Mcintosh MC240 impression, is it as good as they say it is? 

Check out my other channel www.galion-audio.com and also please be careful of scammers pretending to be me.

Congratulations, Thomas, you nailed it pretty well! Fantastic music intro that honors the MC240. Nice work, carry on with this diversified musical human approach.

I love that you give us listening samples with always the same (cool) track …great to make comparisons. Thx Thomas 👍🏼

Glad to meet Mr. Carver with his Amazing speaker. This speaker was made to compete with the Maggies and the Apogee, really amazing! Thanks for another great vid.

Enjoyed your break down, really liked the outdoor section. I’m a tube guy myself - can’t help it. Got an R8 and I really like it, but I’m very curious about your Galion.

Loved the interview

Great video Thomas. To chime in on your question about vintage Competing with modern, I don't think one "Competing" with the other would be the characterization. IMO, they simply sound Different. I've been switching out modern and vintage amps. This is the realization I've arrived at. The gear I've been switching out all sounds good in their own unique way.

THANKS FOR SHARING THIS WITH US THOMAS…AND VERY GLAD MR CARVER AND HIS SWEET 🍯😎👀 COOL LOOKING MINI GOT IN THE PICTURE…we have a newer version…The wife’s car 👩‍🦰😁 …I HOPE YOU KEEP DOING THESE INTERVIEWS… honest and spontaneous 🤗 I can tell by your reaction of surprise …and that he has never heard tube amps before …same thing for me … still showing as you stated it’s a matter of taste and you should make the mug😁👍😍😍😍

The barrier strip for the speaker connections keeps it honest. No firehose speaker cables on the 240. I sold McIntosh for over 10 years. Loved what they were about. I go back a long way with the big solid state beasts and the tube products. I also sold Conrad Johnson, and Rogue and other boutique brands, but the McIntosh is so complete. If you have the means, go for it. If not you will get something else anyway. I want a McIntosh again, but probably not a reality. Just too expensive. I love them from a far these days.

Hi Thomas, I'm lucky enough to have in my collection an original Rotel Michi rhb 10 Poweramp, and rhc 10 passive control amp. Recently I took them do a Hi-Fi shop near where I live. The owner of the HiFi shop was very keen to listen to my amps with his just arrived set of Gershwin speakers. We couldn't believe how wonderful the amp still was 30 years on, and how beautiful it looked with the Japanese timber side panels. I think you need a relatively exceptional vintage peace to stand up with today's amplifiers. I believe this is one amp that can still hold its own with its modern contemporaries.

As one time I had MC275, MC240, MC225 and a Marantz 8 all together in a system. They all sound actually quite different. MC275 had the power and control. Drive the speakers with true authority with lush. MC240 is as you mentioned, musical. It plays music. Not particular authoratative, not completely sweet or the raw power to give you everything. It's a right in the middle musical amplifier that you can listen for a long time. MC225, be is small but it is the sweetest of them all. Driving the right speakers, it's like listening to music with sugar coating. Delicate, sweet and playful. It's actually my favorite out of the 3. As for Marantz 8, it's totally opposite of all the MAC amps. It's quick, dancing around and feels like a wind just blowing through your system. But over all, all 4 amps are awesom!. At the same time I had other amps in my system as well including Krell KSA-80 (1 pair), Audio Research Classic 120 and Spectral DMA50(a pair). But I still loved the tube ones.

You have an Mc240 mid. There were 3 versions early, mid, and late. I can tell by the placement of the speaker terminals and the lettering on the side. The early version is similar but the lettering in slightly different. The late version the speaker terminals are almost in the middle with same lettering as the late model. The early version is the best of the 3 versions in my opinion and I have owned one for years. As you know tubes can really make a tube amp magical. I'd suggest tube rolling and do another review. Pre amp matching also is important. Modern tube preamps sound the best to me. Gotta love this hobby (sickness lol!).

My dad passed away and gave me his Mcintosh 240. I used it for a year and one of the capacitors burnt out. I tried finding a local repair person but couldn’t find one. I found one on eBay but the person informed me that it wasn’t repairable so he ended up posting it on eBay and sold it for parts. I ended up getting $1900 but was really sad because the amp was more sentimental value being it came from my dad. I hope to one day buy a 240 in the future. Loved the sound!

