Mcintosh and Audio Research, which is better? 

Thanks much for taking the time to make this vid. I just came across your channel. I heard my first Mac system in the 1960s when I was stationed in the Military near Seattle, Wa. I never forgot the sound and how it made me feel. Everytime I went to an Audio store I would always listen to their Macs and compare with other brands (Accuphase, Luxman etc). Finally in the early 90s I purchased the Mac Amp and Pre-amp that I still have and enjoy almost daily. I am now almost 82 yrs old, I know there are many good sounding brands out there that are loved by their owners, but Macs are still my favs. Im still on the Mac mailing list and just yesterday I received news of their new Hybrids of solid state and tubes. I will have to find a dealer and have a listen. Maybe you can review one of these models - thanks again for your vid.

Thomas - congrats, your ability to deliver and convey your thoughts on audio has progressed to the point where I really believe you are the best out there right now. Has been amazing to watch your journey. Please keep sharing your insights with us who share your interest in the hobby.

got my mac's used in the late 70's. they were recommended by a friend that is a electrical engineer. he said that they were built to near military standard. still enjoy them. took them to a mac service center to have them recapped couple years ago. technician told me not to bother. 50 years without being serviced. have gone thru many speakers, turntables etc, but these are still the foundation of my main system.

While upgrading my system, I was looking and reading about everything but Mcintosh. Then I realized over the years I had been hearing great systems driven by Mcintosh amps. Ended up with Mcintosh MC462. No regrets I love it!

I would say it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a “live” sound then go for the AR, it feels like the band is in your living room. If you want HiFi then go for the McIntosh, it’s real high end and you’ll get a perfect sound. Both are absolutely great and fantastic.

"We do stuff just for fun"! I absolutely agree that a big part of listening to music & equipment should be fun!

That Audio Research setup is straight-up awesome. Fantastic!

I really appreciate this kind of vid and totally enjoyed seeing the gear and the mcintosh startup. It's very unlikely I'll ever see gear like this in person so for me it was very enjoyable.

Hey Thomas, I wanted to send my thanks to you for adding a/b demo at the end of your video. Most people who wanted to sell something on their channel would invalidate this video making thousands of excuses, but the videos / sounds do translate the content's point of view. Kudos to you and your buddies.

On a side note, I have a Conrad-Johnson tube pre-amp 20 years old. It sounds great. Smoothed out the solid state amp I use with it. No problems. Cost me $795 bucks.

I appreciated the comparison of two relatively high-end tube amps. I looked longingly at McIntosh’s offerings, and I especially like the models with dual Vu meters. Everyone says they hold their value. But they also have configurations that integrate more functions than I want (like DACs), or proprietary connections (like their own transports). If I do find the configuration I want, the price is through the roof. I’m not saying their systems don’t offer value for money, especially in light of the company’s support and customer’s experience of long and trouble-free service; I’m just saying I couldn’t find what I was looking for at a price I was willing (or able) to pay. A critic might say I brought my trouble on myself by trying to use gear from different manufacturers in the same system. If you opt for McIntosh, I can certainly see why people go all in with them. They make upgrading within their own offerings very easy. 🙂

Great video Thomas. Love hearing your stories. Nice to see mini videos of your friends' systems integrated in here! Cheers from France.

Wow you can really hear the difference between those two set ups on your songs at the end. I have to agree with your assessment of the difference between the two sounds signatures. I have a lot of old Macintosh equipment and I tend to like that sound.

I love audio research more myself, because I use to record in a studio and I by nature avoid artificial tonality. But that being said it is nothing bad to say about adding colour. Simply by making it neutral actually enables people to add colour easier. It is easier to add than take away!

Definitely review the high end gear! You present content very well like the amp that demands your attention!!

I love your videos and would be really interested in hearing more system reviews. Synergy is so important and I’m not good at figuring that out. When you combine cables it’s very complicated .

I have listened and auditioned many high-end systems for both music and movie (especially music) and will always be resorting back to the Mcintosh gears.

In the early 90s I went into my 1st high end audio shop over in Pasadena ca. I herd the AR gear and was HOOKED for life. My jaw dropped and knew I was wrecked :).

Would love to see you add the Pass Labs INT25 to the mix next time. Get a new ARC I-50 and have some fun!!

