System includes Sonus Faber Stradivari with McIntosh components. I was driving the system from the 2nd zone of a McIntosh MX132 (Which is upstairs in our TV Room-Required 100 Foot of Speaker Cable), until I borrowed the Pre C45 from my Mac Dealer. I have just ordered a Tube Mcintosh Pre C220, and am going to see which is better the Solid State or Tube Pre-Amp.
System is very Musical, and powerful enough to drive the Room, which is a 2 Story Space with Hard Surfaces, ie Glass and Stone Floors. The Irregular Shape of the Room, which is very Open helps by not creating any reflections or Standing Waves. The system is warm and exceedingly Musical. Wife loves the Music. Looking for a Piece of Furniture to put the McIntosh Components into it.(I know that would be Blasphemy). The Look of the components was very important to the design of the Room.
Again, lovely system . . . especially the chocolate wrap around sofa. Did you ever get around to picking up a credenza for the equipment or have you decided to leave things as is?
Love the Strad's. I don't find them bright, very smooth. Poor Recordings need not apply. The room has No parallel walls, so I only hear the speaakers. The bass is Outstanding in the room. Been thinking about getting a second 2102, like you. Might do some tube rolling someday??
I also have Mac MC2102, except I have 2 of them. I also have the C46 pre amp, but just replaced it with a cj ART. I am looking at the Strad's as my next speaker
How do the Strad's sound with the MC2102?? Is there any brightness to the Strad sound and how deep is the bass in your room??
System edited: Just added the Mcintosh C220 Tube Preamp yesterday. Soundstage is opening up, depth of the instruments increased, very smooth. The C45 was a little more polite, let's see how the C220 does in a couple of weeks. Added picture showing sweat spot listening area. With the McIntosh, great sound all the way into the Kitchen. Music I listen too includes Jazz, vocals (ie Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Steve Tyrell, Willie Nelson, Van Morrison, and the usual), Pop music,(Try Patricia Kaas, "Piano Bar" or "La Mot de Passe". French Pop singer with a wonderful Voice and dynamic recordings), and instrumentals for Piano or acoustic (Try Jackson Brown's "Solo Acoustic, Vol 1")
Beauty of a system and view. Great choice in the Mac gear, I would think in really goes along way in keeping the warmth in the music in a room with the many hard surfaces. Personally, I would keep the gear exposed, no issues of overheating and Mac gear is beautiful to gaze at as you take in your lovely outdoor view. It adds a warm glow along with the fireplace at night. Music is life.
Wow!!! Top level design, I like your style of architecture and simple assortment of equipment. Congratulations and anjoy in music. What kind of music are you listening? Lobnik, Greetings from Europe.
Now THAT is one hell of a room! Those Macs have incredible power for 100 wpc. Not hard to get inspired by the music when you also have that view. Enjoy.
The photo does not show a leather sectional which has a sweet spot for critical listening, but the room goes all the way into the kitchen, where the sound, including bass loading, really sounds good too, (actually sounds great in anyplace in the room). Ambient music, not with these babies. I'll upload photo in other direction shortly.
Geezuz... the house is incredible judging by your living room. Are you a critical listener and did you purchase the speakers with the intent of using it as a critcal 2ch system or is the system more used for ambience music? Just asking because I did not notice a sweetspot chair from your pics.
I just found a credenza to put the equipment in between the chairs, which I am just getting ready to order. The Equipment needs to be hidden away, and the corner placement would also distreact from the window elevations. Clean and simple. Gotta work on speaker cables also going forward, flatwire or something, or pull some Marble up to run it under the flooring.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE ROOM!!! I cant get over the huge windows and the view!! Listening to music or doing anything in that room must be amazing! You get that kind of house or view in SoCal...maybe I should move to Houston???
However, it does not look like you have an approriate "sweet spot" the way your furniture is set up. Do you place a chair in front of the speakers when you critically listen?
BTW, what kind of music do you enjoy?
Thanks for sharing. You must have a beautiful home through and through.
Just cannot stand the way you place the Mac stuffs, why don't you place them in the corner of the room next to the right speaker. The current placement, the amplifiers ruin your beautiful house.
Excelent. One more non one chair musiclover. Keep up the good work. If you would like to improve you system try the acoustic system resonators. Big improvemen see the review on 6 moons.
What are you doin' to me - you gotta stop with these beautiful pictures . . . my drooling has shorted out 2 keyboards already :)))!
Blasphemers of the world unite! . . . my vote is for a solid piece in the same genre of your present furniture. In my opinion, whenever possible and assuming the setup is not in a dedicated room, the music should serve the room, not the other way around. In my experience you, your family, friends, guests, et al, will literally enjoy the music more as the environment will naturally be more harmonious (no pun intended).
Good luck and take your time getting the right piece for you.
Windows built of Mahogany in Maine, shipped to Houston.
Speakers go down to 22 Hz, (no need for a subwoofer and it is used for music only, ie no home theater which might require a sub). Bass is incredible, tight, no walls for it to bounce off of. Speakers are fairly benign to the room, placed by the Sonus Faber Regional Rep along with the dealer. Organ, piano, and acoustic music is like geing in a concert hall or a church, expecially with organ and chamber music. That McIntosh can really provide with some great bass too.