McIntosh vintage valve amps and vinyl will always musically touch my soul more than most.

Have had a vintage MC275 in almost daily use for last 30 years and have built my system around this amp. Have gone through speakers from KEF, (ok) Celestion (ok), Thiel (surprisingly good with his amp), Merlin (ok) and, Klipsch Heresy (amazing). The amp came with original MOS Gold Lion KT88s (amazing) which still test good. I bought another quartet for the next 20 years. Have also run them with Svetlana 6550Cs (good), Penta Labs KT88s (so-so), EI KT 90s (so-so) and reissue Gold Lion KT 88s (best next to original MOS). The amp came with original Telefunken (12 ax7, 12au7, 12az7) and RCA (12BH7a) small signal tubes. I have replaced most with various NOS Teles, RCAs, Brimars and Sylvanias. The only way I replace this amp is if it blows up.

You should make some projects where you take stuff like Mc240 & 270 and E.A.R type of gear, and hardwire them or a powerbar or random amp and hardwire them or just resolder them with Audio Note soldering tin, I think that you would be surprised how much the sound improves. Just by removing all of the clips in these Mcintosh type of amps and low quality speaker terminals, it really helps connect more with the music and get more life/drama/information.

I have an MC2100 that is 45 years old and I still love it.

My favorite reviewer wearing the jersey of my favorite team...

Hi Thomas, I am delighted that You found some nice Words for the Willsenton R300 ! Will You give us a full Review on this Amp ? Thanks, Ralf

excellent video

Hi Thomas. I was wondering if you've considered using yhe 240 and bi-amping? I currently do this using a modern C22, 240, and B&W 803's which are not at their best with only the 240. I even tried twin 240's in mono without the mc2205 bi-amp. Then went to an MA 8900. So far nothing has surpassed the 240/2205/C22 combo. I'm also using a Cary 300/303 tube CD player. I have come to believe that this setup brings out the most in any speakers I throw in there. JM Mini Utopias, 803S, Magico A1, and the list goes on. If I may suggest, try finding access to a set of Tannoy 15" Red or Golds and pair them with the 240, even bypass the preamp, amazing grom top to bottom. I sold mine (regrettably) to get the 803D's which are wonderful but would swap back in a second. If I still had room for them! Anyway,. Great channel and I do much enjoy your honest, level heard approach.

Thanks for an extremely interesting review of the MC 240....could you tell me what preamp you would you pair with the MC 240?

Hi, Thomas. Love your channel. I have a large McIntosh home theater amp playing into Klipsch La Scala’s (sensitivity 105 dB). I am pretty happy with it. I have never owned tubes. I am considering adding either a McIntosh MC275 or one of the larger Decware amps to the front left and right channels for music listening. Would you stick with solid state, and if not, would you prefer the MC275 or the Decware? Thanks very much for your thoughts!

6L6 tubes are by far my favourite……the best available now are the Tungsol 7581 A See ..Wall of sound 6L6 shoot out …cheers

Listening to your friend's impressions, I wonder if the MC240 would be very good with a high pass filter and quality powered sub to take up the low end?

In the intro you didn’t mention the MC60 mono blocks, which I feel are the best of the amplifier bunch.

I just got one in Utah...SO RESEARCHING WHAT AM GETTING IN TO. now i have cary audio v12,harman kardon citation ii, david berning ea2-150

Oh, I've heard the Carver Amazing Silvers with the accompanying Carver mono amps. And, they do sound Amazing at presenting an orchestral performance. They seem to shine with symphonies. Great sense of space. You think you're actually in a concert hall! Not as amazing with other genres but still very very good! I would think that this tube amp would not be able to power those speakers. They need a TON of power?

i lite the new and hard style music?what amp is a future_proof amp?and where is the 32 bit sampling?......but a Mcintosh can live loger than a man?.....and a concert needs sound corection after 1 hour of playing .......what about the old amps?....and u have a activ microphon for live sound correction ,and what about the delay in a big room?

Hey Thomas, have you ever listened to the Genelec 8361A?

What is the sound absorption material in the background?