Hello, it has always been a dream of mine to own a Mcintosh audio amp of any type. Unfortunately marriage to a widow with 6 children put many things as a priority before a sound system. I’m 55 years old now and I still hope and dream to someday get a Macintosh Labs product. Even if it is broken, I have the ability to fix such things. I have been fixing gear for over 30 years now, but it is always somebody else’s. Thanks for the wonderful video, your equipment sounds and looks amazing!

Thanks Thomas for another excellent share. Yes - please - I vote for more ARC and McIntosh discussions. Greetings to you and yours

Wise words as always, Thomas! I can’t afford either, but now that you showed the McIntosh powering up, I’d have to buy that. I would spend all day turning it off and on, to see the tubes light up and change colour!

Thank you for your thoughts. I decided on a McIntosh and bought a MC5300 intergraded amp. Very, very happy with it. Please keep posting your insightful videos.

Really enjoyed this discussion. I appreciate the discussion of high end audio, and these are two great brands to compare. I'd love to hear the comparison now of AR vs Pass Labs. To me both have a sound that catches my attention in a good way. I always love the look of the 275, but when I heard it at an audio show, I was very disappointed in the sound. It seemed colored and vailed. So it was interesting to hear that they have changed since the 70's. Your description of the AR system suggests to me that it passes more low level information. That is a positive thing for me especially on very well recorded music without a lot of trickery in the mastering. Keep this up. I'll enjoy it and you will get to rediscover your own gear.

I have the ARC ls17 pre together with a Mcintosh mc302, a match made in heaven,best of both worlds.

I rather enjoy direct comparisons. One rarely sees this type of review. Good job and thank you.

I'm amazed I could tell the difference. The AR system is more open and the highs are very visible versus the warmish muted sound of the McIntosh system.

Awesome. Yes I’d love to hear some reviews of the 275, 3200, and the AR gear. I would also love to see reviews of Vintage Mac, because a lot of us own them (like me) and don’t have a real reference point with modern day reviewing. I’d tune in all day to that!

I really enjoyed this conversation about two iconic name brands I could never afford! Love the looks of the Audio Research. I'm still enjoying my entry-level 250 watts/channel Acurrus A250 power amp and P10 preamp I bought new in 1994. That's about as close to high-end gear I'll probably get. I just get better speakers every 10 years or so. But I love learning about all the other hi-end gear that's out there! Thanks for sharing!

I had a customer who built a full blown reference Audio Research System. Anniversary reference 600 watt tube monoblocks, two chassis preamp, CD transport, and so on. He paired it with 600lb Duntech speakers. What a great sounding system. Though I carry McIntosh and Mark Levinson, for audio I never had anything high-end enough for him. Sadly he passed away a bit over a year ago. I did get to build his home theater though, a serious undertaking.

Great video! I almost pulled the trigger on the McIntosh mc275 until I tried the Carver Crimson 275. Jim Clark audio in Chicago gives you 30 days to demo a new unit. If you don’t like it, send it back for a full refund. After two weeks I knew I was keeping the Carver. I love McIntosh, I have the c50 preamp, mc352 amp, Magnepan 1.7i & Klipsch Hersey IV’s, DIY Cornscala’s. I really wanted another McIntosh in the room, but when I heard the Crimson I just did not think the mc275 was worth an extra $2500! I also own a Yamaha p2200 amp that sounds just like the mc352, but I spent 3K more to get the McIntosh looks in the mc352. The yellow meters in the Yamaha just did not move me like the blue McIntosh meters do. Keep up the good work!

I’ve got a MC2002 from the mid 80s. It is 200 wpc direct coupled, no autoformers. This amp is not warm nor does it have slow bass. It’s clean and clear. I can say because I’ve also got an MC2155 with autoformers. It’s also from mid 80s and it is a touch warm colored. You match them with appropriate speakers and DACs and voila, you have magic.

This video is officially approved by the RU-vid Audiophile Board. :) Enjoyed this - informal experience videos are a great addition to the channel. This passion is all about sharing experiences.

My MAC6700 is my first stereo amp and it remains my one and only stereo amp. 🤘🏻

I love McIntosh gear, for the sound and for the look but more important they are made in the USA and McIntosh still supports 95% of all the equipment they've made in the past. I think that alone makes McIntosh unique in the high end audio world, right?

