System edited: Replaced some of the photos with newer/better lit pictures

bhmcintosh October 14, 2013 20:35

System edited: The DVD player gave up the ghost, so I broke down and bought an Oppo 103 BluRay player. I also took the opportunity to vacuum out a bunch of cat hair and floobydust and to rearrange things slightly.

bhmcintosh October 14, 2013 20:03

System edited: Minor adjustments to the description text, and a new title to reflect the notion that I'm probably through throwing components at it. Time to sit back, listen to some CDs and records, and watch a movie or three!

bhmcintosh May 06, 2011 16:18

I think I need to move this from ever-evolving to done-for-now. Other than some repairs to the 4100 and *maybe* putting the cassette deck back in, I don't forsee any changes for quite a while (he says, famous last words). Looks nice, and sounds VERY VERY nice.

Actually, there is one upgrade we're talking about making - tearing off the back porch and extending the family room back another 10 feet and moving the system to the resulting end of the room. :)

bhmcintosh May 06, 2011 14:14

Nice system you have there. I also agree with your asessment of the McIntosh 4100 Receiver. I had one paired with JM Lab 714S speakers in a second system and loved the clean sound. In fact, I'm soon going to put the Mac 4100 up for sale soon; since I now have a dedicated TV/Listening room for my main system - which is also mostly McIntosh gear.

avideo April 09, 2011 15:42

System edited: System update: Replaced the Stereotech3s with McIntosh XR-250s, purchased from the one and only Roger Russell. Those LD/HP woofers of Carl VanGelder's really do work wonders, both with the bass and with the lower midrange - FAR fewer IM products to interfere up higher. Even the wife agrees that the improvement in sound was worth the price of admission.

bhmcintosh March 27, 2011 04:46

System edited: System edited: Cleaned up the descriptions, added the TK9e cartridge and the plans for new speakers.

bhmcintosh March 15, 2011 03:47

Finally happened - I got the cabinet shelves built and everything rearranged. Even managed to recable everything, mostly with shorter cables. Hopefully it'll collect less dust and cathair now. Need to replace the pic at top.

bhmcintosh March 03, 2011 15:32

I've got to get the shelves built and the turntable moved up to the top of the cabinet. We've recently added a couple of self-propelled chaos generators to the household, and one of the kittens likes to sit on the turntable. No no! Bad kitty! Don't sit on Mr. Mc's Thorens! :-)

The other short-term change is to put the TK9 I fast-talked my brother into giving me onto the 'table in place of the TK3e. I expect slightly better tracking and MUCH better transient response.

bhmcintosh January 13, 2010 20:25

Thanks for your response.

I like the black look of the other Mac receivers but the silver 4100 would match my cdp better. It is a different Mac look, but still very attractive.

Thanks for your advice about Mac receivers. I do have 4 ohm speakers so I should consider the 4100 or 4200 receiver. I'm glad you commented on the FM portion of the receivers. This is very important to me, maybe even more than CDs.

I made an error, you probably realized. I called the silver piece or gear on the bottom shelf a stereo tech. Anyway, you figured it out. I think your idea of isolating the TT is a great idea.

Very cool system.

mjcmt April 29, 2008 11:08

The 4100 is 75wpc into 8ohms, 2 phono and 2 aux inputs, first-rate AM and FM tuners, 2 (or is it 3? can't recall) tape in/out sets, dancing-LED power meters, and Mc's PowerGuard output monitor circuitry. I paid $900 for mine years ago; in the condition mine's in now, I'd guess it'd go for a grand to 1100.

The only real differences I've observed between, say, my 1700 and my 4100 are that the 4100's got more dynamic headroom - it'll cope with much louder transients without distorting, and that the phono section is considerably cleaner, but that's probably due to the 1700's advanced age. Ask me again after I've run the 1700 past Terry DeWick in Knoxville.

I'd expect that, if they've all been suitably updated (caps replaced,contacts cleaned, out-of-tolerance resistors replaced - sort of stuff Audio Classics or Terry DeWick do to elderly Mc stuff) that any of the Mc receivers from the 4200 backwards would sound equally good. Stay newer if you have less efficient speakers.

My eventual arrangement is to have the Thorens top-center on a full-extension shelf with some kind of damping between the 'table and the shelf. The DVD player (which is small and light and generates no heat) will sit on top of the mythtv box where it is bottom center. The 4100 will go top right and the CD player will go top left with the Cable box atop it. That'll leave sufficient room for two more amps against the future day I go 5.1. :-) The tape deck and VHS player are both slated to go byebye, but I'll keep the VHS long enough to transcribe some videos like the kids' sonograms to DVD via the myth box.

bhmcintosh April 28, 2008 19:52

Nice looking system.

I used to own the TD125 w/ SME are in the early seventies. It brings back memories.

I'm looking for a cheap Mac receiver. Tell me about your 4100 and how it compares to other Mac receivers you have heard. I want it to do dual duty for movies and music like you are.

You know what would look cool. Put a shelf in each cubby and put the Stereotech on the L shelf, the TD 125 on the center shelf, and the 4100 on the R shelf. Then put all the other gear on the bottom. It would really show off the nice gear.

mjcmt April 15, 2008 16:27