I actually owned a MC 240 back in the early 2000’s and if memory serves me right I sold it for less than I paid for it. The market will bear only what the market will bear at the time. No guarantees it will continue to go up in price. Also, as the amp ages it will need restoration work and that gets very expensive. It’s like a classic car there comes a point where it may cost more to restore than what it is actually worth.

I was told the 230 and 260 were the special models. Can't recall exact reason. Maybe transformers?

Try looking at dyanco 70and pas 3 pre.

perhaps placing 6l6s into a modern amp eg prima luna would be interesting?

wonder Thomas what you think re.6l6 vs el34 vs kt88 for voice?

In hifi it is all a matter of taste. Thomas your declaration encapsulates every individual's quest for the perfect sound. As with everything, no two people will have the same preference if given a 2 dozen point criteria of the music they like. Unless of course their taste have been cultivated by the same set up and equipments. There is no perfect sound as there is no perfect sound reproduction of a live music. Then there is our changing taste, degradation of hearing, degradation of equipments, etc. My hifi quest ended when I learned how to EQ music I love to how I want it to sound. I'm in a happy place now.

Usually one setup will not give you good sounds to every songs - that's why I have my amp hooked-up to different sets of speakers for this reason. Some speakers sounded better with certain type of music.

Do you think the MP-701 might pair well with the MC-240?

Best I've ever heard are the Whammerdyne Audio Tube Amps from the USA ! 😍 Best Amps on Planet Earth 😇

That was cool

Hi, can I use a Mark Levinson 26 with a MC275?

Hi. I'm not an expert. But I found that my mc240 sounded very different depending on the tubes I tried. I have about 5 different sets of tubes and all sets sounded different. I settled on my set of vintage Philips tubes. Had very nice mids and bass ... so, not so bright as you said about yours. Just my 2 cents worth.

I think Thomas your almost throw away comment "it's all a matter of Personal taste" is right on the money. I use a vinttage tube power amp at this time. I have one in my system right now its a totally recapped all point to point wired Grant Lumley ST70 it weighs as much a my house it seems, it's partnered with an EAR tube pre amp and sound in either Ultra linear or Triode is sublime. I expected alot when I heard a 240 at a friend's house sometime ago and was dissapointed that it did very little for me. I'm not saying it was awful, it wasn't awful but it just didn't live up to my expectation. That maybe down to synergies or how I was feeling at the time, or I may simply not get the Mackintosh thing as I recall I really didn't like a Mackintosh integrated that I heard about a year ago paired with Sonus Faber either. Its all about the pair of ears and the brain your momma gave you, if it works for you it sounds great and that's all that matters. I keep listening to as much gear as possible I generally find it's not a eureka moment it's sometimes just a combination of subtleties that sway you one way or other. It simply isn't scientific it's something very organic and personal.

Long ago we put the mc240 on oscillo test , above 8khz the result went distorted , no nice block waves ..we supposed it was due to output trafos....

That Dave Clifford looks like a smart guy!!!!! Lol

Hmm, I love tubes, I run a tube amp (on a set of Harbeth Super HL5 speakers) now. But it's a modern design. Very neutral. I have a little bit of experience with vintage amps as I also own a Luxman R1500E (nicely restored) from 1978. I have heard McIntosh gear twice now, neither of which really impressed me. Still, one was a $150k system with NO acoustic treatment at all, in an apartment with concrete walls and a marble floor. Yeah.. The other was with very awkwardly placed speakers (no other space for them) and no treatment. But I guess, the synergy wasn't really there either.. Would I like to try a McIntosh amp in my current system? Absolutely. A vintage one like yours? Definitely. Perhaps, some day... If only the prices for the equipment wasn't this high... Similar to Accuphase here (new or vintage).

Shoutout to the og Milan training shirt 🔴⚫️

Hay, Thomas, thank you for review of MC 240, but I think it is too old, and it at stage where all caps needs to be changed. My other half does not mind me spending on my hobby more than her car as long as it does not come with problem’s. I am sure you know what I am saying, so try and let the past be in good memories and move in, the future. For example purchased Ref6 and original box was in bad shape, so I have to get new box for approval of my other half. So it is time my friend to move on, may I please ask if you did get the required order for your amplifier? Thank You.