Each listener has their own perceived sound in home audio equipment. We should respect their opinions about their own own systems or a new piece of gear. And they should respect our perceived listening experiences as well. I have not listened to Macintosh equipment since the 1960s and it was so overly warm I never wanted to hear their products again but now I am going to set up an appointment for a sit down. Currently I am using PASS phono and line stage preamps with an Audio Research amp driving Maggie 3.6 speakers and a carver true subwoofer. The only thing I really need to add is a second subwoofer and I am considering selling the Carver and moving over to 2 REL’s. Thanks for your balanced presentations and opinions. A breath of fresh air.

That audio research combo sounded much more like a fully digital system to me, which came as a complete surprise (even though you already explained about it).

Very interesting comparison, on the sound comparison (with youtube compression), I can CLEARLY hear a MAJOR difference! Audio Research sounds like having MORE REVERB, more open, and sound more like live recording, while McIntosh sound more like studio recording. McIntosh sounds more "natural" to me, but it's impossible to say unless you're in the room!

Interesting Goliath vs Goliath commentary by Thomas. Who needs a Christmas tree with the Macintosh power amp!

I enjoy all your videos Thomas. Thank you. I think I’m learning something with each one that I watch 😀

Thank you very much for your analysis and opinions! I actually agree with observations. I've owned Audio Research gere for twenty years and agree with your statement of it commanding your attention. It very natural and neutral. Thanks again!

Great video, down to earth discussion of your likes. Loved it.

I'm following up a comment that I made 10 months ago. I use Pass line stage and phono preamps with an Audio Research amplifier feeding Maggie 3.6 R's. I can honestly say that the system synergy with this combination is outstanding to my ears.

The reason I like one over the other is the transparency... and one is easily much better than the other. This is why I crave an Audio Research and I only enjoy the Macintosh. You can even hear the difference in the RU-vid video, it's like a veil has been lifted in front of the music. It's obvious and so impactful.

Thanks Thomas for another great post! I’ve always been around McIntosh gear as that was what my father was in to. So now I too have a McIntosh power amp a MC 162 and pre amp a C39. The only Acoustic Research gear I’ve owned has been their famous old school belt drive turntable and a pair of their old (not so good) book shelve speakers. I’ve never heard or experienced any of their power or preamps! I’m now quite curious and will look for them in the future.

The very first stand-alone power amplifier I ever bought was an Audio Research D-100 (maybe the D-100B model). I liked it a lot for what it was.

Great video Thomas yep I'm still rocken my old McIntosh amps. I love that old slow bass cause it never gets tiring. I listen to mostly jazz and it plays it so Damm well. McIntosh play jazz so well it really tames the horns and as for the slow bass it gives more definition to the acoustic bass as if you can see the strings. Yeah at times I'd like more air but you can't have everything

I used to be an audio salesman back in the 70's. I grabbed up a customer trade in on first sight. It was a MC 275. It needed to be refurbished, and was upgraded slightly in the process. Now in the 70's.. I found other tube amps to be slower than the Mac. On a few recordings I found the damping to be a little weak. But, the sound with my KEF 104 AB's could be astounding.

The best amplifier is the one which results in a great match with certain speaker. It is about finding system synergy.

My system consists of McIntosh MC352 (for the bass) and MC275 Mk VI (for the mids and highs) biamplification, and Audio Research LS28 SE preamplification, with von Schweikert Audio speakers. It's my 7th heaven!

Switching on the Mcintosh is like looking at a Christmas tree with all the lights blinking!

Love this Thomas! I love my MC402 & C2600 tube! I was using it with a Denafrips Ares ii.. realizing everything was too warm... then i recently moved to a D90SE.... Now with its granular detail its an incredible balance of synergy with the Macs!..... i know you had a video recently about matching and synergy... thats all it comes down to... much of the gear out there today is excellent.. its all about how each match to each other in pleasing the listeners ears

I went from the vintage McIntosh to Threshold, Mark Levison, ASR, then my ears are like old red wine today I returned to the New MA7900. I had few years into tube amps but tired of changing tubes. Anyway, my thought is McIntosh is a overall good system that I can close my eyes and forget about it.

Nice video, I owned one MA7200 with atc20, the mid-range is so well that you can't forget, but it is soft. I will like to try Audio research later. Thanks for your work.

