlo8775]

Dag/Wilson combo just crushes the Mac.

[@ivorbenjamin708]

So the dude is wearing a McIntosh baseball cap and you have any question which way this "review" is going to go?

[@audioexperience]

i have yet to hear an amplifier that is more musically engaging than the mc1.25kw

[@omgwtfpwnd]

Amps don’t make sounds

[@mojo2382]

I was just wondering you do all these reviews do you ever play any music say maybe a bit of say Clannad or other the reviews fine but put on some music please!!!!

[@pennfootball71]

I prefer Mola Mola or Audionet ... Amps just disappear...I use a Lampizater and Mola mola Kalugas on hour glass transparent YG acoustics Carmel 2's = perfection

[@datdudeinred]

Long story short look at vilip's cap. 😂

[@perosa99]

When the reviewer wears McIntosh....

[@jimmypedersen4055]

Super

[@mornecoetzee735]

Mark Levinson No.33 Hold my Beer......

[@gmrvos58]

I compared McIntosh MC601 to the newer Mark Levinson No536 mono's and it was clear the No536's were on an entirely different level. That said I have not listened to the newer series of McIntosh Amps so I can't comment about those.

[@puciohenzap891]

ML No 33H - hold my repair bill. Seriously stay away from the 33/33x series.

[@GeoffParsons1469]

I have 99 problems, but buying any of this stuff isn't one of them...

[@stoicroman9423]

I wouldn’t consider the progression to be a titan

[@RealHIFIHelp]

D'agostino is much much better. More natural/deeper soundstage/better layering/more 3d. Mcintosh is very flat/2d/reserved and locked in sound, but has a lot of ease and huge separation which a lot of people fall for. But a lot of people like that more locked/mean personality that mcintosh has, that is more vulgar. Also D'agostino makes preamps that are way better than mcintosh, making it a lot more easy to separate a d'agostino preamp and put in on another brand. You cannot say that with mcintosh, it cannot be used with a lot of other brands without it locking the sound in a very safe zone. A lot of people that respect authority who typically are policemen, lawyers, doctors and such own a mcintosh, it's a funny thing, I see it constantly. I don't agree with mcintosh being warm and intense, quite the opposite. It is either to warm/limited/safe or very cold/analytical/locked in sound depending on the model. Of course this very much depends on what gear you are coming from. When I listen to mcintosh I am going very much down compared to the Nagra/Spectral/Audio Note world that I am used to, which is the best in the world. But I get the fact that regular people with only normal gear like sony/philips/technics/denon/yamaha/exposure/lyngdorf/vincent and such, will consider mcintosh maybe the best they have heard, so I respect that, because of where they are coming from.

[@epl3595]

This is some of the dumbest writing I’ve seen in a while.

[@RealHIFIHelp]

@@epl3595 This really made my day, thanks.

[@mortengammelgaard929]

All the Mcintosh I heard sounded dull. Easy to listen to, but very little Air and detail.

[@fredrickmeyers8076]

Bunch of nonsense. As long as you use the npr voice you can say anything and suckers will eat it up. I can review gear without even listening.

[@omgwtfpwnd]

Facts!