Is Mcintosh current amp?

[veeceem]

AFAIK,
Revel Salon 2s need high current amp to make them sing.
After some search, only Mc452 seems to fit ...my budget ($8000 or less).
But I have no clue if it is current amp? I still have no clue why it does 450w on 8/4/2Ohm. And have no clue if it can drive my Salon2s
Any inputs will be helpful.
I sit 3meters from speakers in a 25m2 room. Thanks.

 

[SIY]

This depends on what you mean by a "current amp." But the 30,000 foot view answer to your question is, yes, it will drive Salon 2s just fine. Based on the published impedance curve, the 4 ohm tap from the Mac should be optimum.

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

AFAIK,
Revel Salon 2s need high current amp to make them sing.
After some search, only Mc452 seems to fit ...my budget ($8000 or less).
But I have no clue if it is current amp? I still have no clue why it does 450w on 8/4/2Ohm. And have no clue if it can drive my Salon2s
Any inputs will be helpful.
I sit 3meters from speakers in a 25m2 room. Thanks.

I’m a bit puzzled that you reckon there’s only amp that fits your budget

 

[veeceem]

I’m a bit puzzled that you reckon there’s only amp that fits your budget

Parasound JC1 and ML are out of my budget ...

 

[SIY]

Parasound JC1 and ML are out of my budget ...

Purifi, March, Orchard, NAD, Cambridge... all amps I've had on hand (other than the March), measured, and had excellent results with. There are certainly more.

 

[veeceem]

Purifi, March, Orchard, NAD, Cambridge... all amps I've had on hand (other than the March), measured, and had excellent results with. There are certainly more.

NAD M22 v2 (Hypex Nc400) is driving my Salon2. But I will bring it back to bedroom setup. So I'm looking for another amp.

 

[SIY]

What's wrong with another M22, since it apparently works well for you?

 

[veeceem]

What's wrong with another M22, since it apparently works well for you?

I'm fine with M22 v2 or any budget well performed amps. But that's just me. There ảre 2 persons use music room, the other believe in high end stuffs... So Mc452 or something similar is something we could both agree on...

 

[carlosmante]

AFAIK,
Revel Salon 2s need high current amp to make them sing.
After some search, only Mc452 seems to fit ...my budget ($8000 or less).
But I have no clue if it is current amp? I still have no clue why it does 450w on 8/4/2Ohm. And have no clue if it can drive my Salon2s
Any inputs will be helpful.
I sit 3meters from speakers in a 25m2 room. Thanks.

Some models are current others are old.

 

[DonH56]

Mine are driven by an Emotiva XPA-2 and XPA-5.

McIntosh uses a tapped output transformer (balun, actually, IIRC) to match speaker impedance to their output stage. If you get one, I'd suggest using the 4-ohm tap. And it will drive them just fine.

 

[solderdude]

I still have no clue why it does 450w on 8/4/2Ohm.

The reason is because it is a tube* SS amp that has an output transformer with 3 'taps'.

On each tap (not simultaniously) 450W is available.
This means at the 2 Ohm tap there will be max. 30V avalaible (loaded with 2 Ohm) = 450W.
At the 4 Ohm tap there will be max. 42V available in 4 Ohm load = 450W.
On the 8 Ohm tap there will be max. 60V available in an 8 Ohm load = 450W.

Should you be driving a 4 Ohm speaker from the 2 Ohm tap there won't be 450W available but only 225W (actually slightly more)
Should you be driving a 8 Ohm speaker from the 2 Ohm tap there won't be 450W available but only 115W (actually slightly more)

But you should not be driving a 2 Ohm speaker on the 8 Ohm tap. One might expect 1800W BUT the amp cannot deliver the needed amount of current. Instead you would be getting much less than the specified 450W.

That's the reason why it is 450W in all those impedances but is only valid when the correct tap is used.

You already got your answer regarding your speaker. Use it on the 4 Ohm tap (or 2 Ohm tap but get less output power) but you should not use the 8 Ohm tap, despite that tap being able to deliver a higher output voltage.
Since the impedance drops to 3.7 Ohm the 4 Ohm tap is what you should use.

* I stand corrected

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

The reason is because it is a tube amp that has an output transformer with 3 'taps'.

I think the 452 is solid state. McIntosh use output transformers on their solid state amps too

 

[solderdude]

Ah yes.. solid state.. you are right.
Doesn't change anything though about the numbers and reasoning.
It is all about the transformer and its taps.

 

[BeepPeep_61]

Dear veeceem .... find on the used market two McIntosh MC601 monophonic power amplifiers as I did that I have to drive some beautiful, very musical but very ostracious (from the point of impedance), B & W 802D and live serene and happy with two beautiful blue eyes that will warm up your long winter evenings !!

 

[Sal1950]

B & W 802D and live serene and happy with two beautiful blue eyes that will warm up your long winter evenings !!

That's an awesome AV system! Why such a tiny flatscreen? JK

 

[veeceem]

Dear veeceem .... find on the used market two McIntosh MC601 monophonic power amplifiers as I did that I have to drive some beautiful, very musical but very ostracious (from the point of impedance), B & W 802D and live serene and happy with two beautiful blue eyes that will warm up your long winter evenings !! View attachment 47207

Cant find a used pair. I'm not in US. Btw, there are new ones here but out of my budget also
Edit: a new "old stock" Mc452 is ~$7000 here

 

[cjm2077]

Cant find a used pair. I'm not in US. Btw, there are new ones here but out of my budget also
Edit: a new "old stock" Mc452 is ~$7000 here

You could get two Benchmark AHB2s for $6k and run them bridged mono. They would put out 500w+ each and have state of the art performance. Some users here have used them with Salon 2s and seem to be very happy with them. I like the look, but you might not find them as pretty as the Mac products. They are backordered by about three weeks right now though.

 

[direstraitsfan98]

Couple of things. They aren't going for $8k anymore. You can get a used one for under $6k. I'm not sure what you mean by "current" amp but if anything they use an antiquated design. Autoformers are neat, but its arguably a backwards approach to modern amp design. It works though, and the reason no other amplifiers use autoformers is because they're patented.

At the end of the day you don't need that much power, 450W RMS is more than the salon2's can handle. You'd be stressing the bass drivers to their maximum, and they would be distorting. 8 inch drivers attempting to play high SPL for sustained periods of time doesn't sound like a good use of the speaker. And if you're using subs and have taken the load off the bass drivers on the salon2's, even more reason you don't need 450W.

That all being said, I totally understand why you want McIntosh. It's bling. It's audio jewerely. It's an incredibly well made piece of kit manufactured in the USA. All admirable qualities and also why I myself hope to acquire a McIntosh amplifier in the distant future, despite not needing all that power. She's a real beauty, and weighs over 50kg, nearly as much as one of my JBL speakers.

 

[direstraitsfan98]

Cant find a used pair. I'm not in US. Btw, there are new ones here but out of my budget also
Edit: a new "old stock" Mc452 is ~$7000 here

Make a save for McIntosh on hifishark. Great website to use when you're looking for specific pieces of audio equipment. McIntosh goes on sale on the second hand market every day.

 

[BeepPeep_61]

That's an awesome AV system! Why such a tiny flatscreen? JK

Hi Sal1950,
in Italy at the end of 2021, the current TV transmission system will change and we will move on to the dvb-t2
and at that juncture I will decide which 77 "or 85" model to buy (the current Panasonic is a 60 "with old type receiver).
Another solution that I will have to check on that date (on the side of the goodness of the video) are the ultra short throw projectors that have just been proposed on the market ..... we will see, but in the meantime we need to save the (many) Euros needed !!!