Once upon a time when I was young and an audiophile I'd have loved any of this equipment. In those days I couldn't possibly afford it. It's amazing what becoming an engineer does to you, how drastically it remolds your mind. Setting out to understand sound and acoustics I pretty much lost interest in the equipment. It became a means to an end, it was the system design that mattered. When I became able to afford any of it, it never entered my mind for one second to buy any of it. Instead my adventure in sound went in an entirely different direction. It is remarkable how complicated sound really is and there are so many variables to deal with. Creating something new and entirely different takes a lot of effort but you don't mind if it's a labor if love. Nearly 50 years and I'm still having fun experimenting, adjusting tweaking. I know what I want to hear and I figured out how to get it. The older equipment works just fine for my purposes. Yet I can relive my early days watching you and others who see things as I once did. I'm not being judgmental. In a way I admire your enthusiasm and enjoy watching your adventure, how you explore things and how your views change over time.

Hi Thomas, I know that a number of serious audiophiles do not consider sound demos definitive. Yet, using the same recording method, same song, same encoding, we do get impressions which are easily comparable to each other. The system in this video with both amps do convey the scale and the clarity, my favorite two versions so far! Thank you! ; Janos

Since you own both amps, vintage and modern, it would be nice to see a video comparison between the old MC240 and the recent MC275; how a 50 years of evolution have changed the sound of the McIntosh gear.

I would love for you to review Bob Carvers relatively new gear. His crimson 350 will will give these Macs a run for its sound.. Would be amazing for you to step out of your usual zone and give these a receive.. keep up the amazing work.

Hi Thomas! Love such content from you! While I am more of a desktop nearfield or headphone listener, I very much appreciate such videos. This video is only possible thru lotta time and dollar spend and half a lifetime of experience. Thank you. Maybe one day I will have the space :D

Hi all - I have an AR D400 MKII solid state amp for summer listening and an AR VT100 tube amp for winter. The tubes run too hot for summer use. Thomas explained their sound qualities well. High definition with great bass. The down side is that male vocals don’t sound all there to me. A little weak in the midrange. Both amps have what Thomas called a a live sound and I like that. Great customer service from ARC.

I agree with the “AIR” of Audio Research!!! That is why Audio Research sounds great with Magnapan!!!!! But the modern McIntosh is fabulous!!! I have the C2700 preamp & MC312 power amp!

Thomas, wrote here earlier just how much more the Audio Research "lifted the vail in front of the music" vs the Macintish... the obvious increase of transparency over the venerable Macintosh. (Actually saw this video much earlier though.) Well, I watched a few more videos afterwards, did a bit of research, auditioned it and took ownership of an Audio Research 6SE. The transparency and detail is incredible. It certainly will take some time to get used to the articulation of this preamp though. Your video was the catalyst.

Can't say I have lot of experience with Audio Research gear. Few month back I tried the Ref 6 SE with my previous Plinius Reference A300 power amp. It sounded very nice indeed. Great synergy. May get it back one day to try with my current gear!

You do you, Thomas. Good stuff as always.

Okk The LS10 is a solid state classic from ARC, it’s super musical, and brings all the music to the soundstage, precise, clear, transparent and yet kicks butt on the low end. And the D240 MkII is a 120W/8ohm 240W/4ohm sweet and punchy amp classic. Frankly I can’t be bothered trying tube amps now, my systems have stabilized on greatness. No more Line Magnetics or even Finale a fine Canadian tube company products… nor 845 or 805 and the only sound I’d like to hear again is a good KT88.

I have a MC-240 and MX-110. I’d love to see a video of your MC-240 setup and pairing!

That start up sequence for the MC275 VI was actually just a gimmick they made for the tradeshow debut of the amp. After feedback they got from attendees they decided to make it a real feature. Been thinking about trying tubes in my system again.

Very nice video. I too like " color" in my playback electronics, not too much but just enough. Modern Ultra High-end electronics (all those Swiss made stuff) are more like the AR sound. Clean, fast, focus, and neutral sounding. This type of presentation is very captivating. But I also find this "new sound" to be distracting from the essences of the music being played, and directs your focus on the nuances of what the electronics is capable of reproducing. A highly resolving system can be a double-edge sword. To reinforce your point, system synergy is key.

Thomas, thanks for the great video as usual. Please do review the McIntosh gear you have. If you are reviewing the power amp if you can give some perspective and compare it to some other high end non-McInosh tube amps you may have, that will be really insightful and perhaps demonstrate to those of us who haven’t spent time with Mac gear what makes them so special.