Which one is Recommended the Wilsenton 300B , R8 or R800 ?

LEONID YAMBORKO is hooking me up with Auris Fortissimo. I hope it’s epic. My prima Luna was a little thin on lower mids

The Willsenton sounds best with Klipschton speakers and AudioQueston cables and cable risers.

In the second section of your video I think there is an argument for detailed neutrality and great speakers, so if the elements are in the recordng it's there and it's going to come out

The 6700 is a solid state product and the 240 is a tube product so not surprising that they sound different.

💯💯

Can vintage amps compete with new age amps 😃 I will give my answer in an upcoming video Comparrsion It'll be a solid state battle (Mosphetes) I think you know whats coming ! Thanks for the video Thomas .

To me, hearing these McIntosh at their best from the 225 to the big 400 watt solid state, the 240 is really at the bottom and not close to delivering what say a vintage 275 does. I've had a rebuild 225 and it was great and heard the 240 all cleaned up, rebuilt to original spec. It's not in the same league, Thomas. My friend has it and every six months I tell him that among his dozen plus amps, he should just sell it. He hasn't yet. The price continues to climb.

I wonder if I would be Mr. Omega

Thomas, What are you doing with a this shirt? If you enjoy soccer,have you seen what did Real Madrid last season?

Try it with kt66 tubes

Thomas I don’t think you need to keep giving the mic back and forth, that mic picks up both people pretty good

When done correctly, hi fi ages extremely slow in both sound and build quality. That’s my goal, because I don’t turn my system over constantly. CD player being the slight exception. I turn those a bit sooner as tech advances.

D mc240 needed to b service by experience tech Pair it with c22 or mx110 Then only d magic start

6L6 .. great amp

I happen to have two of them sitting in storage right now they're very good amps but I don't think they're legendary I also have the Fisher 400 I have a Fisher 500 and a Fisher 600 I happen to enjoy those three also have a collection of Sansui and a few Dinoco as well Marantz receivers I also have a couple of vintage Sony amplifiers so I'm all over the Gambit as far as amplifier equipment I also have a couple of sets of speakers that are Legend they would consider legendary I have JBL 4313 I also have All Tech Lansing voice to the theater so I've been around for a while and I've been collecting this stuff and I listen to a lot of different types of equipment right now in my living room I have Sansui with jbl's and I'm very satisfied with that in my living room you don't need a lot of power in order to enjoy your music everybody is yelling and screaming you need a lot of power you need a lot of power you don't need a lot of power 40 watts of power this morning sufficient and that's all you really need as long as you have a nice quality pair of speakers a good turntable with a great cartridge that's it I'm not into this Jack stuff for digital audio I'm old school I have a real to real I have a cassette deck and a turntable that's it you can keep all your modern digital stuff it's too damn expensive and it's too easy to break down and I don't want to deal with it because on everything that I mentioned to you I can repair I have all the tools I have all the knowledge and I have all the parts to do it so if something of mine breaks I can fix it and that's all I need to know

So envy you guys who own it…

Of course vintage is the best, and viintage technology, too. Ever listened to field coil spakers? Try Voxativ, Wolfe Von Langa. Free your mind. lol

Before watching the video .....................the answer is YES ! With the right nos tubes and 7027A ECG/Sylvania -philips....................beats the 275's on musical tonality and the right swung ................ You never heard a MC 240 when you did not use these 7027A's ( no ri-issues or other brands ) Input ....5751 RCA triple mica blak pmlates or TFK ECC83 Bflat plates............5814 RCA triple mica BP/TFK ECC82...............12BH7A GE...............ECC83 TFK ..............7027A ECG/PHILIPS USA ( = Sylvania )....... DO NOT change the values of the components or capacitors when you restore one !!!!!! Mine is from 1962................came still with original tubes and still working fine with these (1992 ).........I drive mostly a pair of Spendor S100 with it ................friends don't believe their ears comparing it to their High end systems..... I won't sell this amp...............some amps do more or less but no amp does what this one does........listen to the music and forgetting about the amp and speakers.........magic is NOT in the specifications but in the connection to the music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get this man a second mic!

