I've been waiting to pull the trigger since 1986, and finally did so today, 10/2/2008, from House of Music in San Francisco.

I've always been a solid state guy, and assumed I'd purchase solid state equipment when I finally bought a serious system.

Recent auditions, however, have made it *clear* to me that tubes simply sound better to me. I almost blush saying it, as I've *not* been a tube guy in the past.

It seems most young people are into solid state, as I was when I was young (I'm 42 now). Funny how we get smarter as we grow older, eh? :-)

The McIntosh products were used, on consignment. They appear to me to be entirely blemish free and sound absolutely fantastic.

The preamplifier is one model out of date, but the amplifier is entirely current. House of Music refurbished the units (clean, test and bias, I suppose), but the tubes are factory in both, with very low hours.

I'm such a tube newbie I've only just begun to understand that I have a lot to learn about potential tube replacements!

They have a very cool policy, which I'm finding to be somewhat standard in audiophile shops, of allowing full purchase price credit on upgrades within a year. Other shops had caveats, however, such as: still current model, only new equipment, etc.

House of Music's policy is very simple: 1 year full price credit for whatever you buy, including used and out of date models.

I'm excited about the speakers. I originally had planned on 805S units, but after listening to several stand mount speakers over the last few months, I'd been leaning toward full range speakers.

After listening to the 804S and 803D next to each other, I simply couldn't resist 803D's ultra smooth and spacious sound.

The entire set sounds fantastic! My friend Edward Muller and I listened yesterday for a couple of hours, then I went back with another friend, Loren Hale, this evening.

Rick Rubin, our salesperson, was *extremely* helpful and indulgent. We ran the system through *numerous* A/B tests including:

Both sets of speakers, iterated over:

1) Mcintosh CD player (model?) with a handful of supplied CDs including a very nice sampler/setup CD

2) Digital music, compressed and uncompressed, from my MacBook Pro through Airport Express to Toslink input on said CD player

3) Stereo MC402

4) Dual mono MC501

5) MC2102 on 8 ohm bindings. House of Music had it set up this way, and base was thin and muddy

6) MC2102 on 4 ohm bindings. Much better match for these speakers, base was fuller and tighter, entire range had increased attack. Thanks to Audiogon forum members for suggesting this!

7) Dual mono MC2102 in bridged mono mode. Substantial improvement over stereo mode.

8) Dual mono MC2102 in parallel mono mode. The top rung of this ladder to everyone's ears. Spacious and dynamic, BREATHTAKING!

Ended up choosing to go with just the single MC2102 to hear at home before deciding to get a second, though deep in my heart I've already decided the dual mono setup is in my future. If I win the lottery I not so secretly desire a pair of MC2301s! :-)

The *only* thing that was less than perfect about the audition is that their high end rooms have a LOT of passive drivers absorbing energy.

I suspect that if I had asked they would have removed the other speakers, but they're pressed for space and some of the units are heavy B&W 800D and 802D units, so I didn't bother to ask.

Perhaps I'll have the dynamics of the dual monos that I desire without the extra power when there aren't a dozen passive drivers softening the impact! But, what would the dual monos have sounded like WITHOUT the passive drivers? Almost scary to consider!

Finally, Rick gave me a very nice price on some Tributaries brand speaker cables and balanced interconnects.