I am considering this exact mac system. Thank you Thomas would love a review.

McIntosh gear is as conservative as it gets. This buys you good reliability, excellent resale value, and decent sound. But it doesn't buy you the best possible sound quality. Going all the way back to the early days, Mac stuff was designed to be, first and foremost, rugged and reliable. It was really originally designed for use in commercial applications. The tube power amps run in Class B with very low idling current. This makes the tubes last a long time, but it also generates crossover distortion. McIntosh "cures" this by using gobs and gobs of negative feedback. The output stage, with its cathode coupling provides huge amounts of local feedback around the output stage, which cancels crossover distortion. On top of this, global feedback is also used. The driver stages have to swing the full output signal voltage to make up for the fact that the output stage has virtually no voltage gain. A McIntosh tube amp clips almost like a standard solid state amp. No "soft clipping" in this design. Opinions about what sounds better are just that: opinions. I've owned lots of tube gear, including McIntosh, Marantz, Dynaco, etc., and have heard lots more. I'll take a Marantz 9 over a Mac 275 any day of the week. That just my opinion, and that said, I don't think their stuff is "terrible" by any stretch. Just a bit more show than go. And I may be in a minority here, but I think the styling is downright ugly....glitzy and overdone.

Great topic, nothing like controversy to stir the ratings numbers up! So let’s fuel the fire 🔥 I have never liked the McIntosh look or sound. Have heard different things from my friends. I own three pieces of Audio Research gear, the Ref CD9, LS10 pre and D240 MkII power amps. They’re the best I’ve owned and beat my Esoteric and PassLabs gear. Mind you the Luxman M900u takes care of pumping out the cd direct and digital streaming via coaxial through my CD9 outputs via the LS10SE feed, its all about the synergy.

I’d love a review of McIntosh integrateds!

Fascinating to hear the sound clip at the end. First, this track never sounded this good on your budget gear reviews. Second, the AR system lets more low level info through. I heard stuff at the beginning that was just missing in the Mac system (and in other review systems). But the AR does not go clinical as some solid state systems do. While the Topping DAC is likely just fine, it would also be cool to hear that AR system with your reference level DAC.

Even in terms of looks I much prefer Audio Research. Understated. Ive only got an LS7 but hope to get more in the future. The McIntosh is just too shouty look at me and my bright green porsche and my baseball cap. All the coloured lighting on the valves is just a gimmick, does nothing for sound, and one more thing to go wrong let's face it!

Should change the channel name to Thomas' Storytelling. 😂😂 Good stuff

I am very concerned about quality control at Audio Research. I bought a CD9se last year. After about 3 days it began to fail after playing around 30 seconds. After contacting my audio dealer and after they reviewed the issue with AR it was believed a power tube was faulty. Replacing the tube did not solve the problem AR then sent me a replacement unit. This one worked perfectly with one exception. The digital counter failed to function properly. At this point I had had enough and returned the unit and bought an Esoteric sacd player. This type of poor quality control should not happen with any products, especially a $15,000.00 unit.

My MA252 is crazy good. Specially considering is nowhere near the usual Mac prices

Audio Research amps in the past were more neutral and less colored. Thus they usually sounded more like solid state amps. Especially when compared to something like a McIntosh or Conrad Johnson where both are “warm” or “colored” in general. I remember a tech and reviewer said to me about AR back in the early 90’s “They figured out how to make a tube amp that sounds solid state”

Hi Thomas, thank you for the video worth watching, I hope you will be producing video’s of this calibre in the future. I do agree with you I have owned and listened to many pre amps, but Audio Research Ref3 out performed all of them. I am sorry I sold it, and a good second hand one is hard to get, so I opted to purchase Denafrips Athena. Denafrips Athena is new with warranty and fully balanced, the sound quality is as good as the Audio Research Ref3. Maybe be when you are doing video’s like this should include something like Denafrips Athena and maybe be Rogue Audio M180, so people like us have an option to purchase either second hand highend gear or comparable new one. Thank You.

Loved the comparison of both iconic brands, which was hard to do without upsetting hardcore fans of these brands. :) But you nailed it. (five thumbs up) I like both brands. But when I see the meters on Mcintosh, I don't want to see anything else. I am still in the market for a good integrated amp. I am considering Mcintosh, Luxman, Accuphase and Audio Research.