Get yourself a seamstress to make neat covers for your amps when not being used. I put a thin cover over my tube amp when its not in action and that's not even in storage. I also have a paint brush in the room to dust it down every time before use, and by the way the paint brush has never been used for painting. Mr Dust's not your friend unless your an abstract artist...

Dude I have never commented before but a fan . You want to really mess peoples minds up put the 240 biamped with a modern McIntosh on the mid bass and subs and watch the nerves jerk !! 😂

Hi Thomas. Love your videos, but I must say this MC240 approach was not my cup of tea. I know quite well the MC240 and it's nice to return listening it to times to times but modern amps at same level have much more sound quality in every aspects. However if you prefer a nostalgic funny moment,why not?

6L6 that's it!

take 2 of these puppies and bi amp a pair of klipsch la scalas to get a huge sound stage thrown at you.

looks like Mc 240's came with different types of capacitors over the years. Bumble Bee caps in early models. Black Beauties in some models. Today i think they use Wima MPK metalized film. Personally, i usually prefer Foil/Film or Paper/Foil in the signal.

Like the Mercedes Benz brand “any mcintos” is worthy 😅 I like watching it getting literally “turned on”

Puts in a tube with cloth, touches a tube without cloth. 😀

At my job in the early 70's, there were unused MC40 and MI75 amps. I reused them as a monitor amp and for PA uses. The power supply capacitors were bad on some, and had to be replaced through the McIntosh clinic. The real story is that components have improved since then. And then, it was disappointing that the legendary sound started with simple Orange Drop Mylar capacitors at the input which means even at the start, the low freq. sound quality was compromised. So, it is impossible for the sound not to be improved, even with no circuit changes. So, just like the Galleon, the sound could be tailored by changing some of the to more modern ones. Even in the 70's we could get Polystyrene input caps. So, the prices aren't warranted, for even the transformers could be wound with better copper wire today. I think we are fooling ourselves regards to legendary sound tube components.

Note sure if you mentioned this or not but I'm assuming its original. If so then the amp is probably not to spec anymore and that's the reason your amp and the others sound different. All components drift out of spec over time and some fail spectacularly. I've restored a few vintage pieces now and they all sound better after a restoration and bringing them back into spec.

I am surprised. The MC240 is a low power tube amp with a low damping factor . The Carver loudspeaker has a very low efficacy. It is also an open baffle design with 4x 12 inch woofers. For these loudspeakers you need a high power ss amp with a high damping factor. So I think the comparison is very unfair. And I think you knew all this.

If they were that good . They would still be making them this way. It's old tech it's all they had because they didn't know what they have today.

Try tube rolling sir.

well play some music through it

How old is your amp? 1960s? Well it's those transformers in my opinion of the quality still remains. That's why these items APPRECIATE

About the bass..................I don't agree ...................this MAC 240 has gtreat bass...........with the right source, cables and the right speakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! His speakers were not build to be driven by an ampligfier like this MC !.............Anyway when you prefer " performance " as judged today in the audio high end world...........more than the connection you experience with music .............SOMETHING IS WRONG............as it is with most of the high end today...............performance yes but out of harmony and coherence ...........stand out parameters no longer in harmony with the real music..............BUT AUDIOPHILES LIKE IT and the MARKETTING DOES THE JOB.................. Just like a great bmeal......................nothing or any taste dominates or stands out ...........it's the balance of creating the flavour ................the tastefull meal in the past would tast as good today.................we are told and teached to believe otherwise..............NEW IS ALWAYS BETTER....

No is a rock amp

Hahahahaha brand-conscious

These people are chriminals!

I had a pair of MC 40s. They are okay but not that special compared to Audio Research and Audio Note. Laughably not legendary, semi-mediocre, useless as a benchmark. Perfectly understandable you never listen to the MC 240.

The glass is half full or is it half emplty ???? .............So the lie about tube and warmth...........or is it thelack of human warmth in the other technology . By the way I build tube amplifiers and people ( friends , well experienced audiophiles ) could NOT tell what technology was the amp by listening to it ( tube-solid state or hybrid ) ..............but they liked it ...............and that's right ! By the way .......................the old MC 240 does not HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. silent as a mouse even with the ear close to the tweeters .......;