Very different sounding systems. I think my ears prefer the McIntosh but something in between the two would be best. One sounds a bit under detailed, the other a bit too busy. Maybe what I already have is the best choice for me 🤔

Hey !! ...Just found your channel. !! ..Really appreciate your clear sound gear description....Keep up the great style & work..

Would love to hear more about your high end gear Thomas. Always nice to know where this rabbit hole can take you! Preferred the McIntosh sound sample, softer without losing resolution, the AR gear sounds like there is a slight tilt in the upper mids, very focused but also slightly dry to my ears. Both sound quite solid statish, the MC30/40 is sweeter sounding, slightly more up my street if you don't need the power! Still wow 👌 👏

It would be cool to have audio meetups or clubs where you take turns demoing other members equipment. Shame there is nothing like that around. Back in the 60's and 70's it was common for this. But it was more about the music then the equipment in those days

I’m VERY interested in McIntosh gear in general. Considering a pair of MC 611’s myself.

"The Edit" Now that's an edit. I really liked it because it had something I have been wanting to see in editing for a while, the change of clothing and kind of keeping the colour coordination within a keeping moment. You should try it more often, its all in the timing. Keep up the good work Thomas..

All that great stuff in an untreated room

As I mentioned in your other video, I have an all Rega system except for......... my prized Audio Research SP14 preamp with an excellent tube phono stage. It replaced my Rega Cursa 3 and the Cursa 3 is not missed. The SP14 in my opinion is a far better sounding preamp that still matches very well with the rest of my Rega system.

If we're talking 'high definition' it's day and night! Audio Research sounds so much more clean and true to the source. I would imagine, anyone who listens to accoustic music ( Jazz, Classical etc) would prefer the A.R. Perhaps for rock music the "thicker" McIntosh sound would impress. As you very well say Thomas, at the end of the day, a matter of taste. ...That sign on the front of the A.R. gear "High Definition" is not there for fun... 😎

I still have & enjoying my Thomas Audio tube amp coffee mug. I need to buy another one to make a pair. lol

Mr. VINTAGE? Prefers neutral! Really! I never would have guessed that. I LOVE vintage gear and speakers and what I "love" about them is the "warmth" and "musicality", the smoothness! Lack of fatigue, etc. That's vintage. It's what we love in the amps and also in the speakers which, generally speaking are not as resolving as modern HiEnd gear and also why we sometime wince at that modern sound that is so antiseptic and clinical and super-resolving, super fast, and so on. Yes you can hear almost anything on that but it's just not as enjoyable or fun for me. You're in a jazz club. The lights are low. There is the occasional whisper or clinking of glasses. The band is pressed up against a corner of the room. All acoustic: piano, drums, bass, and a sax or horn. The sound floats around one and bounces softly off walls draped in fabric that soften it and make it more laid back. You have a pair of vintage floorstanders whose bass is a little soft but FULL, whose midrange sounds as though someone is singing close by. The highs? Not edgy, not overly brignt, not drawing attention to itself, but pleasing to the ear. Yes, those OLD ASS SPEAKERs sound wornderful BUT they are not audiophile? The band doesn't care, they just play and play! Vintage? Neutral! OK, I guess there is something for everyone back then! For me, the best vintage gear is that which most approximated the classic "tube" sound.

Audio Research seems to have less background noise too. Sounds much better.

Today's video is really amazing! I hope you do more of such video :) Feels like I have more audiophile friends haha

Definitely some differences in how these two setups presented the sound. I don’t know that I prefer one over the other which means either would work for me. The Mac system seemed that it had slightly more bass but not necessarily in a better way. The AR system seemed a little more forward in presentation with a quieter background. That whole synergy thing again. It makes me wonder how different things would sound mixing these amps and pre-amps. 🤔

Hi.. recently discovered your channel, like it very much. Regardless: Video & sound quality is good enough for me.👍

If I had the money and could pick only one brand I'd pick Audio Research. But certainly not be unhappy with Mcintosh gear!

Cool video. Can you do a video of all your buddies systems and their impressions. And yes to a review of your equipment.

That's a nice Krell CD Transport player. Does your friend have the matching vintage Krell DAC ? If so I was wondering how it sounds compared to more modern DAC' s ? I was wondering because a older Krell KSA 200S from the same era.

"That’s my line when I review stuff" 😂 killed me